They Were Amazed!

Thank you for reading my post today. I trust you will find today’s teaching encouraging, uplifting, and insightful. Eric

We see many accounts in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) of the miraculous things Jesus did that amazed and convinced the people of who He was.

Something important for us to realize though, is that when Jesus ministered, while here on earth, He referred to Himself as the Son of Man. The miracles Jesus performed were completed in His humanity. How is that possible?

When Jesus came out of the water at His water baptism, we see recorded in Luke 3:22, “The Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him.” Then we read in Luke 4:1, “Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.” After Jesus withstood all of the temptations in the wilderness, verse 14 informs us that “Jesus returned in the power (full of the strength, ability, and power; including the power of performing miracles) of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.”

The work Jesus did on earth was through the power of the Holy Spirit as the Son of Man.

What were some of the things Jesus did that amazed those around Him? He turned water into wine (John 2:7-10), walked on water (John 6:19), cast out demons and healed the sick (Mark 1:34). He opened blind eyes, caused the deaf to hear, the lame to walk, and healed all kinds of diseases (Matthew 11:5).

In the following Scriptures, we can see that the people Jesus ministered to and those who witnessed His ministry were totally amazed, in awe of, astonished, and astounded by Jesus’s teaching and the miracles He performed by operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. It was by their witnessing these signs and wonders that they became convinced that He was who He said He was, and in fact, still is!

Matthew 15:31, “So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.”

Matthew 9:6-8, “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house." 7 And he arose and departed to his house. 8 Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men.

Matthew 9:33, “And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, "It was never seen like this in Israel!"

Matthew 22: 21 and 22, “…And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

In the previous four verses the Greek word for ‘marveled’ is thaumazo, which means: wonder at, marvel, and to wonder.. What things did they see that they marveled at? The mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the blind seeing, the Son of Man having the power to forgive sins, a demon being cast out. They also marveled at hearing the words that He spoke!

Luke 2:46 and 47, “Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.

Mark 2:12 (ESV), “I (Jesus) say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home." 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!

In the previous two scripture verses, the Greek for the words translated, ‘astonished’ and ‘amazed’ is existemi which means: be amazed, be astounded, flabbergasted, or at a total loss to explain or account for something. What things did they see and hear that amazed or astonished them? His knowledge and understanding of the scripture and His ‘telling’ a lame man to “rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” How do you think you would have responded if you had heard what He told the lame man, then watched him do as Jesus said?

Luke 4:36 (CSB), “Amazement came over them all, and they were saying to one another, "What is this message? For he commands the unclean spirits with authority and power, and they come out! "

The word translated ‘amazement’ in this verse is the Greek word thambos. Thambos means astonishment, stunned, dumbfounded, or amazed.

Mark 7:37 (ESV), “And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."

The Greek word used for ‘astonished beyond measure’ is ekplesso which means: to strike with panic or shock, or utterly amazed (dumbfounded).

Through the scriptures I have just shared with you, we see some of the many, amazing, awesome miracles Jesus did. Why did He do these things? First, doing these signs and wonders, for the people, was an expression of God’s love for them. Also, the miracles revealed God Himself to them. Thirdly, the things they saw Jesus do and heard Him speak were a demonstration of who He was.

Now, for the part we really need to get a hold of (have knowledge of, realize, possess, apprehend, be aware of and grasp)…In Acts 1:8 (NLT), “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. (My note: just as it did to Him) And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

What Jesus was telling His disciples, was that, they were to continue His work of proclaiming the good news or the gospel, or basically, actually, revealing the presence and reality of God to the people!

In the book of John, He amazingly told His disciples that as the Father sent Him to earth to reveal God to the people, he was sending them out to all the earth, in the same way. John 20:21, “So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you." How did the Father send Him? As one who performed signs and wonders!

Reading Luke 9:1 and 2, “Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. 2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” We see that the disciples had already experienced ministering under the power of the Holy Spirit.

I pray you will be open to receive a revelation of the next section of verses and claim them, if you are a believer. Mark 16:15-20 (NLT), “And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. 16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. 17 These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. 18 They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed." 19 When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God's right hand. 20 And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.” As believers, Jesus told them they would proclaim the gospel just as He had done, with signs and wonders confirming the Word. Note in verse 20, “The Lord worked through them.”

Disciples and followers of God do not perform miracles in their own strength or power - they are simply agents of God through Whom His Spirit works to accomplish His work!

Then, we read His exhortation to the disciples that ‘all who believe’ will do the works that He has done in John 14:12-14, “"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. 13 "And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 "If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.”

We do well when we share the gospel message through the Word and win some, however, think about how much more we could do through sharing the Word with the Holy Spirit’s confirming signs and wonders.

1 Corinthians 2:4, “And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power…”

Romans 15:18 and 19 (ESV), “For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience--by word and deed, 19 by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God--so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ;”

Acts 4:29-31 (ESV), “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus." 31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

Christ for all Nations founder Reinhard Bonnke and his successor Daniel Kolenda, have ministered in some of the many third world countries who have no knowledge of Christ. They have, through the Spirit, drawn numerous crowds of hundreds of thousands of people to hear the preaching of the Word with signs and wonders following. They have lead millions to the saving knowledge of Christ!

When we follow the example of ministry as Jesus taught us, we will be much more successful in winning the lost.

Let the church put off the fear of what people will think or say, be obedient to Christ and win the lost.

Let the obedience of the church begin with you and me!

Let the prayer of Acts 4:23-31, “And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 "who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: 'Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.' 27 "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 28 "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 29 "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 30 "by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." 31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” be your prayer!

All for the Glory of God!

Unless otherwise indicated, all scriptures are New King James Version

ESV English Standard Version

CSV Christian Standard Version