Memory Text: Matthew 9:36 NIV “But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…." Then he said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’”

Sunday – Reaching the Masses
Matthew 4:25 NRSV “And great crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.”

[b]Matthew 4:25 COMMENTARY BY JAMIESON, FAUSSET, AND BROWN Thus not only was all Palestine upheaved, but all the adjacent regions.
Matthew 4:25 PEOPLE’S NT COMMENTARY Decapolis. A district containing ten cities east of the Jordan and the Sea of Galilee. Notice, in the ministry of Jesus, (1) He was active; (2) He went where people were; (3) He went where the busiest people were--fisherman, those at work, Simon and Andrew--those preparing to work, James and John; (4) He went where worshiping people were; (5) He went where needy people were.
Luke 6:17 NRSV “He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon.”
What about the motives of these people?
Healing - Mark 5:25-29 KJ21 “And a certain woman who had an issue of blood twelve years, and had suffered many things under many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse, when she had heard of Jesus, came up behind Him in the press of the crowd and touched His garment; for she said, "If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole." And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.”
Unusual - Mark 6:15 KJ21 “Others said, "It is Elijah," and others said, "It is a prophet, or like one of the prophets."”
Sensation - John 12:9 KJ21 “Many people of the Jews therefore knew that He was there. And they came not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom He had raised from the dead.”
John 12:9 COMMENTARY BY WILLIAM BURKITT It was not zeal, but curiosity, which brought these persons at this time to Christ; they had an itching desire to see Lazarus, to inquire after the truth of his death, and possibly after the state of the dead, and the condition that separated souls are in after death. Thus the miracles of Christ drew many followers after his person, who were never converted by his doctrine. It was the sin of many, when Christ was here upon earth, that they flocked after him, rather to gaze upon his works, than to fall in love with the worker.

Monday – The Personal Touch
John 9:1-7 ESV “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." Having said these things, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man’s eyes with the mud and said to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.”
Other examples may be found in John 3 & 4.

Tuesday – Forgiveness
Matthew 18:21-22 Amplified Bible “Then Peter came up to Him and said, Lord, how many times may my brother sin against me and I forgive him and let it go? <As many as> up to seven times? Jesus answered him, I tell you, not up to seven times, but seventy times seven!”
Luke 23:34 Amplified Bible “And Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And they divided His garments and distributed them by casting lots for them.”
Luke 23:34 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES The prayer was offered for those who were guilty of putting him to death. It is not quite certain whether he referred to the Jews or to the Roman soldiers. Perhaps he referred to both. The Romans knew not what they did, as they were really ignorant that he was the Son of God, and as they were merely obeying the command of their rulers. The Jews knew, indeed, that he was innocent, and they had evidence, if they would have looked at it, that he was the Messiah; but they did not know what would be the effect of their guilt; they did not know what judgments and calamities they were bringing down upon their country. It may be added, also, that, though they had abundant evidence, if they would look at it, that he was the Messiah, and enough to leave them without excuse, yet they did not, in fact, believe that he was the Saviour promised by the prophets, and had not, in fact, any proper sense of his rank and dignity as "the Lord of glory." If they had had, they would not have crucified him, as we cannot suppose that they would knowingly put to death their own Messiah, the hope of the nation, and him who had been so long promised to the fathers.
John 8:1-11 Amplified Bible “BUT JESUS went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning (at dawn), He came back into the temple <court>, and the people came to Him in crowds. He sat down and was teaching them, When the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They made her stand in the middle of the court and put the case before Him. Teacher, they said, This woman has been caught in the very act of adultery. Now Moses in the Law commanded us that such <women—offenders> shall be stoned to death. But what do You say <to do with her—what is Your sentence>? This they said to try (test) Him, hoping they might find a charge on which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger. However, when they persisted with their question, He raised Himself up and said, Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her. Then He bent down and went on writing on the ground with His finger. They listened to Him, and then they began going out, conscience-stricken, one by one, from the oldest down to the last one of them, till Jesus was left alone, with the woman standing there before Him in the center of the court. When Jesus raised Himself up, He said to her, Woman, where are your accusers? Has no man condemned you? She answered, No one, Lord! And Jesus said, I do not condemn you either. Go on your way and from now on sin no more.”
Ephesians 4:32 Amplified Bible “And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another <readily and freely>, as God in Christ forgave you.”
1 John 2:12 Amplified Bible “I am writing to you, little children, because for His name’s sake your sins are forgiven <pardoned through His name and on account of confessing His name>.”
1 John 2:12 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY Because the forgiving power of the Saviour’s name was personally known to John’s readers, the apostle feels free to discuss deep spiritual truths with them. Forgiveness had opened a new world before them, and he proposes to help them explore it.

Wednesday – God With Us
John 1:14 NRSV “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14 SDA BIBLE COMMENTARY The two natures, the divine and the human, were mysteriously blended into one person. Divinity was clothed with humanity, not exchanged for it. In no sense did Christ cease to be God when He became man. The two natures became closely and inseparably one, yet each remained distinct. The human nature was not changed into the divine nature, nor the divine nature into the human.
John 14:8-11 MKJV “Philip said to Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us. Jesus said to him, Have I been with you such a long time and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father. And how do you say, Show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak of Myself, but the Father who dwells in Me, He does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the very works themselves.”
John 14:9 COMMENTARY BY ALBERT BARNES The idea is that God, as God, or as a Father, had been manifested in the incarnation, the works, and the teachings of Christ, so that they who had seen and heard him might be said to have had a real view of God.

Thursday – Speaking in Parables
Lost Coin - Luke 15:8-10 Weymouth “"Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully till she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbours, and says, "‘Congratulate me, for I have found the coin which I had lost.’ "I tell you that in the same way there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one repentant sinner."”
Luke 15:10 COMMENTARY FAMILY BIBLE NOTES As God, angels, and all holy beings rejoice at the repentance of sinners, all who repent, and all who are successful in leading others to repent, are increasing the happiness of heaven.
Sheep - Matthew 18:12-14 Tyndale NT “How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them should go astray, will he not leave ninety and nine in the mountains, and go and seek that one which is gone astray? If it happen that he find him, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, then of the ninety and nine, which went not astray. Even so hit is not the will of your father in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish.”
Matthew 18:13 COMMENTARY THE FOURFOLD GOSPELS Moreover, the anxiety and trouble caused by the sheep's wandering do not depreciate but rather enhance the value of that sheep, because the heart of the Shepherd is so replete with goodness that the misbehavior of the sheep prompts him to feel pity and compassion, rather than to cherish resentment and revenge.
Seed - Mark 4:26-29 20th Century NT “Jesus also said: "This is what the Kingdom of God is like—like a man who has scattered seed on the ground, And then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed is shooting up and growing—he knows not how. The ground bears the crop of itself—first the blade, then the ear, and then the full grain in the ear; But, as soon as the crop is ready, immediately he ‘puts in the sickle because harvest has come’."”
Mark 4:27 COMMENTARY FAMILY BIBLE NOTES The seed does not come suddenly to maturity, but by a gradual process, while he who sowed it pursues his ordinary course of labor and rest.

Friday – Further Study
Ellen White, Desire of Ages, p. 821 – “Jesus said, "In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Mark 16:17, 18. At that time poisoning was often practiced. Unscrupulous men did not hesitate to remove by this means those who stood in the way of their ambition. Jesus knew that the life of His disciples would thus be imperiled. Many would think it doing God service to put His witnesses to death. He therefore promised them protection from this danger.”
Ellen White, Desire of Ages, p. 822 – “In our own families may be souls hungry for sympathy, starving for the bread of life. There may be children to be trained for Christ. There are heathen at our very doors. Let us do faithfully the work that is nearest. Then let our efforts be extended as far as God’s hand may lead the way. The work of many may appear to be restricted by circumstances; but, wherever it is, if performed with faith and diligence it will be felt to the uttermost parts of the earth."