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Expanded Comments |
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| 1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, |
Herod – Antipas. R3325:3[R3325]
A type of the civil power. R5569:5[R5569], 2280:4[R2280:4]; B261[B261]
The fame of Jesus – The popularity of Jesus did not evidently become so general until after John's death. R3326:1[R3326:1]
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| 2 And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do show forth themselves in him. |
This is John – Wondering whether or not there might be some truth in the Grecian theories that the dead were not dead, but had power to communicate through living persons. R3326:1[R3326:1]
Risen from the dead – His mind was troubled, yet he was not penitent. R3326:1[R3326:1]
Tradition has it that Herod was taunted with fear. R4609:5[R4609:5]
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| 3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife. |
Herod – Representing the civil power. R5569:5[R5569], 1754:4; B261[B261], B262
John – Type of the true Church. B261[B261]
John was a semi-type, the semi-antitype of Elijah, who was a type of the Church. R5569:5[R5569:14]; B253[B253]
As there is a striking resemblance between John and Elijah, his type, so there is a strong resemblance between the experiences of John and those of the faithful Church--the great antitype of Elijah. R3325:3, 2279:2, 968:4
And bound him – After he had preached about a year. R3325:2
Typifying the coming restraint of the church's liberties. B261; R2280:5
John's liberty was restrained soon after the delivery of the message announcing the present One and the work before him. B261; R968:6
Put him in prison – Josephus supposes that he was confined in a dungeon connected with the castle Macherus. R3325:2
There he remained about a year before execution. R3325:2
For Herodias' sake – Type of the Roman Catholic Church. R5569:5
The unfaithful nominal church. B261, B262; R2280:4
Governed by boundless ambition, she realized her position insecure so long as John lived. R4609:1, 2
Type of the ecclesiastical power of Christendom now seeking and longing for union with, and the co-operation of, the civil powers. R1754:4
Representing the nominal church which, throughout the symbolic Scriptures, is represented by a woman, Jezebel, etc. R2280:4
The second Jezebel; the third Jezebel is mentioned by name in Rev. 2:20. R3326:6
Two strong and two weak characters meet here. John and Herodias were strong characters, the one for the right and for God, the other for selfish ambition and sinful indulgence of it. R4609:5
Evidently she strove to incite her husband to put John to death at the time he was imprisoned; but her influence was offset by Herod's fear of the effect of such a course upon the people who esteemed John to be a prophet. R3325:6
Women are naturally more sentimental than men. If they become evil-minded and vicious, they are correspondingly disposed to even greater extremes of wickedness than their brothers. R2279:6
Philip's wife – She had married Philip, thinking he would be king. R4609:1, 3325:5
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| 4 For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. |
For John said – Perhaps acting imprudently and exceeding his duty. R3326:2, 4609:1, 2280:2
He was a thorn in the side of King Herod and his courtiers. R4609:1
As a rule, we believe it to be the wiser plan for Christian ministers to speak forth the word of God fearlessly without attempting personal application. R4609:1, 2280:4
It is not the duty of the Lord's people to go through the world rebuking sin, but preaching the Gospel. R3326:3
Paul, personally before Agrippa, Felix and other disreputable men, made no personal attack upon them. R3326:2
Perhaps typical of the duty of the true church to reprove the civil powers as well as the nominal church systems, and to declare their union unlawful, contrary to the Word of God. R2280:4, 1754:4
The true church, like its prototype, John the Baptist, will be unpopular and restrained of liberty because of faithfulness in opposing and condemning the error of the union of church with state. R969:1
Persecution should not lead us to surrender when the kings of the earth stand up with the religious rulers of the people against us and God's truth. R969:5
It is not lawful – Declaring that Herod and his wife were living in adultery, the king separated from his own wife and improperly associated with his brother Philip's wife. R3325:5, 2279:5
For thee to have her – For church and state to be united. B261
The nominal church adulterously allied to the kingdoms of this world while nominally espoused to Christ. R3325:3
Prophecy points out that a closer union between church and state than at present [is possible]. B262; R969:1
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| 5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. |
He feared – But Herodias feared neither God nor man. R5069:1
The multitude – The common people, who heard Jesus and John gladly. R4609:1
A prophet – A public expounder. A55
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| 6 But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. |
Birthday was kept – On such occasions it was customary to have great hilarity and to use intoxicating beverages with more than usual freedom. R3325:6
Wine was in plentiful supply. She well knew that the wine would inflame the passions and relax the moral tone of the company. R4609:2, 3325:6
Daughter of Herodias – By her former marriage. R3325:6
Salome, a type of the Protestant churches federated. R5569:5, 2280:5
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| 7 Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. |
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| 8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger. |
Being before instructed – The plan succeeded to the letter. R4609:2, 3778:6
Of her mother – Illustrating parental influence. Evil as she was, Herodias had retained the affection of her daughter and her absolute confidence and obedience. R3326:4
A true, pure, sensible mother has an almost untellable influence, for good or for evil, with her husbands and sons, as well as with her daughters. R2280:1
Said – While the flush of excitement and liquor was upon him, and while his counselors were present who had heard the oath, before whom any indecision would stultify himself. R3326:5
Baptist's head – They would cease to have his continual reminder of their wrong course. R5569:6
Evidently thinking that, with the prophet out of the way, all other advantages were accessible to herself and her daughter. R3326:5
Without John's death, Herodias and Salome might any day be hurled from conditions of affluence into the abyss of degradation and poverty. R4609:4
So fully in sympathy with Catholicism, United Protestantism will become her tool in the destruction of the most loyal servants of God. R2280:5
In a charger – On a platter. R4609:4
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| 9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. |
King was sorry – His conscience was not quite dead. R4609:4
We may be sure that his mind was frequently disturbed with the thought of his injustice, and that against one of the Lord's favorites, a prophet. R3326:1
We are not to infer from this any heart-repentance, but merely that the matter was incongruous to his sentiments and wishes. R2280:2
People do things which they recognize to be wrong, violating their conscience, and feel sorry; yet this is not a godly sorrow, for the sorrow God recognizes and appreciates leads to repentance. R3326:2
The oath's sake – "The fear of man bringeth a snare." (Prov. 29:25) R4609:4
"Highly esteemed among men but an abomination in the sight of God." (Luke 16:15) R3779:1
For pride's sake. R3779:1, 4609:4, 2280:2
He commanded it – A course which led to his banishment, in which Herodias shared. R4609:5, 3326:5
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| 10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. |
Beheaded John – The close of the earthly career of the true church is represented in Elijah's whirlwind and John the Baptist's imprisonment and beheading. R969:5
So when the coming night imprisons the faithful elect, the only deliverance will be through the valley of the shadow of death into the glorious kingdom of our Lord and Savior. R1754:5
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| 11 And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. |
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| 12 And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus. |
His disciples – Doubtless at the present time the vengeance of the antitypical Jezebel upon the antitypical Elijah will move the friends of the Elijah class, including the Great Company, more closely to the Lord. R3327:4
And told Jesus – They knew where to find sympathy and consolation. To whom shall we go with trials, difficulties, sorrows, troubles, disappointments?. R3327:1
Doubtless becoming his disciples. Thus their trials in connection with their leader brought them into closer knowledge and fellowship with the Great Teacher. R3327:1
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| 13 When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. |
He departed thence – For private meditation and conference with his disciples, who would be greatly agitated by the news of John's death and needed his calming influence and assurance that Herod could have no unpermitted power over them. R2435:2
Possibly to avoid Herod's interfering with his labors, possibly fearing that his teachings would incite a rebellious spirit, possibly seeking privacy with his disciples to consider the character of his work. R3332:3, 1754:2
Desert place apart – Out of the dominion of Herod. R3332:2, 2435:3, 1754:3
Near Bethsaida. R2435:3
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| 14 And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. |
A great multitude – In some respects, picturing the world during the Millennium. R3781:4
Evidence of his growing popularity. R3332:3
The crowds continued to gather wherever Jesus went, partly for hearing, partly from curiosity, and partly because the message he gave was one of comfort, consolation, hope. R5095:2
The largeness of the company is accounted for by the fact that it was near the time of the Feast of Passover and large numbers of the religiously inclined were on their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. R2435:3
Moved with compassion – In season and out of season, so far as his convenience was concerned, he must work the works of God, lay down his life, inch by inch, hour by hour. R3332:3
He is today looking with sympathetic compassion upon the multitudes of so-called "Christendom." R2436:1
Such will be the spirit of all the Lord's followers; not self-gratification, but "doing good to all men as they have opportunity, especially to the household of faith." (Gal. 6:10) R2435:4
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| 15 And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals. |
Evening – After three o'clock in the afternoon, in the early evening. R3332:6
A desert place – Tell the good tidings, no matter in what form they must be presented, no matter how intolerable the conditions. The important thing is that some are hungry for the truth and the Lord will bless us in ministering it to them. R3333:5
Buy themselves victuals – The people seem to have been so entranced with the good tidings that they entirely forgot their own necessities. R2435:5
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| 16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
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Give ye them to eat – There was a seeming necessity for the miracle. R4617:2
Before sending them away he instructs all his disciples to supply them with something to eat--spiritual food, truths pertaining to the kingdom, affording strength and encouragement for the dark hour of trouble ahead. R2436:1,4; NS123:5
We should be ready at any time to distribute our store of truth; whenever anyone is hungering and thirsting after righteousness. R3333:5
If they do not get spiritual food, they will faint by the way as they go looking for other provisions. We have the very thing which all the household of faith needs. R3334:1
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| 17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes. |
But five loaves – It was Andrew who returned with word that a lad of the company had five loaves and two small fishes which he put at their disposal. R3333:1
A lesson also respecting the spiritual food, that we should not despise the day of small things. R3333:5
We may feel that the multitude is large and that the means at our disposal for reaching them with the bread of life are limited. R3333:5
It requires faith to go forth and to hope to accomplish the great harvest work under present limited conditions. R3333:6
And two fishes – The Lord takes our time and talents, little and unworthy as these are, and blesses them and uses them in his service, and accomplishes great things. R3780:5
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| 18 He said, Bring them hither to me.
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| 19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. |
The five loaves – About the size of our large buns and made of the entire wheat, ground. R5104:5
And the two fishes – We object to the claim of special sanctity and acceptableness with God on account of a purely vegetable diet. R3098:3
He blessed – The giving of thanks did indeed give a blessing upon the food. R3780:6
It is incomprehensible how any consecrated Christian dare neglect to render thanks for his daily food. Mere outward formalistic acts of piety by others, however, are not pleasing to God. R2643:6, 2644:2
To his disciples – Possibly the increasing continued at the hands of the apostles as they in turn distributed the food to the people. R3333:1
Those who now follow the Lord as his special disciples will, in the Millennial age, be supplied abundantly with the bread of life, and be privileged to distribute it to all the families of the earth. R3781:4
He could have fed the multitude without their help. R2644:4
We now have the privilege of being co-workers in the dissemination of the harvest message. R2644:4
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| 20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full. |
They did all eat – A lesson of divine power; also, that Jesus was the Son of God, through whom that power was exercised. R4617:6
The Lord's miracles of feeding and healing were performed not upon his consecrated disciples, but upon others, his followers having covenanted to share with him in the work of sacrifice. R1754:6
Exemplifying the coming power and glory of the great King of the world, who is to bless, feed and and uplift the race of Adam. R3333:3
And were filled – If we lived more on the plain substantials of life, we would know when we had enough. R3781:4
Skeptics who deny this miracle cannot deny that this grain and these fishes could, in due time, by natural methods, have brought forth enough to feed this multitude. R3333:2
They took up – Those who receive of the Lord's bounty should be none the less appreciative of it, and careful of its use. R2435:5
We are not to waste spiritual privileges because they are free gifts; rather we are to prize every spiritual morsel and gather up in store for future needs of ourselves and others. R2435:6
Of the fragments – Not the fragments left by the multitude, but those broken by the Lord and not yet distributed. R3781:4
The Master displayed frugality and encouraged economy on the part of his followers. R5104:5
Twelve baskets full – Haversacks, in which the 12 apostles carried their provisions; a good supply for further necessities. R2435:5
It was those who scattered to others who had their own haversacks full in the end, those who are most intent upon feeding others the bread of life are themselves most bountifully supplied. R3504:2, 2436:4
So that none of God's provision for his people might be wasted. R3333:3
The memory is our "basket" in which we are to gather up in store for ourselves and others every spiritual morsel. R2435:6
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| 21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children. |
About five thousand men – Yet at the time of his temptation he refused to miraculously appease his own hunger. F650; R1063:2*
Arranged in 100 groups of 50 in the form of a three-sided square, after the shape of a Roman reclining table, the disciples passing in at the open side were thus able to reach the entire company. R3333:1
By reason of having received the holy Spirit, Jesus had power to do anything that might be necessary in God's service. Q495:2
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| 22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. |
Get into a ship – To expedite the dispersion of the multitude. R2649:3
To go before him – To give them opportunity to think over the miracle, and talk it over by themselves in his absence. R3333:5
Unto the other side – Back to Galilee, Herod's territory, evidencing the fact that our Lord's conference with his disciples had a pacifying and strengthening effect on them. R2435:3
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| 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. |
A mountain apart – Pray in secret. R5379:6*
To pray – The Lord frequently spent whole nights in prayer. R1863:5
For the refreshment of his own zeal, for the keeping warm of his own love and devotion, which was the basis of his consecration. R2649:6
We cannot come too often. R1865:3
Nearly all the Great Teacher's recorded prayers are simple and brief. Whenever he wished to make long prayers, he went to the Father alone. R5095:3
He was there alone – Even his beloved disciples, not having been begotten of the Spirit, could not enter into fellowship with him in respect to spiritual things, nor appreciate the trials which came to him as a perfect man. R2649:6
Though he sometimes prayed with the disciples in their hearing, he was not content with these opportunities, but frequently sought the Father alone. R2649:3
There are times when we love to join our hearts and voices with others at the throne of grace, and there are other times when we need individual, personal, private communion with God. R3333:4
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| 24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. |
But the ship – Representing the experiences of the Lord's true church. R2650:3
Was now – Throughout the Gospel age. R2650:4
During the darkness of the nighttime which precedes the Millennial dawn, there will be storms and difficulties arising which would overwhelm us without the Lord's aid. R2650:3
Tossed with waves – Representing the great storm of trouble and persecution, against which the true church has been obliged to contend. R2650:4; SM748:T
"We wrestle not against flesh and blood [merely], but against principalities, against powers." (Eph. 6:12) R2650:4
The wind was contrary – The great adversary, through the anti-Christ and many less anti-Christs, has aroused, all through the Gospel age, a great storm against the Lord's faithful few. R2650:4
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| 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. |
In the fourth watch – Between three and six in the morning. R2650:2
In the early dawn of the Millennial day. B191; R2650:4
"God shall help her early in the morning." (Psa. 46:5) R2650:4
Jesus went – Typifying the second advent of the Lord. B191
Unto them – Typifying the church in the flesh in this harvest time. B191
Walking on the sea – Typifying the stormy sea of the world's unparalleled trouble. B191
The manner of his coming was different from what had been expected. R2650:4
Storms and trials have beset the church collectively all through the journey from Pentecost until now. In the morning watches he has appeared. SM748:1
Individually we have such experiences. The Lord for a time permits the storms of life to assault us. Then he manifests himself, and the storms no longer cause us dread and fear. SM748:T
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| 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. |
It is a spirit – They supposed it to be an apparition, a spirit manifestation in human form, walking on the water. R5095:3
Thinking they had seen a supernatural being and that it foreboded some calamity. R2650:2
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| 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
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Be of good cheer – It helped the disciples later to remember how the Master came to them on the troubled sea and brought peace and quiet. R5095:5
It is the privilege of those who are fully consecrated to the Lord to be cheerful, happy, even in the midst of unsatisfactory and painful conditions. R4592:4, 2083:5, 1949:5
Cheerfulness is one of the loveliest graces of the Christian character. R1123:2*
Be not afraid – They were all affrighted until thus reassured. R4618:2
"All things work together for good to them that love God." (Rom. 8:28) R1607:5, 5058:6
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| 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. |
And Peter – Representing those who now believe the Lord is present. R2650:4
Answered him – Showing both the strength and weakness of Peter's natural disposition: noble and courageous, but rather forward and boastful. R4618:1
Bid me come unto thee – Peter had the wonderful courage to make the effort. R5095:6
Perhaps rashly. SM748:1
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| 29 And he said, Come.
And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. |
And he said, Come – "Come out of her, my people." (Rev. 18:4) C167
Walked on the water – By the same power that enabled him and the other disciples to heal the sick and cast out demons. R4618:2
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| 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
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Afraid – His faith failed. R5095:6
The same Peter who later drew his sword and smote the servant of the High Priest in his Master's defense; yet, only a few hours later, denied him with oaths and cursing. R4618:1
Beginning to sink – While Peter's faith was stronger than that of the others, and of ours today, it was not strong enough. R4618:2
As the Lord found no fault with St. Peter for his efforts, we are bound to admire the degree of faith and courage which he manifested. R5096:1
When conviction of unworthiness becomes deep-seated, the heart is most likely to cry unto the Lord for deliverance from darkness. R4618:4
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| 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
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Stretched forth his hand – Our Lord's help of Peter corresponds to that greater help from death for the whole world; and of a helping hand to God's children now. R4618:5
The same arm supports them well who now come out of Babylon. C167
To all who cry unto the Savior for deliverance from sin and death, he lends a helping hand. R4618:4
All God's people, like Peter, would like to do some wonderful thing to show their faith; and often they would utterly fail, did not the Lord interpose for their rescue. R5095:6
So all of the faithful now will need the Master's hand stretched to their relief; otherwise they would sink in discouragement because of lack of faith. R2650:5
He will not reproach for sins repented of; rather, he will say, Why did you not come sooner? I was quite willing to aid you as soon as you cried. R4618:4
O thou of little faith – Had his faith continued, he would have been sustained. R5095:6, 4618:2
The Lord's rule with his people seems to be, "According to thy faith be it unto thee." R5095:6
Peter made a mirror of his mistakes and thus, learning to know himself more particularly, he was safeguarded through the many dangers natural to his temperament. R5096:1
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| 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.
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The wind ceased – The lesson of the occasion being ended. R4618:2
All the storms and billows of trouble and persecution which may impede and weary us are amenable to his control. R2650:3
If the miracle of the loaves illustrated his power to protect his people from want, this manifested that his power is able to preserve his people in the storms, difficulties and trials of life. R2650:3
When the Lord has joined himself to his church, the trials, storms and difficulties will be at an end, and the desired haven of the heavenly condition will have been reached. R2650:5
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| 33 Then they that were in the ship came and worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God.
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Worshipped him – Realizing afresh that he was the Son of God in power; that even the winds and the waves obeyed him. R4618:2
The Son of God – If the Son of God, he is true; and if he is true, then all the exceeding great and precious promises which he left for us may be relied upon, built upon, anchored into. R2650:6
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| 34 And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. |
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| 35 And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; |
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| 36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole. |
Touched the hem – God's consecrated people have realized a spiritual blessing as Jesus passed their way, and by faith they touched him. R5096:4
Realizing him to be the Son of the highest. R5096:5
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