His Word Today

During this week, we’ll take a break from our study of the Gospel of Matthew and focus on the subject of awakening and revival. In recent months, there has been much discussion concerning what are the characteristics of a true revival? Is it simply about emotion or is there something more involved is a spiritual awakening from the Lord?

“Awakening is at the very heart of the Christian faith, and it is the reason we are Christians. Awakening is the powerful work of our sovereign and gracious God. When He awakens us, He doesn’t simply awaken us from sleep, but from death. Awakening is the glorious work of regeneration, revival, and reformation.” Burk Parsons

The Lord’s awakening of regeneration is when through the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God awakens us. He regenerates our hearts, gives us the gift of new birth, and makes us alive. He says to us, “Live!” (Ezekiel 16:1-6; John 3:1-8; Ephesians 2:1-5; Titus 3:1-5).

“The Holy Spirit invades, conquers, and persuades us. He rips out our stubborn, self-trusting hearts of stone and replaces our dead hearts with new, living hearts—hearts that are made willing and able to believe; hearts that are soft and pliable in the hands of our Father, united and lovingly enslaved to Christ, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Ezekiel 36:22-32; Acts 2),” explains Parsons.

The Lord’s awakening is also the Holy Spirit’s renewal and revitalization of the believer in Christ to the holiness of God  (Psalm 1; Ps. 19; Ps. 51:10; Ps. 119; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthian 4:16-18; Ephesians 4:20-24; Titus 3:5-8). This is what occurred to the Prophet Isaiah (6:1-7).

The Hebrew word renew (had-des) means to repair, reaffirm, rebuild and make like new. It is an improvement and revitalization of what already exists.

In Romans 12:2, the Greek word for renew (ἀνακαίνωσις; anakainosis) means to reestablish something in a like-new and often improved manner. In the context, God renews the believer’s mind and thinking. This is what the Apostle meant in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Ephesians 4:20-24, and Titus 3:5-8.

The Lord’s awakening of reformation extends beyond the revival of a single soul to that of a family, church, community and eventually a nation. Elements of this type of awakening reformation occurred not only in 16^th century Germany but also in 18^th century colonial America. The Lord providentially used individuals, such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, to bring reformation awakening.

This awakening of reformation is illustrated by the confirmation of the Mosaic Covenant by Israel in Exodus 24:1-8. An awakening of revival and reformation is also seen in Ezra 10:1-5, and in the spiritual awakening of the City of Nineveh (Jonah (1-4). Under the leadership of Samuel, the people of Israel turned from idols and served the Lord (1 Sam. 7:3–4). The people of Israel briefly turned to the Lord in the wake of Elijah’s defeat of the priests of Baal (1 Kings 18:39). In 2 Chronicles 29–32, there is the beautiful story of the people’s return to the Lord under the reign of King Hezekiah.

“Nevertheless, just as God ordains awakening, He ordains the means of awakening. God not only sovereignly ordains the ends of all things, He ordains the means of all ends as well. And the means that God has ordained to bring about awakening are the ordinary means He has already ordained for our regular weekly worship and daily growth in grace. The Word, prayer, and the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the ordinary means of grace God has given us. These are the means through which the Holy Spirit works to bring true conversion, true revival, and true reformation. God’s awakening power is not activated by our schemes and tactics, but by His Spirit and His ordinary means of awakening. And we must trust Him to do precisely what He pleases to do according to His sovereign wisdom, resting in the promise that the light of His countenance shines upon us as we live before His face, Coram Deo,” concludes Parsons.

More to come.

Soli deo Gloria!

³⁰ “Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. ³¹ And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” ³² And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. ³³ The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.” (Matthew 8:30–34 (ESV)

What follows in this story of Jesus healing two demoniacs has always seemed strange. This is because not only for what Jesus did to the demons but also how the people of Gadara responded to the miracle.

“In the first century, exorcism was not completely unknown, and many Jewish and even some gentile exorcists claimed to be able to liberate people from demonic oppression. The work of these exorcists involved elaborate rituals and incantations often resembling what we would call magic. Jesus’ method of exorcism was much different,” states Dr. R. C. Sproul.

All Jesus did was command the demons to go. Go where? Matthew includes the information that there were pigs feeding some distance away. The demons begged and implored Jesus to send them in to the herd of swine. The demons recognized Jesus’ authority over them. It was then that Jesus commanded them to enter into pigs. When this happened, the herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank, fell into the waters of the Sea of Galilee and drowned.

“The demons asked permission to enter the herd of pigs, apparently imagining that this would prolong their influence on earth. But their defiling presence drove the disturbed swine into the sea; hastening the spirits consignment to the abyss (Luke 8:31),” comments Dr. Sproul.

The herdsmen fled into the city. They told everyone they met what had happened; especially about the two demon-possessed men. In response, the city at large came to the area and pleaded that Jesus leave their region. Why did they do this? Why weren’t they overjoyed about the deliverance of the two men?

Perhaps, much like the disciples in the boat, they became more afraid of Jesus than the demoniacs. Or, they demonstrated their perverse values in preferring pigs to the rescue of two human beings.

Pigs, and personal property, are valuable. However, people are more valuable. It is striking that the same people who scream for abortion on demand are often the same individuals who scream about saving the whales, the trees and bald eagles. At the basic level, this passages teaches that people are more important than things.

“The region’s citizens should be grateful for this miracle, but the people only see a loss of income from the death of their animals. Seeking material prosperity at the expense of true life, these men implore Jesus to leave (vv. 33–34). Regrettably, Matthew Henry comments, too many “prefer their pigs above their Savior, and so come short of Christ, and salvation through him,” concludes Dr. Sproul.

 Soli deo Gloria!

^28 “And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. ²⁹ And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” (Matthew 8:28–29 (ESV)

Following the stilling of the storm (Matt. 8:23-27), Jesus and His disciples arrive on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. They arrive to the country of the Gadarenes.

When Jesus and the disciples arrived, two demon-possessed men met the Lord. The men do not seem interest in the disciples; only Jesus. They were singularly focused on the Lord.

“Casting out demons was one of the most frequent acts of healing that Jesus performed during the three years that He ministered before going to the cross. In fact, one cannot walk away from reading the Synoptic Gospels—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—without being struck by the flurry of demonic activity that characterized the Holy Land in the first century,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

Note that the demoniacs recognized who Jesus was. The text says the demons cried out. The phrase they cried out (κράζω; krazo) means to scream. The implication is that this shout was an unpleasant sound. It was not a cry of joy but of agony.

With an unpleasant scream, the demons said, ““What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Let us examine both statements separately.

“What have you to do with us, O Son of God?” The demons asked a question of Jesus was to why He was at Gadara. They also acknowledged who He was, and is; the Son of God.

“As applied to Jesus, the title reflects Jesus’ unique relation to the Father (Matt. 11:27; 16:16; 21:38). The tri-unity of the one, true God is implied,” states Dr. Sproul.

Their second question was, “Have you come here to torment us before the time?” The demons complained that the Day of Judgment had not yet arrived. They knew such a day was coming but they did not want it to be now.

“Satan and his demons are mentioned throughout the Bible, and we are told to put on the armor of God to battle them successfully (Eph. 6:10–20). We should not be surprised that our Lord’s earthly ministry was the occasion of an increase in demonic activity. After all, 1 John 3:8 explains that “the reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” The evil spirits opposed Christ because they knew who He was and that He came to bring about their final defeat (Luke 4:33–34),” concludes Dr. Sproul.

“The Bible teaches that although God cannot do any evil Himself, He is nonetheless in control of evil, and that evil serves to advance His ultimately good purposes. This is good news for us, because it means that every evil we endure will be used by God for a good end. We do not always see how this happens on this side of glory, but we can be sure that God will ultimately bring good out of every evil.”

Soli deo Gloria!

²⁸ “And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way.” (Matthew 8:28 (ESV)

“Most, if not all, of the disciples have thus far not been privy to much of God’s great revelation about Jesus. They were not there when Joseph was told that his adopted Son would be of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18–25). Likewise, they were probably not present at His baptism, the occasion on which the Father declared Jesus His “beloved Son” (3:13–17). Having been absent when these things happened, it is understandable that these disciples are not yet fully aware of Christ’s divinity and have been left to wonder about the identity of this Nazarene,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

Following the stilling of the storm (Matt. 8:23-27), Jesus and His disciples arrive on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. They arrive to the country of the Gadarenes.

Gadara was six miles (10 km) SE of the lake, near the gorge of the Yarmuk (or Hieromax). It was the capital of the Roman province of Peraea. Gadara dates from the OT period. It was held variously by Ptolemies, Seleucids, Jews and Romans between the 3rd century BC and the Jewish War. The ruins at Umm Qays now mark the site. Gadara was one of the Decapolis cities, which were a collection of ten Gentile cities.

Gadara was where Greeks settled following Alexander the Great’s conquest of the area in the fourth century bc. They were located to the southeast of the Sea of Galilee, with the exception of Scythopolis, which was west of the Jordan River. About ad 77 Pliny (a Roman historian) gave what is the earliest known list of the cities: Canatha, Damascus, Dion, Gadara, Gerasa, Hippos, Pella, Philadelphia, Raphana, and Scythopolis,” explains the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.

When Jesus and the disciples arrived, two demon-possessed men met the Lord. The men do not seem interest in the disciples; only Jesus. They were singularly focused on the Lord.

What is demon possession? It is the demonic occupation of a human being. “The term “possession” is misleading and is not the best translation for the Greek word daimonizomai, which literally means to be “demonized” and can often best be translated as “to have a demon.” The noun form is “demoniac,” explains the Tyndale Bible Dictionary.

These two demonically occupied men lived in the tombs (μνημεῖον; mnemeion). These were the graves of the dead. Tombs were ceremonially unclean for the Jews and were thought to be popular haunts for evil spirits.

Mark and Luke mention only one demoniac (Mark 2:3-12; Luke 5:18-26), while Matthew says there were two. Perhaps it is because one man was more violent than the other, or because there were two witnesses to verify Jesus’ victory over demons (Deut. 19:15; Matt. 18:16; 20:30).

Matthew describes the men as fierce (χαλεπός; chalepos). These were violent and dangerous men. Therefore, no one would travel near this particular area where they lived. No one, that is, except Jesus. The power He displayed over disease, distance, and nature, He would now display over demons and demoniacs.

Soli deo Gloria!

²³ “And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴ And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. ²⁵ And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” ²⁶ And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ²⁷ And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” (Matthew 8:23–27 (ESV)

Jesus’ disciples were with Him in a boat sailing on the Sea of Galilee. As was common, a sudden and great windstorm occurred resulting in huge waves that swamped their boat; and other boats also (Mark 4:36). While in the midst of this unsettling situation, Jesus was asleep in the boat.

His disciples woke Him expressing great fear that they were going to die because of the storm. They even expressed concerned that Jesus did not care about them (Mark 4:38). They pleaded with Jesus to save them from the storm.

Jesus responded by asking them why they were afraid? He accused them of having little faith in Him. It was at that moment that Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea. The result was an immediate and complete calm. The Creator calmed creation.

However, the disciples reacted in a peculiar manner having witnessed the miracle. Instead of being relieved the storm was over, they were afraid of something else. Mark 4:41 says that they were filled with great fear; not of what, but of whom. They were now afraid of Jesus. They said, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

“In the early chapters of the Institutes of the Christian Religion, written by John Calvin, he makes a statement that goes something like this: “Hence that dread and terror by which holy men of old trembled before God, as Scripture uniformly relates.” What Calvin was saying is that there is a pattern to human responses to the presence of God in the Scripture. And it seems that the more righteous the person is described, the more he trembles when he enters the immediate presence of God,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“What is significant about this scriptural story is that the disciples’ fear increased after the threat of the storm was removed. The storm had made them afraid. Jesus’ action to still the tempest made them more afraid. In the power of Christ, they met something more frightening that they had ever met in nature. They were in the presence of the holy.”

Sigmund Freud believed that people invent religion out of a fear of nature. Because man is helpless before an earthquake, a tornado or disease, they invent a god who is more powerful than the earthquake, tornado and disease. Freud theorized that people invent God to help when life gets scary. We wonder what Freud would have said about the disciples’ response to Jesus?

“Why would the disciples invent a God whose holiness was more terrifying than the forces of nature that provoked them to invent a God in the first place. We can understand it if people invented an unholy god, who brought only comfort. By why a god more scary than the earthquake, flood or disease?  It is one thing to fall victim to the flood or to fall prey to cancer; it is another thing to fall into the hands of the living God,” concludes Sproul.

Is your view God too small? Do you regard God as your buddy or friend and not the One, True of God who is holy, holy, holy? Ask God to give you a renewed or revived sense of His holiness.

Soli deo Gloria!  

²³ “And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴ And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. ²⁵ And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” ²⁶ And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ²⁷ And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” (Matthew 8:23–27 (ESV)

Following Jesus’ response to the disciple’s declaration, He rose from His cushion in the boat’s stern (Mark 4:35-38) and rebuked the winds and sea. To rebuke (ἐπιτιμάω; epitmao) means to command, denounce and express strong disapproval.

If you and I were to rebuke the wind and sea, it would be of no effect. Our words would prove useless. However, when the Creator gives an order to His creation, it complies. Matthew records that there was a great calm (γαλήνη; galena). The surface of the water was unruffled. It was like a sheet of glass or a mirror.

“A calm after a storm may be referred to figuratively in some languages as ‘the water lay down’ or ‘the waves sank down again’ or ‘the water became like a table top,” explains one commentator.

“When God rebukes the storm, it flees. He rides the wind; He makes the clouds His chariot and rides on the wings of the wind (Psalm 104). God rules the elements. He sets boundaries beyond which the storm cannot pass (104:9). He is sovereign. When men cry to the Lord in their trouble, He delivers them. He stills the storm (Psalm 107:25, 28-29),” explains commentator Daniel M. Doriani.

Today’s text reveals that God is in providential control of His creation. What God creates, He sustains and controls. He upholds the universe by the word of His power (Heb. 1:1-3).

“The central point of the doctrine of providence is the stress on God’s government of the universe. He rules His creation with absolute sovereignty and authority. He governs everything that comes to pass, from the greatest to the least,” explains Dr. R. C. Sproul.

“Nothing ever happens beyond the scope of His sovereign, providential government. He makes the rain to fall and the sun to shine. He raises up kingdoms and begins them down. He numbers the hairs on our head and the days of our life.”

In the Lord we live, and move and have our being (Acts 17:22-28). May each of us live today in the truth of God’s providential peace in the midst of our storms.

Soli deo Gloria!

²³ “And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴ And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. ²⁵ And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” ²⁶ And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ²⁷ And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” (Matthew 8:23–27 (ESV)

While in the midst of a ferocious storm on the Sea of Galilee, the disciple woke Jesus and continuously said, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” The disciples commanded Jesus to rescue them from dying. This statement is significant when you consider that at least four of Jesus’ disciples (Peter, Andrew, James and John) were professional fishermen (Mark 1:16-20). They were used to sailing on this lake and probably experienced such sudden storms. If so, this indicates the ferociousness of the gale.

The disciples were focused, understandably so, upon the storm. Their own efforts to combat their circumstances proved futile. In desperation they came to Jesus as a last resort.

Before we judge the disciple too harshly, what about us? What is our immediate reaction to the storms in our lives? Do we go to the Lord in prayer as a first strike, or, when all else fails, as a last resort? The Lord is as close to us in proximity as He was to the disciples in the boat.

Psalm 107:23–32 (ESV) is a pertinent text in considering this scene with Jesus and His disciples. It says, “²³ Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; ²⁴ they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep. ²⁵ For he commanded and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves of the sea. ²⁶ They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths; their courage melted away in their evil plight; ²⁷ they reeled and staggered like drunken men and were at their wits’ end. ²⁸ Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. ²⁹ He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. ³⁰ Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven. ³¹ Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of man! ³² Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.”

The LORD of Psalm 107 was the same LORD who was in the boat with His disciples. He is the same LORD who is with us in all of our circumstances of life.

What was Jesus’ response to His disciples? Jesus asked them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” The disciples called Jesus Lord, but they did not evident trust in, commitment to or a dependence upon Him. Our talk of faith is cheap when our walk of faith contradicts what we say.

“Why are you afraid is a valid question. After all, they did just call Jesus ‘Lord.’ They seem to think He can save them—they just told Him to do so, in fact. And they have witnessed His power on a consistent basis: healing the sick, casting out demons, with nothing more than His will, His word,” explains commentator Daniel M. Doriani.

“So, they ought to be hopeful. On the other hand, they have never seen Jesus solve a problem like this before. Why are they afraid? Because the situation is out of their control. Because they foresee their death.”

Have you ever faced the storm of death? Have you considered your own mortality when encountering difficulties and illness in this life? Consider the words written on a plaque in my office; “Don’t tell God how big your storm is. Tell your storm how big God is.”

Have a blessed day in the Lord. The Lord is with us; even when you’re scared in the mist of stormy weather.

Soli deo Gloria!

²³ “And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. ²⁴ And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. ²⁵ And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” ²⁶ And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. ²⁷ And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?” (Matthew 8:23–27 (ESV)

Prior to Jesus’ conversations with a scribe and another disciple about the cost of discipleship (Matt. 8:19-22), He had given orders, presumably to the twelve disciples to go over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (Matt. 8:18). This would have been done by boat (Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25).

Boats mentioned in the Bible were driven by oars or sails and used for fishing or travel. It is most likely that the boat(s) in this narrative were open, small fishing boats, approximately 26.5 ft. in length, 7.5 ft. wide with a single mast and rudder. It is estimated that this vessel held up to fifteen individuals.; Jesus proceeded to get into the boat. His disciple followed Him.

Once on the lake, a great storm arose on the sea. The Sea of Galilee is about thirteen miles long and eight miles wide. It is situated about 680 feet below sea level. The Mediterranean winds often rush through the valleys of Galilee and swoop down into the basin of the Sea of Galilee causing strong, and sudden, storms.

This particular storm was so furious that the waves were consistently swamping, or covering, the boats (Mark 4:36).Mark also records that the boat was filling up with water (Mark 4:37). Luke records that the disciples were in danger (Luke 8:23). However, Jesus was in the stern (rear) of the boat sleeping on a cushion (Mark 4:38).

The disciple woke Jesus and continuously said, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” The disciples commanded Jesus to rescue them from dying. This statement is all the more significant when you consider that at least four of Jesus’ disciples (Peter, Andrew, James and John) were professional fishermen (Mark 1:16-20). They were used to sailing on this lake and probably experienced such sudden storms. If so, this indicates the ferociousness of the gale.

The disciples were focused, understandably so, upon the storm. Their own efforts to combat their circumstances proved futile. In desperation they came to Jesus as a last resort.

Before we judge the disciple too harshly, what about us? What is our immediate reaction to the storms in our lives? Do we go to the Lord in prayer as a first strike, or, when all else fails, as a last resort? The Lord is as close to us in proximity as He was to the disciples in the boat.

What was Jesus’ response to His disciples? What was their response to Jesus? We will answer both questions when next we meet.

Have a blessed day in the Lord. The Lord is with us; even in the mist of stormy weather.

Soli deo Gloria!