Particularly from the viewpoint of our four Gospels, Matthew through John … we see Jesus enacting no less than “seven” miracles on various Sabbath days during His earthly Ministry!

In Mark 1:29-31 Jesus heals the fevered Mother-in-Law of Simon Peter … doing so on the Sabbath! (Mark 1:21 for the Sabbath context.)

In Mark 3:1-6 Jesus did it again, healed on the Sabbath! This time a man with a withered hand.

Add Luke 13:10-17 to this growing list! a woman who had been bent double for 18 years! Jesus touched and healed her not only on the Sabbath, but in a synagogue!

Luke 14:1-6 as well. This man had dropsy, excessive swelling all over his body. Today it might be said to have resulted from congestive heart failure. Jesus, the divine Physician!

Back to Mark! Jesus cast a demon out of a poor and tortured man. Again in the synagogue and again on the Sabbath! Precisely, Mark 1:21-28 recounts the event.

Then we can’t forget the man by the pool of Bethesda. Paralyzed though he was, Jesus made him well, whole. We do not learn this was a Sabbath day healing the last verse of the Paragraph. See John 5:1-9 for the miracle.

Last of all, though my list is arbitrary and not chronological … John 9:1-16 tells of a man born blind, whom Jesus healed, again on the Sabbath!

WHY would the Lord do this deliberately provocative thing, knowing His enemies wee watching with hatred in their hearts?

I believe partly to prove that Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath too! In fact, He is Lord of all!

I thought someone might profit from having this “list” handy.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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At both the beginning of John chapter 2 and again at the ending of John chapter 4 … miracles occur. The turning of water into wine and then the healing of a nobleman’s son! And both occurred in the same city, Cana of Galilee!

In the first … water is turned into wine, as I just said. In the second … death is turned into life! Who can do either, but Jesus? But the second is much harder than the first, I would presume!

I also forgot to mention earlier yesterday when recording this Bible Lesson (our Evening Meditation video Class) that really “triple miracles” occur at the end of John chapter 4. First, the son is made well! Second, the father (nobleman) believes, is saved by the Grace of God! Third, the nobleman’s whole household gets born-again as well!

Watch this too … the miracle of the healing of that boy hinges on faith. The father had no doubt, if Jesus would only come to his city, his home, and physically touch his son … all would be well!

Faith … yes!

But weak faith!

“Come down, Jesus!” (The man lived in Capernaum, ten miles away.)

“Lay Thine Hand on my son, Lord!” (Thinking that “touch” was essential in any kind of restoration!)

In fact, that woman who had been bleeding for 12 years also had weak faith also … touching Jesus’ outer “garment!” (As if the power was in Jesus’ clothing!)

Mary and Martha as well, for that matter. “Lord, Lazarus would not have died IF YOU HAD BEEN HERE!”

(Jesus did not have to “come down” for the son to be healed! And she did not have to grab Jesus’ coat to be healed! And Jesus certainly did not have to be present in Bethany either, to prevent Lazarus dying!)

But even though the faith of these individuals was weak … God still honored it! He still healed the son. He still stopped the hemorrhaging! He still raised Lazarus from the dead!

Wow, think about that!

This too … in the miracle of the healing of the nobleman’s son, John 4:43-54 … the father got saved, and soon did the whole family “believe” on Jesus! This is an oft repeated phenomenon! Apparently the same thing happened in Acts 16 when the Philippian jailer was born-again! His whole “house” followed!

This observation prompted a Pastor friend of mine to institute in his Church a soul-winning campaign he called “head hunting!” Praying, witnessing, presenting the Gospel particularly to the men of his area! The “heads” of their families! (They had a bus ministry as well, mostly reaching young folks, children.) But most of the Dads they won to Christ those months … did eventually bring their whole families to Jesus as well!

“Head-hunters,” what a creative idea!

Just a few things I forgot to say, to emphasize.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Our next video (on our YouTube channel) … the impotent man at the Pool of Bethesda … Jesus healing him! John 5:1-9, the Lord willing.

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A few “snippets” of information that I did not have time to include in our last video Bible Class, our “Evening Meditation” posted August 21, 2022 titled … “John 4:39-42” … JESUS CHRIST, THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD!

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Because of His ministry with the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4, Jesus was able to impact a whole city with the Gospel!

Look … “And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did. So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.” John 4:39-40

A city begging Jesus to stay and spend time with them!

The Old Testament Prophet Jonah once impacted a whole city for God as well! Nineveh by name, thousands saved in a single Revival! And certainly Jesus is greater than Jonah, Matthew 12:41.

Yet, some cities have even asked Jesus to leave! The people of Nazareth did, trying to kill our Lord one day after He had preached to them! See Luke 4:29 for proof.

The people of the Gergesene area as well. “And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.” Matthew 8:34 … whereupon Jesus promptly left, too! Never to return there again!

Decisions have consequences!

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Jesus in John 4:42 is called “the Saviour of the world!” I have learned that is also a title for many of the reigning Caesars of New Testament days! Here is Christianity challenging the heathen kingdoms of this world!

Jesus is also very often called “Lord” in Scripture. That’s another title Roman Emperors demanded for themselves! But … in reality the King (Emperor) is not Lord … Jesus (Jesus only) is Lord! Another challenge to humanism!

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Lastly, John loves to use the word “testify” or the noun “witness” in His Gospel, in all he wrote really. As a verb (martureo) it is found 47 times in John’s Corpus, and only 30 times in the rest of the New Testament! As a noun (marturia), 30 times in John’s Material, and only 7 times in the rest of the New Testament!

Wow … the Gospel of John, the three little Epistles of John, and the Book of Revelation … are indeed the New Testament Books of “Witness!”

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The Account of the “Woman at the Well” ends with this statistical thought … “And many more believed because of his (Jesus’) own word.” Many, many saved! This reminds me of Acts 28:24 … “And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.”

So … some went to Heaven and some went to Hell!

Are YOU saved?

Do YOU believe?

Critically important questions!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Romans 10:9-10, King James Version.

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The study of Bible numbers and their meanings can be over-emphasized. Taken so far that one misses the practical emphasis of a Text.

But then again so can Scripture’s numbers be under-emphasized.

In the Gospel of John’s Account of Jesus speaking to the “woman at the well,” that Samaritan woman … I counted and was astounded to see that in such a prolonged conversation she spoke a total of seven times.

Her overall conversation in John chapter four actually splits into “six” outbursts followed by “one” glorious set of words! We’re discussing “numbers!” Let me explain …

She spoke six times as a lost woman!

First, when Jesus asked her for a drink of water from the well where He was sitting … “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.” John 4:9

Second, she asks … “Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?” John 4:11-12

Third, now persuaded of Jesus’ Authenticity … “Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.” John 4:15

Fourth, on the defensive now, having been asked to go bring her husband to the interview … “I have no husband.” John 4:17

Fifth, we read her next response: “Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.” Here asking a religious question, John 4:19-20.

Sixth, perhaps her warmest statemen yet … “I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.” John 4:25!

At some point through these six utterances (“six” being the number of man, man as a human being, man apart from God) she realizes her hopelessness and believes on Jesus. Likely back at her third sentence! “Give me this water.”

But now … watch her “seventh” set of words in the chapter … “The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?” John 4:28-29

Unquestionably … “seven” in the Bible is the number (six plus one) of man as spiritually complete! (Lost man, number six … plus … God, the One like no other … equals a total of seven, often called the “number of spiritual completion, of spiritual maturity!”

And with her seventh insertion into the Narrative … she is telling others about Jesus! She is witnessing! She is soul-winning!

A mature thing to do!

Maybe we can learn from her trajectory here. We all used to be characterized by what the number “six” represents! Lost and on our way to Hell!

Then we, like her, asked for that Water; that everlasting water, eternal water, a fountain of gushing water!

Now may we, still like her … go forth and tell others about our Lord! May we grow to that point of spiritual maturity!

Amen!

Bible numbers, amazing!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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After a lengthy interview (conversation) with a woman from Samaria … our dear Lord Jesus identified Himself as follows … “I that speak to thee am He.” (John 4:26)

She (in verse 25) had just brought up the Subject of the “Messiah!”

The word order in a Greek sentence (while saying the same thing as our English Bibles) often varies. Jesus’ Answer to the lady was (again in Greek, literally and sequentially) … “I AM” the Messiah!

This then is Jesus’ First “I AM” Statement in the Gospel of John.

When teaching this verse Wednesday (it’s on YouTube, the video class, under yesterday’s date, August 18, 2022) I failed to give the full list of Jesus’ great “I AM” Proclamations, Identifications!

So, here they are. Worship with me …

John 6:35 … “And Jesus said unto them, I AM the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.”

John 8:12 … “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I AM the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

And John 8:58, the favorite of many Christians, though each is vitally important … “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM.” Our timeless, eternal Saviour!

John 10:7 … “Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I AM the door of the sheep.”

John 10:11 … “I AM the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.”

John 10:36 … “I AM the Son of God.”

John 11:25 … “Jesus said unto her, I AM the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

John 14:6 … “Jesus saith unto him, I AM the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

John 15:1 … “I AM the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.”

And again in John 18:6, at Jesus’ Arrest … “As soon then as he had said unto them, I AM he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.” (Jesus succinctly said, to identity Himself, “I AM” He! Whereupon over six hundred soldiers fell over backwards onto the ground! Illustrating the sheer Power of “I AM!”)

What a list!

Better yet, WHAT A SAVIOUR!

Oh, by the way … God identified Himself in the Old Testament to Moses as the Great … “I AM.”

Exodus 3:14 … “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

Only one deduction can be made, and every honest person knows so … OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST IS GOD!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

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