What Old Testament prophecies connect to Jesus' miracles in Matthew 9:31? Setting the Scene in Matthew 9 - Matthew 9 records five signs: paralytic healed (vv. 1-8), Jairus’s daughter raised and the woman with chronic bleeding cured (vv. 18-26), two blind men given sight (vv. 27-31), and a mute demoniac delivered (vv. 32-34). - Verse 31 spotlights the two formerly blind men who “spread the news about Him throughout that region.” Each sign matches long-standing prophetic expectations for Messiah. Opening Blind Eyes: Core Prophecies - Isaiah 29 :18 — “In that day the deaf will hear the words of a scroll, and out of the darkness and gloom the eyes of the blind will see.” - Isaiah 35 :5-6 — “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the mute tongue will shout for joy.” - Isaiah 42 :6-7 — “I … appoint You to be a covenant for the people and a light to the nations, to open the eyes of the blind…” - Psalm 146 :8 — “The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; the LORD lifts those who are weighed down; the LORD loves the righteous.” Jesus’ restoration of sight in vv. 27-30 answers these promises verbatim, confirming His Messianic identity. A Cluster of Isaiah 35 Wonders Isaiah 35 ties several Matthew 9 miracles together: - Blind see → vv. 27-30 - Deaf hear / mute speak → v. 33 - Lame leap → vv. 2-7 - Overflowing joy → crowds “marveled” (v. 33) Matthew packages the chapter’s events to shout, “Isaiah 35 is happening now!” Resurrection Hints and Healing Power - Isaiah 26 :19 — “Your dead will live; their bodies will rise.” matched by Jairus’s daughter (v. 25). - Hosea 6 :2 — “After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up…” foreshadows Christ’s own resurrection while previewed in this household miracle. - Malachi 4 :2 — “The sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings” echoes in the woman who touches Jesus’ garment fringe and is healed (v. 22). Why Matthew 9 :31 Matters - The blind men’s testimony fulfills prophetic expectation that once Messiah opens eyes, the news will spread (Isaiah 42 :10-12). - Their uncontrollable witness underscores that prophecy and experience have met in Jesus; the age Isaiah saw has arrived. |
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