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You may turn in your Bibles to 
Matthew chapter 8. Matthew chapter 8, this morning 
our focus will be on verses 5 to 13, Christ and the centurion. The one healed is the servant 
of the centurion, but the Lord Jesus deals with the centurion, 
so we will reference, or we will make reference solely to him. 
If you compare Luke's gospel in Luke chapter 7, verses 1 to 
10, you will see that the centurion sent his servants, friends of 
his that were Jewish. When we look at chapter 8 in 
Matthew's gospel, you'll see that he's dealing specifically 
with the centurion. There's no contradiction here. 
A man in a position of authority, if he sends a delegate, that 
delegate carries the authority of the one sending him. What 
I think is going on is that Matthew oftentimes condenses narratives 
to something observed by the commentators, that he condenses, 
he gets right to the nitty-gritty. And as well, I think Matthew 
has a larger theological concern to show us the reality that this 
centurion is a Gentile that fits in with a theology of Gentile 
inclusion that the gospel of Matthew is all about. And we'll 
see that even in the message this morning. So there's no contradiction. Remember that the gospel writers 
have theological reasons, theological aims for the way they shape their 
particular narratives. That doesn't mean contradiction. Rather, it shows the skill of 
a theologian. to set forth the particular truth 
that he is dealing with, and to make sure that his readers 
understand the message that he wants them to get. So Matthew 
chapter 8, I'll begin reading in verse 1, we'll read the verse 
17. When he had come down from the 
mountain, great multitudes followed him. And behold, a leper came 
and worshiped him, saying, Lord, if you are willing, you can make 
me clean. Then Jesus put out his hand and touched him, saying, 
I am willing, be cleansed." Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And 
Jesus said to him, see that you tell no one, but go your way, 
show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses 
commanded as a testimony to them. Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, 
a centurion came to him, pleading with him, saying, Lord, my servant 
is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented. And Jesus said to 
him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, 
Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof, but 
only speak a word and my servant will be healed. For I also am 
a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say 
to this one, go. And he goes. And to another, 
come. And he comes. And to my servant, do this. And 
he does it. When Jesus heard it, he marveled 
and said to those who followed, assuredly I say to you, I have 
not found such great faith, not even in Israel. And I say to 
you that many will come from east and west and sit down with 
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the 
sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There 
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then Jesus said to 
the centurion, go your way and as you have believed, so let 
it be done for you. And his servant was healed that 
same hour. Now, when Jesus had come into 
Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever. 
So he touched her hand and the fever left her and she arose 
and served them. When evening had come, they brought 
to him many who were demon-possessed. And he cast out the spirits with 
a word, and healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled 
which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, He himself took 
our infirmities and bore our sicknesses. Amen. Let us pray. Father, we thank you for your 
word. We thank you for this account. We pray that you would guide 
us now in our study. Forgive us again, we pray, in 
the blood of Jesus. Wash us and purify us and give 
us the mind of Christ so that we may receive these things with 
gladness and with great joy. We ask now that you would bless 
this time together for those who do not know you. We pray 
they would see the power of Jesus Christ. They would see the willingness 
of Jesus Christ. they would see the glory of Jesus 
Christ as that one alone who is able to save to the uttermost 
all who come to God through him. And we pray through Christ our 
Lord. Amen. Well, remember the larger context. 
Jesus has spoken the Sermon on the Mount in chapters five to 
seven. And in chapter seven at verse 
29, it says, for he taught them as one having authority, not 
as the scribes. And then Matthew gives us three 
series of three miracles that Jesus engages in. From chapter 
8, verse 1, to chapter 9, verse 34. There are three series of 
three miracles each, and they are interspersed with teaching 
on discipleship. So Matthew is showing us that 
not only is the Word of Christ powerful, but the action of Christ 
is powerful. And interestingly enough, the 
action of Christ, more often than not, is the speaking of 
a word to affect healing, to affect a particular sign or a 
wonder. Now the immediate context we 
find ourselves in is chapter 8, verses 1 to 17. These three 
persons not only have in common some sort of sickness or malady 
or distress, but they also have in common the fact that they 
are outcasts. Remember the leper. He is an 
outcast from society. According to the law of God, 
he is to remove himself. When he comes to Jesus, his desire 
is that he would be cleansed. He wants to return to society. He wants to return to family. 
Well, in this instance, in 5 to 13, we see that Jesus is dealing 
with a Gentile. He's dealing with a Roman centurion. More on that in just a moment. And then the third act of healing 
is verses 14 and 15, where Jesus deals with a woman. So a leper, 
a Gentile, and a woman. I want you, dear sisters, to 
think that I'm lumping you in in such a negative category. 
I'm not suggesting that you're somehow leprous, or you're somehow 
evil or bad because you're a woman. Remember, an early prayer of 
the Jewish man was, thank you, Lord, that I'm not a Gentile, 
and thank you that I'm not a woman. Again, that's not anything that 
Jim is saying necessarily, though I did share at the old folks 
home recently. I was quite thankful not to be a woman when I witnessed 
the birth of my children. I was very pleased that God had 
seen fit in his providence and in his kindness to make me a 
man. See, God gave that task to women because no man could 
ever handle it. We sniffle and we whine and we 
cry. These sisters, these dear ones 
are bringing forth children from the womb. What a blessing. But 
this is the context. This is what Matthew wants us 
to appreciate. He wants us to understand. And 
interestingly enough, in 5 to 13, he also indicates something 
that is programmatic, something big behind the scenes in Matthew's 
gospel. Have you ever read a story or 
you've watched something and there's details that you're focusing 
on, a particular situation, but you find out or you learn that 
in the story there's a bigger picture sort of behind the scenes? Well, remember that God made 
a promise to Abraham that in him all the families, all the 
nations of the earth would be blessed. And Matthew wants us 
to understand that that time has come with the arrival of 
the Lord Jesus Christ. So I want to take apart this 
section 5 to 13 under three considerations. First, the centurion's plea, 
verses 5 to 7. Secondly, the centurion's character 
and confession in verses 8 and 9. And then thirdly, the Savior's 
amazement in his instruction in verses 10 to 13. But let's 
look first at the centurion's plea. If, as I've already mentioned, 
you look at Luke chapter 7, verses 1 to 10, you'll see a parallel 
account. It's the same situation. In John 
chapter 4, there's a scenario very similar, but I think it's 
a different scenario. Particularly, it's a nobleman. 
It's a Jewish man. John 4, 46 to 54. Carson suggests 
that this was the earlier instance, and that perhaps the centurion 
knew about it. And that this centurion, believing 
that Jesus was in fact the Christ, promised by God in the Old Testament, 
approaches him. So when you're reading your Bible, 
and you see this instance in John 4, 46 to 54, it's probably 
an earlier situation. It is different, as the man here 
is a Gentile. A parallel passage to this situation 
is found later. In Matthew 15 verses 21 to 28, 
there is the Gentile woman who comes seeking a healing for her 
daughter. And it's interesting, we find 
a Gentile coming to the Lord Jesus, the Lord Jesus commenting 
positively on their faith, and then the Lord Jesus healing them 
from a distance. So there's some similarities 
there between Matthew 8.5-13 and Matthew 15.21-28. When we 
look at this particular man, verse 5, now when Jesus had entered 
Capernaum, This was sort of the headquarters for our Lord. If 
you go back for just a moment to chapter 4 and verse 13, during 
his Galilean ministry, Capernaum was that place where he probably 
called home. And leaving Nazareth, he came 
and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea in the regions 
of Zebulun and Naphtali. So Christ is in his hometown, 
again, not Nazareth, but where he spent time, where he dwelt, 
and the centurion comes to him. Now, the Roman military was divided 
up of legions, and a legion was 6,000 men. And then it was further divided, 
that 6,000 men, into 10 cohorts that had 6 sentries. So the 10 
cohorts of 6 sentries, 600 troops. The ten of these hundreds made 
up the 6,000, but the centurion was the leader or the overseer 
of a hundred men. He's quite high up. He's a military 
officer. He probably came up from the 
ranks. He has a lot of responsibility. He has a lot of authority, as 
we see when we get into this particular man. According to 
Luke's gospel, he also loves our nation. He was sympathetic 
to the Jewish nation, and it says that he built our synagogue. No doubt he was a participant 
in synagogue worship. He sounds a lot like another 
centurion that Luke records in his second major work. In Acts 
chapter 10, verses 1 to 2, we see this man Cornelius. He was 
a God-fearer. He was one who had come under 
the sway of synagogue worship. He had heard the word. So this 
man coming to the Lord Jesus, this centurion, knew something 
of his Old Testament. And as we work through this narrative, 
we'll see, not only did he know something of it, but he believed 
it. And he understood that Jesus was the fulfillment of what he 
had heard read in the synagogues, what he had heard preached and 
taught on in the synagogues. Note the particular plea, verse 
5, when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him pleading 
with him. It's interesting, one man comments 
that Roman military officers were not allowed to have families. 
That's debated, but when we look at this particular servant, we'll 
see that he treats him as if he's family. He's affected, he's 
concerned, he's got compassion, he loves this particular servant. The Greek word can mean servant 
or child, but Luke uses the term doulos, which is servant, so 
it indicates to us that the man who is sick is the servant of 
the centurion. And notice specifically what 
he says, pleading with him, saying, Lord, my servant is lying at 
home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented. Notice at this point he doesn't 
say, Jesus, can you come and heal him? He is simply stating 
the case. And he is stating the case in 
terms of argument. This led Spurgeon to comment, 
not merit, but misery must be our plea with the Savior. Don't 
come to my servant because I'm a great and noble man. Don't 
come to my servant because I've helped build the synagogue. Don't 
come to my servant because I know the Old Testament scriptures. 
Come to my servant, because he's paralyzed and he's dreadfully 
tormented." In Psalm 25, the psalmist says, pardon my iniquities, 
or iniquity for, it is great. It's not our merit that fetches 
mercy, it is our misery that fetches mercy. And we need to 
understand that when we look at this situation. He doesn't 
come pleading, he doesn't come plying, he doesn't come bargaining, 
he doesn't come saying, I've done a lot of work for the Jewish 
nation, certainly the Jewish Messiah owes me a healing. No, 
the man is at the end of himself, he sees the Lord Jesus, he comes 
before him, he's pleading with him, and he says, Lord, my servant 
is lying at home, paralyzed, dreadfully tormented. We can 
take from that, extrapolate from that, with reference to what 
Spurgeon says, it's not merit, but misery that must be our plea 
with the Savior. You're here this morning and 
you're outside of Christ. The response is not, Lord, I've 
been a pretty good guy or girl. Lord, I've done a lot for the 
Jewish nation. Lord, I've done a lot in terms 
of synagogue building. Lord, I've done a lot in terms 
of attending the Free Grace Baptist Church. I've done a lot in terms 
of Bible reading or praying. No, it's not your merit that 
fetches mercy. It is your misery that fetches 
mercy. God the Lord looks upon miserable 
sinners and He deigns to bless them. The worst thing in the 
world that you and I can ever do is to bring to the Lord our 
accomplishments, to bring to the Lord our merit, to bring 
to the Lord our law-keeping, because it's not perfect, it's 
not exact, it's not perpetual, it's not entire. It is marred 
with sin, it is filthy, it is disgusting, it is unrighteous. 
It is paralyzed and dreadfully tormented. There is nothing in 
us that deserves the mercy of God Most High. It is not merit, 
but misery that must be our plea with the Savior. So this man 
states his case, and notice, with reference to the Savior. 
What does he do with this man? Remember, this centurion, probably 
there wasn't a legion in Galilee. It was probably made up of auxiliary 
troops. But why would there be troops 
in Galilee? Why were there troops in that particular region? Because 
Israel was a conquered and enslaved nation. I suspect that if you 
lived in Galilee and you were Jewish and you wandered about 
the streets and you saw the Roman soldiers, or perhaps they were 
from Syria, perhaps they were conscripted from other places, 
but they would be non-Jews, you probably wouldn't like them a 
whole lot. I can't imagine during the Nazi occupation of various 
countries in Europe, you wandered around and said, thank you that 
you're here. We just love the fact that you're here. We love 
your swastikas. We love your way of life. We 
love everything about you. No, there'd be a turmoil. There'd 
be a despising of that. What are these foreigners doing 
in our land enslaving us and having conquered us? This Roman 
centurion, though we know he's a good guy, humanly speaking, 
Jesus treats him with great respect. Jesus doesn't repel him, Jesus 
doesn't send him away, Jesus doesn't resist him. The centurion 
has not formally asked Jesus a question. When Jesus says, 
I will come and heal him, it's probably better to be understood 
as a question by the Savior. Rather than Jesus saying, I will 
come and heal him, which he really doesn't do. He doesn't come to 
the centurion's house. He never embraces the servant. 
He never touches the servant. He does it from a distance. It's 
probably a question akin to, you want me to come to your house? 
You want me, a Jew, to enter into Gentile quarters? You want 
me, the Messiah of Israel, to come and deal with your situation? He probably doesn't say it as 
condescendingly as I feel like I'm saying it, but he's incredulous. This is paving the way, this 
is setting the stage for his statement later about the great 
faith of this centurion. The centurion doesn't care at 
this particular instance about protocol. The centurion at this 
particular instance doesn't look down upon this man as a conquered 
and enslaved one. Rather, he addresses him as Lord. 
Again, it could mean Sir, but in light of the leper, and in 
light of the statement 21 to 23, in light of Matthew's gospel, 
I think he wants us to understand the freight that the word Lord 
carries. That this is the Lord of Lords. 
That this is Jesus, the God-man. This is the incarnate one. This 
is the one who has come to save his people from their sins. So 
he sets forth this scenario. Jesus says, you want me to come 
and heal him? And then that brings us to the 
centurion's character and confession. Notice in verses 8 and 9, three 
things we learn about this man. First is unworthiness. his unworthiness. Notice what he says. The centurion 
answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that you should come 
under my roof. Now it could be because I'm a Gentile and you're 
a Jew and I don't want you to be ceremonially defiled. I think it exceeds that. I think 
it's more along the lines of what John the Baptist says in 
Matthew 3. You can turn there. Matthew chapter 3. Again, Matthew 
is weaving together these narratives to set before us the son of Abraham, 
the son of David. He wants us to marvel at the 
son of God. He wants us to understand who 
he is. He wants us not to assert our worthiness before the Christ. 
He wants us to understand our unworthiness before the Christ. 
Matthew 3.11, Indeed I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. But he who is coming after me 
is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He 
will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. Notice in verse 
13, Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized 
by him. And John tried to prevent him, 
saying, I need to be baptized by you. And are you coming to 
me? You see, there's a lesson here. 
In the presence of Christ, pride dies. A proud Christian is an 
oxymoron. A proud Christian ought not to 
be. This centurion displays for us something that many of us 
lack. Lord, I'm not worthy that you 
come under my roof. See, we take just the opposite 
posture. Lord, it's me. You owe me. You should do this. You should 
bless me. You should heal me. You should this. We have inverted 
the scenario. We have become the dictator. 
We have become the Lord. We are the one who calls the 
shots. Not so with this centurion. He says, Lord, I'm not worthy 
that you come into my house. He sounds like John the Baptist 
here. John the Baptist says, I'm not worthy to untie his shoelace. I'm not worthy to take off his 
Nike. I'm not worthy to spit shine 
this man's boots. There's a lot of self-worthiness 
in the church today, and it's gotta die. Let's learn from this 
centurion. Let's learn something of unworthiness. And interestingly enough, what's 
the first beatitude? Blessed are the poor in spirit, 
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Isn't it interesting 
that in Matthew 8, 5 to 13, we have the living embodiment of 
the beatitudes. Knox Chamberlain describes it 
this way. In grieving for his servant, 
blessed are those who mourn. And desiring mercy for him, blessed 
are the merciful. In humbling himself before Jesus 
and invoking divine power in face of human helplessness, the 
centurion exemplifies the character celebrated in the Beatitudes. 
When we get to Jesus marveling over the centurion, there's reasons 
for it. The Jews of Jesus' day couldn't 
be bothered with him. The Jews of Jesus' day, and I 
speak generally, Matthew himself was a Jew. We need to understand 
that what Jesus teaches later on doesn't mean every son of 
the kingdom is excluded, but he's speaking in general big 
terms. They couldn't be bothered with 
this Messiah. They couldn't be bothered with this stumbling 
block. They couldn't be bothered with 
this scandal. Not so the centurion. Calvin 
said, there was astonishing humility in exalting so highly a Jew, 
I'm sorry, there was astonishing humility in exalting so highly 
above himself a man who belonged to a conquered and enslaved nation. Go back to the scenario. It's 
your little town. There's Nazis standing on the 
street corner. You despise their presence. You 
can't stand there being there. You can't stand them being there. 
And then you see, you see one from that rank, one high up, 
come to one from your own country and call him Lord. And then make 
this declaration, Lord, I'm not worthy that you enter my house. 
What do you think the fellows all thought? Are you crazy? He's a slave. He's part of the 
conquered nation. You're calling him Lord? You're 
saying that you're unworthy for him to enter into your presence? 
You see, this is what grace, that produces faith, ultimately 
yields. This man is a believer. Jesus 
applauds his faith. What is a fruit of faith, brethren? It is not pride, it is not arrogance, 
it is not an assertion of our worthiness, but rather it is 
the cry with this centurion, Lord, I am not worthy that you 
should come under my roof. We could learn a lot from this 
Gentile. Don't you hate pride? Don't you despise pride? I fear at times we despise pride 
in others. I hate it when that guy's so 
proud. I hate it when that guy's so arrogant. I hate it when that 
guy thinks he's so worthy. I hate it when that guy pretends 
like he's the best thing since sliced bread, and I'm dirt or 
I'm garbage. How is it that we can spot the 
pride in every other Christian, we can spot the pride in every 
other political leader, we can spot the pride in every single 
human being on the face of the earth, and yet somehow miss ours? Mark Sarver said in a sermon, 
pride is like bad breath. Everybody knows you have it except 
you. The fruit of faith, or a fruit 
of faith, is humility. What Calvin calls astonishing 
humility. From this, not only do we see 
his unworthiness, secondly, we do see his faith. As Manton says, 
faith is an emptying grace, and the best men have lowest thoughts 
of themselves. The best men have lowest thoughts 
of themselves. He says, in all our commerce 
with Christ, faith must produce a real humility. Faith is most 
high when the heart is most low. Man, that's perceptive. Man, 
that's right on. And man, that is what this centurion 
is demonstrating. But it's not just the fruit of 
faith seen in his humility, but it's the expression of faith 
in his word. Lord, I am not worthy that you 
come under my roof, but only speak a word and my servant will 
be healed. That's faith. He understands 
something of the Word of Christ. He understands something of the 
power of Christ. He knows of a truth that Jesus, 
in speaking the Word, can, from a distance, heal his servant. 
That's faith. See, we think, you've got to 
touch me. You've got to make a mud pie and put it over my 
eyes in order to heal me. I've got to go up front. I've 
got to throw down my crutches. I've got to have interaction 
with the Lord of Glory. Not so this centurion. He confesses 
his humility. I'm not worthy that you come 
under my roof. And this much I know concerning the Messiah 
of God. If he speaks a word, it shall 
be done. Isn't that beautiful? Isn't that glorious? John Gill 
says, as the former expression declares his modesty and humility, 
and the mean apprehensions he had of himself, so this signifies 
his great faith in Christ, and the persuasion he had of his 
divine power. I gotta tell you, if you're not 
a Christian today, you never have to doubt the power of Jesus. 
Cast yourself on Him, and He will save you. He's powerful! He saves to the uttermost! He 
cleanses! He purifies! He washes! You're 
not fixed because you got better, you're fixed because Jesus fixed 
you. Because He cleansed you, He washed 
you. Paul says this, "...in whom we 
have redemption through His blood." Brethren, the moment that we 
begin to think we stand because of something good in ourselves, 
we've betrayed the Gospel. We hear a lot about that today, 
living a cross-centered life, living a gospel-centered life. 
That means realizing the only reason you and I ever stand for 
a moment is because of our Savior. It's because of our Jesus. Gil 
says, he does not say pray and my servant shall be healed, as 
looking upon him barely as a man of God, a prophet, one that had 
great interest in God, and at the throne of grace, but speak, 
command, order it to be done, and it shall be done, which is 
inscribing omnipotence to him. Notice in chapter 8 at verse 
16, he cast out the spirits with a word What does Matthew want 
us to understand? It's not only in his teaching 
ministry, but in his healing ministry. It is the efficacious, 
powerful Word of God. What does the Psalter say? Psalm 
33, 6, commenting on Genesis chapter 1. By His Word, the heavens 
were made. Christ has authority. Christ has power. This centurion 
confesses his unworthiness, he expresses his faith, and then 
he demonstrates something by way of an analogy. Notice in 
verse 9. For I also am a man under authority, 
having soldiers under me. What's he saying? There's the 
emperor. There's the legate over the cohort. There's the Tribune, and then 
there's the Centurion. Because I'm under Emperor Caesar, 
I have authority, such that when I command my troops, my troops 
know that I carry the weight of the Emperor himself. You see, 
he sees this about Jesus. He sees that Jesus is a man under 
authority. He is a man under God. He is 
the Son of God, the sent one by God. And the centurion reasons 
thus. If in fact God the Lord has sent 
this Jesus, then Jesus carries that authority. Jesus carries 
that weight. And as the centurion is able 
to say to a soldier, go, and he goes, And as the centurion 
is able to say to a soldier, come, and he comes, and as the 
centurion is able to say to the soldier, do this, and he does 
it, then certainly, when this Jesus speaks a word, the disease 
must fly. He is a man clothed with the 
authority of God Almighty. This man's faith is strong, this 
man's faith is powerful, this man's faith is exemplary. Spurgeon says, if soldiers would 
come and go at a centurion's bidding, much more would diseases 
fly at the word of the Lord Jesus. Isn't that beautiful? D. A. Carson says, precisely because 
Jesus was under God's authority. He was vested with God's authority. So that when Jesus spoke, God 
spoke. To defy Jesus was to defy God. 
And Jesus' word must therefore be vested with God's authority 
that is able to heal sickness. This analogy reveals an astonishing 
faith that recognizes that Jesus needed neither ritual, magic, 
nor any other help. His authority was God's authority, 
and His Word was effective because it was, in fact, God's Word. This centurion, I can't wait 
to see him. He's going to be sitting right 
there with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We'll get to hang out 
with him. brother, because I'm worthy. Is this what we should expect 
in the Christian? Lord, I'm not worthy. How do 
you pray? God bless me because I'm good? God bless me because I deserve 
it? God bless me because I have merit? 
God bless me because I'm not as bad as they are? You say, pardon my iniquity, for 
it is great. It's not merit. It is misery that fetches mercy 
from on high. This man had faith. When he looked 
upon Christ, he saw the authority of God Most High. It's exactly 
what we are supposed to get in this section. I am a man under 
authority, the centurion says. As an officer in Caesar's court, 
I have the authority to bid man. Christ has come clothed with 
the authority of God Almighty. He's recognized that, he has 
seen that, and he has come and pled his servant's case. And 
that brings us thirdly to the Savior's amazement and instruction. 
Notice verse 10, when Jesus heard it, he marveled. Most of the times in the gospel 
accounts, this word marvel is applied to human beings who marvel 
at Jesus. The only other time in the gospel 
accounts that I'm aware of that Jesus marveled is in Mark 6. Their Jesus is in Nazareth, and 
it says that he marveled because of their unbelief. Interesting, isn't it? Jesus 
marvels at great faith, and Jesus marvels at the absence of faith. For the rest of us, just in between, 
I guess Jesus isn't marveling too much. He's happy with us. 
He's not throwing us out. Faith of a mustard seed joins 
us to Christ to be sure. Whether He would ever announce 
on your behalf or my behalf that this is great faith, such as 
I've not seen in Israel, that needs to be seen another time. 
But it is intriguing that in the Gospel records, the two times 
that Jesus Christ marvels, it is at great faith and it is at 
the absence of faith. I wondered, as I was thinking 
through this particular passage yesterday, I was thinking, what 
is it this morning, in your heart, that would make Jesus marvel? 
Would Jesus marvel at you this morning because of great faith? 
Because you take Him at His Word? You see Him clothed with the 
authority of God Most High? You see Him as that willing and 
able Savior? You see Him as powerful to redeem 
you? You see Him as powerful to cleanse you? You see Him powerful 
to bring that righteousness that you desperately need to stand 
before God? Or would Jesus marvel this morning 
that you sit under preaching? You sit under the Scriptures? 
You sit under faithful parents? You sit with faithful spouses? and you still persist in unbelief. Ask yourself, right now, what 
would Jesus marvel over in me? Not me, Jim. I don't suspect 
Jesus will marvel over me. I hope I just got that faith 
that connects me to Him. But you, right now, is it faith 
or is it the absence of faith? He marvels because of unbelief. I think the implication seems 
to be, why wouldn't you believe him? He's truth. He speaks truth. He speaks with authority. When 
we look at Christ in the larger scale of redemptive history, 
He created this world, He governs this world, He sustains this 
world, He came, He took on the likeness of sinful flesh, without 
sin, but He took on our likeness, He sorrowed, He agonized, He 
hungered, He thirsted, He ultimately died, He bled, He was buried, 
He rose again, all those things, why won't you believe? What's 
the issue? What's the problem? Some of you 
have heard this gospel message time in and time out. I ask you, 
why do you resist it? Why do you reject it? Why do 
you continue to oppose Christ? Is this world that much better? 
Are the things of this world that much more enjoyable? Are 
your friends that much better than the Lord of Glory? As the 
prophets of Israel would say, why will you die? Why will you 
perish? Why will you continue in sin? 
Why do you continue to refuse and reject? As the prophet Isaiah 
says in chapter 55, why do you spend your money on that which 
does not satisfy? Why do you continue in unbelief? 
Why do you continue to resist? Why do you continue to reject? 
Why is it that the Savior today may be marveling at unbelief 
that is present here in the Free Grace Baptist Church? I grant, 
we probably don't have great faith. But I think for the most 
of us that profess saving faith in Christ, the root of the matter 
is there. It is unconscionable in light of a glorious Savior 
like this, the one who always speaks truth, the one who says 
to a leper, I am willing, be cleansed. It is unconscionable 
to refuse him, to resist him, and to reject him. There is nothing 
better than the Savior. There is nothing more satisfying 
than being in Christ. There's nothing more delightful 
than the proposition held forth in Revelation 21 and 22. I love 
the language. I love the specificity of the 
text. God himself will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Every 
pain, every suffering, every issue, every difficulty, every 
problem, God himself will wipe away those tears. I don't have chronic pain. I 
don't have chronic illness. And I thank God for that. But 
I suspect that if I did, I would be very acquainted with Revelation 
21 and 22. I like to think that I would 
be very acquainted with that. I don't live in a country where 
I'm hungry. I don't live in Ethiopia. I don't live in Sudan. I don't 
live in those places where to get their daily bread is a monumental 
chore. But I suspect that if I lived 
in those lands, Revelation 7 would be very precious and dear to 
me. The thought that in that new Jerusalem there will be no 
more hunger, there will be no more thirst. We take it for granted. We could go up there right now. 
I've got a glass of water here right now. We take it for granted. There's always potable drinking 
water all around us all the time, so much so that we waste it. 
We lived in a place that was ravaged and burned out, and there 
was no water. Imagine reading Revelation 7 
and licking your lips at the thought and the reality that 
when I enter into the New Jerusalem, I'm not going to be thirsty anymore. But imagine sin. We all have 
sin. No matter where we are, no matter 
what we do, no matter who we are, all the sons of Adam have 
this in common. We're sinners. There's old ones, 
there's young ones, there's big ones, there's small ones, there's 
white ones, there's black ones, there's male ones, there's female 
ones. But this common theme unites all the sons of Adam. We're sinners. 
We're sinners. Do you ever read Peter's description? 
The new heavens and the new earth? reflecting the prophet Isaiah 
chapter 65 and chapter 66. You ever look at Revelation 22 
and you see that in that New Jerusalem what is blessed? There will be no more curse there. 
There'll be no abortion in the New Jerusalem. There'll be no 
same-sex marriage in the New Jerusalem. There'll be no drive-by 
shootings in the New Jerusalem. There'll be no fornication. There'll 
be no lustful thoughts. There'll be no propensity to 
sin because God Most High ushers us into His presence. So I ask 
you, why do you resist the Savior? What is there about Christ that 
keeps you away? What is there about this one 
who the bride describes as altogether lovely and chief among 10,000? 
Why will you die, is what Ezekiel says. Why will you persist? Why will you continue? Why will 
you reject him? Is the Lord marveling today at 
your unbelief? If that's the case, here's the 
simple answer. You ready? Believe. Isn't that beautiful? Believe 
on the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved. That's what the gospel 
says. That's what the scriptures teach. 
Notice there's not a bargaining table set up here. Lord, my servant 
is paralyzed. He's dreadfully tormented. Well, 
sit down and let me know what you bring to the equation. And 
if you meet my requirements, then I'll... No! The Lord marvels. The Lord marvels. Notice the Lord instructs his 
followers. Verses 10b-12. Verse 10, when 
Jesus heard it, he marveled and said to those who followed, I 
don't believe this means everybody following at this time was rightly 
connected in terms of believing, in terms of faith. They were 
people interested and curious about this particular man. And 
so he uses this opportunity. He uses this moment. He uses 
the miracle of healing as the launching pad upon which he teaches 
theology. See, miracles and signs and wonders 
in the scripture aren't simply there to amaze and dazzle and 
baffle the followers. Rather, they are a means whereby 
God the Lord, through his blessed Son, teaches us something of 
gospel truth. Notice verse 10. Assuredly, he 
says, that means pay attention. Listen to what I have to say. 
Don't look at your watch. Don't think about the soup. Don't 
think about Tuesday. Don't think about tomorrow. Don't think about when's this 
guy gonna shut his mouth. Jesus says assuredly. What I 
have to say to you, I want you to pay attention. I want you 
to listen. I want you to get both ears. I want you to take 
heed. Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, 
not even in Israel. Now he doesn't say there's no 
faith in Israel. He doesn't say Israel is destitute 
of faith. Matthew was Jewish. Jesus was 
Jewish. The early disciples were Jewish. 
Jesus is saying something about this centurion, about this Gentile, 
something of the quality of his faith exceeds what is present 
in current day Israel. I have not found it, he says. 
I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel. What's Jesus 
saying? This is what faith looks like. 
This is what faith's about. Faith always produces humility. You see, when you say you have 
faith in the Redeemer and you're a proud and arrogant person, 
you betray something about that faith. As well, faith always 
recognizes the power, the authority, and the majesty of Jesus Christ. 
Faith is the real deal. It's tangible. You can see the 
effects. Just like when Jesus taught concerning 
the Holy Spirit, you don't know where the wind comes from and 
you don't know where it goes, but the implication is you certainly 
know it's been there. When you see that tree has fallen 
over, you know it's been windy, right? When you see someone believing 
on the Lord Jesus, when you see somebody with humility, when 
you see somebody confessing their unworthiness, you know the Spirit 
of the Lord has blown through there. You know there's a new 
heart. You know that there is faith in the Redeemer. You know 
that something has transpired. And this is what Jesus is indicating. 
I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel. The Lord 
does not say there is no faith in Israel, but he says this Gentile 
centurion exceeds what is present. The Gentile centurion had sat 
in the synagogue. The Gentile centurion had heard 
the prophet Isaiah. He had heard the prophet Ezekiel. 
He had heard the prophet Malachi. He had heard the Torah. He had 
heard the promises of God associated with the Messiah of God. And 
when this centurion laid eyes upon Jesus, he recognized this 
was the one. Jesus says, this is great. This 
is fantastic. He knew that the Christ would 
be able to heal by speaking a word. In short, the centurion believed 
the Old Testament in a greater degree than his contemporaries 
in Israel at that time. Again, this isn't a universal 
principle. Jesus is speaking with a degree of hyperbole here. He's highlighting a particular 
and an important point. And then he uses this opportunity 
to teach something about Gentile inclusion. This wasn't new. Remember the promises made to 
the patriarchs? Interesting that Jesus says they'll 
sit with who? Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. What promise did Abraham, 
Isaac, and Jacob get? They got the promise that in 
you, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, specifically in your seed, all 
the nations of the earth shall be blessed. You see, the Old 
Testament foretold a time when the Gentiles would march to Jerusalem 
to learn the law of Yahweh, Isaiah 2, Micah 4. The servant song 
concerning Jesus in Isaiah 49 in verse 6. It says, it was too 
small a thing for the Redeemer simply to save the lost tribes 
of Jacob, but I will give you as a light unto the Gentiles. 
And Matthew's gospel is conspicuous with this theme. The fact that 
he links Jesus and the genealogy to both Abraham and David indicates 
this reality. And then who does he weave into 
the genealogy? He puts a Gentile and a woman 
in there, no less. He puts the shady lady from Jericho 
in the genealogy. Ruth had Obed, who had Jesse, 
who had David. Who's the first worshippers? 
According to Matthew 2, 1-12. Was it the Jews? Was it Israel? No, it was Magi from the East. 
What does John say when he's upbraiding his countrymen in 
Matthew 3, John the Baptist? Don't tell me that we have Abraham 
for a father. What does John the Baptist say? 
I tell you, God is able to take these stones and raise up to 
himself sons of Abraham. Where does Jesus begin his ministry? In Galilee of the Gentiles, Matthew 
4, reflecting Isaiah 9. You see, there is a theology 
that Matthew wants you to get, and he describes it this way 
in verse 11. And I say to you that many will come from east 
and west. I take this as Gentiles, Gentile 
peoples, non-Jews, non-Israelites. And there will be many of them 
that come from east and west, and they will sit down with Abraham, 
Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. This refers to the 
messianic banquet of Isaiah 25, 6-9, sort of rehearsed as well 
in Isaiah 65, verses 13-14. What Jesus is setting forth in 
this particular section is that this Gentile worshipper is the 
first fruits of many more to come. Later on, in chapters 20-22, 
when Jesus comes into Jerusalem, How is he received? Yes, there's 
Hosannas. Yes, there is blessed be the 
one who comes in the name of the Lord. But who does Jesus 
immediately confront? Who confronts him? Who argues 
with him? It is the religious leaders of 
Israel. And in 20 to 22, Jesus, through 
dialogue, teaches them something very important. Gentiles are 
coming. In fact, in 21.43, he says to 
the Jewish unbelievers, to the leaders of Israel, I tell you, 
the kingdom of God is being taken from you and it's given to a 
nation that bears fruits consistent. Well, who's that nation? It's 
the church. It's God's global people. It's Jew and Gentile. And then in chapters 24 and 25, 
by way of symbol, by way of prophetic announcement, Jesus teaches something 
crucial concerning that generation of Israel. Their temple would 
be destroyed. Their city would be surrounded 
by Roman armies. The people themselves would be 
dispersed. And then how does the Gospel 
of Matthew end? But with this program of Gentile 
inclusion into the covenant promises of God. Go, therefore, and make 
disciples of Israel. Go, therefore, and make disciples 
of Palestine. Go, therefore, and make disciples 
of Judah." Oh, you know the text. Go, therefore, and make disciples 
of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. You see, with the healing 
of this centurion servant, Jesus is doing theology. Dare I say 
it? Covenant theology. He is speaking 
about the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob. Those are yea and 
amen in Christ. This is theology done proper. Frient says, belonging to the 
kingdom of heaven is found to depend not on ancestry, But on 
faith, this is the point. Again, he's not saying no Jews 
will ever be saved. He sounds a lot like what Paul 
does in Romans chapter 11, when Paul is giving theological commentary 
on why many from ethnic Israel have rejected the Lord Jesus. 
Paul in chapter 9 says, not all Israel is Israel. It is those 
who believe the promises of God. It is those who believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ. They are the Israel of God. Romans 
11, he says, there's a partial hardening, a partial hardening 
or a partial blindness that has come upon the Jewish nation until 
the fullness of the Gentiles are brought in. Again, he's not 
saying every Jew is going to be cast out. He's not saying 
every son of the kingdom is doomed to destruction. But he is saying 
there is a massive shift in redemptive history. What was localized in 
Israel is globalized in Israel, the Lord Jesus. He is picking 
up those threads that Christ is the last Adam. Christ is the 
Israel of God. Christ is the one who inaugurates 
all of the promises that were given by the Lord through the 
patriarchs, and it's no accident that he refers to Abraham, Isaac, 
and Jacob. Do you realize that as a believing 
Gentile, you are a son of Abraham? An unbelieving Jew has no sonship 
to Abraham whatsoever. Isn't this Jesus' whole battle 
in John 8? We have Abraham as our father. What's Jesus' response? If Abraham were your father, 
you wouldn't want to kill me. That's good logic, right? If 
Abraham were really your father, you wouldn't want to kill me. 
Abraham wrote about me. Abraham rejoiced to see my day. 
He anticipated my day, rejoiced, and he was glad in it. Ethnic Gentiles believing the 
gospel are spiritual Israel. Ethnic Jews rejecting the gospel 
are spiritual Gentiles. That's what the New Testament 
communicates to us. That's what the Lord Jesus is 
speaking about. So he speaks of the inclusion 
of the Gentiles. He speaks of the exclusion of 
ethnic Israel. But the sons of the kingdom will 
be cast out into outer darkness. Sons of the kingdom there, I 
believe, means sons belonging to Israel. Ethnic Jews, those 
people who have identified with this covenant community, that 
were never true participants, never believers, those who had 
never come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. What will 
be their lot? The sons of the kingdom will 
be cast out into outer darkness. And then he goes on to highlight 
the tragedy of being cast out. But the sons of the kingdom will 
be cast out into outer darkness. Then he says, there will be weeping 
and gnashing of teeth. The tragedy of being cast out. 
The horror of being cast out. Jesus uses this analogy in several 
places in Matthew's gospel. One commentator says, the wailing 
indicates suffering, the gnashing of teeth, despair. Let's go back 
for just a moment. Jesus is marveling at your unbelief 
this morning. This is what you have to look 
forward to. You see, the saint of Christ, 
according to Revelation 21 and 22, gets the tears wiped away 
from his eyes. The unbeliever has weeping as 
his portion throughout eternity. The believer entering into that 
New Jerusalem is never hungry, he's never thirsty. What does 
the unbeliever who is cast out into outer darkness experience? 
Gnashing his teeth, gnawing on his tongue, reviling the Lord 
God Most High. blaspheming, cursing. Spurgeon 
says the centurion comes from the camp to Christ. The Israelite 
goes from the synagogue to hell. The harlot bows at Jesus' feet 
a penitent, while the self-righteous Pharisee rejects the great salvation. God the Lord saves by grace alone, 
through faith alone, in Christ alone. If you are a Gentile, 
if you are a harlot, if you are a notorious sinner, if you are 
a garden variety sinner, if you are a Jew, if you are a Gentile, 
whatever your lot, whatever your portion, whatever your case, 
whatever your instance, it is by grace alone, through faith 
alone, in Christ alone. That's the point. That's the 
point. Fits in with the larger context 
of Matthew's Gospel, where he makes this predominant, where 
he makes this specific and conspicuous in the life and the ministry 
of the Lord. It is to demonstrate that Jesus is the one fulfilling 
the promises made in the Old Testament. And it is, hopefully, 
a means by which Jews, these sons or professing sons of the 
kingdom, would be brought to an end in themselves. He brought to that place of crying 
out for mercy through Christ the Lord, instead of banking 
on their heritage, banking on their ethnicity, banking on their 
upbringing, banking on the reality that they themselves are part 
of the covenant community of God. Don't rest upon anything 
other save Jesus Christ, his blood, his righteousness. So 
Jesus instructs his followers, he instructs the centurion. Verse 
13, Jesus said to the centurion, go your way, and as you have 
believed, so let it be done for you. I don't think he means you 
believed and therefore. It's the answer is commensurate 
to your faith. As you have believed, so I am 
going to heal this young man. And then notice, and his servant 
was healed that same hour. We've probably read that many, 
many times in our Bible reading, haven't we? you look away, I 
don't want to be asked how many times I read my Bible. You've 
probably heard that phrase a few times if you've been around the 
church. Do we ever stop and just go, wow, man. And that, and his servant was 
healed that same hour. Christ's word is effectual. This young man Paralyzed in great 
torment Luke's gospel says he was near death That same hour 
Healing comes to him the one clothed with the authority of 
God bids that disease to fly and there it goes Christ is indeed 
the one whom the centurion confessed him to be well with reference 
to a few concluding thoughts the faith of the centurion and He believed the Old Testament 
concerning Jesus. He believed the Old Testament 
concerning Jesus. You see, this is what differentiates 
the people of God from the non-people of God. It isn't that we're meritorious. It isn't that we're special. 
It isn't that we're delicate little snowflakes that God just, 
you know, fawns all over. It's that we believe truth. That's 
why it always frustrates me when people denigrate truth. Well, you guys spend so much 
time talking about doctrine. We need truth. Christians are 
not Christians because they perform better. Christians are not Christians 
because they are better law keepers. Christians are not Christians 
because they're meritorious. Christians are Christians because 
by the grace of God they believe the message of God that focuses 
upon Jesus Christ the Lord. That's what separates us. It 
is about what we believe. Secondly, he believed that Christ 
possessed the very authority of God. That analogy is rich, 
it's powerful. I, too, am a man under authority. 
I say to this soldier this, I say to this one that, and they do 
it. He's standing in the presence of one he knows is clothed with 
the authority of God. Lord, if you just speak a word, 
I realize that my servant, he'll be up doing dishes later. He'll 
be serving me. I hope he wasn't quite like that. Thirdly, he believed that Christ's 
word was powerful to heal from a distance. This is important. We see this again in Matthew 
15, 21 to 28. Jesus didn't have to be right 
there. You know, this whole idea of the altar call. You gotta 
walk forward at the end of the service so you can get saved. 
We used to preach at a place called the Bible Tabernacle. 
It was a great place to preach. It was a great big tent. And 
when I say tent, I don't mean your backyard Coleman. I mean 
one of those big white ones that hunters use when they're out 
there. What do they call it? A wall tent? Is that right, Tony? 
Looking at my hunter friend there. Big, big, huge, huge, massive 
tent with pews in it. We'd go there and preach. Preach 
the word to these guys. And the one who orchestrated 
this whole event told us one time, do you know how many people 
would get saved if you had an altar call? Do you know how many people, 
listen to this, okay? Put on your reformed caps. How 
many people would get saved if you had an altar call? You mean 
we have to call them to the front? We have to lead them in a specific 
prayer? We have to say every eye closed 
and every head bowed? We have to say that if you want 
to be saved, just shoot your right hand up into the air? Christ 
saves to the uttermost, whether you come up here or you sit right 
there. It's the power of His Word. It's the glory and majesty 
of His being. It's what He's about. It's what 
He does. It's not our going forward. It's 
not our signing a card. It's not our bowing our head 
and putting up our hand. It's Christ, the Lord, who saves. That's what this man recognized. 
He believed, fourthly, that Christ would have mercy on his needy 
servant. Just like with the leper. Lord, if you are willing, you 
can make me cleansed. The leper knew Christ was able. 
The centurion knows that Christ is able. It's not a question 
of ability. He is able. He is able. He is able. He is willing. Doubt no more. That's what Hart 
taught us to say. And that's what the centurion 
recognizes. And he believed, and ultimately his conduct was 
tempered by his faith, he manifests great humility before the Lord 
Jesus Christ." A great, great example. I don't believe much 
in exemplary preaching. Let's look at David, because 
he's such a wonderful guy, and he slays giants, and let us go 
do likewise. That's exemplary preaching, or 
moralistic preaching. There's an example here for us. 
We're way too proud. as the professing people of God. 
We are way too proud. If you're not, I'm shooting a 
shotgun blast. If the beads hit you and you 
don't deserve it, forgive me at the outset. But if you're 
like most other people in the church, we're way too proud. We think we are worthy. We think 
Jesus does owe us. We think he should do everything 
we say. We've assumed the posture where we're the Lord and he's 
the servant. He must do our bidding. It's not that way. Lord, if you 
are willing, is what the leper says. The centurion says, I'm 
not worthy that you should even come under my roof. And then 
secondly, the teaching of Christ, we've just rehearsed this, the 
announcement of Gentile inclusion in the covenant promises of God, 
the announcement that he would bring those promises to fruition, 
the announcement of judgment upon ethnic Israel, and then 
the horrifying description of that judgment. You see, when 
he says that many will come from East and West, and they will 
sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And as I've referred to 
Isaiah 25, 6 to 9, I think it is, as the messianic banquet. What do you envision? What do 
you see? Hopefully, you should see a feast. 
Communion. Supping with Jesus, to use an 
older word. Intimacy. We do this today. How 
do we get intimate with one another? We get together for food. We 
enjoy meals together. When the church comes to express 
her faith and her neediness and her dependence upon Christ, what 
is God's remedy to us? It's bread and wine. There's 
something about those elements that bring the people of God 
together with their God. And so that's what Jesus is picturing 
or setting forth to his people, or setting forth to his hearers. So the many will come from east 
and west, they'll sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Hey Isaac, 
hand me that goblet. Hey Abraham, throw me those grapes. 
The idea is one of communion. The idea is one of intimacy. 
Who's the head of the table? Who's the Lord presiding? It 
is, of course, the Messiah. So when he says the sons of the 
kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness, what does 
that mean? It means the light of God, the 
intimacy of the communion, the feast, the joy, the pleasantries, 
the delight. The company. These sons of the 
kingdom will be cast into outer darkness. They will be removed. 
They will be banished. There is a two-fold sense of 
punishment in hell. The first is exclusion. It is 
being sent away from the goodness of God. But there's also the 
punishment of sense. There is the punishment of loss. 
God deprives us of the goodness of God. They are cast into outer 
darkness. But there is the positive infliction 
of pain. This is the weeping. This is 
the gnashing. This is the gnawing the tongue. 
This is the conscious eternal punishment. So this morning, 
as you consider, as you reflect, as I pray that you will, and 
you come to concern yourself with this question, do I have 
faith? Realize that if you do not, your 
portion is not with the cool kids, your portion is not in 
a Fortune 500 company, your portion is ultimately in outer darkness, 
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Let that scare 
you. Let that terrify you. I don't 
think it's for no reason that Jesus gives these images to hopefully 
shock us back into reality. You mean I'm more concerned about 
sex, drugs, and rock and roll than I am about being with my 
father in heaven? Supping at his table, enjoying 
his presence, knowing Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Maybe these 
thoughts, maybe these images, maybe these realities will shock 
you into conscious thought. And then, of course, the gospel. 
In all of this, Jesus is there for this centurion. Jesus is 
there for this servant. Jesus is there for those who 
believe on him. Manton again says, though we 
have nothing within us or without us to commend us to Christ, yet 
he will not despise the miserable and the needy. And they shall 
not perish who in the sense of that need repair to him. God 
bringeth all sufficiency to the covenant. We bringeth nothing 
but all necessity. If you are not in Christ, go 
to Christ. Believe on Him. Believe His word. 
Believe the truth. The scripture says all who believe 
in Him will have everlasting life. Let us pray. Father, thank 
you for your word, and thank you for the clarity of our Lord's 
instruction in this passage. Thank you that you have made 
us partakers, and that someday we will sit with Abraham, Isaac, 
and Jacob. But more importantly, we will 
sit with the Lord of glory. Jesus Christ will preside over 
this messianic banquet. Jesus Christ will be the one 
that is chief and glorious in his land. We just pray that others 
would believe the gospel today, others would repair to him as 
Manton said, would trust in the Savior and him alone, and we 
ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. We'll close with 
a