Matthew 9:1

Monday, 31 March 2025   So He got into a boat, crossed over, and came to His own city. Matthew 9:1   “And having entered the boat, He through-crossed, and He came into His own city” (CG).   The previous verse ended Chapter 8 as it completed the account of the two demon-possessed men. Now, with Jesus and His disciples having been asked to depart from the region, it next says, “And having entered the boat.”   They had come from Capernaum to this area, having passed over from there. Now departed, it says, “He through-crossed.”   This is a new word, diaperaó, coming from dia, through, and peran, which signifies beyond, over, the other side, etc. Thus, it signifies to cross entirely, from one side to the other. To keep the words in line with the Greek, through-crossed gets the point across. In their through-crossing, it next says, “and He came into His own city.”   Another new word is seen, idios. It signifies that which pertains to self, such as one’s own, or something private or separate, etc. In this case, it is referring to Jesus’ city, Capernaum, where He had set as the base for His ministry.   Life application: The trip from Capernaum to the Gergesenes and back was short but filled with action. The seas raged, the disciples feared, Jesus calmed the sea, and the disciples marveled, wondering what kind of Man Jesus was.   From there they landed on the shore, met with the demon-possessed men, and Jesus ejected the demons from them into pigs, bringing the men to a right state. From there, they departed and went right back to Capernaum.   The Bible is highlighting Jesus, His actions, and His work. We should pay heed to what we are seeing. A storm arose and He calmed it. A spiritual storm arose in the men, and Jesus calmed it.   We are being shown the nature of the Man that the disciples couldn’t seem to grasp, even though they were right there with Him watching the things He did. He commanded a person to be healed who wasn’t even in His presence. He also healed a leper by touching Him. Rather than becoming unclean, He remained clean and the leper was cleansed.   Jesus thereby demonstrated that He was greater than the law even though He submitted to the law. As the law was given by God to Israel through Moses, we are being shown the true nature of the Man. If you are struggling with the idea of Jesus’ deity, you are struggling against the word of God.   God, through His word, is conveying to us information about what He has done in and through the Person of Jesus. Don’t fret about this matter! Accept it by faith. Jesus Christ is the God/Man. When we pray to God through Jesus, we have all the power in the universe hearing our prayers. He will respond accordingly. Trust that it is so.   Heavenly Father, we thank You for what You have done for us in sending Jesus. Help us in our times of lacking trust. Help us in our weak faith. Strengthen us through Your word so that we can always feel confident as we walk in this world, awaiting the day when we will be brought near to You forever. Amen.