Wednesday, December 8, 2021

Gospel of Luke : Advent - Chapter 8

 Good evening.  I love how that a simple exercise can help to keep our focus on Jesus. As I read through these chapters it again makes me so grateful for This Jesus that desires a relationship with us and through His sacrifice provided the way for us to have that relationship.

Jesus is...

- Commander of the wind and waves (vs.24-25)

- Son of the Most High God. (vs. 28) Even the demons recognize and bow to Jesus!

- He has the power and authority to command demons (vs. 32) 


A few words on a few other events in this chapter: 

In verses 37-38 we see that the people were afraid of Jesus and asked Him to leave.  Even though He leaves notice how He sends the healed man to proclaim what God has done for him.  Compare this with the great commission (Matthew 28:16-20) Jesus gives when He ascends to Heaven after His resurrection.  Just like this man who had been demon-possessed was to now proclaim his healing to others we too are to declare all that Jesus has done for us.

In verse 48 Jesus speaks to a woman who touched the edge of His garment to be healed.  Jesus could have moved on and only He and the woman would have known what had happened in her body; the complete healing she received from Him, but Jesus is a personal God who desires relationship.  Jesus calls her "daughter" (note: this is the only time Jesus calls someone daughter).  This woman had been isolated for 12 years.  Under Jewish law she was considered unclean because she had an "issue of blood".  By Jesus stopping and declaring her healed He was also declaring her clean under Jewish law; daughter...a term of family, belonging, endearment...she could now, under Jewish law, be welcomed back in to her town; but also, and much more significant, was that she was welcomed by faith into the family of God. 

In verse 50 Jesus says "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well." in response to the news that a girl had passed away.  Then in verse 52 Jesus says "Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping."  the response of those in the house mourning was that they laughed at this seemingly absurd comment.  This laughing brings to mind Sarai's reaction when she is told that she and Abram are going to have a baby in their very old age (see Genesis 18).  In both of these cases Jesus was declaring that He could bring life to the dead (in Luke it was a little girl, in Genesis it was a dead womb).  In both places we see Jesus' authority over life and death and what He has declared will happen does happen.  Nothing is impossible for Jesus!  



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