Matthew 9 - Pick Up Your Mat and Walk!

For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men. Matthew 9:5-8

After Jesus was asked to leave the area of Gadera, He went back to His home town of Capernaum and healed all those who came to Him. Because the house where He was ministering was so packed, several men had to go to great lengths to get their paralytic friend before Jesus. We learn from the other Gospels that they actually cut a hole in the roof and lowered their afflicted friend down from the ceiling! When Jesus saw their faith (their extraordinary measures), He declared the man His "son," AND declared him forgiven of his sins!

Why was this so shocking? Because the scribes and teachers of the law knew full well that, under the Law, only God has the authority to forgive sin. Therefore, Jesus was declaring Himself God by making this proclamation--and He did it in a new way, without going to the temple and sacrificing an innocent animal before the priest, shedding its blood. God was issuing in a new order under a new covenant.

To prove this amazing authority to forgive sin, Jesus looked at the man, commanding him to rise, pick up his mat, and return home. While the scribes declared blasphemy in their evil hearts, the multitudes marveled that God had given this kind of power to men.

As born again children of God, IN Christ, we need to accept what the heavenly father has said about us, that our sin has been forgiven once and for all! As new creations in Christ, we likewise need to rise up from the bondage of denominationalism and false teaching, pick up our mats and return home, declaring the good news of ALL Jesus died to give us!

Matthew 8 - Authority Over Demons

And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding. So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine. 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. Matthew 8:29-32.

Everywhere Jesus went, He cast demons out of people and healed all who were sick, proving that He was the promised Messiah of whom the Old Testament prophets spoke. But when He ventured over to the area of Gadera, which was east of the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River, He proved He had power and authority over an entire legion of demons who had infiltrated that area by possessing several men (other Gospel accounts say it was one man). In any event, it appears that there were many in that land possessed by demons, and one man in particular who was more vicious than the others.

We see in Matthew's account that the legion of demons begged not to be tormented and were eventually allowed to enter a herd of pigs. These animals are considered unclean under Jewish law and yet they were being herded in this area, possibly for sacrifice to Zeus and other pagan gods.

At the moment the demons entered the pigs, they ran like crazy and threw themselves off a cliff, giving new meaning to the term "when pigs fly!" This one act by Jesus reveals that even an unclean fleshly being cannot tolerate an unclean spiritual being. Therefore, if unclean pigs desire to be rid of unclean spirits, how much more should unclean men desire to be rid of the unclean demons of this world! Selah ... think about that!

Thank God, Jesus came and has given the church, which is His body, authority and power over ALL demonic principalities, including Satan. When we are made clean IN HIM, then all things unclean flee! There is really no need to go through long, drawn-out demonic deliverance anymore. Once you become a born-again, child of God, you are translated out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. Just as Satan and his demons have no connection or affiliation with Jesus, the Son of God, they likewise have no connection or affiliation with you because you are IN HIM.

Renew your mind and get it in line with what Scripture says about you now that you have been born again IN CHRIST.