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Luke 8:22-56
! Introduction
Sometimes on application forms they ask the question, “Who is your family doctor?”
I have always had trouble with that question because we don’t really have a family doctor.
Every time we move, which has been about 8 times in our married life, we have had to find a new doctor.
Each time we do, it involves a process of trying to find out if we feel comfortable with this doctor and if we can trust them.
We look for a doctor that listens to us and who, we feel, does a good job looking after us.
We look for a doctor we can trust.
This process of learning to know a person so we can trust them is not unusual.
When we moved here, a total stranger to all of you, I suspect you may have gone through the same process.
This guy is supposed to be our pastor.
You may have asked, “How will he do?” “Will he be trustworthy in his teaching?”
“Will he be caring?”
Some of you are likely still going through that process and that is OK.
This is the kind of thing that happened to Jesus all of his ministry life.
He made some powerful claims and people were constantly asking these kind of questions.
In Luke 8:25, even the disciples asked, “Who is this?”
They wanted to know if his claims could be held up in life.
They wanted to know how much they could trust Him.
They wanted to know to what extent they could give their lives to him.
The same continues to be true for us.
We also want to know who Jesus is.
We want to know if we can trust Him with our lives.
We want to know to what extent we can give our lives to Him.
This morning, we will examine a series of miracle stories that reveal Jesus to us and give us the opportunity to respond to Him in faith.
In Luke 8:22-56, there are four miracle stories.
These four stories are clearly connected.
The story begins with a trip across the Sea of Galilee to Gentile territory, it continues as Jesus returns from that territory and the people are expecting his return.
As soon as he gets back, he goes on a little journey to the home of Jairus, the synagogue leader and performs another miracle on the way.
The obvious geographical, theme and time connections between the four stories, means that we need to read them together and learn from what they are saying.
The stories help us come to know Jesus and teach us how we can grow in confidence and trust in Him.
!
I. Who Is This?
The main question of this section of four miracle stories is “Who is Jesus?”
The question is asked by the disciples in Luke 8:25 and is never far from the surface in all of the stories.
Each story contributes answers to this question.
As we read this, our questions are also answered.
We are introduced to Jesus.
Not who Jesus was, but who Jesus is.
As we examine this, we need to ask, “do I know Jesus like this?”
!! A. Jesus Has Power Over All
One of the truths clearly presented by the juxtaposition of these stories is that Jesus has power over all.
It is interesting to note that each story reveals Jesus’ power over a different area.
The first story shows his power over nature, the second over demons, the third over illness and the fourth over death.
This juxtaposition should not be missed, it is intentional.
!!! 1. Calming The Sea 8:22-25
Jesus left Jewish territory with his disciples in a boat to cross over the Sea of Galilee to Gentile territory.
As they were sailing, Jesus had a little nap in the back of the boat, but while he slept, a terrible storm came upon them and they were suddenly overwhelmed by the power of the wind and the waves.
These sailors were not unaccustomed to this body of water and knew that the surrounding landscape made storms a frequent possibility.
Suddenly, they found themselves in the midst of a potentially devastating squall.
In panic, the disciples woke Jesus up and displayed their fear before Him.
Jesus answered their fears and rebuking the waves and the wind, caused the elements to become calm.
It is at this point that the disciples wondered, “Who is this?”
They went on to observe that even the winds and the water obey him.”
In this act, Jesus demonstrated that He has power over nature.
!!! 2. Casting Out The Demon 8:26-39
As they landed on the other side, a man who was demon possessed approached them.
It soon became evident that this man was possessed by not one, but many demons.
There are a lot of questions attached to this passage, many of which we cannot answer.
Why did Jesus permit the demons to go into the pigs?
What happened to the demons after the pigs went crashing into the lake?
I can’t answer those questions, but I do know that the evidence of Jesus’ power is once again displayed before us.
He is presented to have power over the forces of evil in the world.
When the people of the surrounding region discovered what had happened, they were afraid.
It does not say that they were angry with Jesus for destroying all those pigs.
Rather, they were afraid at the powerful display of Jesus divinity.
As a result, they asked Jesus to leave.
It seems that he was not even there one day.
He came, healed the man and left.
I suspect that this was a divine appointment in which we learn that Jesus has power over demons.
!!! 3. Healing Illness 8:42-48
Upon returning to Jewish territory, Jesus was immediately met by a crowd of people who had been waiting for him.
Among the crowd was a man called Jairus whose daughter, was dying.
Jesus left immediately to go with him to help his daughter.
On the way, while the crowds were pressing in on him, there was a woman who had a problem with a hemorrhage which had plagued her for 12 years.
She thought that by just touching Jesus, she could be healed.
Because she was bleeding, she was in a constant state of uncleanness and didn’t want to let people know that she was in public, unclean.
It was a matter of honor and consideration to not draw attention to herself.
Jesus, however, noticed that power had gone out from himself when she touched him and soon it became evident to everyone that Jesus had performed another miracle - this time, a miracle of healing.
By this miracle, Jesus demonstrated his power over our physical bodies.
He knows us and knows our illnesses and can heal our diseases.
!!! 4. Raising The Dead 8:40-42, 49-56
By now the flow of the story is clear.
Jesus has power over nature, demons and illness.
But, the greatest challenges is still before Him and the depth of the challenge is immediately before us.
As soon as he heals this woman, messengers come from the home of Jairus announcing that it is too late, that his daughter is dead.
Once again, this comment is deliberate.
Jesus could calm seas, cast out demons, even heal 12 year old medical problems, but could He raise a 12 year old girl from the dead?
When he arrived at the home of Jairus, in spite of the protests of the messengers, He informed the people that the child was not dead, only sleeping.
They laughed at him because they knew perfectly well that she was dead - they did not believe that Jesus could raise the dead.
It is interesting to note the parallel between this story and that of the raising of Lazarus.
There Jesus delayed going to see Lazarus and as a result he died.
Here again, the delay of Jesus while he healed the woman means that he was too late and could not heal the child, the child had now died.
But, as we read on, we find that Jesus is not stopped by death.
As we read on, we hear Him say, “My child, get up!”
We read that “her spirit returned to her” which indicates that she was obviously dead.
We read that Jesus raised her from the dead.
The extent of Jesus power is demonstrated.
He has power not only over nature, demons, and illness, he has power over death and is able to raise those who have died, to life once again.
Is Jesus trustworthy?
The demonstration of his power over all nature, demons, illness and death demonstrates that we can place our confidence in Him in every area of need in our lives.
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