Matthew 8
WHAT MANNER OF MAN IS THIS?!
Everywhere JESUS went he made the men “marvel”. They looked on him with great admiration.
Mat 8:27 “But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this…”
Now says men “Marvel” over the super heroes from the comics.
But JESUS was a man…
Who…
- CLEANSES LEPERS.
Mat 8:1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
He “came down”. He was always on the move. Working with his hands.
He went up this mountain in Matthew 5:1 when he gave the sermon on the mount.
Many people think that their shepherds work ends after the sermon, it is just getting started.
What manner of man is this? A working man.
The sleep of a labouring man is sweet. Why do you think he could sleep in a ship during a sea storm?!
“Great multitudes followed him”. If he had a YT, FB, or any of that back then…he would have the most subscribers, likes, and FOLLOWS.
NO DOUBT, the Pharisees accused him of being a cult leader. They probably accused them of “drinking the koolaid” at the LORD’s supper.
But anyone with any sense wanted to “FOLLOW HIM”.
Especially the people who nobody wanted around…like LEPERS!
Mat 8:2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
Notice the LEPER WORSHIPS Him and this proves he knew he was the LORD!
He knew that Jesus Christ was the one with the healing power.
Also notice that The LORD didn’t reject the worship. This proves he believed he HIMSELF was LORD!
Mat 8:3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
All it took was a touch from Jesus Christ and he was MADE CLEAN!
Notice that it happened IMMEDIATELY!
This is a picture of your salvation. You came to Jesus Christ and you knew he was the son of God who died on the cross to pay for your sins.
You called on the LORD and said LORD IF THOU WILT THOU CANST MAKE ME CLEAN!
IMMEDIATELY! The blood of Jesus Christ washed your soul, took your sins away, the Holy Spirit cut your soul loose from your flesh and no longer can your soul be contaminated with sin anymore.
Everything you got at salvation happened IMMEDIATELY. It wasn’t a process.
The leper didn’t have to go through a bunch of steps. He got cleansed instantly.
Mat 8:4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
The LORD probably told him to “tell no man” because many times when the word God out about the LORD…
They began to fall and stomp on one another…
“In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another “(Luke 12:1)
Jesus simply told him to go his way and shew himself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a “Testimony”.
Just like when you got saved you did something after for a TESTIMONY…”believer’s baptism”.
It could also be a testimony that JESUS CHRIST is the “prophet like unto Moses”. (Who also healed leprosy.) Acts 7:37, Exodus 4:6-7
Most men wouldn’t come close to a leper and under the law you weren’t supposed to(Leviticus 13:45)
But JESUS CHRIST is an exception because he came to take their infirmities and bare their sicknesses. (Matthew 8:17)
What manner of man is this that “cleanses the lepers”?
- CURES WITHOUT CONTACT
Mat 8:5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
A centurion is a man that is over a group of 100 soldiers. “Centurion” like “century”.
What manner of man is this that even a man of authority comes to Him for help?
He comes “beseeching” him. It takes a lot of humbling for a man with such authority to “beseech” one man.
Beseech just means to “ask” or “pray” with URGENCY!
This shows the centurion knew he was GOD!
Mat 8:6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
He calls him LORD, just like the LEPER did.
This centurion has a servant “sick of the palsy”. “A muscular disease where someone is paralyzed. The loss or defect of the power of voluntary muscular motion in the whole body.”
This servant is “grievously tormented”. On earth the torment can be healed and is a “light affliction” that is “but for a moment”. (Unlike the kind in hell).
Mat 8:7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
Notice the LORD is willing to make the trip to his house…
But..
Mat 8:8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
What we have learned so far is that the LEPER knew he was “dirty” and needed to be “cleaned”.
He knew the LORD is the only one who could help.
Both the Leper and centurion call him “LORD”.
The centurion is humbled, as is the leper. He even says “I am not worthy”.
That is the shape you are in when you get saved. You know your “unworthy”. You know your righteousness isn’t good enough.
But just as the Centurion says “speak the word only”…
You also put your trust in the WORD OF THE LORD!
You believed it when it said JESUS CHRIST died on the cross, shed his blood, was buried, and resurrected.
The centurion says “I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof”.
You weren’t worthy for the LORD to save you and use your body as His TEMPLE…
But he did anyway.
The centurion knew that the LORD didn’t have to be there to heal his servant.
He knew he could “cure without contact”
Mat 8:9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
Just as the centurion’s words had authority over his soldiers, he knew the LORD had authority in his words to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out devils, and heal the palsy.
Mat 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
Wouldn’t you like to have such great faith that it could make the son of God to “marvel”.
He hadn’t “found so great faith, no, not in Israel”. The centurion is a Roman, a gentile.
The LORD hasn’t seen any of the Jews with as much faith as this guy had…
Mat 8:11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
He says “kingdom of God” in Luke 13:29 because on the millennium both kingdoms are present.
You have the physical kingdom with JESUS CHRIST reigning over a physical throne in the kingdom of HEAVEN. (Which is on earth in Jerusalem).
You have the spiritual kingdom with JESUS CHRIST reigning with church age saints who are in spiritual flesh and bone bodies. This makes up the kingdom of God.
Many gentiles will come from the “east and west” and sit down with the Jews like “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” in the kingdom of heaven.
This kingdom of heaven, isn’t the THIRD HEAVEN where God dwells.
This refers to a physical kingdom ON EARTH, specially here the MILLENNIAL KINGDOM.
That is where you will sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Imagine being in your glorified body and being able to sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and other Old Testament saints.
On earth during the kingdom you will have saints in glorified bodies, Old Testament saints, tribulation saints, and gentiles in their physical body. They get in on the “commonwealth of Israel”.
Mat 8:12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.(grinding or striking the teeth together in anger)
The “children of the kingdom” is not referring to saved people specifically. It is simply men who are in the kingdom of heaven..
Here, I believe he is referring to children of Israel who are in the kingdom…but wind up in “outer darkness” because they reject the LORD.
Just because they are circumcised Jews doesn’t mean they are better. The gentile centurion has much more faith than these “children of the kingdom”.(those Jews who reject the LORD)
A natural born jew who won’t receive JESUS CHRIST goes to outer darkness just like any lost person.
Mat 8:13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
Notice he said “as thou hast believed”. He had a lot of faith and it resulted in his servant being healed without a house call.
Jesus spoke the word only and he was healed in the selfsame hour. He “cures without contact”.
What manner of man is this that….
- COMES IN YOUR HOUSE
The LORD was willing to go into the centurions house. He just touched a leper so I don’t think going into a gentiles house would have bothered him…
The LORD does make house calls…
Mat 8:14 And when Jesus was come into Peter’s house, he saw his wife’s mother laid, and sick of a fever.
The fact that Peter has a “mother in law” proves that he is married and isn’t a pope. Pope’s don’t get married.
You kind of wonder if Peter was hoping that this was the one time JESUS healing powers wouldn’t work….
It is his mother n law and all…
But The Lord JESUS CHRIST has no misfires. Everyone gets healed.
Mat 8:15 And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
He went in there with no mask, no vaccine, no questions, no social distance and just touched her hand and she was healed IMMEDIATELY.
This is a good picture of you getting right with the LORD and bringing JESUS into your house to get the rest of the family right.
What manner of man is this? He cleanses the lepers, cures without contact, comes into your house and he can even…
- CASTS OUT SPIRITS.
Mat 8:16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
There is that WORD again. He heals with his word and casts spirits out of me with his WORD.
He “healed all” that were sick. Once again there aren’t any misfires.
There was never a time when he touched someone’s hand and it didn’t work.
His healing ministry was to fulfill the WORD!
Mat 8:17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Esaias is Isaiah….and the prophecy is from…
Isa 53:4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
Since we are on the topic of him casting out spirits, let’s skip down to verse 28 where he does that.
Im going to show you how the bible has a built in book of “devilology”.
Mat 8:28 And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
In Luke’s account he gives you the perspective of just one of the men possessed with devils. And he said this man “had the devils LONG TIME”.
Those devils took off their shoes in there and stayed awhile. They made their self at home.
In Luke 11:24 the unclean spirit calls the body of the person he is possessing…”HIS HOUSE”!
Luke describes in his gospel, chapter 8:27, that the devil possessed man “ware no clothes”.
So he was in a state of being completely UNASHAMED for any wrong doing. Sort of like a pride parade.
Luke also describes him as abiding in the tombs. As Matthew describes These two possessed men were “coming out of the tombs”. This Hints at a death obsession.
Mark 5:5 describes how “night and day” he was in the mountains and the tombs. Staying up all night and day.
It is significant that it said “in the mountains” because the devil loves “high places”.
In the Old Testament there were to get rid of their “high places”. And the devil wanted to be like “the most high”.
Luke gives an extra detail that the devil possessed man didn’t abide in any house.
A good balanced home life is a key to staying out of trouble. When you get off from work, go home and be with your family.
In Luke 8:39 the LORD even tells the man to “return to thine own house” after he got the devils out of him.
Luke 8:29 shows us that this devil possessed man had supernatural strength. He broke the chains and fetters(confine the feet) that he was bound with.
Notice that the Bible first called them “devils” and not “demons”. The bible calls demons, “devils”.
Mark 5:2 gives insight that the man has an “unclean spirit”. Yet they have many devils in them. So “many devils” make up an “unclean spirit”.
They were “exceeding fierce”. They were Vehement, violent, furious, and savage.
Kind of what the rappers brag about being today.
They were so “fierce” that no man could “pass by that way”.
Mark 5:4 describes how “neither could any man TAME him”.
Mark 5:5 describes how he was always “crying and cutting himself with stones”.
But “what manner of man is this”…who CAN pass by that way…
What manner of man is this that could take on this many devils?
When the LORD JESUS CHRIST asked their name…
Luk 8:30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
They were no match for THIS MAN…
And here he is “the lamb that taketh away the sin of the world”. He wasn’t showing up as “the lion of the tribe of Judah” yet.
Mat 8:29 And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
Luke adds in that the devil possessed man went so far as falling down before Jesus…
Luk 8:28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.
This shows the devils knew who was more powerful.
In Luke 8:28 it gives the detail of how they called JESUS CHRIST the “son of God MOST HIGH”.
Even though they worked for the devil himself, they knew old Lucifer only wanted to be “LIKE THE MOST HIGH”.
They knew who the big daddy was..
Mark describes how he even went as far as WORSHIPPING JESUS CHRIST.
Mar 5:6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him,
Matthew points out that they called JESUS “the son of God” and asked him not to torment them “before the time”.
Notice that the devils have their doctrine straight. They know more than the Pharisees. They admit that he is “the son of GOD”.
They believe in hellfire. To the point that they even ask him if he is about to “torment them before the time”.
The devils know JESUS CHRIST and his followers…
Act 19:15 And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
Jas 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
The devils knew their fate is a lake of fire. And they are looking eyeball to eyeball with the one who created it.
Mat 8:30 And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.
Mat 8:31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
The devils also knew that they were in the midst of the one who had the power to cast them out…
And they didn’t want to “walk through dry places” looking for another person to inhabit.
So they requested to go away into the herd of swine.
Mat 8:32 And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
What this shows us is that devils are connected with suicide.
It also shows us that they don’t care if they are going to inhabit a live body or a dead body.
It also shows that they are so nasty that they would inhabit a pig.
So all of the entertainers who brag about being possessed are idiots.
In Mark 5:13 it describes how it was about 2,000 pigs. So the man had 2,000+ devils in him.
Another fact is that two men were more important to JESUS CHRIST than 2,000 hogs.
In Luke he gives the detail that these devils didn’t want to go into “the deep”.
Luk 8:31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
But They went off into the deep when they went into the pigs.
So they could have been referring to the other DEEP. Which Is That location up there between the third and second heaven.
Luke 8:35 shows that when those devils were cast out that the man was then “clothed and in his right mind”.
When you get JESUS CHRIST you get a “sound mind”.
Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
What manner of man is this that can take a lost man’s brain and his WORD can rewire it, unclog it, fix it, repair it, and get it ready for every good work.
Mark 5:20 describes how the man went out and published the great things JESUS had done for him.
But the people of the city were mad. Unlike JESUS CHRIST they thought the hogs were more important than the two souls.
Mat 8:33 And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.
Kind of like men do now. All they talk about is what happened to the men who are “possessed of the devils”. (Celebrities, rockers, rappers, Hollywood elite, corrupt politicians)
Mat 8:34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.
It kind of makes you wonder if the devils committed hogicide simply to make the people of the city hate Jesus.
Jesus would of known it, if that was the case, and yet he did it anyway.
Maybe as a test to see if they cared more of the world And wickedness or more for the LORD and righteousness.
Another possibility he allowed the devils to go into the pigs was because it kind of went along with the illustration from the last chapter.
We saw in the last chapter how pigs picture false prophets.
Mat 7:6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.
In this case the LORD is showing you what to cast before the swine, the scraps. That is what those evil spirits are.
What manner of man is this that he has such power over the spiritual wickedness? He can “cast out the spirits”.
What manner of man is this that you need to…
- COUNT THE COST TO FOLLOW HIM.
Mat 8:18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side.
He wasn’t trying to get a HUGE FOLLOWING. Isn’t it funny that the person who needs to be followed wasn’t trying to boost his fan base?
Mat 8:19 And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.
A “scribe” was someone who wrote. Is this man just someone who could copy the scriptures on paper or was he willing to follow?
He claims he would follow the LORD where ever he went.
Mat 8:20 And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.
Jesus is saying this to show the scribe that it isn’t going to be a picnic. It’s rough. Sometimes you don’t even have a place to lay your head at night.
2Co 8:9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
Jesus Christ is the son of God and he calls himself the “son of man”. He says himself that he didn’t even have a place to lay his head.
He might of had rocks for pillows many times just like Jacob did back there in Genesis 28.
The foxes have holes. Foxes are spoken of very negatively in the Bible…
In Luke 13:32 Jesus Christ calls Herod a “fox”.
Samson caught 300 foxes, tied them together, set them on fire and burned the philistines corn fields down with them in Judges 15.
In NEHEMIAH 8:3 Tobiah just happens to refer to a “fox” breaking down the wall.
David says in Psalm 63…
Psa 63:9 But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.
Psa 63:10 They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.
Son 2:15 Take us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines: for our vines have tender grapes.
Lam 5:18 Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.
Even compared to bad prophets..
Eze 13:3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
Eze 13:4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.
When a woman wears the “attire of an harlot” (Proverbs 7:10)…
What does the world call her? “A foxy lady” …
“The birds of the air have nests”. Birds are likened to unclean spirits in the Bible..
In Genesis 8:7 the “raven” leaves the ark and goes “to and fro”. Just like the devil. Probably feeding on floating corpses.
In the tribulation Babylon is the cage of “every unclean and hateful bird”. (Revelation 18:2)
In Isaiah 34:11 the raven, the commorant, the bittern, and the owl are associated with the lake of fire.
Possibly the LORD is not only saying the animals have homes, when he doesn’t…
But even lost people have homes and he doesn’t.
Lost people a lot of times have it better than the righteous. The wicked prosper IN THIS LIFE.
Possibly because they have “sold themselves to work evil in the sight of the LORD”.
You need to count the cost to follow this man. It will cost you something.
Mat 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Notice the key words are “me first”. Following JESUS CHRIST you would notice that he never put himself first.
Rom 15:1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Rom 15:2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.
Rom 15:3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.
Php 2:4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
To follow JESUS CHRIST you need to put Jesus first, Others second, and You last.
Mat 8:21 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
Mat 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
Jesus isn’t against funerals. He is basically letting this guy know that there are going to be times when the ministry stops you from doing things that your average everyday person does. Such as burying their own father.
There is a cost to follow JESUS. It may vary for some people but there is a cost in some way.
If anything it costs TIME. All the time you would spend doing something fun or for yourself is put on something else.
Looking at a lot of pastors and evangelists you get the idea that following Jesus Christ is almost like being a celebrity.
I mean they have flashy house, flashy cars, flashy suits, beautiful wife, seemingly perfect , beautiful,and well behaved children and the money is flowing. (And obviously these aren’t bad things).
People want their autograph. They are celebrated. People make odds and play the respecting persons game around them. It is like being a mini Christian celebrity for a lot of them.
But if your really FOLLOWING the Lord It is going to cost you in some way.
And those same men probably have something it is costing them but you just can’t see it.
What manner of man is this that gives everything for free but you have to “count the cost to follow him”…
Even though it costs to follow him, he loads you down with benefits.
What manner of man is this that..
- CALMS THE STORM
Mat 8:23 And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
Notice it wasn’t the scribe or that other disciple but HIS DISCIPLES.
They counted the cost and followed him anyway.
When you follow him, it can be DANGEROUS! You may be following him right into a storm.
Mat 8:24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
A tempest is like a great violent wind. This ship was covered with the waves and was being “tossed to and fro”…
And the LORD was ASLEEP. Like I said the “sleep of a labouring man is sweet”.
When you went to work and tried your best to do everything God would have you do than a storm isn’t going to keep you awake.
You can just use the storm like a sleep sound machine.
Mat 8:25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
Mat 8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
He is questions about their fear and their faith because they should have know they weren’t going to die in that ship.
The LORD himself was in the ship.
The followed him into a storm but they should have know he is the one who CALMS THE STORM.
Mat 8:27 But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
He went out there and told the storm to stop and it quit immediately.
Kenneth Copeland claims he told a tornado to go back up in the sky and it did. The man is a LIAR!
Only JESUS CHRIST can do that.
The disciples were being “tossed to and fro” and almost made a shipwreck but then they went TO THE MASTER!
Many times a Christian can be “tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine”(Ephesians 4:14) and concerning faith they end up making shipwreck.(1 Timothy 1:19)
but they just need to go CRY TO THE MASTER in PRAYER and he can take care of the problems.
