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Lesson OneThe Steady Ministry and the Fickle Response5 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson TwoThe Sermon on the Mount: How God's Kingdom Works5 Activities1 Assessment
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Lesson ThreeCan We Trust the New Testament Books?5 Activities1 Assessment
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Course Wrap-UpCourse Completion1 Activity1 Assessment
Discussion Questions
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Why do you think the Feeding of the Five Thousand is the only miracle of Jesus that appears in all four Gospels? Explain your thoughts.
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Perhaps this is because it is the only miracle Jesus performed which fulfilled the purpose of each gospel writer. John wrote for the purpose of revealing Jesus as the incarnate Son of God sent to reveal the Father and bring eternal life to those who believe in him. This miracle reveals God’s heart of compassion and Jesus as the good shepherd fully capable of providing for his sheep. Matthew wrote to the Jews to present Jesus as the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. This miracle included the reference to Moses and the manna from heaven told about in the Old Testament. Mark is here presenting Jesus as a servant who cares for the needs of everyone. Luke may have included this miracle to show how Jesus had authority over natural laws.
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Describe, in your own words, the miracles involving Gentiles discussed in this lesson. Why were these miracles important? What implications might there have been if Jesus had not performed any miracles among the Gentiles?
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The miracles were important in that they involved the Gentiles because it signified that Christ came for all. If Jesus had simply only performed miracles for his chosen people, the Jews, then it would not have be evident that he came for all of mankind.
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Miracles involving Gentiles were important to demonstrate to them, as well as the Jewish leaders and people, that the Son of God had come to bring salvation to ALL people. Genealogy, ethnic heritage were not the determinate of entrance into the Kingdom of God. Belief in JC, and ultimately in His death, burial and resurrection would be the way to gain entry. Had JC not been among the Gentile people and performed the same miracles among them would lead people of the time and future generations to believe that JC was strictly a Jewish Messiah, for a limited number and group of people.
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Miracles among non-Jews showed that Jesus’s compassion and ultimate ministry was geared toward all of humanity. It was through the nation of Israel that He came but it was for all of humanity that He died.
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The healing of individual people is most important knowing that a blind, deaf, or demonically possessed person’s healing would cause a huge stir in the verbal communication of such acts among many local communities. Word of mouth would have cause a great many people to stir with curiosity about this man who not only heals, but chases out demons and speaks with authority. IF Gentiles, then even more so since Jesus, being a jew, would be so visibly non-gentile in his ways of pursuing people to engage. Also, the feeding of 5,000 men plus denotes a miracle on the same scale as the manna and quail given jewish ancestors in the wilderness. Gentiles most likely served many gods and would have not seen Jesus as anything but as another person looking for followers toward an uncertain future and would not have put such stock in his teaching. Healing in local communities would have also shown his desire to meet the people where they are.
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The first miracle occurred when Jesus entered a house and he wanted to stay hidden. However, as soon as he entered, a Gentile woman fell at his feet and begged him to help her daughter who was suffering from demon possession. Jesus replied to her with these words, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” But the woman answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs”. Jesus told her because of her words the demon had left her daughter. I love this story because it shows Jesus came for everyone, not just the Jews. Even though the woman said she would take a crumb Jesus still gave her the whole piece of bread!
Jesus was in the region of the Decapolis when a deaf mean with a speech impediment was brought to him. Whoever brought the man begged Jesus to lay his hands on him. There is a cross reference mentioned here in regards to the man’s condition. It is Isaiah 35:5-6: “the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped”. By “unstopping” the ears of the deaf Gentile Jesus fulfilled this prophecy which included Gentiles.
If Jesus had not performed any miracles for Gentiles he would have remained being viewed only as the God of the Jews. By showing no favoritism and compassion to all he became the Savior to all who believed in Him.