LYNNE HILTON WILSON

 Jesus Teaches and Heals with Miracles

 

Jesus Acts with AuthorityThe past two weeks we studied how Jesus taught in the Sermon on the Mount (found only in Matthew 5–7) with authority as He presented the higher law to His chosen disciples, Matthew next illustrates how Jesus acted with authority by including eleven miracles in public settings (i.e. Matthew 8:1–9:34). Most of these miracles are found sprinkled throughout the Synoptic Gospels too (Mattthew, Mark, and Luke) albeit, not always in the same order. Miracles—in Latin, “an act that causes wonder”—were signs of Jesus’ Divinity.Setting

 

Connection with the Book of Mormon

 

The wealthy city of Capernaum on the northern coast of the Sea of Galilee,1 becomes Jesus’ new home-base or “own city,” following the Nazareth rejection and attempted stoning (Matthew 4:13; 9:1; etc.). Capernaum means, Village of Nahum or Village of Consolation. As ancient Hebrew was written without vowels, the word is similar to “Nahom” where Ishmael, Nephi’s father-in-law, was buried. The first author Nephi tells us that this location name was unique. Nephi’s family usually gave names to the other locations mentioned, but in Nahom—which also meant a place of mourning in Hebrew—Nephi records “the place . . . was called Nahom” (1 Nephi 16:34). It has also been discovered archeologically right where the text describes it. This point offers amazing evidence for an authentic ancient text and translation by the young prophet Joseph.

 

Read the outline below from these chapters in the synoptic Gospels. Then, we will go through each following Matthew’s order.