Miracles of Jesus

Luke 8:26-39 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot, and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him. And they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. A large her of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Vs. 29 “Driven into solitary places”. What does God say about man being alone? “It is not good for man to be alone.”

Typical attitude of evil spirits throughout Scripture is “Leave me alone”. Beware of attitudes that may rise up within you that persuade you to retreat into solitude. (If topic arises turn to Ecc. 3:1-8 in that there is a time to be alone but we are not to live in solitude).

What is the intent of Satan? John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

What may we assume then of the evil spirits’ intent?

Did they succeed in killing the man?

Did they succeed in killing the pigs?

What made the difference? Man vs. animal

Neocortex or Cerebral Cortex – Layer of neural tissue that covers the surface of the forebrain. The frontal lobe is especially large and is involved in executive functions such as self-control, planning, reasoning and abstract thought. Frontal lobe is involved in the ability to recognize future consequences, resulting from current actions, to choose between good and bad actions, override and suppress unacceptable social responses, determine similarities and differences between things or events. Speech is in the parietal lobe of the neocortex.

Cortisol – triggers fight or flight response to emotional or physical threat. Long term exposure to cortisol can result in permanent damage to neurons and can wear down the nylon sheath.

How this applies to me and where it has in the past broken down my ability to rationalize and think correctly.

Renewing the mind:

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 7:25 “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.”

1 Cor. 2:9-16 “However, as it is written: ‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’ but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment: ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

Eph. 4:22-24 “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Phil 4:7 “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.“

Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” (NT refers to Christ as ruling over the earth with an iron scepter.)

1 Pet 4:1 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.”

2 Cor 10:4-5 “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (This is a huge area of work for me personally.)

An evil spirit is like gangrenous infection. It cannot take up residence where there is not already a division or gash in our minds. It is the cracks in our minds that offer up a residence for evil. But the Word of God offers healing and wholeness to us. The Word (Christ) does not merely route out the infection and leave a gaping wound so that evil can return.

Luke 11:24-26 “When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left’. When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first.”

Christ’s goal is to clean out the infection and heal the wound fully and completely. But this takes initiative on our part to actively guard and protect our minds with the Word of God.

A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman

Luke 8:40-48 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

As a synagogue leader, Jairus would have been doing something completely unorthodox by coming to Jesus for healing in the first place; especially given the controversial nature of Jesus ministry. Priests frequently served as synagogue leaders. If Jairus was a priest such as this he would have been a Levite and intimately aware of Levitical law concerning bleeding women. According to Leviticus 15:25 “When a woman has a discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period… Whoever touches them will be unclean; he must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening.” So according to law the fact that she touched Jesus meant in the eyes of Jairus that Jesus was unclean until the evening… and now he was going to go lay hands on his daughter… this just kept getting better and better.

It is in the times when we feel most unworthy to touch Jesus that is most important that we do touch him. For only in that act of faith to reach out and touch him can we truly become whole again. From what we know medically today, healing a twelve year bleeding problem is no small feat. What Jesus accomplished in that ONE touch is something not even multiple surgeries today can heal with guaranteed accuracy let alone leave a woman whole and intact.

Luke 8:49-56 “While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher any more.” Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Little things first… why did Jesus say to give her something to eat? Luke 24:40-43 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence. (Proof that she was not a ghost… he did the same thing at his own resurrection.)

Now for the bigger question: Why did Jesus perform this miracle in particular? It was not for public display. It was done in private. What can we learn of Jesus’ character from this miracle in particular.

At times Jesus will manifest miraculously in our lives to strengthen our faith; it does not always hinge on already existing faith. In the words of C.S. Lewis from Prince Caspian as Aslan speaks to Lucy, “…things never happen the same way twice.” (pg. 143)

Circumstances and people are constantly changing. Our minds also constantly change according to what happens in our surrounding environment. It is important to cling to the Word of God so that as we change Scripture is always there to support us, heal us, and make us whole.

Are there areas in our lives where we are not yet whole? There are in mine. But it is a daily struggle to be renewed and transformed and be ever changing into the image of Christ; to have the mind of Christ.