Miraculous: The Ministry of Jesus Pt. 4 | Pastor Aaron Pardy

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus Knows Our Future and Remains Faithful

Jesus is not surprised by the path set before Him. He knows the destination, including the pain and sacrifice that awaits, yet He moves forward with unwavering resolve. His faithfulness is not dependent on favorable circumstances but is rooted in His perfect character and obedience to the Father. This steadfastness in the face of a known, difficult future is a profound miracle of commitment. He walks the path set before Him without delay or deviation. [22:38]

Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the twelve aside and said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.” (Matthew 20:17-19 ESV)

Reflection: As you consider the known challenges and responsibilities in your own life, where is Jesus inviting you to move forward with faithful obedience instead of hesitation or complaint?

Day 2: God Intervenes in the Abnormal with Grace

The world is marked by brokenness, pain, and things that are not as they should be. The miraculous occurs when God steps directly into these abnormal situations and brings His wholeness. It is His gracious intervention contrary to the world’s despair, whether through healing, provision, or freedom. These acts are signposts pointing directly to His character and power, revealing His heart to restore. [11:32]

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. (Luke 4:18-19 ESV)

Reflection: Where have you recently encountered the ‘abnormal’—a situation of pain, lack, or bondage—and how might you look for God’s gracious intervention there?

Day 3: The Greatest Miracles Are Often in the Mundane

We can easily overlook God’s activity by focusing only on the grandiose. His miraculous presence is often most clearly seen in the ordinary, daily fabric of our lives. The constant, sustaining grace for each day, the strength to endure a difficult season, or the simple presence of a friend are all profound miracles. God is intimately involved in the details, working His purposes in seemingly small ways. [13:18]

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV)

Reflection: What is one ordinary moment from this past week that, upon closer reflection, might have been a subtle but significant evidence of God’s presence with you?

Day 4: A Miraculous Life is Marked by a Lack of Complaint

The absence of complaint in the face of legitimate difficulty is a powerful testament to who God is. Jesus, knowing the immense suffering ahead, did not grumble about the journey or the destination. His focus remained on the Father’s will and the people He came to serve. This quiet endurance through hardship is a miraculous work of the Spirit, demonstrating a trust that transcends circumstances. [27:33]

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world. (Philippians 2:14-15 ESV)

Reflection: What specific circumstance currently tempts you to complain, and what would it look like to actively choose trust and gratitude in that situation today?

Day 5: The King Chooses to Walk with Us

The most profound miracle is that the King of Kings humbles Himself to journey alongside us. He does not demand we meet Him on His level but condescends to walk with us in our struggles, our pain, and our mundane routines. His presence transforms every step of the climb, assuring us we are not alone. This is the ultimate sign of His loving, servant-hearted character. [35:38]

“And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b ESV)

Reflection: In which area of your life does the climb feel most steep, and how does the truth that Jesus is walking that path with you change your perspective?

Sermon Summary

Across the journey from Jericho to Jerusalem, the narrative unfolds the kingdom’s power in ordinary places. The character of Jesus anchors the meaning of Easter: authority, compassion, and a willingness to suffer for others. Signs and miracles function as visible events that point beyond themselves; the Gospels classify them into authority over nature, physical healings, demon expulsions, material transformations, and restoration from death. Yet a quieter thread runs beneath those categories — miracles that take place inside everyday life. Small mercies, timely help, and unseen providence count as the same miraculous work that turns water into wine or raises the dead.

The pilgrimage to Jerusalem highlights that Messiahship shows up in steady obedience. Jesus predicts his death, accepts the painful route to Golgotha, and travels a grueling ascent without complaint. Along the way, stopping to heal two blind men demonstrates that kingdom power does not bypass human need for the sake of destiny. Choosing a donkey at the Mount of Olives rather than in Jericho exposes a deliberate humility: kingship that serves, not dominates.

Ordinary moments carry redemptive meaning — a family member stepping in to babysit, a painful training session that reveals physical limits, an unexpected word of mercy. Those moments function as everyday signs of God’s presence when interpreted through spiritual hindsight. Suffering remains part of the Christian path, but suffering reframed by the Savior’s presence discloses love that bears pain rather than avoiding it. The call issues to remember and re-see life’s mundane moments as instances of the miraculous, resisting a demand that God must perform only spectacular wonders to be at work.

The final summons invites attention to everyday grace: scan the past for overlooked interventions, refuse cynical dismissal of ordinary provision, and cultivate a posture that notices how the King walks alongside during the climb. The kingdom proves itself not only in spectacular displays but in the steady, humble accompaniment that defines true lordship.

Key Takeaways

1. The King walks in the mundane Kingdom rule appears not only in spectacle but in everyday accompaniment. The Messiah refuses to remain aloof from ordinary burdens; the same hand that heals the blind also carries people up long, treacherous climbs. Recognizing regal presence in daily life changes how hardship reads: the climb becomes shared, not solitary, and sovereignty looks like solidarity. [35:38]
2. Miracles often appear mundane Many miraculous acts unfold without trumpets and fanfare, hidden in timing, provision, or relational care. Interpreting small mercies as signs trains spiritual sight to catch God’s fingerprints across ordinary days. This perspective honors a wider economy of grace that includes both public wonders and quiet rescues. [12:44]
3. Jesus remains faithful without complaint Obedience can itself be a miracle: acceptance of a painful destiny models redemptive endurance. The commitment to the appointed path — despite grief, mockery, and physical agony — reveals a fidelity that sustains hope amid suffering. Such fidelity invites imitation: carrying one’s cross as a way of participating in faithful love. [27:01]
4. Suffering reveals Christ's presence Suffering does not prove divine absence; it often becomes the venue where presence and solidarity shine most clearly. The God who accompanies in hardship reframes pain as shared, purpose-laden, and woven into redemptive history. Seeing suffering through that lens both consoles and summons compassionate service toward others. [41:10]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[04:58] - Series: Miraculous ministry of Jesus
[05:30] - The true significance of Easter
[07:16] - What signs reveal
[07:50] - Five types of miracles
[08:38] - Palm Sunday context
[12:44] - Mundane vs grand miracles
[17:52] - A personal story of suffering
[22:05] - Jesus knows his future
[25:42] - Stops to heal on the way
[32:07] - The donkey at the Mount of Olives
[34:25] - A servant king who walks with us
[41:10] - Suffering and Christ's presence
[43:26] - Remembering mundane miracles
[46:28] - Closing prayer and send-off

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
Matthew 20:17–19, 29–34; 21:1–5 (ESV)
And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

Observation questions

What specific details does Jesus share with his disciples about what will happen in Jerusalem?
How does Jesus respond to the two blind men despite knowing the suffering that awaits him? [25:42]
Where does Jesus instruct the disciples to get the donkey, and what is significant about that location? [32:07]
What does the prophet say about the kind of king who would enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey?

Interpretation questions

Why do you think Jesus chose to heal the blind men on his way to Jerusalem, even though he knew he was heading toward death?
What does Jesus’ deliberate choice to walk the difficult road from Jericho to Jerusalem reveal about his character and mission? [30:35]
How does the request for a donkey at the Mount of Olives instead of Jericho reflect Jesus’ humility and servant leadership? [33:14]
In what ways does Jesus’ lack of complaint throughout this journey deepen our understanding of obedience and love? [27:01]

Application questions

When was a time you experienced what seemed like a “mundane miracle”—a small, timely act of grace or provision that you later recognized as God’s hand at work? [12:44]
How can you practice noticing and naming God’s presence in the ordinary moments of your life this week?
In what area of your life are you most tempted to complain, and how might remembering Jesus’ faithful endurance reshape your response? [27:33]
Who in your life needs to be reminded that Jesus is walking with them in their struggle or pain? How can you point them toward his presence this week? [35:38]
What does it look like for you to embrace suffering or difficulty not as a sign of God’s absence, but as a place where his presence and purpose can be revealed? [41:10]
How can you cultivate a posture of humility and service in your relationships, following the example of the King who walked instead of rode? [34:25]
What’s one step you can take this week to “re-see” your past through the lens of God’s faithful, miraculous involvement in your story? [43:26]

Sermon Clips

20s

#SufferingWithChrist

“What do I see cover to cover? I see suffering. And the fact that not only is suffering guaranteed for the Christ follower, but more importantly, the man who bore sin and shame, my sin and shame, is in the midst of my suffering with me. That's the greatest act of love that there ever was. Amen?”

51s

#JesusDidntComplain

“And to add salt to the wound, he's gotta do a 3,300 foot hike over 23 clicks. Y'all, I was complaining about a thirty second little bike ride. Dreadnant, stressed, couldn't sleep the night before, and Jesus doesn't complain about a single thing. Some of us complain that we gotta go get butter at the store, let alone follow through with the instructions of carrying our cross each and every single day up the difficult paths and down the difficult paths of life. The the greatest miracle in this is the fact that Jesus does not complain once about the journey, the destination, none of it.”

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Miraculous: The Ministry of Jesus Pt. 4 | Pastor Aaron Pardy | March 22nd, 2026