Matthew 9. Everywhere Jesus went, people needed His healing touch. In Matthew 9, he returns to his home area and is immediately mobbed by people seeking to hear His teaching and receive healing. “Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and affliction” (9:35). We learn more about the identity and power of the Messiah-King Jesus as this chapter unfolds.

First, Jesus demonstrates His identity and power by forgiving sins. A paralyzed man is brought to Jesus by his friends, and Jesus first says, “Take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven” (9:2). I love that He starts with “take heart”. That is a word of comfort and hope for one who has lost all hope. He does not condemn the man for his physical or mental state or for being dejected; He speaks compassionately to the man, speaking forth his identity as “My son”. By proclaiming “your sins are forgiven”, Jesus did something that only God can do – which is why the religious leaders immediately accused Him of blasphemy.

Secondly, Jesus demonstrates His identity by knowing (or perceiving) the thoughts of the religious leaders who are accusing Him (9:4). Only God can know the secret thoughts of men! Have you ever thought about what it must have been like to hang out with Jesus, realizing that He knew what you were thinking? That would be crazy.

Thirdly, Jesus demonstrates His power over disability. “Rise, pick up your bed and go home. And he rose and went home” (9:6-7). This is more than healing an illness, this is a creative miracle that restores a disabled person to wholeness.

Fourth, Jesus demonstrates His purpose in coming to earth when He calls Matthew to be His disciple. Matthew was not sick or destitute, he was reasonably wealthy (enough to throw a big dinner party) and he was a sinner. Jesus explained, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (9:13).

Fifth, Jesus demonstrates His compassion and perceptiveness when He heals with woman with the bleeding disorder. Here again He says, “Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well” (9:22). See His compassion and how He speaks her kingdom identity as daughter? Her offers her hope and healing. Jesus was always willing to be interrupted by those who were in need.

Next, Jesus demonstrates His identity and power by raising a young girl from the dead, his first such miracle in Matthew’s narrative. If we were making a scale of significant miracles, authority over death would probably be at the top of the list! He heals two more blind men and one who was mute as the chapter wraps up.

The needs of people are great, too great for Jesus alone to do all the healing and ministry. Soon He will call the disciples to work alongside Him, “… for the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Pray earnestly to the Lord of the Harvest to send out laborers into the harvest” (9:37-38).