MARCH 12 THE JESUS QUESTIONS JQ#09 “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28)

 

MARCH 12  THE JESUS QUESTIONS  

JQ#09 “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” 

(Matthew 9:28)

LIVING FOR JESUS  Daily Prayer MARCH 12   

JESUS, You Lord are to be Greatly Praised, You alone are Worthy of this

 Great Praise from all mankind! You gave Your Perfect Life so that an 

imperfect world could be justified before the Father who is Faithful and Just,

 full of Mercy and Grace. Lord Jesus, there is no explaining why God 

would become flesh and offer Himself 

as an acceptable atonement of the world’s transgressions against 

that same Holy Merciful God?!?!? 

Lord Jesus, no explanation is needed, let us instead of questioning 

“Why” or “How” it is possible that God would Sacrifice Himself,

 I pray that we will Trust God 

and step out in “Faith” and accept the “Gift” of Grace 

and praise You for Your Mercy! 

Forgive me this day of my iniquities and 

guide me in Your Path of Righteousness.    

AMEN

THE JESUS QUESTIONS

JESUS has asked 8 previous Questions that point us to discipleship and 

at the close of JQ#08 Jesus asked a “Summary Question” when He 

stated to the Pharisees that had questioned Him “Why?” (as they saw 

that Jesus was “eating with tax collectors and sinners”) would Jesus

 associate with “sinners” which the Pharisees saw as going against

 their “religious traditions” — 

but Jesus explained His motive to them when He stated:

 

“I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance” 

(Matthew 9:11-13) 

Jesus was then approached by some of “the disciples of John” who

 asked Jesus, “Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, 

but Your disciples do not fast?” (Matthew 9:14) 

Jesus answered that question about the “traditions” that were practiced by

 the Jews of that time with a Teaching Question of His own when He

 asked the disciples of John and the Pharisees that were listening, 

“And Jesus said to them, ‘Can the friends of the bridegroom

 mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?’” 

(Matthew 9:15)

 In order to fully understand what Jesus is Teaching with this summary

 Question we must keep in mind that Jesus had just been questioned 

by the Pharisees as to His conduct with “sinners” and then the Pharisees 

and the disciples of John the Baptist questioned Jesus on the Jewish 

“tradition” of “fasting” — and it was in this context of the “traditionalist” 

and “legalist” questioning of Jesus as to His conduct with 

“tax collectors and sinners” that Jesus introduces a new concept 

with His rebuttal Question (which at first glance looks like He is avoiding

 the question on “traditionalism and legalism” by changing the subject 

but in reality His rebuttal Question is a

 new “Revelation” of God’s Master Plan). 

However, as Jesus asks this seemingly off the wall Question about

 “friends of the bridegroom”, if you take into consideration the

 context of the Questions Jesus has asked so far and what miraculous

 things He has been doing in the Name of “our Father in heaven”,

 the Question Jesus poses about “friends of the bridegroom” is both

 right on time for His earthly mission and is a foreshadowing of future

 events in God’s Master Plan of Salvation. 

The JESUS Questions that have been asked so far and the context 

surrounding each question JQ#1-8 (Matthew 5:1 through Matthew 9:13) 

has introduced us to the “Divine Work of Jesus” 

and to being a “Follower of Jesus” — 

In His Divine Teachings Jesus has established that 

the “Truth of God” should be “lived” in our lives, 

that we are to first “learn” the “Truth of God” 

then we are to “Live the Truth of God” 

and then share the “Light of God’s Truth” with others. 

These Lessons are single in nature and built around simple Questions

 designed to cause us to see the simple Truth of God which in turn should

 cause us to

 simply live a Godly and righteous life as we apply 

the Lessons Jesus Teaches us about our day-to-day world. 

The method Jesus has been using to teach us

 THE TRUTH OF GOD 

is to ask a Question that can easily be answered by observation and 

common sense and the expectation is that we will acknowledge

 the obvious “Truth of God” contained within our answers. 

Jesus asks a series of Questions that appear individual in nature but 

are building

 “precept upon precept” 

the “Truth of God” 

so that with each Lesson we gain another 

glimpse of the “Almighty”. 

In this study so far, all the JESUS Questions and their context have been

 in a “logical sequence” and have established “Godly Principals” 

such as the

 “Law of Choice and Consequence” and the “Fundamentals of Faith” 

and then in Matthew 9:15 Jesus introduces a new concept which 

caught me off guard and caused me to study His Word a little deeper,

 which could well be the Lesson —

 “There is always more to learn in God’s Word!” 

JQ#08b is “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as

 the bridegroom  is with them?” (Matthew 9:15) 

which introduces us to the concept of Jesus being a “bridegroom”

 suggesting an upcoming “marriage” and Jesus calls those following Him

 “friends of the bridegroom” which suggests an

 intimate relationship with the bridegroom 

and certainly all the “friends of the bridegroom” 

will be expected to attend the wedding ceremony. 

Jesus also introduces the fact that 

“the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away” 

which foreshadows His leaving sometime in the future. 

Jesus immediately moves to two examples that illustrate that 

His intent is not in “repairing” our sin nature/sickness but 

He has come to completely make us “new” 

as He uses the illustration of “unshrunk cloth on an old garment” 

and putting “new wine into new wineskins” 

(Matthew 9:16-17). 

This “new” concept combined with the two miracles of healing in

 Matthew 9:18-29 and the healing of two blind men and a demonic

 strategically points to a “summary” of JQ#1-8 as the 

“Introduction to Discipleship” and the responsibilities of 

being a follower of Jesus and building the

 “foundation of Faith in God” on the “solid rock” — 

JQ#09 is then asked by Jesus as the “final exam” of “Introductory Discipleship”

 as Jesus asks “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28)

  Jesus points us to the “correct answer” with His Summary Question JQ#08b

 where he introduces the concept of His disciples being

 “friends of the bridegroom” 

as the key to understanding Lessons JQ#1-8.  

We have so far read of the miraculous Work Jesus has done in the 

Name of God whom Jesus has proclaimed as “our Father in heaven” 

so we too must answer this

 “Final Exam Question on Introductory Discipleship” 

about what we have learned about Jesus so far:  

JQ#09  “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” 

(Matthew 9:28) 

and immediately Jesus assures and encourages us with this great 

“Truth of God” — 

“According to your faith let it be to you.” 

(Matthew 9:29)