Wednesday, March 31, 2021 PM

Jesus Calms the Storm and Casts Out Legion

Through all 8 through 39. Now it happened on a certain day that he got into a boat with his disciples and he said to them let us cross over to the other side of the lake and they launched out but as they sailed he fell asleep and a windstorm came down on the lake and they were filling with water and were in jeopardy and they came to him and awoke him saying master master we are.

Then he arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water and they ceased and there was a calm. But he said to them where is your faith. And they were afraid and marveled saying to one another who can this be for he commands even the winds and water and they obey him.

Then they sailed to the country of the gatherings which is opposite and from the city who had demons for a long time and he wore no clothes nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus he cried out fell down before him with a loud voice said what have I to do with you Jesus son of the Most High God.

I beg you do not torment me. For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man forehead often seized him and he was quick. He was kept under guard bound with chains and shackles and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demons into the wilderness.

Jesus asked him saying what is your name. And he said legion because many demons had entered him and they begged him that he would not command them to go out into the abyss. Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain so they begged him that he would permit them to enter them and he permitted them.

Then the demons went out of the man and into the swine and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned. When those who fed them saw what had happened they fled and told it in the city and in the country.

Then they went out to see what had happened and came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had departed sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed and in his right mind and they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he had been demon-possessed was healed.

Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the gatherings asked him to depart from them for they were seized with great fear and he got into the boat and returned. Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged him that he might be with him.

But Jesus sent him away saying return to your own house and tell what great things God has done for you. And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

So two stories that deserve a lot of attention. They are famous stories for anybody that has grown up in the church where Jesus calms the storm with simply a word and saves his disciples who were desperately afraid.

The image of Jesus sleeping on the boat during the storm a shocking image. And the disciples wake up wake up we're drowning don't you care. Orders the wind and the waves to cut it out. And they do instantly.

And there was complete calm. Now the next story following it the story of legion where Jesus heals this most demon-possessed man recorded in history and does so in a way that gets everyone's attention.

The Kingdom of God, the Word of God, and Discipleship in Luke

As we think about this I think it's helpful to recall what is going on around these two stories in chapters 8 through 10. And the gospel of Luke Jesus is modeling for his disciples the the preaching of the kingdom the good news of the kingdom.

He keeps on saying he preaches the the gospel of the kingdom the glad tidings of the kingdom. And he shows his disciples how to do that. And then he sends them out two by two all twelve of them. And he sends out 70 of them two by two.

And we see that Jesus is making disciples. And then his disciples are essentially making disciples. And he's setting up that model long before we get to the Great Commission about making disciples of all the nations.

But everything is centered on the authoritative word that Jesus preaches as he brings the reality of the scriptures the Old Testament scriptures and shows how they're being fulfilled in his person and work.

And there are a lot of different responses to his preaching his hometown Nazareth. As hometown folks in Nazareth tried to throw him off a cliff. Many of the people in Capernaum couldn't get enough of him wanted to follow him everywhere he went.

Why such different responses. And so Jesus tells a series of three parables one very robust and then two very quickly that we looked at last time I last a couple of times where Jesus it tells the story of the sower who sows the seed.

And the seed of course is the Word of God. That's what Jesus says. It's the preaching of the word. And that seed does exactly what it does. And it exposes what kind of soil it lands on. What happens to the seed.

Whatever happens to the seed shows what kind of soul does it make no penetration at all. Hard soil. Hard heart does it. Does it spring up just a little bit and then go away. Well shallow soil or a heart that is very shallow in the kind of professing belief a fleshly belief not a not a true gracious belief.

And the thorns and the thorns choke the life out of it. The concerns of the world. The the heart full of idolatry squelches the message of the gospel. But then on a heart that is good soil there is fruit a hundredfold.

Jesus says then tells the story about the the lights in the house. Where where do you put it. And it exposes everything that's in the. And then tells a quick parable about what family really is. Those identified as the family of Jesus are those who receive the Word of God and then live it out.

So the Word of God believed and followed. Following these two stories about the wind and the way that's man Legion. Following the story we're gonna see Jesus heal a woman and raise a dead girl to life.

And he does. And and the words faith power and and the things that Jesus says his word are all central in those two stories. So what we see. What do we see here in these two stories keeping in mind the theme of the kingdom Jesus has.

I've got good news about the kingdom of God. He's preaching the glad tidings of the kingdom. It's of what he's preaching his word. And then we come to these two stories. What does Jesus do about the wind and the waves.

Calms him how he speaks a word. Now he's already said it matters. Matters. A great deal matters in the most important way how everybody responds to his word. And we see that the wind and waves obey his word.

What else obeys his word. Demons. Even a Legion of demons respond to his word. The wind and waves obey his word. The demons obey his word. What about you. Right. I mean Jesus has just said here the sower goes out to sow.

It's the Word of God. And in the Word of God lands. And then exposes. What kind of hearts there are. Well we've got wind and waves and demons obeying God Christ's Word. Well what about those who hear his word.

What are they going to obey. Are they going to respond. Remarkable. What kind of connections do we see between the far shorter story about the wind and the waves and the more robust story about Legion.

What kind of connections do we see between these two stories. How do they complement one another. What things seem to be the same beyond what we've said about Jesus taking care of it with his word. What else is there.

Yes both both things that Jesus confronted were chaos. Weren't they like a Legion. His life was a storm. Right. So very similar. Yes 12 ,000. Yeah almost 13 ,000. Right. So a lot of power involved. But Jesus simply confronts the chaos with a word.

And notice the calm that occurs after Jesus tells the wind and waves to cut it out. There was a calm ever see a ever see a great body of water. Still as glass. Mirror finish still as glass. That's what Jesus did to the Sea of Galilee.

Sea of Galilee at the base of cliffs in the middle of a tumultuous weather system. The Sea of Galilee is like Oklahoma. The wind the weather could change just like that. It was very. It's very famous for having storms come up very quickly and Jesus just simply shuts the whole thing down.

And we have Legion sitting in his right mind and clothed as calm as that sea was. I think Luke. Of course this is how it happened one after the other. The other Gospels record the same order of events.

But Luke is enthralled with the fact that these things happened one after another. And notice how he says on a certain day. And then he speaks of a certain man. He's telling us these stories are related.

On a certain day they got into the boat and then they met a certain man and then again confronted with the storm and then with Legion. Now the disciples what could they do about the storm. Nothing. And what could the gatherings do about Legion.

Nothing. Human inability. Human inability is emphasized here. They could do nothing about it. And then we have interesting two different very different people pleading with Jesus. We had the disciples pleading with Jesus.

And then we have the demons pleading with Jesus. Why. He's the one with all the authority. Who else can do anything about this. And then we have. Did you notice the disciples were afraid after Jesus calmed the storm.

They were afraid after I dare say their fear afterwards was greater than it was prior. And so also the gatherings. They were afraid of Legion. But seeing and hearing seeing Legion clothed in his right mind and then hearing that the manner in which he was healed was simply that this man Jesus just took care of it with his words.

They were more afraid of Jesus than they ever were of Legion. Right. So you see you see the parallel there as well. Now this is all very interesting but it's most instructive when we recognize that the two stories are connected so that the question the most important question from the disciples in the first story is answered.

In the second story the disciples ask a very important question. Who can this be. Well it's answered in the second story. When you go to the very end let's look at that last verse. How Jesus speaks to the healed man.

And how does Jesus instruct him. Of course of course Legion wants to go with him or whatever his new name was. Of course he wants to go with Jesus. Who wouldn't. But Jesus tells him to stay return to your own house and tell what great things God has done for you.

And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. Do you see the answer. So who is. Who can this be. Who can Jesus be. He is God. Jesus tells him go tell everybody what great things God has done for you.

And then he goes out and says to everybody what great things Jesus has done for him. Well what does that make Jesus. Ah Jesus is God. Well who else could he be when he tells the wind and waves what to do and doesn't break a sweat pushing around a legion of demons.

So that's what. That's the main emphasis of these two stories that are that are placed together. What can we say about Jesus. Beyond recognizing that indeed he is. He is the son of the Most High God as the demons rightly recognized and trembled.

James the demons believe and tremble. That correct James. So they know who Jesus is. And then they tremble because they're afraid of his power and authority. Now so what can we say about Jesus. Well he's the master of creation.

Doesn't matter what created forces he encounters he has complete control over them. Doesn't matter who they are. Doesn't matter if it's wind and waves or demons and pigs. It's all his to do with as he sees fit.

So indeed yes Jesus is God. And we see that the disciples fear him and the gatherings fear him. The demons fear him. Legion himself feared him. So we see that Jesus is worthy of fear. He's worthy of reverence.

He he should be feared as God is feared. Because as we've noted the main point is that Jesus is God. Now Jesus has been going forth and proclaiming the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. We read that in verse 1 of chapter 8.

So everything. So this is kind of the general heading. He's going forth and showing and declaring the glad tidings. Good news the kingdom of God. Now it's God's kingdom and Jesus is King. And he's God.

Well this this is very obvious. Right. This is not hidden code. Jesus is in charge. He has all the authority. What he says goes and he's God. And he's got good news. And so what do we see. We see the disciples in peril in danger.

The storm is going to sink them. But Jesus fixes it. Well here's some good news about the kingdom that Jesus that rules and reigns in and and brings to a fullness. He's he is in control of all of creation and as much as he wants to in it to whatever degree he wants to.

He can back that curse up shut her down all. Right. That's his prerogative. He can make he can make all things new. Can't he also you know the enemy is a fearsome thing. We we look and we see the young the this the this man Legion all the different things that these unclean spirits did and so on.

But they're no match for Christ. No match for Jesus Christ. He has complete and total victory over the enemy. Doesn't he. Right. He is. He has no trouble. They're already they are already defeated. He simply steps upon the shore and commands leap the demons to come out of that man.

And and they're completely defeated. It wasn't even a contest. You know they're just looking for a little bit a little bit of relief. You know just a drop of drop of water on the tongue of somebody in the fires.

I mean they're already in torment because of Christ's presence in confronting them. So when we see all of that and then Jesus tells the healed man so you know what you need to do is go tell everybody great things that God has done for you.

What is Jesus doing there. Well he start off the chapter. He's proclaiming the glad tidings of the kingdom. And he tells this man you do that too. And he's gearing up his disciples at the beginning chapter 9 you go do that too.

And then there's the 70 you go do that to go out and declare the great things that God has done in Jesus Christ as the good news glad tidings of the kingdom. So we see that Jesus Christ the Son of God he reveals his power and authority in controlling the weather and the demons.

His kingdom knows no bounds. It's not like his kingdom has a little slice that he can be king over but he's in control of everything. And that's good news. That's good news. What do we see here in these two stories.

I think is this that the revealed authority of Christ demands a response. The revealed authority of Christ demands a response. The disciples respond by saying who can this be like I have. You know I'm confronted with the revealed authority of Christ.

I've got to figure out who this is. I have to understand who this is. And they are. They're full of reverence and fear and awe. The gatherings are confronted with the power the authority of Christ. And now what do we do.

This guy just defeated him defeated Legion and sent all of our pigs into the Sea of Galilee. It demands a response. And their response was what. Please leave. And it wasn't so much. You know you know stomping their pitchfork on the grounds and you better get it was like please please please leave.

Their pleading was very much like the demons. Please stop tormenting us. Don't stay here. We can't stand. We wouldn't be able to stand it if you stayed. This is just too fearful for us. And of course we have the healed man's response.

He's like his first response is I want to be with you. I want to go with you wherever you go. Which is a great response. And Jesus says now here's how. Here's how you can serve me. Here's what you do.

But the revealed authority of Christ demands a response. There is no real neutral ground here. Right. It wasn't. It's it's it's either or you're either for Christ or you're against him. You either want to be with Christ or you want Christ to leave you.

So we see that the revealed authority of Christ demands a response. And it's not neutrality. Nobody can be neutral about Jesus. So how does this text matter to our lives. Well look at this question. Jesus asks the disciples right after he calmed the storm he said to them where is your faith.

Now. That's a that's a thought-provoking question because you can take it in two different ways. Where is your faith. Meaning where did it all go. You spring a leak. What. Where did it all go. Especially this is a poignant because all the things Jesus has already done all the amazing things all the powerful things the healings the declaration of forgiveness that he gave over and over again everything they've heard him teach and preach.

Where'd their faith go. The storm comes up and they're done. Right. So that's a that's a effective question. But here is another way to take that question. It's related where is your faith. Meaning where are you locating your faith.

Where are you locating your faith. You know. And this is important because they themselves are saying who who can this be. Right. Their faith may have been in a powerful teacher who was able to do in regards to his fresh teaching and they were trusting in him to to be this idea that they had a maybe even Messiah.

But when it came to you know the created order and him just having full authority there that really shook them up. And so where is their faith. Where is their faith. Is their faith really in Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God or not.

And so what does locating our faith in Christ look like. Well one thing it certainly looks like is reverent submission. Reverent submission. Somebody you know where is their faith. Somebody can't have faith in Jesus and be flippant about Christ.

Right. Because then who are they really believing in. And what idea of Jesus have they concocted to believe in. When the disciples were shown who Jesus really was and his authority then they responded in reverent submission.

Notice that also with Legion and the chaos in his life and the problems and that have been caused by the enemy and so on. When was he in his right mind. Where do we when he's finally in his right mind.

Where do we find him. He's sitting at the feet of Jesus. This is an expression of submission. Is it not. We find Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus you know listening to what he has to say. Here's the healed man.

He's sitting at the feet of Jesus listening what you know. This is very true that we're in our we're most. Yeah we're most in our right mind when we're sitting at the feet of Jesus letting him tell us how things are and what these things mean submitted to his authority and to his truth.

That's when we're in our right mind. Was we sit at the feet of Jesus. Now notice also that Jesus tells this man to go go to the back to his house and tell what great things God has done for you. And he told the whole city not just his own household but he told the whole city was filled with people who just did what they had just said.

What about Jesus. We don't want you here. We don't want you here. We don't even we don't have anything to do with you Jesus. And then this man went to that same audience to talk to them about Jesus. So what does that tell us.

Well we should declare even to hostile hearers what good Christ has done for us what good God has done for us the glad tidings of the kingdom. Or even for those who hate the kingdom. We're not just to give glad tidings to people who would really like to hear it but we're to talk to those who have vocally made it obvious they don't want anything to do with it.

Tell them anyway don't don't suppress the good things God has done for you. Share that. So this is a wonderful combination of two stories. We see their connection and we see their point. Any questions or thoughts as we close our Bible study tonight and it's humbling.

Gentile Territory, Swine, and the Removal of Uncleanness

And every time we see God show up in the Bible people tend to fall down like dead men. Fix somebody. Oh yes. So the the we're obviously when you go across gap opposite Galilee you go into a region called Decapolis a region of ten cities and Galilee of course had its mix of Gentiles and Jews and Jews who had been Hellenized accustomed to the cultures of the Greek life were more at home in Galilee than they were in Judea and Jerusalem.

But when you cross the sea to Decapolis you have a lot of Gentiles living over there. So the the swine are being kept by people who are definitely not Jews. Right. You it's like that is not there. That was not their thing.

And so when we we did when we hear that Jesus has crossed the Sea of Galilee and he's dealing with those who are raising swine first of all we were to think ah he is he is preaching the glad tidings of the kingdom to the Gentiles.

Okay that's that's one thing that we find out. The the other side of that is I think there's there's there's I think a good connection between Jesus and I was in the text casting out the demons from Legion and removing the the swine from the gatherings.

Both those things happen simultaneously. So so what's the point. Well again pig the swine is just that there's the poster animal for uncleanness. Okay. If you if a Jew was hunting around for a metaphor for an unclean animal he'd go with a swine.

Okay. And so the story the the the miracle Jesus is which is what I will remove all uncleanness. I will remove what is considered unclean. This is this is good news of the kingdom. Later on Jesus would have to get real direct with Peter that he should not call unclean what he has determined to be clean all.

Right. When Peter didn't want to go to Cornelius house and and so on and so forth. Well this is an early signal. This is an early signal of Jesus saying I have come from the Gentiles. That's going to be it's gonna be a move.

So it's an parable of that. And what. That that Jesus is all right. Let's turn our attention to some prairie.