July 26, 2020
SUPERNATURAL – Part 5
Randy Hageman

Over Sin

At times, Jesus did do miracles for people, especially healings, but Jesus always had a

purpose for miracles.

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. —John 20:30-31 (ESV)

Jesus performed miracles so readers and hearers of the Bible could believe and know that “Jesus is the

, the Son of

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.”

He was the Messiah, the Christ, God’s King, who was ushering in a new Kingdom where God – instead of sin, evil and death –

.

Since Genesis 3,

has operated in this world, and it also has supernatural powers.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. —2 Corinthians 4:4 (NLT)

The Bible tells us Satan uses his supernatural power to “

the minds of those who don’t believe.”

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. —Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)

We are in a spiritual war against evil and sin for the

of all people.

On one of those days, as [Jesus] was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. —Luke 5:17-19 (ESV)

Jesus, as the Son of God, looked at the

picture, at the

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picture.

Jesus: … ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’ —Mark 1:15 (ESV)

Repent and believe in the gospel is language that’s really not focused on physical healing – it’s focused on

healing.

Jesus: ‘For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.’ —Luke 19:10 (ESV)

And when [Jesus] saw their faith, he said, ‘Man, your sins are forgiven you.’ —Luke 5:20 (ESV)

Jesus knows the destructive power of

in this life, and the eternal destruction that awaits anyone who dies in that state.

We have a hard time envisioning

, because all we know is our own lifetimes.

It appears that many of Jesus’ physical healings were intended to be

of what the Kingdom of God would be like.

Jesus, the Son of God, came to seek and to save the lost by bridging the gap that our

created in our relationship with God the Father.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. —Romans 6:23 (ESV)

I receive that “free gift” by recognizing and

what Jesus Christ did for me and everyone who’s ever lived.

For our sake [God] made [Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. —2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. —2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT)

Jesus came to heal our relationship with God the Father, by taking upon himself

sins.

[Christ} personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed. —1 Peter 2:24 (NLT)

Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. Unjustly condemned, he was led away. No one cared that he died without descendants, that his life was cut short in midstream. But he was struck down for the rebellion of my people. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave. But it was the LORD’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the LORD’s good plan will prosper in his hands. —Isaiah 53:4-10 (NLT)

It was

God’s eternal plan to send His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our sins and the sins of the world, to

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us from the scourge of sin and death.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. —Ephesians 1:4-6 (NLT)

And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, ‘Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ —Luke 5:21 (ESV)

King David: Against you, and you alone [O God], have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just. —Psalms 51:4 (NLT)

Sin means we have done something in thought, word, or deed, that

our relationship with God.

When Jesus told the paralyzed man that his sins were forgiven, the religious leaders immediately knew that Jesus was doing something only

could do, and that was intolerable to them.

When Jesus perceived their thoughts, he answered them, ‘Why do you question in your hearts?’ —Luke 5:22 (ESV)

Jesus puts all healing in perspective for us, showing us the healing of our

is what we need first and foremost.

‘Which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Rise and walk”? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he said to the man who was paralyzed—’I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.’ —Luke 5:23-24 (ESV)

Jesus: ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.’ —John 3:16-18 (ESV)

Everything Jesus did was about

people into God’s eternal Kingdom by repenting of their sins and turning to God in faith through Christ himself.

And immediately he rose up before them and picked up what he had been lying on and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, ‘We have seen extraordinary things today.’ —Luke 5:25-26 (ESV)

Jesus offered the paralyzed man forgiveness of his sins and healing of his soul, and he still offers that supernatural miracle

, to all who will respond.

By welcoming Jesus into your life, even more than receiving forgiveness and power to resist the enemy, the Bible promises that the

will help you supernaturally become more and more like Jesus, if you will seek to obey him.

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. —2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

The Spirit will not compel you to follow, so it’s up to each one of us to seek

to put ourselves in the position to seek Jesus and obey him, and this happens as we read our Bibles, pray, worship, and seek to live life with other followers of Jesus.

MODEL PRAYER OF SALVATION:

Dear God,
I realize I’m a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness.
I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son.
I believe the Good News that he died on the cross for the forgiveness of my sin, but he did not remain in the grave, for on the third day You raised him to life.
I choose today to trust him as my Savior and to follow him as my Lord, through the power of the Holy Spirit, which You offer to me as I welcome Jesus into my life.
Please guide my life and help me to do Your will all the time, so that I strive to be Jesus’ disciple, model my life after his by helping others become his disciples, too.
I pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

New Series Starting Next Week: Abounding in Hope