What Jesus Did

[Jesus continued his instructions to the apostles when he sent them out:] "Go and announce to [the people of Israel] that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!"

—Matthew 10:7-8 NLT

Key Thought​

The Kingdom of Heaven is about two central things: our surrender to the will of God and God's desire to bring us healing, peace, victory, and salvation. We find it so very hard to...

 

[After giving the apostles authority to cast out evil spirits and heal every kind of disease and illness,] Jesus sent out the twelve apostles with these instructions: "Don't go to the Gentiles or the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel — God's lost sheep."

—Matthew 10:5-6 NLT

Key Thought​

Our world is supercharged because of religious hatred and woeful acts committed in the name of religious leaders. Any time a leader speaks against racial intermingling, s/he is...

 

Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness. Here are the names of the twelve apostles:
first, Simon (also called Peter),
then Andrew (Peter's brother),
James (son of Zebedee),
John (James's brother),
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Thomas,
Matthew (the tax collector),
James (son of Alphaeus),
Thaddaeus,
Simon (the zealot),
Judas Iscariot (who later betrayed him).


—Matthew 10:1-4 NLT

Key...​

 

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields."

—Matthew...

 

When [the two blind men who had been healed] left, a demon-possessed man who couldn't speak was brought to Jesus. So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed. "Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!" they exclaimed.
But the Pharisees said, "He can cast out demons because he is empowered by the prince of demons."


—Matthew 9:32-34 NLT

Key Thought​

This passage reminds me of how horrifyingly easy it is to lose sight of truth in...

 

After Jesus left the girl's home [— the dead girl he raised], two blind men followed along behind him, shouting, "Son of David, have mercy on us!"
They went right into the house where he was staying, and Jesus asked them, "Do you believe I can make you see?"

"Yes, Lord," they told him, "we do."

Then he touched their eyes and said, "Because of your faith, it will happen." Then their eyes were opened, and they could see! Jesus sternly warned them, "Don't tell anyone about this." But...

 

When Jesus arrived at the [synagogue] official's home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. "Get out!" he told them. "The girl isn't dead; she's only asleep." But the crowd laughed at him. After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.

—Matthew 9:23-26 NLT

Key Thought​

I'm amazed at how often Jesus left the crowds and went off to pray and how he...

 

As Jesus was saying this [about old and new cloth and wineskins], the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. "My daughter has just died," he said, "but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her."
So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, for she thought, "If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed."...

 

But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, "That's blasphemy [when Jesus told the paralyzed man his sins were forgiven]! Does he think he's God?"
Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, "Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say 'Your sins are forgiven,' or 'Stand up and walk'? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins." Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, "Stand up, pick...

 

As Jesus was saying this [about old and new cloth and wineskins], the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. "My daughter has just died," he said, "but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her."
So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him.


—Matthew 9:18-19 NLT

Key Thought​

True power meets true faith as Jesus and this leader of a synagogue meet each other. This important man shows no pretentiousness in the presence of...