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186 illustrations — Lessons from history, biography, and world events
This narrative reveals the desperate calculus of faith.
SermonWise.ai generates complete sermon outlines for any passage across 17 theological traditions. Try it with Matthew.
First, the antecedents of healing: the diseased recognized their condition, felt genuine anxiety for restoration, and positioned themselves in the right place—near the Lord.
Jesus Christ proclaimed these words knowing the world's deepest moral condition.
Matthew 10:7 presents five critical dimensions of apostolic proclamation, restored from Joseph S. Exell's Victorian exposition: First, *Who* preaches? The disciples Christ commissioned. Second, *What* do they announce? "The kingdom of heaven"—speak of the King in His threefold majesty: King...
His gaze pierced beyond mere physical suffering to discern spiritual disease—the scattered, fainting condition of sheep without a shepherd.
The Nature of Christian Confession requires four elements: an open avowal of Jesus as Messiah; conscious adherence to fundamental Christian doctrine; declaration of benefits received through His Person; and zealous promotion of Christian truth in the world.
The Victorian expositor understood this command as operating on five essential dimensions.
Little sins are peculiarly offensive to God precisely because they are little—we risk offending Him for what we ourselves care very little about and expect insignificant return from.
Why should not the seekers of Jesus fear?
The Victorian preacher recognized winter as uniquely perilous—not merely because of physical suffering, but because lengthy evenings create moral vulnerability.
Pilate acted with limited knowledge; we possess the full light of Christian revelation streaming upon that Divine face across two millennia.
The Biblical Illustrator identifies four root causes of such backsliding: opposition and fear from religion's enemies; worldly conformity that erodes conviction; self-confidence in spiritual attainments; and neglect of private devotional duties.
On the night of Matthew 14:24, wind descended with such fury that experienced fishermen-apostles, after nine hours of *ponos* (toiling), had advanced merely three miles against it.
Joseph Exell's *Biblical Illustrator* identifies three categories of doubt worthy of pastoral attention.
Here stands a paradox of human nature: those nearest to salvation often reject it most vehemently.
Both old cloth and new cloth share the nature of cloth; similarly, old wine and new wine share the nature of wine.
Because all members share identical stakes in eternity.
The parable of the wheat and tares reveals a profound truth: the beauty of the righteous man remains hidden in the present age.
This is not optical biology but moral vision.
Yet Christ Himself declared He came not with peace, but with a sword.
This supernatural eclipse during the crucifixion carries five profound theological meanings, as exposited by Dean Stanley and W.
Canon Liddon identified three marks of our Lord's words: the divine authority that speaks through them, their elevation above earthly discourse, and their awful depth that pierces the soul.
Christ did not encourage this impetuous declaration but instead checked it—exposing the man's resolution as that of an unreflecting emotionalist and ambitious worldling.
Exell's *Biblical Illustrator* (1887), the sin of those rejecting the apostles encompassed five grave transgressions: infidelity, disobedience, ingratitude, inhospitality, and rebellion against God—defiance contrary to both natural law and divine grace.