Final Authority – Part 2
Luke 8:22-56 – November 14, 2021
REVIEW
Luke 8:22-25. What is the LIFE LESSON Jesus is trying to teach these men (and us). Certainly, He is NOT trying to tell them a dangerous situation is NOT a dangerous situation. The life lesson for them is that their relationship to danger will never be the same again.
Like the disciples, our lives are under new management per 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.And recall after Jesus was arrested, He was first taken to the Sanhedrin then to Pilate where the crowd was accusing Him of all kinds of things. John 19:10-11 describes Pilate’s position and Jesus’ reply. Then in Matthew 28:18 Jesus said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. All authority. With this in mind we can see what Jesus is saying when He addresses His disciples on the boat after subduing the wind and water, Where is your faith? Remember Philippians 1:29, For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him
Luke 8:26-29. The demons in the demon possessed man sought Jesus out and they knew who He was, Son of the Most High God. Look at the end of verse 28, the demons beg Jesus, Do not torture me. This is not the first time demons had recognized who Jesus was and what power he had, recall Luke 4:34 when Jesus was teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum on the Sabbath.
This puts me in mind of James 2:19, when he wrote, You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. Many people believe in Jesus, sort of or kind of, but they do not put their faith in Him. James is saying believing is not enough, you must receive Him as your Lord and Savior. What he said in James 4:7 is key.
Luke 8:32-33. He gave them permission. Think about that, they could not go into the pigs without His permission. After Jesus gave permission, what happened? They went out of the man and into the pigs (2,000 pigs according to Mark 5:13).
Luke 8:34-39. First question, why were the towns people afraid? But before Jesus left, the man was given an instruction to return home and share your testimony, tell how much God has done for you. This acts as a reminder for us to do the same.
Luke 8:40-42. Jarius recognized Jesus’ authority! He was a synagogue leader, yet he had the humility to fall at Jesus’ feet out of love for his daughter. So even with the crowds crushing him Jesus headed to Jarius’ home to save the daughter, but then ….
Luke 8:43-48. Jarius stops the whole crowd to make public what has happened. There is no way that Jesus did not know who touched Him and why. Jesus wants everyone to know this ‘unclean’ woman risked being stoned to death to touch Him with the faith she could finally be healed after 12 long years of suffering.
Then instead of rebuking her for being where she should not have been, Jesus commends her saying, Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace. All of the people there heard His message, as a result of her faith she was healed by Jesus.
Luke 8:49-56. Let’s look at this a bit at a time. What did Jesus tell the woman who had to be afraid she would be stoned to death? He told her Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace. What did He just tell Jairus? Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed..
On the way they had to go through the professional mourners and Jesus had had enough and told them to be quiet, stop your wailing, She is not dead, but asleep. They laughed. That’s right, they laughed. It did not matter, Jesus went on in, took the hand of Jairus’ daughter and said My child, get up! Then her spirit returned (she had indeed been dead) and immediately she got up! Jesus told her astonished parents to feed her (she is not a spirit) and then tells them – no, ordered them – not to tell anyone what happened.
Why is that? None of the explanations in the commentaries seemed satisfactory. So why? I believe it was because Jairus came to Him in faith and humility. Word was going to get out anyway. Those who had seen the girl knew she was dead and then she was not. Recall in verse 25 Jesus asked His disciples Where is your faith, after calming the wind and the waves. Next He gave 2,000 demons permission to enter pigs as He ordered them out of a man they had possessed. Then because of a woman’s faith He healed her of a bleeding disease she had for 12 years. And because of a father’s faith and humility He brought a daughter back to life … because of her father’s faith.
Jesus responds to our faith, to our acknowledgement that He is the final authority. He told Pilate, in John 19:11a, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Then in Matthew 28:18, He said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Jesus is our final authority. I don’t know what your worries or concerns are, but I know where you should take them. Take them to Jesus. Have faith in the answer He provides, because Jesus is indeed the final authority-. Our final authority.
END.