THE SERVANT PROVES HIS DEITY CONT.–LESSON 3B

a. FORGIVENESS of sin was the GREATEST MIRACLE, Exodus 34:6-7, “And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.”

b. He does it for HIS OWN SAKE, Isaiah 43:25, “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.”

c. There is NO OTHER God LIKE HIM, Micah 7:18, “Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.”

3. Jesus PERCEIVED their wicked reasoning, v. 8.

a. Jesus LOOKED INTO their HEARTS, Luke 16:15, “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

b. He KNOWS what is in man, John 2:24-25, “But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, 25 And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.”

4. The PURPOSE of healing miracles, vv. 9-10; John 20:30-31, “And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

a. his miracle PROVES that the Son of man was THE SON of God, v. 10; Acts 5:31, “Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.”

b. “Son of man,” is a MESSIANIC TITLE, and Jesus used it about 80 times in the four gospels.

5. The man COMMANDED to rise, take up his bed and walk. vv.11-12.

a. The bed had once borne him, now it is borne by him.

b. Palsy was a disease that showed the helpless condition of the sinner.

c. The healing of his body is an illustration of the healing of his soul, Psalm 103:3, “Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases.”

6. The scribes were FORCED TO ADMIT they had NEVER SEEN ANYTHING like that before, v. 12; John 9:32, “Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.”

II. THE TAX COLLECTOR CALLED vv. 13-22

A. Jesus Calls a Preacher, vv. 13-14.

1. Jesus taught the multitude, v. 13; 1 Timothy 3:2, “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;”

Note: He DID NOT ENTERTAIN them or merely talk with them.

2. His providential [foresight] PASSING by, v. 14a;

3. His providential SEEING of Levi (Matthew), v. 14b.

4. His providential CALLING, v. 14c.

Note: Levi was a publican (a tax collector). They worked for the Romans and were hated by the Jews. He was given a new calling and a new name. “Matthew” means, “gift of God.” Note also that Matthew was a disciple of John the Baptist, Acts 1:21-22, “Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.”

B. The Sick Need A Physician, vv. 15-20.

1. The feast at Levi’s house, v. 15; Luke 5:29, “And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.”

a. Many publicans and sinners sat with Jesus; Luke 15:2, “And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.”

b. They had been invited by Levi, no doubt that they might HEAR the Word.

2. The critics see Him there. v. 16.

a. They were spies and not invited guests.

b. They were in the tradition of the false prophets, who cried peace, when there was not peace, Jeremiah 6:14, “They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.”’

c. They were deceitful and self-righteous men, Isaiah 65:5, “Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.”

3. The sick need a physician, the well do not, v. 17a;

Note: Jesus for the sake of argument accepts the claim of the Pharisees to be righteous, though, as a matter of fact, they fell very far short of it. Elsewhere (Matthew 23:1ff.) Jesus shows that the Pharisees were extortionate and devoured widows’ houses and wore a CLOAK OF PRIDE and HYPOCRITICAL RESPECTABILITY. —A. T. Robertson’s Word Pictures.

Luke 16:15, “And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.”

a. Jesus considered them as PATIENTS and as the great physician.

b. He made them WHOLE and PAID THE BILL HIMSELF.

4. Sinners are called to REPENTANCE, v. 17b; Luke 13:5, “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”

5. Jesus was criticized because His disciples DID NOT FAST, vv. 18-20.

Note: Probably Levi’s feast happened on one of the weekly fast-days (second and fifth days of the week for the stricter Jews). So there was a clash of standpoints. The disciples of John sided with the Pharisees in the Jewish ceremonial ritualistic observances. John was still a prisoner in Machaerus; this Black Fortress, was built by Herod the Great in the gorge of Callirhoe. —A. T. Robertson’s Word Pictures.