MESSIANIC MIRACLE 1: THE DUMB SPEAK!

Before Jesus appeared on the scene, miracles existed in Israel. Think of all the miracles that occurred in the New Testament. Diseases were healed, demons were purportedly cast out by a procedure that was intended to exorcise persons possessed by unclean spirits. The Dead Sea Scrolls are actually said to include several exorcism incantations and formulae, mostly directed against disease-causing demons. So although Jewish culture taught that healing and exorcism were divine and attributed it to God ultimately, they also believed that that ability came with restrictions, and that there was a category of conditions that no man could fix; those would quite God Himself to fix them.

One such was a person possessed with a deaf and dumb spirit. The Jews had a three-step formula for casting out all demons, and it seemed to work perfectly. First☝🏼 was to ask the demon what its name was. It would then reply by speaking though the possessed person, and then and only then could the exorcist cast out the demon – using its name. Jesus used this same method in Mark 5: ‘Then Jesus asked, “What is your name?” And the spirit replied, “Legion, because there are many of us here inside this man.”’

So naturally, if a person could not speak, then the demon would be unable to say its name, and the exorcist would be unable to call it by its name and cast it out🤷🏽‍♀️. For the Jews, it would take God Himself, through His sent Messiah to drive out a deaf and dumb spirit. And this is precisely what Jesus the Lord did. 

In Matthew 9:32-33, the Bible says ‘While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke.’ Observe the reaction of the crowd in verse 33:

The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.“🤯

It wasn’t that it had been a long time since they’d seen such a thing in Israel. It wasn’t that it was some rare occurrence in Israel. It was that nothing of the sort had been seen in Israel.

In Matthew 12:22, it happened again: ‘Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.’ Again, the crowd was mind blown!

All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David?” – v. 23

David had 19 sons, but the Jews were taught right from their age of maturity about the Son of David – the Eternal One sent of God – the Messiah. In 2 Samuel 7:12-13, God promised David: “When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” They never mistook this to be Solomon’s kingdom, even though it was Solomon who built a house for the Lord. They knew of the prophecies of old. The prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 9:7 declared, ‘Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.’ The prophet Daniel in his vision [7:14b] saw: ‘His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed’. Jeremiah [the fire prophet😆] wrote [23:5a&6b], ‘“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteous Saviour.’ Zechariah, Hosea, Ezekiel, every old testament prophet prophesied the reign of this Branch of David.

Knowing what they knew, the Jews knew that the miracle Jesus had just done took more than Jewish law and formula. They knew it took divinity to do such a miracle; and it is why the Pharisees were so disoriented by these miracles. And as followers of this spectacular personality who took on flesh and subjected Himself to the limitations of a world He created,

it is important that we understand the implication of these miracles so as not to lose our awe of the divinity and the splendour of the One we serve!

May the Lord keep you throughout this week, friend. Till we meet next week over some coffee and another messianic miracle, stay in awe of Him!

Love,

🌟 Rad 🌟