THE WORD OF GOD OVER THE UNSEEN WORLD

Return to Syllabus

LUKE 8:22-39
Lesson #25
THE WORD OF GOD OVER THE UNSEEN WORLD

• Memory Verse: Psa 56:4
• At this point in the book of Luke, Jesus was travelling from town to town. Some places that Jesus went were Gentile areas and sometimes the places were Jewish areas.
  • It is important to pay attention to the location of the events in Jesus’ ministry in order to fully understand the dynamics of what is happening.
  • Why does it make a difference where Jesus ministered?
    • When Jesus ministered in Jewish areas, the reception of his ministry was different than when he ministered in Gentile areas.
    • When Jesus commended people for their faith, it was usually Gentile people that had greater faith than the Jewish people.
    • When Jesus tells people not to tell anyone about the miracle that happened, it was usually Jewish people he admonished to silence in order to stem the growing hatred of the religious leadership.
    • When Jesus tells people not to follow him but to return to their home town and tell everyone about the miracle, it was usually Gentile people that received that instruction.
  • In this lesson we will see this difference as Jesus continues to train His disciples for future ministry.
• Read Luk 8:22-25 The storm on the Sea of Galilee
  • What did Jesus tell the disciples that they really did not believe?
    • Notice the first thing Jesus said to the disciples as they got into the boat to go across the Sea of Galilee:
    • “…and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake…” (22)
      • The disciples should have believed Jesus’ words that they would surely arrive on the other side of the Sea of Galilee.
        • Jesus indicated what His will was.
        • The disciples should have known that Jesus had the power and authority to fulfill His will.
        • Because the disciples were accommodating Jesus’ wishes by taking Him to the other shore, they should have known the Son of God would arrive there safely.
      • Instead, when Jesus fell asleep and the storm came, the disciples were fearful that the boat would sink and they would all die.
        • The remarkable thing is that these men were experienced fishermen very familiar with the sudden, fierce storms on the Sea of Galilee.
        • But this storm was so great that even they were afraid!

In other words, this is an extreme event out of the ordinary for these experienced fishermen.

It seems that behind the scene, Satan, the enemy of God is attempting to destroy Jesus before He can purchase man’s redemption.

• • • Why did the disciples fail this test of faith?
      • Like all of us, we do not really believe when God says something to us. We rationalize it by thinking that God did not really say that, or we opt out of the promise by thinking it was not really meant for me.
      • We fail to realize who has the supreme authority. Why do we fail to realize this?
        • According to human nature, we usually judge a situation by what we see, hear, and feel.
        • We do not consider the powers at work behind the scene…the things we cannot see, hear, or feel.
  • The disciples’ lesson of faith
    • “And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.” (25)
    • Jesus demonstrated His ultimate power and authority over obvious human circumstances…circumstances that no human can control.
    • The disciples understood who Jesus really was at that point.
      • However, we should notice that beyond demonstrating His power over the elements of nature, Jesus expected his disciples to have faith to calm the storm in the same way He did.
      • We know He expected His disciples to have faith when he asked them, “Where is your faith?”
    • Besides learning who Jesus really was, the disciples learned that Jesus expected them to have faith to do miracles.
    • In learning to use your faith and according to this scripture, what must you keep in mind?
      • =1= Power and authority flow from the Word of God. When God says it, it will come to pass. (22)
      • =2= Power and authority flow in conformity with the will of God. When it is God’s will that something be accomplished, He will see that it is done. (22, 25)
      • =3= The believer is supposed to live by faith and not by sight or feelings. (25)
      • =4= The believer has the same power and authority of Jesus Christ delegated by God to accomplish His will and His word for God’s glory. (25)
• Read Luke 8:26-39 The Gadarene demoniac (Mat 8:28-34 Mar 5:1-20)
  • Dr. Luke treats this account with more detail than do the other gospels.
  • When Jesus and the disciples arrived on the other side of the Sea of Galilee, they were in the area called Gadara. It is important to notice that at this point in time, this was a Gentile area.
    • This territory was originally given to the Israelite tribe of Gad in God’s permissive will. They asked God’s permission not to enter the Promised Land as God wanted, but to stay on the East side of the Jordan River and raise cattle.
    • This tribe started with raising cattle and ended up in idolatry, demonic possession, losing the land to Gentiles, and raising pigs.
      • The raising of pigs was forbidden to the Jews as God prohibited them from eating pork because of the danger of sickness.
      • This is how we know these people were Gentiles. Pig farming became a predominant business in this area at that time.
  • The Gadarene demoniac:
    • Demon possession was very common in the Middle East at that time just as it is common in certain areas of the world today.
    • Demons are “unclean spirits”.
      • Luke treats them as different from other physical diseases even though demon possession can affect a person mentally, physically, and/or spiritually.
      • Demon possession degrades, debases, and destroys a person so that he has no will of his own.
    • People possessed by demons were outcasts of society. For that reason, like the lepers of that day, we see that they lived in the tombs which were caves that provided them with shelter from the weather.
    • There were evidently two men possessed by demons at this place, but Luke concentrates on only the one. (Mat 8:28)
  • “When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.” (28)
    • Notice that the demons, of which this man had more than one, knew who Jesus was.
    • Notice that the demons knew who had the ultimate power and authority. Jesus had authority over the demons and they knew it.
  • The demons:
    • Jesus asked the man his name. (30)
      • The man answered, “Legion”.
      • Legion is a Roman military word which means = between 3,000 and 7,000 soldiers under authority. In other words this man had that many demons under the authority of Satan.
    • The demons requested that Jesus not send them to the bottomless pit (“the deep”).
      • Demons desire to possess a body, preferably a human body.
      • Why did Jesus let the demons’ persuade Him not to send them where all demons will eventually go…the bottomless pit? (Jude 1:6)
      • Jesus had the power and authority to send the demons anywhere He decided.
      • However, Jesus is using this situation to demonstrate to the Gentiles in Gadara that spiritual things are more important than economics.
    • The demons entered the herd of pigs that destroyed themselves in the Sea of Galilee. The pigs would rather be dead than to house those demons.
  • The healed and saved man from Gadara
    • Dr. Luke says the man was healed. (36)
    • The Greek word that Luke used also means saved.
    • After his healing, this man wanted to continue to follow Jesus but Jesus sent him away. Why?
      • We see that when Jesus tells a person to return to his home town and tell everyone what happened to him, that person is usually a Gentile.
      • The personal testimony of healing and salvation is very powerful when it is given among people who knew that person very well over a long period of time.
      • God uses various people in different ways…some are used to overtly speak the word and some are used to minister by deeds.
• Application:
  • In this lesson we see Jesus demonstrate His power and authority over the unseen world…the power behind the elements of nature and the power behind the demons.
  • For the believer in Jesus Christ, there need not be any fear of the unseen world. The Lord expects us to use the delegated power and authority that He has given us by exercising our faith over the unseen world.
  • Read 1Cor 15:24-26
  • Read Rom 8:37-39

Homework
Luke 8:40-56

• Application of Luk 8:22-39
  • How has this passage affected your faith to enable you to stand strong through the storms of life?
• Preparation for Luk 8:40-56
  • Read Luk 8:40-56
    • There are two healings in this section, one occurs in the midst of the other one. Beside the fact that they occur at the same time, can you see any other reason that relates these two healings one with the other? (an advanced question)
    • What do you learn about physical death in this section?
• Memory verse: 1Cor 15:21