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As always I suggest we begin in prayer before approaching the word of God. With God’s blessing of wisdom and guidance let’s begin.
1 And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,
2 And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,
3 And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.
4 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable:
5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.
6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.
7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.
8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Believe it or not we have a Key here for Revelation. When we go over Revelation “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” Will be paramount to understanding the structure of the Letters to the Seven Churches.
9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be?
The disciples did not understand the parable. So why not ask?
10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.
11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.
12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.
13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.
Real quick. The soil is the condition of the heart, the fowl of the air are spirits, the seed is the message from God. So when the seed lands on the rocks it has no depth.
14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.
We have four groups identified. The first are the religious leaders who refused to believe. The second are those who only wanted healing and things from Christ but did not stay in his message. The third are those trapped in their own materialism to allow the message to take hold in their lives and the last group where true committed followers.
16 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel, or putteth it under a bed; but setteth it on a candlestick, that they which enter in may see the light.
17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.
18 Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have.
19 Then came to him his mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.
20 And it was told him by certain which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.
A lot of people like to make this into a thing that these were just fellows of Jesus but not actual biological brothers. Jesus had four half brothers and two half sisters. The perpetual virginity of Mary is not a thing but rather a made up doctrine which does not even serve its own purpose. Regardless of a woman’s virginity there is no merit to worship her or pray to her. If it were the case than all virgin women would be sacred to be for veneration.
21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
Jesus here is authenticating that he is Christ among them by saying anyone that follows God is his family. Once again he would not be pointing this out if it was not a biological relation he had with these people.
22 Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.
23 But as they sailed he fell asleep: and there came down a storm of wind on the lake; and they were filled with water, and were in jeopardy.
These men were professional fisherman. They had been on these waters many many times before. So they have seen storms. I am going to make a very strange suggestion to you. I do not believe this storm was any natural storm. Granted the storms on Galilee have been known to be violent but that is my point. The fisherman would have been well aware of this. Nothing new.
This storm however, put them in jeopardy.
24 And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.
They were frightened and awoke Jesus telling him they are going to die! Jesus rebukes the wind and waters and they cease. I believe this may have been something supernatural. As if someone wanted them to avoid crossing. So Christ rebuked whatever caused the winds and the waters to stir.
Further proof of this is the waters went calm. This does not happen after a storm. I live on a lake. The waves keep going after the storm has left. It takes some time for things to still. It certainly is not sudden.
25 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.
That would be a little disturbing, that nature itself is commanded by his will. Thank God that everything is under his control.
26 And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.
This is gentile land. It lays on the eastern shore more or less a countryside. The cities are on the other side of the Galilean lands.
27 And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.
So a man possessed by demons who wore no cloths aka naked and roamed in tombs. Possibly eating the dead. He would have been considered a troglodyte.
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.
The demon controlling the man calls out to Christ and recognizes his authority. The demons understand who Jesus is. They ask him not to torment them. What a strange reaction. This means they know what their ultimate fate is going to be.
29 (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)
30 And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.
These demons, unclean spirits and apparently the devil himself drove this man crazy. He was forced into the wilderness because of their torments and they had him shackled. The people did not do this. They also identify themselves as a legion. A legion is around five thousand soldiers at this time. This means this army of spirits consider itself a legion. All of which dwelt among or within this man.
31 And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.
They asked Jesus not to send them into the deep. The deep here is mentioned in Genesis 1.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
Genesis 1:2 KJV
The deep is also called the Waters, the Sea, the Abousso, the Abyss, Tarterus, or the Bottomless Pit, most likely not Sheol (the grave) or Hades, or Gahenna (Hell), the lake of fire. This is a place where the unclean spirits are held up and most likely the domain that pre existed ours. The world where Lucifer fell from and ruined. Their proper place to await their final judgement.
32 And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.
They needed permission to indwell the pigs. I find this odd. Does this mean they require permission to enter us? If so why would God allow demons to possess us? There are rules to this war that God has laid out that are unwritten to us but clearly the spirits take seriously.
It is interesting because there is a law among witches to work greater spells they must first tell you what they want to do. It is as though it is an unwritten law that all things must be announced before they occur. We see God and Jesus doing this, we see angels also doing this, we see demons doing this, we see Satan doing this. It is a very odd thing.
I think the only reason Christ allowed this was to be a lesson for us. So let’s look at this more closely.
33 Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.
This is a good opportunity to discuss the powers of darkness. We see several different entities in scriptures. We see demons, we see fallen angels, we see unclean spirits.
Demons always seem to seek embodiment. They lack bodies of their own. However, we know that angels can manifest themselves.
18 And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day;
2 And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground,
Genesis 18:1-2 KJV
We see a God appearing in human form with three angels. Physical things. Not only that but in chapter 19 they dine with Abraham showing physical needs or at least the ability to be physical.
35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
2 Kings 19:35 KJV
Not only that but they can engage in combat.
2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Hebrews 13:2 KJV
They can walk among us and we don’t even realize it. These properties are true of fallen angels like Satan as well. Now lets look at the dead of the giants the Rafaim.
14 They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.
Isaiah 26:14 KJV
Don’t see it. I don’t blame you because it is easy to miss. The hebrew is a little more clear. they are deceased is a terribly poor translation. The word is Refa’im (רְפָאִ֖ים) root word is raphah to sink, it is in reference to shades or ghosts. The deceased is better translated to the dead. Saying they shall not rise means they are cursed. Apparently not able to be resurrected. So where did these things come from? Another name for these things is Nephilim. They are mentioned in Genesis 6:4.
4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.
Genesis 6:4 KJV
Don’t see it again? I don’t blame you poor translation again. There were giants, had a proper name. Nephilim (הַנְּפִלִ֞ים), which they translated to giants and indeed they were. Goliath was one of them. However it should read “The Nephilim were on the earth,” Now what made them different. The sons of God “Benei Ha’Elohim” is mentioned of angels. Basically this is saying that the fallen angels forcefully took wives and had children with them. Their children were angel human hybrids. Apparently negating them a proper place as they were not creations of God. When they died they became the demons. So now they seek embodiment.
This is where you get demons from and why they have absolutely no hope at all. Now pigs feeling they had evil in them, drowned themselves to be free of them.
Another note, I believe “the gods” were fallen angels posing as “gods”.
34 When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.
35 Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
36 They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed.
37 Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.
Now look at how this man react to Jesus.
38 Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,
39 Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him.
I am sure the man was a great witness for Christ in the region.
40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.
41 And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:
42 For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.
Now we see that Jesus was beginning to gain a reputation and people even among the authorities began to recognize him for who he was.
43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
Twelve years and twelve years, did this issue begin after she gave birth? Is there a scandal here?
44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
First think I want you to note is this is a gentile woman. A Jewish woman would be ceremonially unclean and unable to attend.
The word for border here is kraspedou (κρασπέδου), hem or tassel. In the ancient world this was a mark of authority. There was a term “to cut off the hem” was to remove someone’s authority. So by her touching the hem of his garment she was recognizing his authority. We also have the example of David cutting that portion of King Saul’s cloak off which was basically saying his authority was cut without him knowing it.
Strangely non the less her issue was healed by simply touching Jesus’s garment. I have heard some people make an issue of this. They will use this as a defense for the belief in holy items. Basically anything Jesus touched contains holy power. I believe this is a spiritual matter of faith and a granting of healing to make an example to people. Her recognition of Jesus’s authority was what healed her.
45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
His question was issued not out of ignorance but he wanted her display of faith to be made public so all could see the miracle that was worked.
46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
Can you imagine? She must have been scared. Jesus just stops after you touch his cloak, most likely looks right at you and says, “Who touched me?” After a little bit of Jesus asking she eventually falls before him publicly showing her faith in him at the same time.
Most likely she was expecting herself to be rebuked as she was unclean at the time. Instead Jesus tells her she is faithful and to be of comfort and go in peace. How awesome is that.
49 While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
50 But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
So during this incident the child dies. Jairus sends to inform Jesus, however, Jesus does not seem troubled by this at all. Instead, he says that he will make her whole still.
51 And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
Now this is not made very clear in the text but Jairus did display faith in Christ here. He allowed Jesus inside. Remember Jesus was just touched by an unclean woman; which means that Jairus believes Jesus is still clean. So he has faith in his ability to forgive and cleanse.
52 And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
53 And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
54 And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
55 And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
How odd, he tells him to feed her meat. It also presupposes Jesus is not a vegetarian as he commands people to eat meat. So eating meat is fine. Sorry my Vegan friends. It isn’t a Christian act to abstain from meat.
I find it odd that reading this, I am not at all shocked by this now. When I was younger and first reading these accounts they shocked me. I now see it and I am like of course he can do that. Don’t lose sight of how miraculous all this is. Even though we know who he is, it is miraculous none the less.
56 And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.
Everyone else in the room sure was.
Well I hope you enjoyed reading this and you have a good today and an even better tomorrow.
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