Says Who?! (Matthew 8:28-9:8)
May 18, 2025
Jordan Byrd
In our bathroom, we have a mirror above the sink—like most do—and a round, yellowish plant holder next to it. For the longest time, I never noticed that the holder was actually a curled-up leopard holding the plant. From where I normally stand, its face is hidden. I was so used to looking at myself in the mirror that I missed what was right in front of me. Our experience with God can be like that. God has made Himself clearly known in Jesus—but we often miss Him. We’re distracted by our own expectations, or by the world’s ideas of who God should be. In the process, we overlook the God who is revealed in Jesus.
In Matthew 8:28–9:8, we’re shown good news: we don’t have to guess or invent who God is. Jesus reveals Him fully—as the Son of God with authority over the physical and spiritual realms, and over what is good and true. God isn’t hiding. He’s not a puzzle to solve, but a gracious Lord inviting us out of destruction and into life.
We live in a world that looks for a god who affirms our choices but never makes exclusive truth claims. A god who helps us chase our dreams but never interrupts with his will. A god who offers formulas, but doesn’t hold us accountable if we mess up. A god who promises success, but asks nothing of us—no faith, no growth, no suffering. Our understanding of God is often distorted—shaped by distance from His presence or by a world determined to live apart from Him. We're tempted to see God through our own limited lens, crafting a version of god that fits our preferences—and then go searching for that version.
But when we start with ourselves and expect God to meet our expectations, we risk missing the real God for the one we’re looking for.
As we reflect further on God’s word in Matthew 8:28–9:8, we encounter Jesus offering an alternative way to understand who God truly is. Through his interaction with two demon-possessed men, and then with a paralytic, his friends, and the expert teachers of the law, we witness the character of God in a unique and powerful way. Jesus shows us who God is. He reveals that he is uniquely aware of God—because he is the Son of God. Jesus shows us that his life and witness is the best place to start when trying to understand who God is.
But Matthew 8:28–9:8 invites you to ask: Are you missing God for the god you’re looking for beyond Jesus?
Matthew 8:28–30 is a continuation of the short-term mission trip Jesus initiated in the section just before—the one Sean Cronin highlighted last week. This mission involved crossing the Sea of Galilee—from the western side, where Jews lived, to the eastern side, where non-Jews lived.
At first glance, it might feel odd to reflect on these two situations together—the demon-possessed men and the healing of the paralytic. But they actually mirror one another in a powerful way. Each one centers around Jesus’ presence—and how there is something unmistakably unique about him. Each involves Jesus confronting something that doesn’t belong: demonic destruction of life and bodily paralysis. Each moment calls for a response to Jesus’ authority. And in both stories, we see mixed reactions: some respond with awe and faith and others with fear, discomfort, or rejection.
When you look into a mirror, you’re seeing yourself—but also an inverted version. Your left arm appears on the right. Your right on the left. It’s the same image but inverted. That’s what we’re encountering here: Two situations that mirror each other, each revealing something about Jesus: Affirmation that Jesus is God mirrored, or inverted with rejection that Jesus is God.
Even the details of the story are inverted in ways we wouldn’t expect: You’ve got demons—the ultimate enemies of God—confessing that Jesus is the Son of God. And yet you’ve got men steeped in the Jewish faith—the very people who should’ve been looking for the Messiah—rejecting him. You’ve got a Gentile community—delivered from the destruction of demonic presence—begging Jesus to leave. And then you’ve got a Jewish crowd—not needing deliverance from anything obvious—but filled with awe at who Jesus is. It’s all backwards. It’s not what we’d expect. And it shows us something deeply important: The presence of Jesus always demands a response. And that response is not based on your background, your religion, your pain, or even your knowledge. It’s about whether you see God for who Jesus is reveals him to be—or whether you miss him because he’s not the version of God you were looking for.
Matthew 8:28–9:8 presses the question: Are you missing God for the god you’re looking for beyond Jesus?
The more time you spend with a family, the more you start to see how the kids take on the qualities of their parents—for better or worse, right? LOL. In my family, my oldest son? He’ll deliberate, think it through, compare options, and take forever to make a decision about buying something at the store. Just like I do. My younger son? He reflects deeply about life—asking big questions about why things are the way they are—and he doesn't settle for easy answers. Also, just like me. And my daughter? She naturally started using her left hand for everything—drawing, throwing, eating just like me. Kids are living, breathing, flesh-and-blood reflections of their parents and their parent’s character.
Similarly, the early followers of Jesus came to understand this same reality in Jesus. One early church leader—Paul—puts it plainly in his letter to the church in Colossae: “The Son [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God…” (Colossians 1:15a) And Jesus himself says something nearly identical—as recorded by his disciple, John: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)
When we look at Jesus in Matthew 8:28 through 9:8, we begin to see a number of qualities that Jesus reveals to us about who God really is. Jesus' actions show us that God is always present—and always active—pursuing us so that we might come to know him fully. Jesus is the one who deliberately goes to the non-Jews—on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee. And he’s also the one who willingly chooses to go back to the Jews—to his own hometown. In this movement—back across the sea—Jesus shows us something powerful about God: God is not coercive. He doesn’t force himself on anyone. He allows each person to accept or reject his presence. We see this clearly with the people in the region of the Gadarenes, in Matthew 8:28-30. They beg Jesus to leave. And he does. He doesn’t force God’s presence on them.
Then, in Matthew 9:1-8, Jesus reveals that God knows what is true and good—as he heals what is broken and life-robbing, and makes room for what’s been wrong to be made right through the forgiveness of sins. Jesus shows us that God knows what’s best. That God knows what’s true.
And—Jesus shows us that God is deeply gracious. Think about it: Jesus is the one who initiates the deliverance of those two men, possessed by demons. He didn’t have to go there. He could’ve avoided that area altogether. But he didn’t. Instead, he brought the presence of God into a situation that was headed the exact opposite direction—toward destruction—toward death.
And in the next moment, with the paralyzed man and his friends, Jesus doesn’t check their morals or quiz them on their beliefs before healing the man and offering forgiveness. Just because Jesus didn’t moral-check or belief-check them doesn’t mean those things don’t matter. Our morals and our beliefs absolutely matter. Morals and beliefs will either help or hinder you from responding to Jesus. Because as much as Jesus offered to heal and forgive the paralytic, the man still had to respond in faith. He could’ve doubted. He could’ve just stayed on the mat. He could’ve said, “Nope. I’m not even going to try to get up.” But he didn’t. He trusted what Jesus revealed about God. And he responded with faith.
Many of you know I like to use props and visuals in sermons. My kids aren’t usually in here for the sermon—they’re in our kids’ ministry down the hall. And I’m grateful for our volunteers who serve and help point CCC’s kids to the abundant life found in Jesus! Even though my kids rarely see the visuals I use, they know I use them. They know I’m always looking for ways to connect the Bible to everyday objects—so much so, they’re constantly suggesting props I could use. Why? Because they know me. They live with me. They’ve heard me use illustrations at home. They know how I think, how I teach, how I communicate. Someone else might not know that about me. But my kids do. They know about my abilities. In the same way, Jesus knows his Father’s abilities. So when he’s faced with a storm on the sea, or evil in the graveyard, or paralysis and sin—Jesus knows his Father can handle it. Jesus knows God can still the storm. He knows God can command demons to flee. He knows God can forgive sin and heal the body. Because Jesus is the Son—he knows his Father’s authority. He knows God has authority over: the physical realm, the spiritual realm, and the realm of good and truth.
This is another example of the inversion or mirroring that these passages give us. In each encounter, Jesus’ presence is recognized as God. When the demons encounter Jesus, they say, “what do you want with us, Son of God?” They affirm that Jesus is the Son of God. That Jesus is of divine origin. That Jesus is God. When the experts in the law observe Jesus’ forgiveness of the paralytic, even acknowledge that only God can forgive sins. Their questioning of Jesus’ blasphemy—his ability to act like God—indicates that this is exactly what Jesus is claiming he is. Jesus is saying and doing what he knows what God is able to do. Both encounters bring to the forefront the reality that Jesus is showing us who God is, and what God is about. The presence of Jesus always demands a response. And it’s whether you will respond to Jesus, as if he is God? Or whether you look beyond Jesus because he’s not the version of god you were looking for?
Matthew 8:28–9:8 again presses the question: Are you missing God for the god you’re looking for beyond Jesus?
Throughout Matthew 8:28 to 9:8, Jesus gives us a picture of who God is. And all throughout this passage, people respond to Jesus in different ways. Each time someone encounters him, they have a choice: To recognize God in Jesus—or to look past him, searching for a version of god they wanted instead. Ironically, the clearest confession that Jesus is God comes from the demons. But even their confession—even their acknowledgement of that truth—wasn’t enough. They still refused to surrender to Jesus as Lord of life. Instead, they chose destruction. They begged Jesus to send them into a herd of pigs and those pigs ended up drowning themselves. See, confession that Jesus is God matters—it’s a necessary step to encountering God in him. But confession alone is not the same thing as surrender. Surrender is what makes Jesus not just true—but Lord of your life.
The people of the Gadarenes—they saw what happened. They saw the demons leave those two men, and they saw the pigs rush into the water and drown. They realized Jesus had done something incredible—something powerful even freeing. Those two men had been tormented for who knows how long, and now—they were free. And the people around them were no longer living in fear of what those men might do. But here’s the thing—this was a non-Jewish region. And pigs? They weren’t just animals—they were income. The herd mattered economically to that community. So yes, Jesus did something amazing. But their eyes were still fixed on the god of provision. The god of economics. The god of “don’t mess with my livelihood.” And in looking for a god beyond Jesus—they missed the true God standing right in front of them. They rejected him.
Just like the people of the Gadarenes the experts in the law had Jesus right in front of them. They saw him speak with authority—no hesitation—when he told the paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven.” They saw him heal the man—right there on the spot. But their eyes were still fixed on the god of status—being the experts. On the god of their expectations—how they thought God was supposed to show up. And in looking for a god beyond Jesus—they missed the true God standing right in front of them.
But the paralytic’s friends? They responded more like the demons—but in the right direction. They had a sense that Jesus was different. That he wasn’t just another teacher or healer. And because they were fixed on Jesus—they carried their friend to him. They trusted for something only God could do. And it happened. Their faith opened the way—for their friend to encounter healing and the abundant life of God. They didn’t look beyond Jesus. They looked to Jesus. And in doing that—they encountered the true God standing right in front of them.
As you think about God’s word, where do you find yourself? Look to Jesus: Are you looking for a god beyond Jesus? Or are you looking for God in Jesus? If you’re here today, and you’ve been searching for a god beyond Jesus—I want to invite you to shift your focus. Look to Jesus. Let him show you who God really is. Let him show you how deeply God cares about you. Let him show you the full life God wants for you—physically, spiritually, and truthfully. Jesus is the key to the journey God has for you. If you’re ready to take the next step, come find me or another trusted follower of Jesus. We’d be honored to walk with you. Maybe that next step looks like exploring more about Jesus in the Bible. Maybe it’s hearing stories of how he’s changed the lives of others. Or maybe today is the day you take the leap of faith—and fully surrender your life to God by placing your faith in Jesus and being baptized into him. Wherever you are—Jesus is ready to meet you there.
Now, if you’ve already surrendered to Jesus in baptism, and you’re striving to encounter God through him—have you been honest about your expectations of God? Without realizing it, do you sometimes miss God—because you’re still looking for a different kind of god? Consent to Jesus’ authority: Are you looking for a god who fits your comforts and wants, instead of the God who meets your deepest needs and calls you to your greatest potential? If that’s where you find yourself, I invite you to confess that false belief. And re-surrender. Consent again (maybe for the 10,000th time) to Jesus’ authority over your life—as the Son of God, and the Lord of all.
Have faith for your loved ones.
Finally—just like the friends of the paralyzed man—who in your life is struggling to see God clearly? We who follow Jesus have the privilege of standing in faith for them. To see in Jesus the very God they’re searching for. And to gently guide them to that same realization. May the Lord help us be the people of faith our loved ones need right now.
Are you missing God for the god you’re looking for beyond Jesus? The good news we can cling to today is that Jesus shows us who God is.