THE MARVELOUS JESUS
May 2, 2010
Seven times in the gospel record of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the Lord Jesus Christ is referred to as marvelous. The first time is in the gospel according to Luke as an eight-day old baby in the Temple at Jerusalem.
AS A BABY IN THE TEMPLE
And Joseph and His mother marveled at the things which were spoken concerning Him. Mary and Joseph knew more about Jesus than anyone. They knew about the appearance of the angel Gabriel. They knew Jesus was not the Son of Joseph. They knew He was the Son of God. She knew He would establish a Kingdom and of that Kingdom there would be no end. She knew that she was a sinner in need of salvation herself. Did she not say to her cousin Elizabeth, in Luke 1:47 my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior? She also knew that all following generations would call her blessed. Her personal knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ at this point was greater than all the scholars who ever lived. She had such knowledge that no one else could ever have. But could she have known the full import of the words of old Simeon in Luke 2:35 “ Yea and a sword shall pierce through thine own soul; that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed.”
When you have learned everything that has been said in scripture, taught in all seminaries, written in all books and sung in all songs, you have still only scratched the surface. The knowledge concerning Jesus is inexhaustible. So go back again and continue to read the story, over and over, again and again, and the more you read it the more you will marvel at the things which are spoken concerning Him. How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be. How marvelous! How wonderful! Is my Saviors love to me! The second marvel is when they marveled at His power to forgive sins on earth.
THEY MARVELLED AND GLORIFIED GOD
A man sick of the palsy had been let down through the roof because the crowd blocked the entrance. Jesus told him, be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee. Some of those who saw it thought to them selves this is blasphemy. No one can forgive sins but God. Jesus said which is easier, to say, thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say, Arise and walk? But that you may know the Son of man has authority to forgive sins on earth He told the sick of the palsy to take up his bed and go unto thy house. In other words this man was not to walk a few steps and stop. He was to walk and keep on walking. Walk all the way home. Don't stop!
When they first brought the man with the palsy to Jesus they would not let him in. Now that he is healed they were anxious to let him out. No doubt they wanted to see if he could really walk. Would he fall flat on his face after a few steps? That is why Jesus told him to walk all the way home. The critics could see this was the real thing. Is there a lesson here for us? Paul says when we were buried with him in baptism we arose to walk in newness of life. So walk, and don’t stop walking, keep on walking all the way home.
Jesus had authority to forgive sins on the earth during His ministry on earth. However forgiveness of sins on earth is the only place our sins are forgiven and not after we die. I went to a funeral home to visit the bereaved and while there someone invited the mourners to gather around the casket and prayer would be made for the soul of the deceased. It was a useless gesture. If the deceased were not forgiven before he died he would not be forgiven after he died. Jesus said while on earth, John 8:24 ye shall die in your sins; “for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins.” When we die, we either die in Christ, or we die in our sins. The story of the rich man and Lazarus indicates that after death there is no change in a person's destiny. Paul tells us in Hebrews that it is appointed unto men once to die and after this the judgment. When the multitudes saw it they marveled. How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be. How marvelous! How wonderful! Is my Savior's love for me! The third time they marveled at Jesus was during the storm on the Sea of Galilee.
THE STORM ON THE SEA OF GALILEE
And the men marveled saying what manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey him. Sometimes the weather has an effect on plans we make and those plans have to be altered. We don't read too much of the weather in the life of the Lord during His sojourn on earth, but it is not to be ignored. John mentions the weather when he said that on one occasion, it was winter and Jesus was walking in Solomon's porch. It may have been cold and the Lord walked back and forth to keep warm. John also gives the weather report when he informs us that a fire had been kindled by the soldiers for it was cold and Peter also was standing with them warming himself. Jesus had said the foxes have holes and the birds have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay His head. Who can tell how many times the Lord and the Apostles slept outside in winter?
But the storm on the Sea of Galilee is a different matter. Although the weather affected the boat and the Apostles who were experienced seamen, the storm had no effect at all on the Lord Jesus. He slept through the whole thing. He was asleep in the hinder most part of the ship on a pillow. In this case the weather did not affect the Lord, but the Lord did effect the weather. His effect on the storm is very significant. Modern day man has invented many things but nothing has ever been invented that controls the weather. We are at the mercy of the weather, but in this case the weather was at the mercy of Jesus.
When the frightened Apostles awakened the sleeping Christ, He arose and rebuked the winds and said unto the sea, peace be still. And there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, what manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea obey Him? The bottom line of this story is the fact that the Apostles did not need to awaken Jesus. They were perfectly safe, storm or no storm because as the gospel song says it: No storm can swallow the ship where lies the Master of wind and sea and sky. How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be. How marvelous! How wonderful! Is my Saviors love to me! And now the fourth time they marveled was in the story of Legion that follows immediately when they landed safe on the other side.
AND ALL MEN DID MARVEL
Here he comes. A man who says he has a legion of demons. Jesus cast out the demons from the man no one else could control. When the town's people told the Lord to leave He did what He will always do if you don't want Him around, He left. As He was getting into the boat with the apostles Legion wanted to leave with Him. Jesus told him to stay where he was and go home and tell your friends what great things the Lord hath done for thee and how He had compassion on thee. That is what Legion did and all men did marvel.
That is where evangelism starts for us. Go home and tell your family and friends what the Lord has done for you and how in His compassion He could save even you.
I don't know the particulars, but maybe Legion was walking down thee street and someone called at him, Hey Legion, what happened? Last time I saw you, you were running around naked, hollering like a crazy man, living in the grave yard, scaring every body to death, and now you are fully dressed. Legion said, I met Jesus the Son of the most high God and I don't do that any more. The Lord made a big difference in the life of Legion and he wanted everybody to know it. That is what happened to Legion and that is what can happen to you. When this happens all men will still marvel. How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be. How marvelous! How wonderful! Is my Saviors love to me! The fifth time they marveled was when they marveled at His knowledge.
HOW KNOWETH THIS MAN LETTERS
How knoweth this man letters having never learned? At the feast of Tabernacles Jesus went up to the feast into the Temple and taught. They marveled saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned. Think of it. Jesus is in the Temple in the presence of the greatest minds among the Jews. The doctors of the law were all there and Jesus was teaching them. He had no obvious credentials. He had never been to school. He did not have not even, a High School diploma. It would be like someone today who had never been to the first grade showing up at the most prestigious Seminary and teaching theology. One might wonder if any of the older Doctors of the law that day remembered a day about twenty years before when a twelve year old boy showed up in the Temple and confounded them with His questions and His answers.
However his knowledge transcends all book learning. One case in point will suffice. One day in Capernaum they that received the half shekel came to Peter and asked him if his Master paid the half shekel. Peter said He did. The half shekel was a small extra tax every Jewish male gave each year for improvements when needed on the Synagogue. When Peter came into the house, Jesus who overheard the conversation said, Simon, from whom do the kings of the earth receive tribute; from their sons or from strangers? Peter said from strangers. Jesus told him, "Therefore the sons are free. But lest we cause them to stumble, go thou to the sea and cast a hook and take up the fish that first cometh up. When thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt find a shekel. That take and give unto them for Me and thee.
What course do you take in school that teaches you to know the whereabouts of a fish with money in his mouth? And not only knows the fish that has the money, but also that it will be the first fish Peter would catch. If the doctors of the law had known that Jesus had that kind of knowledge they would have gone beyond marveling. They would have been freaked out and what's more they would have been flabbergasted. And by the way if Jesus has that kind of knowledge; do you think there is a possibility that He knows what is going on in our minds? How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be. How marvelous! How wonderful! Is my Saviors love to me! Now the sixth thing they marveled about was His answers to their tricky questions.
THEY MARVELLED AND LEFT HIM
And when they heard it they marveled and left Him and went their way. The Pharisees had sent a delegation to ask Jesus a tricky foolproof question. Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not? If Jesus says yes, He stands condemned by the Jews who object to paying taxes even though they were forced to do so. If He says No, He is in trouble with the Romans for being a rabble-rouser. Either way He answers, He stands condemned. Jesus asks them to show the tribute money and they brought unto Him a denarius. Jesus said, "Whose is this image and superscription?” They said, “Caesars.” Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars, and unto God the things which are Gods.” That is when they marveled, and left Him and went their way.
People who quibble about obedience to the word of God are still with us today. One of their favorite foolproof questions regards the plan of salvation. All of my ministry when we read the scriptures about being immersed in water for the remission of sins people have gleefully ask this question. But suppose you are in a desert and someone wants to accept Christ, how can they be immersed? Actually the answer is very simple. If people are living in the desert obviously they have access to water. The answer to this tricky question has recently been solved.
In recent years thousands of our armed forces have lived in the desert, and it is a sad, depressing reality that some are going to give their lives for their country. The military authorities have provided metal coffins for such purposes. One chaplain informs me, and has shown me photographs of service people actually being immersed in those metal coffins in the desert.
Actually a baptism under these conditions provides a powerful lesson to the real meaning of baptism. Did not the Apostle Paul say, Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into His death. Therefore we are buried with Him in baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father; even so we also should walk in newness of life. And when they heard it they marveled and left Him and went away. How marvelous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be. How Marvelous! How wonderful! Is my Saviors love to me! And now let's look at the last of the seven marvels about Jesus. And He answered him never a word; insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.
PILATE MARVELLED GREATLY
Matthew tells us, "And when Jesus was accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing." Then saith Pilate unto Him, "Hearest Thou not how many things they witness against Thee?" And He gave him no answer, not even to one word: insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.
Jesus made no reply to any of the charges made against Him. Their minds were made up. Nothing he could say would make any difference. The Lord knew also that the decision of Pilate would be political; talking to them would be the same as speaking to a stone wall, so Jesus held His peace.
There comes a time in the lives of many people when the Lord cannot get through to them. He said in Genesis 6:3 “ My Spirit will not always strive with men.”
Perhaps many prefer the way Pilate got rid of the problem. He called for water and washed his hands before the multitude and said, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man, see ye to it. His declaration of innocence was his own personal plan of salvation. I would rather use the Bible plan. Peter said on the day the Church began. Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
I stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene,
And wonder how He could love me, a sinner condemned unclean. How marvelous? How wonderful, my Savior’s love for me.
