Pastor Blaine continues preaching through Matthew as the Sermon on the Mount has ended and Jesus begins working miracles and establishing His authority over all creation. Matthew 8:1-17 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him. And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus[b] stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” When he had entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to him, appealing to him, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” And he said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to 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 this, he marveled and said to those who followed him, “Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And to the centurion Jesus said, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment. And when Jesus entered Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him. That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” Sermon Notes: Main Idea: Jesus Is Able to Bring Us to the Table I. Jesus Demonstrates His Authority II. Jesus Establishes New Credentials III. Jesus Foretells His Salvation Discussion Questions: 1. In this week’s sermon, we saw how Jesus demonstrated His authority over creation. Why is it important for us, as Christians, to understand Jesus’ authority over creation? How does this bring comfort to us in the midst of our struggles? 2. What does Jesus teach about those who will be gathered at the Messianic banquet table? How are those attendees able to come to the table? What happens to those who are not welcome? Are you a part of those who will be gathered at the table? Who do you know in your life who needs to hear the gospel? 3. Matthew references Isaiah 53:4 in verse 17. How do the healings of Matthew 8 point to Jesus’ healing on the cross? How do we see this in Isaiah 52:13-53? How is this great news for those in Christ?