This morning, we continue our series, “The Miracles of Jesus.”
Before we get into the miracle, let’s look at the foundational scripture I will share with you all year.
(Psalm 126:4 TPT)
Now, Lord, do it again! Restore us to our former glory! May streams of your refreshing flow over us until our dry hearts are drenched again.
This is a season of refreshing and restoring for us. I pray you get refreshed and restored as we study each miracle.
Read Matthew 17:14-20
In Matthew 17, a man approached Jesus and fell on his knees. The man said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, he has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” Jesus expressed His frustration with the disciples before dealing with the young man and his issue. He looked at His team and said, “You have no faith. How long must I stay with you? How long must I continue to be patient with you?”
Jesus knew His time on the earth was limited, and He was doing all He could to prepare His disciples to do what He did. Once He was gone, the ministry would be left in their hands. I am sure this is one of the reasons why He was frustrated with them. He expected them to operate JUST LIKE HIM, especially when He was gone. In Jesus’ mind, this issue should never have reached His level. The disciples should have addressed it while He was away.
After venting, Jesus still had to deal with the issue. So He said, “Bring the boy here.” Jesus immediately perceived the root of the problem. This was no medical issue. It was a spiritual issue. As was the case with the situation we dealt with yesterday (the man who was mute because of a demon), Jesus perceived the cause of the seizures also to be a demon. He commanded the demon to come out of the boy. The demon came out, and the boy was healed from that moment.
When everything died down, the disciples were alone with Jesus, they humbly said, “We tried to force the demon out of the boy, but we could not. Why were we not able to make the demon go out?” Jesus said, “You were not able to make the demon go out, because of your little faith.” The traditional King James Version calls it “unbelief.” Jesus went on to say, “Believe me when I tell you, if your faith is only as big as a mustard seed you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible to you!”
So what does this mean for you today? I could deal with this story for days, but I will attempt to give you a few quick golden nuggets that can apply to your life today.
1. Jesus expects us to operate like Him on earth. He lived His life as an example of what it looks like for a human to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to become a human conduit of the divine. In John 14, He said, “I can assure you that whoever believes in me will do the same things I have done. And they will do even greater things than I have done, because I am going to the Father.” (John 14:12). Later, the Apostle John wrote, “As Jesus is, so we, in this world” (1 Jn 4:17).
2. The grace to live like Jesus lived has already been provided. Grace is not the issue. God did His part. He is now looking for your faith. If you have faith, you will live like Jesus lived on the earth. This may not mean that you will be known as your local miracle worker. But what it should mean is that you will live your life as a human conduit of God’s Spirit, doing whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to do, empowered by His grace to do it.
3. Jesus was God in the flesh. He was the incarnation of God. We are called to be the continuation of His incarnation. In short, He is the example, and we should seek to live like Jesus in this world. Whenever the disciples failed to do so, as was the case in our text today, Jesus did not say, “Well, maybe the Father did not give you access to power like He did for me.” He did not say, “Well, guys, you know, we are all different. I do what I do, but you guys are not me, so you must have different grace.” That’s not the approach Jesus took. Whenever the disciples failed to operate like Him, Jesus said something like what He said in our text today: “You have no faith. How long must I stay with you? How long must I continue to be patient with you?”
4. God does all He does by grace, and He expects us to operate by faith. If the issue, in this case, were a grace issue, then Jesus would not be upset with the disciples because we don’t get to decide what grace God places upon people. But it is obvious that Jesus believed the grace was present because He was upset with His team. What was NOT present was FAITH!
5. Doubt, fear, and unbelief put you in a position of powerlessness. Without faith, you are resigned to living as a mere human, a life that is completely normal/natural to this world. Jesus did not die so that you could live the same way you lived without Him in your life. He died so that you could live a supernatural life. He died so that HE COULD LIVE THROUGH YOU! But in order to live the supernatural life Jesus died to give you access to, you must live BY FAITH!
6. While a LACK of faith leaves you powerless, a LIFE of faith makes the impossible possible for you!
7. God can supernaturally give you the spiritual discernment to see and address the “root issue” in any given situation.
8. When you address symptoms, you may get temporary relief, but the root issue is still there. But when you address the “root,” you can experience true freedom and deliverance. This is why God wants you to deal with the “root.” Jesus did not address epilepsy in this case. He addressed the demon. He addressed the root cause and that’s how He wants us to address issues; cutting them off at the root.
9. There is absolutely nothing that God is incapable of doing,, and He has anointed you with His supernatural and limitless power. However, you will only experience that power once you provide the faith that will tap into God’s grace.
10. God’s grace is on your life to do whatever it is He has called you to do. Grace is not the issue. The question is: do you have the faith? Do you have the faith to believe God on the level of your calling? If you lack faith, you will live beneath God’s best!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, this is a season of refreshing and restoring for me!
You gave Kingdom dominion, power and authority to mankind in the earth. Adam lost that authority, but Jesus died to regain it. Jesus restored the Kingdom to mankind and I declare that I walk in Kingdom dominion, power and authority today and every day.
I do this by faith. I see myself just like Jesus on this planet. As Jesus is, so am I, in this world!
My faith cancels-out all fear, doubt, and unbelief. I speak the language of faith. I speak to every obstacle, in faith, knowing it has to move, by Your power!
I speak to every hindrance, in faith, knowing it has to dissipate, because of Your grace on my life.
I see no impossibilities. Your spirit enables me to see the invisible and accomplish the impossible!
I open my heart to the fulness of Your calling. I enter this day as a world-changer! Not by my power, but only by Your amazing grace!
Living with this mindset, I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
