Weekly Bible Study
We are looking this week at more miracles of Jesus. These events will help us to grasp the significance of his life and give a whole picture of who He was and is. Before each time of study and reading pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see in a fresh way the wonderful life and teaching of the Saviour.
Day 1 Read John 9
The Pharisees were more concerned about their rules and regulations than they were about the healing power of Jesus. It was entirely possible for these men who were religious and knew about God to miss him completely when he stood before them! The blind man is the only one who got it and understood Jesus – his parents were governed by fear and the religious leaders by prejudice. It is fear, ignorance, prejudice and traditionalism that so often hold us back from genuine faith – when things don’t fit into our understanding of how life should be. Are we missing out because we are failing to grasp Jesus?
Day 2 Luke 5:17-26
The Pharisees and the teachers of the Law were always on the defensive – they were very much out of their depth, though they didn’t realise it. The people who really stand out in this story are the friends who bring their friend to Jesus. They obviously loved their friend. The love these men had for their friend is outstanding – their love stands out against the lack of love of the Pharisees who were more concerned about regulations than the disabled man. These friends really believed Jesus could make a difference and so they brought their friend to Him. Notice in verse 20 that Jesus responds to the faith of these men – He noted their faith. There is a real lesson here for us in prayer.
Day 3 Mark 5:1-20
Possession is a real possibility – even today. Jesus takes control of the situation and the demons, who were stronger than the man, have no power in the presence of Jesus. Jesus deals decisively with the demons once and for all. Jesus completely restores the man and gives him a renewed purpose in life. Jesus never comes into a life and leaves a vacuum – He restores, renews and sets the person back off on a new and potentially fruitful path. The powers of darkness recognised Jesus – how ironic that they do what the majority of people in this world fail to do!
Day 4 Mark 5:21-43
Here we see a very private healing where a woman sneaks up behind Jesus. Her personality is such that she is deeply unsure of herself – perhaps very shy. It was a moment in her life when she acted out of character and because of desperation – Jesus healed the woman and commended her for her faith. The second healing is very public and comes as response to the faith of the young girl’s father. People mocked Jesus yet he persists and eventually brings the young girl back to life. Jesus works in all circumstances and with all different types of people.
Day 5 John 11:1-45
This is the passage I have most often referred to when taking funeral services over the last 35 years. It has everything in it! We see the emotional life of Jesus as he responds to the death of a friend and is moved by the grief of Lazarus’ sisters. We see Jesus’ anger at death and yet his power over death – the most immense power there is! We listen to the words of Jesus as he speaks the most memorable of words in verses 25 and 26 – words that every Christian should memorise! This is an incident and a passage that speaks into our future with Divine certainty.