The Miraculous
Easter
The Road to Victory
A Pre-Easter Home Study
Object:
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
Lesson Aim: That each person might get a new understanding of the miracles of Jesus.
Prayer Focus: Pray that each person in your group might know/experience the miraculous touch of the Lord Jesus Christ at this Easter season.
Lesson
A man, his daughter, and grandson were driving through Pennsylvania Dutch Country. They passed an Amish horse and buggy and the boy's curiosity was stirred. "Why do they use horses instead of cars?" he asked. His mother told him that they didn't believe in cars. After a few moments the boy asked, "Why, can't they see them?"
Sometimes in our lives we fail to see the miraculous. We've been taking a look at Jesus for the past several weeks. Today we take another look at his character, seeing him as Jesus The Miracle Worker.
Background Of The Text
The text for today comes again from Luke's gospel. Luke is writing a precise account of the life of Jesus to demonstrate the certainty of what has been taught. He has given us several looks into the nature of Jesus. Today we are at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. He is in his hometown of Nazareth. He has been teaching throughout Galilee, but now he is home. He is in the synagogue. His time comes to read the scripture. He then stands to read and from the book of Isaiah he shares these words, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Amazingly, he rolls up the scroll and announces, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Of course, the people in Nazareth reject Jesus as the Messiah. In their minds, he is only a "neighbor boy." That's the rest of the story. Before we move on, though, let's take a look at what Jesus read and how it related to his ministry.
Miracles Described
The passage from Isaiah 61 describes the actions of the Messiah. He will preach good news to the poor. He will proclaim freedom for the prisoners. He will bring recovery of sight to the blind and release the oppressed. He will proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. These "things" are the signs that will authenticate the Messiah. Jesus is giving these folks in his hometown a preview of what is to come. He will do all of these things. As we read through Luke (and the other gospels) we note that Jesus did miracles.
Who can forget his first miracle, turning water to wine? Remember how he healed the leper with a touch of his hand? Remember his giving sight to the man born blind? Remember how he fed thousands with a few fish and five loaves of bread? Remember his compassion for the widow who had lost her son? He brought the boy back to life. He raised Jairus' daughter. The whole of the gospel account is filled with the miraculous. Let's pause for just a moment and examine miracles. Let's begin by defining a miracle. One of the best definitions I've come across is this. A miracle is the divine imprint upon the world in which we live.
Miracles Discussed
Why?
Let's address some questions regarding miracles. First, we ask why. Why did Jesus do miracles? What was his purpose? A glance through the gospel accounts reveals this to us. Jesus did miracles for a couple of reasons.
First, miraculous signs fulfilled prophecy of what the Messiah would do. The miracles were demonstrations that Jesus was the coming one. The prophets of old told the people that the Messiah would come with the ability to do the miraculous. When Jesus did miracles, these prophecies were fulfilled.
Second, Jesus did miracles to meet the needs of the people he encountered. I am convinced that the miracles of Jesus reveal his compassion for humanity. His first miracle, turning water to wine, was not a public one. It was not done to support any message. It was done because some friends of the family were in trouble and Jesus could help them. Not a glamorous reason, is it? But what an incredible message! Jesus did the miraculous because someone he cared about needed help. What does that tell you? Jesus loves you and cares for you. He can and still does the miraculous. He'll be there for you and provide what you need when you need it, too. As we scan through the miracles, we see a common thread. People are in trouble and Jesus wants to help.
There is a note of caution, though, that must be heeded. Jesus did not heal everyone who was sick. He did not feed all those in the world who were hungry. He did not raise every dead person back to life. His primary purpose was to bring the miracle of salvation to all. Sometimes the miracle occurred in the way desired, but not all the time. Sometimes the miracle is the grace given to endure the problem. Sometimes the miracle is the opportunity to go home to be with the Lord. There are some people that want to equate miracles with a "genie in a bottle." God doesn't work like that. Faith is not measured by how much money you have or by one's health. Faith does not activate God as if he were an impersonal force. Faith is trusting and believing that God does what is best.
When?
The next question is when. When did miracles occur? What was the condition present for a miracle to happen? There were some common elements in each miracle account. First, there was a demonstrated human need. Lazarus had died. There was no food. There was a storm on the lake. The servant was sick. The second condition was the element of faith. When interacting with people who desired a touch of Jesus' hand, he always implored them to believe. The belief was always directed at Jesus. He did not want them to "visualize" the person or situation better. He wanted them to believe or trust in him. There were times when Jesus did the miraculous to inspire faith, as well. Faith is connected with the miraculous. The final condition was the presence of Jesus. He was there. He wasn't always visible, but he was present.
What does this mean for us today? I'm convinced that the miraculous still occurs. The conditions can still be present. The problem is that we don't always see the miracle because we are looking for it on our terms. The Lord gives us miracles every day. We just don't pay attention.
Did you notice ...
* the sunrise this morning?
* the beating of your heart?
* the ability to communicate, to love, and to share?
* the changing of the seasons?
* the birth of a child?
* the passing of one from this life to eternal life?
All of these are miracles. We just don't see them because we are not looking.
Who?
The final question regarding miracles is who. Who can receive a miracle? This is the good news. The answer to this question is anyone who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ. That means that you today can be a recipient of the miraculous. In fact, we already have received more miracles than we are aware of.
Perhaps you are looking for a miracle today. Maybe you are overwhelmed by life's troubles. Maybe worry has bogged you down and you don't think there is any hope. Maybe you need a touch of Jesus' hand. He is there for you. On his "road to victory," he paused to reveal a part of heaven.
Conclusion
The "Miracle Worker," Jesus, is still in business. On the way to "ultimate victory," let's not forget that, through him, we can win some of the small battles.
Thought Questions
1. What do you think of the definition of miracle (the divine imprint upon the world in which we live)? Do we see that "imprint" as often as we should?
2. Receiving what we pray for is easy to understand as "miraculous." How is it "miraculous" when the answer is not what we had hoped?
3. Does Jesus still perform miracles in your life? Cite some examples.
4. What miracle listed in the New Testament is your favorite? Why?
Suggested Songs And Hymns
"Open My Eyes, Lord"
"To God Be The Glory"
"Count Your Blessings"
"Thank You, Lord"
Lesson Aim: That each person might get a new understanding of the miracles of Jesus.
Prayer Focus: Pray that each person in your group might know/experience the miraculous touch of the Lord Jesus Christ at this Easter season.
Lesson
A man, his daughter, and grandson were driving through Pennsylvania Dutch Country. They passed an Amish horse and buggy and the boy's curiosity was stirred. "Why do they use horses instead of cars?" he asked. His mother told him that they didn't believe in cars. After a few moments the boy asked, "Why, can't they see them?"
Sometimes in our lives we fail to see the miraculous. We've been taking a look at Jesus for the past several weeks. Today we take another look at his character, seeing him as Jesus The Miracle Worker.
Background Of The Text
The text for today comes again from Luke's gospel. Luke is writing a precise account of the life of Jesus to demonstrate the certainty of what has been taught. He has given us several looks into the nature of Jesus. Today we are at the beginning of Jesus' ministry. He is in his hometown of Nazareth. He has been teaching throughout Galilee, but now he is home. He is in the synagogue. His time comes to read the scripture. He then stands to read and from the book of Isaiah he shares these words, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Amazingly, he rolls up the scroll and announces, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." Of course, the people in Nazareth reject Jesus as the Messiah. In their minds, he is only a "neighbor boy." That's the rest of the story. Before we move on, though, let's take a look at what Jesus read and how it related to his ministry.
Miracles Described
The passage from Isaiah 61 describes the actions of the Messiah. He will preach good news to the poor. He will proclaim freedom for the prisoners. He will bring recovery of sight to the blind and release the oppressed. He will proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. These "things" are the signs that will authenticate the Messiah. Jesus is giving these folks in his hometown a preview of what is to come. He will do all of these things. As we read through Luke (and the other gospels) we note that Jesus did miracles.
Who can forget his first miracle, turning water to wine? Remember how he healed the leper with a touch of his hand? Remember his giving sight to the man born blind? Remember how he fed thousands with a few fish and five loaves of bread? Remember his compassion for the widow who had lost her son? He brought the boy back to life. He raised Jairus' daughter. The whole of the gospel account is filled with the miraculous. Let's pause for just a moment and examine miracles. Let's begin by defining a miracle. One of the best definitions I've come across is this. A miracle is the divine imprint upon the world in which we live.
Miracles Discussed
Why?
Let's address some questions regarding miracles. First, we ask why. Why did Jesus do miracles? What was his purpose? A glance through the gospel accounts reveals this to us. Jesus did miracles for a couple of reasons.
First, miraculous signs fulfilled prophecy of what the Messiah would do. The miracles were demonstrations that Jesus was the coming one. The prophets of old told the people that the Messiah would come with the ability to do the miraculous. When Jesus did miracles, these prophecies were fulfilled.
Second, Jesus did miracles to meet the needs of the people he encountered. I am convinced that the miracles of Jesus reveal his compassion for humanity. His first miracle, turning water to wine, was not a public one. It was not done to support any message. It was done because some friends of the family were in trouble and Jesus could help them. Not a glamorous reason, is it? But what an incredible message! Jesus did the miraculous because someone he cared about needed help. What does that tell you? Jesus loves you and cares for you. He can and still does the miraculous. He'll be there for you and provide what you need when you need it, too. As we scan through the miracles, we see a common thread. People are in trouble and Jesus wants to help.
There is a note of caution, though, that must be heeded. Jesus did not heal everyone who was sick. He did not feed all those in the world who were hungry. He did not raise every dead person back to life. His primary purpose was to bring the miracle of salvation to all. Sometimes the miracle occurred in the way desired, but not all the time. Sometimes the miracle is the grace given to endure the problem. Sometimes the miracle is the opportunity to go home to be with the Lord. There are some people that want to equate miracles with a "genie in a bottle." God doesn't work like that. Faith is not measured by how much money you have or by one's health. Faith does not activate God as if he were an impersonal force. Faith is trusting and believing that God does what is best.
When?
The next question is when. When did miracles occur? What was the condition present for a miracle to happen? There were some common elements in each miracle account. First, there was a demonstrated human need. Lazarus had died. There was no food. There was a storm on the lake. The servant was sick. The second condition was the element of faith. When interacting with people who desired a touch of Jesus' hand, he always implored them to believe. The belief was always directed at Jesus. He did not want them to "visualize" the person or situation better. He wanted them to believe or trust in him. There were times when Jesus did the miraculous to inspire faith, as well. Faith is connected with the miraculous. The final condition was the presence of Jesus. He was there. He wasn't always visible, but he was present.
What does this mean for us today? I'm convinced that the miraculous still occurs. The conditions can still be present. The problem is that we don't always see the miracle because we are looking for it on our terms. The Lord gives us miracles every day. We just don't pay attention.
Did you notice ...
* the sunrise this morning?
* the beating of your heart?
* the ability to communicate, to love, and to share?
* the changing of the seasons?
* the birth of a child?
* the passing of one from this life to eternal life?
All of these are miracles. We just don't see them because we are not looking.
Who?
The final question regarding miracles is who. Who can receive a miracle? This is the good news. The answer to this question is anyone who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ. That means that you today can be a recipient of the miraculous. In fact, we already have received more miracles than we are aware of.
Perhaps you are looking for a miracle today. Maybe you are overwhelmed by life's troubles. Maybe worry has bogged you down and you don't think there is any hope. Maybe you need a touch of Jesus' hand. He is there for you. On his "road to victory," he paused to reveal a part of heaven.
Conclusion
The "Miracle Worker," Jesus, is still in business. On the way to "ultimate victory," let's not forget that, through him, we can win some of the small battles.
Thought Questions
1. What do you think of the definition of miracle (the divine imprint upon the world in which we live)? Do we see that "imprint" as often as we should?
2. Receiving what we pray for is easy to understand as "miraculous." How is it "miraculous" when the answer is not what we had hoped?
3. Does Jesus still perform miracles in your life? Cite some examples.
4. What miracle listed in the New Testament is your favorite? Why?
Suggested Songs And Hymns
"Open My Eyes, Lord"
"To God Be The Glory"
"Count Your Blessings"
"Thank You, Lord"
