November 1, 2020

Matthew 9:18-26

1. Today we looked at several attributes of Jesus that are clearly seen in this passage. In light of this, why is it good that we ask when we read the Bible, "What does this passage teach us about God?"

2. In Matthew 9:18, we see that Jairus is desperate as his daughter has died & that Jesus' response shows that He is accessible.

We'll see that desperation is felt by both figures who approach Jesus in this passage, in what ways should we see ourselves as desperate before God?

How does Jesus being accessible encourage us in our prayer life?

3. In Matthew 9:19, Jesus drops everything to attend to the need of the desperate dad...Jesus is available.

As followers of Christ, how can we imitate Christ in being a servant to others?

What does it look like to be approachable & available servants of Christ to others?

4. In Matthew 9:20-22, we read about a moment Jesus has with a woman in desperate need of help.

Pastor Nate explained the multiple effects of her physical condition on the rest of her life (vitality, ostracized, unclean, exclusion)...is there any person in our own society that would feel such far-reaching effects?

How is the response of Jesus in v. 22 a beautiful gospel thread for us to discover? How does this passage reveal an important aspect of the gospel message?

Pastor Nate said that this encounter reveals that Jesus is gentle, all-powerful, & impartial...how do these qualities of Jesus encourage us to come to Him at all times, in all our circumstances?

5. We then return to see Jesus arriving at Jairus' house in Matthew 9:23-25.

One of the most interesting portions of the narrative is the response of the mourners & musicians in v. 24...laughter. Their response is not necessarily unique, what are the ways people make light of Jesus & His work in our own day?

We also noticed that there was no "behold" given when Jesus raises the girl from death. This is because Jesus is always true to His word & nothing is too hard for Jesus...it's the expected result in light of Jesus' words! How does having confidence that Jesus is true to His word impact your life?

And again, this moment is a gospel thread...a point where gospel implications are seen. One who is dead is made alive by Christ. Look at Ephesians 2:1-10...what's our condition apart from Christ? How are we made alive? How does this new life change us?

6. We ended with the response in Matthew 9:26 & pondered the response of those who witnessed these events.

What's the evidence that a person is dismissing Jesus?

What's the evidence that a person is merely giving lip-service to Jesus?

What's the evidence that a person has submitted to Jesus as Lord & Savior?