The Spectacular Transfiguration of Jesus Christ

Mark 9:1-13.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, January 05, 2020.

This passage has a unique event that is more than just your average miracle (if such can be said about miracles).  The transfiguration of Jesus demonstrates that supernatural things are not only happening around Jesus, but that there is also something supernatural about him.  He is not a man who has figured out how to get God to help him all the time.  Rather, his origin is supernatural.  He is from the Father and thus he is from heaven.

Let’s look at the passage.

Jesus gives a promise

The scene begins in verse 1 where Jesus gives a promise to a gathering of his disciples and other people.  This is mentioned in Mark 8:34. The stands out as a singular statement against the event that follows it, the transfiguration of Jesus.  The disciples and the people had been kept guessing as to when Jesus might begin to bring in the Kingdom of God that they were expecting.  Yes, they are grateful for miracles and all, but they want to see Jesus get serious about taking on the greater role of Messiah by kicking out the Romans and reforming the corruption of Israel.

The basic promise is that some of those who were in attendance that day would not die before they saw the kingdom of God coming in a powerful way.  This verse is sometimes used to substantiate the claim that Jesus taught the disciples that his Second Coming would happen in the first century.  Atheists see that it failed and thus reject Christ.  Believers that do this will find events within the first century and present them as metaphorical fulfillments of such promises.

Of course, we should note that the Second Coming is not mentioned in this promise.  It is only about the Kingdom of God and how it would be coming in.  This presents a wrinkle.

The New Testament does present an odd twist on the Old Testament promise of the Kingdom of God.  In short, the apostles proclaim that the Kingdom of God has been established in the hearts of believers through the Spirit of God.  Yet, the physical reign of Jesus (Messiah) on this earth and the judgment of the nations has been put on hold, or is not yet.  So, we get this “now, but not yet” presentation of the Kingdom of God throughout the writings of the Apostles.

Does anything happen within the lifetime of those who were living at that time which reflects the Kingdom of God coming powerfully?  All three gospels that record this bold statement follow it immediately with an account that is called the Transfiguration of Jesus.  It is contextually clear that they saw this event as the fulfillment of what Jesus promised.  Modern sceptics may not like this explanation, but it is the one that the disciples themselves give to us.

For modern people to reject such an explanation, smacks of arrogance.  Who are we to tell people from a culture within which we have never lived that they didn’t actually understand what Jesus said?  Who are we to force our thinking upon the situation?  The disciples present themselves as often misunderstanding Jesus.  They really didn’t “get it” until after the resurrection.  There we have Jesus fully explaining the Scriptures, and another promise that the Holy Spirit would enable them to remember the things Jesus said along with what it meant (John 16:12-13).  The truth they came to see is that the transfiguration was exactly what Jesus was talking about in this promise.  He is not talking about the end times and his Second Coming.

Jesus is transfigured

We are told that Peter, James, and John go up on a high mountain with Jesus six days later.  These three are the “some” that Jesus was talking about in the previous promise.  We are not told what high mountain this is although they were last described as being in the area of Caesarea-Philippi.  So, it could be somewhere in the Golan Heights.  However, the importance of the high mountain is more in its symbolism than it is in its literal location.  There is a clear parallel happening here between Moses going up on the mountain to hear from God at Sinai, and the disciples going up on the mountain and hearing from God with Jesus.  Jesus is the “greater than Moses” one.  Yet, his disciples are the ones who are going to come down from the mountain, and speak to Israel and the nations about what God has told them.

So, what does transfiguration mean?  We should recognize that what is described in this passage did not happen and so they had a word for it.  In seeking to describe what they saw, the disciples take up the Greek word “metamorphosis,” which has the basic meaning of a change of form.  This should not be connected to the concept of shape-shifting, even though the word could allow for it.  Jesus clearly does not change shape, and the word is used in two other places in the New Testament to describe the believer being transformed into the image of Jesus (no literal shape-shifting there either).  Romans 12:2 tells believers that they should not be conformed to this world, but rather to be “metamorphed” by the renewing of your mind so that you might prove what the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God is.  In 2 Corinthians 3:18 the Christian experience is described as one who sees Christ in the mirror of God’s Word and is “metamorphed” into the same image from one level of glory to the next level of glory.  Thus, the change they are describing with the word “metamorphosis” is not about the shape, but rather the outward presentation of the person.  The word appearance would be a better concept here than shape. 

Mark tells us that the clothing of Jesus began to shine exceedingly white.  We can imagine something like a mantle in a gas or oil lamp.  In Matthew 17:2, we are told that his “face shone like the sun.”  Thus, the shining is actually coming from the person of Christ and is affecting his clothing.  Within that culture, such a description would clearly imply that Jesus is not just human.  He is a spirit being from the spirit realm.  Spiritual beings are often described as shining, and even metaphorically referred to as stars or celestial lights.  The intention is clear.  There is something heavenly about this being.  The glorious Son of God was cloaked by human flesh, but in this moment the three disciples are given a glimpse of his true glory, the glory he will have when he returns at the end of the age in order to set up the physical reign of his kingdom. 

This also connects to Moses on Mt. Sinai because there Moses was given a glimpse of the receding glory of God, whereas here, the disciples are given a limited glimpse of the glory of Christ.

It is amazing enough that Jesus is shining like the sun, but then two figures appear and begin talking with Jesus.  The disciples come to know that they are Elijah and Moses (probably through what they say).  These two men are representatives of the Law and the Prophets.  They both were remembered as operating in powerful signs and wonders.  This also underlines what Jesus taught elsewhere.  God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.  Those who have gone before us are still alive.  They are just not in earthly bodies.

So, what are they talking about?  We are not told.  Yet, it is reminiscent of the angels who appeared to Jesus in the wilderness after his 40-day fast and tempting by the devil.  They may be simply encouraging him for the road of suffering that lay ahead.

Although this scene is still happening, we are told that the disciples are very afraid.  In his fear, Peter asks Jesus if they should build three tabernacles for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.  This glorious appearing of Jesus along with the powerful prophets of old was more like what the disciples had been wanting.  A glowing, shining Messiah should have a tabernacle in which to dwell.  The word for tabernacle is the same word used for the portable temple that Israel used in the wilderness wanderings coming out of Egypt.  It was later replaced by a permanent temple.  Perhaps Peter sees that this could be a religious site of worship, and a political site of the rule of Messiah.  Clearly, they needed to be silent and just watch.  The impulsive nature of Peter causes him to interject an idea that will not even be considered.  Peter does not understand what God is doing, and in a sense is interrupted by the Father Himself in what happens next.  We must be careful that we are not building things that are not what God is desiring, even though they sound thoughtful and worshipful.

At this point, a cloud overshadows them and a voice speaks from the cloud to them.  It says, “This is my beloved Son.  Listen to Him!”  The suffering and death that Jesus was going to experience would threaten their perseverance in listening to Jesus and following him.  This event serves to show that, no matter how inglorious the life of Jesus would look, he was the very glory of God.  The disciples could trust the one who would become the crucified Lord of Glory.  This is also God’s word to you and I.  God commands all men everywhere to repent of their sins and listen to Jesus.  This also connects back to the cloud that led Israel through the wilderness and would descend on the tabernacle when Moses would meet with God to receive His words.  The cloud was a visible sign that God’s presence was there.  No Israelite would miss the connotation of what is happening here. 

On top of this, Moses told Israel in Deuteronomy 18:15 that God would eventually raise up another prophet like him and that they should listen to him.  This is the exact same message that the father gives to the disciples.  Listen to Him!

The scene suddenly disappears.  The cloud, Moses, and Elijah are all gone.  Jesus is not glowing anymore.  At this point, Jesus instructs his disciples that they should not tell anyone about this event until after the Son of Man has risen from the dead.  They are still stupefied by these references that Jesus keeps making about the Son of Man being killed and then rising from the dead.  It just goes to show how hard it is for us to see things that are right in front of us when we are not expecting them, or they are so far outside of our frame of reference.  Later, the disciples would tell all about this event as they spoke to Israel and the nations.  Peter clearly mentions this event in 2 Peter 1:16-19 where he says, “We did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.  For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’  And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.  And so, we have the word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart.”

The disciples question Jesus

In verses 11-13, the minds of the disciples are still spinning with the spectacular event that they have just seen.  Thus, a question surfaces in their minds to ask Jesus.  Why is it taught by the scribes that Elijah must come before Messiah?  Such teaching was no doubt based upon Malachi 4:5-6.  It basically says that before the Wrath of God comes, Elijah would appear and turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the hearts of the children back to their parents.  Wow, what an apt description of our problems today.  Satan ever seeks to divide us along lines that God intended for us to be unified.  Our hearts should be toward one another, instead they are often only towards ourselves, and even worse, against one another.

Jesus clearly affirms the teaching, but he gives them more understanding.  He does so by reminding them of the passages that teach about the suffering of Messiah.  To understand the prophecy about Elijah returning before Messiah, one needs to understand the suffering of the Messiah to whom he would point.  The prophecies concerning the Messiah had two aspects about them: the suffering of Messiah and the glorious rule of Messiah, the dealing with our sins and the destruction of the wicked.  We know that this dual aspect required two comings of Jesus, or we could say, required a pause before God completed the mission.  Thus, there would be something similar with Elijah.

In a way, Elijah had already come.  There are several other places where Jesus speaks of John the Baptist and whether or not he was Elijah who was to come.  The best way to sum up these passages is to put it this way.  John was not literally Elijah, but he did come in the power and the spirit of Elijah.  He came out of the wilderness in animal skins and called Israel to repentance.  “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand!”  Jesus was the Messiah of Israel, but they rejected him.  Because of this rejection, Jesus would leave them and come back to them at the end of the age.  Similarly, this prophecy of Elijah would require Elijah to come before the Second Coming as well.  This may seem strange, but Revelation 11 speaks of two witnesses or prophets who would show up in the end times and powerfully call Israel and the world to repentance.  It is quite possible that these witnesses are Elijah and Moses.  In support of this conjecture, we see the fact that the two witnesses of Revelation 11 will do signs and wonders similar to that of Elijah and Moses.

As we close, it is important to understand the glory of Christ.  From his glory, he stepped down into this world and into human flesh.  He restrained his glory so that we could see, hear, and interact with him.  This moment of clarity about the true glory of Jesus is intended to give the disciples and us confidence in Jesus even after the stark reality of the cross slams into the faith we have.  Though we did not see this event, those who did are faithfully witnessing to us that they are not making up fables and stories.  Rather, they are telling us what they saw with their own eyes.  May God strengthen our faith in a day and age that seems hell-bent on rejecting the message of John the Baptist, and, more importantly, the Lord Jesus Christ.  You may not be so close to the image of Christ that you are glowing yet, but one day we will shine like the stars because we kept our faith in Jesus to the end!

Transfiguration Audio

A Deaf Man is Healed

Mark 7:31-37.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, November 24, 2019.

Last week we saw that Jesus was in the region of Tyre and Sidon, which is on the coast of what we would call Lebanon today.  Our story today has Jesus traveling all the way back to the Sea of Galilee and he heals a deaf man upon his arrival.

We should note up front that the parallel account in Matthew 15 focuses on the general activity of Jesus.  In general, Jesus comes back to Israel and begins healing people.  However, Mark focuses in on one of those miracles and gives us a specific account.  It is important to have both a wide, general view of what Jesus did, as well as the specific stories of how individuals were touched by him.  The same is true today.  Many people are coming to Christ around this world every day, and we should not be discouraged by the limitations on what we can see.  Also, each of these people are a story of how Christ stepped into their lives and transformed them in powerful ways.  Let’s look at our story.

A deaf person is brought to Jesus

Mark starts the story by describing the route that Jesus took from the coast northwest of Israel to the Sea of Galilee.  The route is interesting because it is not the most direct route.  The emphasis is placed upon the fact that Jesus purposefully came to the Sea of Galilee through the one region that was Gentile.  Here is a map from www.bibleatlas.org. 

The easiest path would be to travel south along the coast and come up the Jezreel valley past Nazareth and then drop down into the Galilee.  Alternatively, a person could travel east through the mountains and drop down into the Jordan River valley and then travel south through the region that was ruled by Herod Philip.  Both ways would leave Gentile territory and enter the Galilee through Israelite territory.

Jesus on the other hand starts out on the alternative route, but he then skirts around the sea and approaches it from the southeast, instead of heading south through Philip’s territory.

This area was called Decapolis and it bordered the southeast quarter of the Sea of Galilee.  Decapolis was not so much a political entity as it was an area where there were 10 cities on the frontier between Rome and the kingdoms of Parthia (northeast) and Nabatea (southeast).  When Rome had conquered the Syrian region in the First Century BC, they allowed these 10 Gentile cities to remain autonomous as long as they stayed loyal to Rome.  Though the story does not tell us where on the sea Jesus is specifically, it seems likely that he is on the southeast coast of it and therefore still in Gentile territory.  This area would have a mix of Jews and Gentiles, but would heavily favor Gentiles.  Why do I mention this?

All of this seems to be Mark’s way of highlighting or showing that more than a few crumbs were falling off of the table of the children towards the Gentiles (See the dialogue between Jesus and the Syro-Phoenician woman we talked about last week).  Jesus does care about the Gentiles and is preparing to send the remnant of Israel to all the nations of the earth, and this is part of the proof that he was already setting this up.

In our story, we are told that a group of people (either the crowd as a whole, or a group that is a part of it) bring a man to Jesus and beg him to lay his hands upon him.  This might be an insignificant detail.  However, we are told that Jesus removes the man from the crowd.  Why would he do this?  No, doubt the crowd wanted to see a miracle and witness it.

When you think about the history of deaf people, you will have to recognize that it has not been very nice, much like many other social minorities.  Deaf people were often seen as mentally deficient because they ranged from being unable to speak at all to those who could talk, but did so with a speech impediment.  Of course, such impeded speech is generally due to the effect that not being able to hear has upon our learning and mimicking of the sounds of speech.  In fact, the Middle English phrase, “Deaf and Dumb,” was used to describe that a person is deaf and unable to talk.  This is considered highly offensive by deaf people because it is not true.  Sure, deaf people are not all geniuses.  Yet, their troubles do not usually come from mental deficiency.  By the way, a number of years ago it became vogue to refer to them as hearing impaired.  Most deaf people do not like that phrase and would rather just be called deaf.

I mention all of this because there is no doubt that this man had a tough life of people abusing him, making fun of him, and generally ignoring him.  This social component would seem to be at least part of the reason that Jesus removes him from the crowd.  To them, he is just a hard case that they want to see if Jesus can fix.  Like setting up a series of hoops and asking a dog to jump through them, the crowd is wanting to see a show from Jesus.  We don’t know the state of mind of the man at this point.  It seems that Jesus recognizes that the crowd is an impediment to the man’s true need at this point.  So, Jesus takes the man aside and deals with him alone.  Jesus wants this to be something that is between him and the deaf man, instead of him and the crowd.

It is easy for those with full capability- which, if you think about it, is a lie- to see a disabled person as somehow less than human.  What is it that happens in our hearts to allow us to tell ourselves that a person is not worth treating with proper respect and dignity?  May God teach us to really see people who can often be masked behind physical disabilities that make it hard for us to do so.

What should we make of the strange things that Jesus does in healing the man?  First, Jesus sticks his fingers in the man’s ears.  Then, Jesus spits and touches the man’s tongue.  The story leaves us with the impression that Jesus may have put some of his spit upon the man’s tongue.  What is this about?

We know from countless other accounts that Jesus can heal without any touching, speaking, or even being present.  His power is not in a method, or the chemical properties of his spit, etc.  His power comes from who he is.  John tells us that nothing that was made was made without Jesus.  He was involved in the creation.  Jesus did certain things not because he had to do them to heal someone, but as an aid to their faith.  It is just how we are as humans.  We often don’t have faith until we can actually see something.  God often accommodates our weaknesses.  These outward actions like: laying hands upon a person, anointing them with oil, and praying for healing out loud, are simply that, aids to our faith.  They have no inherent power to heal people.

In this case, the man is hard of hearing.  When Jesus sticks his fingers in his ears, it leaves the clear impression that he is going to do something to the man’s ears.  This is the simplest form of communication.  Touching his tongue would similarly send a message that he is also going to do something about his ability to speak.  The spit may only be sending the message that something from within Christ is going to be the reason that the man is given full ability.  However, it is not his spit itself.  Jesus is the creator.  That same creative power that created the first ear and tongue of Adam is now hear to touch this son of Adam.  It is in this intersection of mortal man and divine man that he is going to be healed.

A common theme throughout the gospels is touching of people by Jesus.  Even lepers were touched by him.  This is important for us to understand today.  People need other people to touch them in appropriate and loving ways.  Studies have shown that newborns who are not touched, held, and cared for in that first year, are negatively impacted for the rest of their lives.  People often feel that the Creator does not care and yet in Jesus the Creator came down and touched us.  I am here.  You are valued and loved.  To Jesus, this man is not just a prop to be trotted out for the entertainment of the crowd.  He is not just a prop for the promotion of a ministry empire, or for a political agenda.  No, this man is a human being who was created to bear the image of the God of heaven.

Several things happen in rapid succession at this point.  Jesus looks up into heaven to let us know the source of the healing.  God Almighty is about to grant a healing to this man.  It also says that Jesus sighed or groaned.  This is the same word that Paul uses to speak of how we feel when we are burdened with this mortal body, longing to be clothed with our promised, immortal one.  I believe that Jesus is feeling the weight and heaviness of the effects of sin upon mankind in general, and this man specifically.  What a heavy burden this man had to carry up to this point, and Jesus is about to set him free.  We must understand that God fully empathizes with the burdens of this life, even those that are the effects of our own sin.  He is not just intellectually aware of them, but he groans with those who groan.

Jesus then says a simple command.  Mark tells us the Aramaic word that Jesus uses, “Ephphatha!”  The translation is the command to be opened.  Such a simple command tells us and any who see that the power does not come from long incantation or some healing spell.  This is the voice of authority that commands all of creation.  It is not normal, or as God created it to be, for a man’s ears to be closed and his tongue to be tied.  God did not make mankind to be deaf and unable to speak properly among many other things.  Thus, in a moment in time, Jesus commands the man’s body to come into conformity with the proper function and image for which God had created it. 

The man is completely healed

We are told that the healing takes place immediately upon the command of Jesus.  The man is able to hear, and even more incredible, he is able to speak without impediment.  The Greek word describing his speech is that is now “orthos.”  This is the word we use in orthodontics and orthodoxy.  It has the idea of something that is right, correct, and as it should be.  His sounds were now perfectly formed and easily understood.  How amazing must that have been for the man.

Yet, there are many who do not speak as they should and they do not have the excuse of being deaf upon which to blame it.  Yes, we all want full capability, but the greater question is what am I doing with it?  Oh, that God would touch our tongues and help us to speak the right things that we should speak, to speak correctly with one another, and not with the emotional and corrupt impediments of this world!  It is one thing to be able to speak and to be understood.  What a wonderful blessing and rejoicing was had by this man.  Yet, it is quite another thing to exercise this power that God has given us with correct and righteous intent, in the image of our Creator.  Oh, be careful little mouth what you say.  There’s a Father up above looking down in tender love.  So, be careful little mouth what you say.  Be careful ears what you hear.  Be careful in all that we do, that it reflects the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone was the perfect representation of our heavenly Father.

Jesus then tells the people not to tell others about this healing.  This is a similar dynamic throughout all the Gospels.  It did not always help the plan of God to promote everything that He has done.  The world promotes everything, but God has a timing all His own.  In our world of promotion and building of little empires, we don’t always understand this spiritual principle.  God’s purposes are not increased by the promotions of this world.  He will do and accomplish what He wants to do.  The real question is this.  Am I a part of it?  May God help us to go from seeing Jesus as a cosmic vending machine to seeing him as our pattern, more importantly, our Lord.  We were made to be like him, and he works by his Holy Spirit to create that image in us today and tomorrow.  God help us to give full cooperation with His Spirit, so that we can be a river of life to those around us!

Deaf man healed audio

A Desperate Woman is Healed

Mark 5:21-34.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, July 28, 2019.

Last week we were in the first part of this chapter where Jesus encountered a man possessed with many demons on the east to southwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.  That event ended with the people of the region pleading with Jesus to leave.  Thus, our passage today involves the events after they returned to the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, most likely Capernaum.

In a sense we will have one story interrupted by another story, but both of them have similarities that I will bring up in my commentary as we work through them.

The dire condition of Jairus’ daughter

When Jesus lands on the shore, it does not take long for a crowd to gather.  It is at this point that one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus (Hebrew- Yair, “God Enlightens”) approaches Jesus.  His daughter is at the point of death and her only hope is a miracle from God.  Jesus is the only prophet of that generation who evidenced the healing power of God.  We will focus on this story more next week because we are going to be interrupted by a woman who needs healed.  For now, we should recognize that the synagogue leaders generally did not like Jesus and we have no reason to believe that this man was much different.  This man is convinced that Jesus can heal his daughter. 

He also believes that Jesus needs to touch her in order for it to happen.  I mention this because, in the story of the centurion who was a dying servant, Jesus remarks that touching to heal is not a necessity.  That doesn’t mean that it is a hindrance either.  However, things like touching or putting mud on the eyes are really more of an aid to our faith.  Healing is not some kind of power that is transmitted through hands.  However, when we lay hands upon someone, it does encourage them to believe.  Thus, we can call it an “aid to faith.”

Most likely this man would not normally embrace Jesus in public.  However, he has become desperate because of the impending death of his daughter.  There are things that we would never consider or give a second thought until we become desperate.  This can work for the good and it can work for the bad.  This is one of the reasons that it is so important to share the good news about Jesus with everyone.  People may not respond immediately with any interest, or they may be hostile to the message, but some day they may find themselves in a desperate situation.  What will they turn to then?  We know that Jesus is not just one option among many.  He truly is the only option in the end for those who are desperate.  If you are in a desperate situation, now is the time to turn to Jesus with your problems and seek his help, healing, and forgiveness.

If you think that he will not help you then take note of the response of Jesus to Jairus.  Jesus begins to go with Jairus to his house in order to heal his daughter.  Of course, the multitude of people continue to follow Jesus and “throng” him (that is, to press in tight around him).

The desperate condition of a daughter of Israel

Starting in verse 25, this story takes a turn.  He is interrupted by one that he will call “daughter” in verse 34.  Now this woman is most likely at least the age of Jesus, which we will establish in a bit.  So, his reference to her as “daughter” is a reminder to her and everyone else that she is still a daughter of Israel.  She had a place and a portion among God’s people who are called Israel.  Her bleeding ailment threatened this.  Today we would use the phrase “child of God” or “daughter of God.”  Regardless the emphasis is that her condition does not make her an outcast, as she has been treated no doubt.  Through Christ we can spiritually be born again as a child of God who has a guaranteed place and portion among the people of God for each of us.  Thus, this story is thematically connected to Jairus and his dying daughter, as this woman is a dying daughter of God.

Let’s recount her physical situation.  We are told that she has a “flow of blood.”   It is not completely explained and does not seem to be immediately life threatening.  However, she has had it for 12 years and it is getting worse.  I would assume that this means the flow is greater, but it could be a reference to pain, even though pain is not mentioned.  Within the Judean society this would have been a devastating thing for her.  First of all, it means that she would be ceremonially unclean all the time.  She could never participate in any of the religious ceremonies of Israel.  Second of all, anyone that she touches would also become ceremonially defiled.  Thus, she would have been a social outcast, much like a leper.  She is not only sick, but has been unable to have a normal life for the last 12 years.

We are also told about her experience with the medical profession of her day.  She apparently comes from wealth because she has spent all that she had going to “many physicians.”  Instead of getting better from their efforts, her condition keeps getting worse.  This woman has desperately sought out any hope that the medical profession of her day could offer and found them dashed to the ground.  No doubt, each time, she would get her hopes up that a certain doctor could help her with a unique procedure, only to return home without relief.  She now has nothing left and is thus without hope, until she hears about Jesus.  What she could not buy for all the money in the world is now possible for free.  What a moment of hope this must have been for this woman.

We are told that her plan was to come up behind Jesus, while he is in the crowd, and touch his garment.  What is interesting here is that she has the same concept of the connection between touch and healing that Jairus did.  However, in this case she believes that it doesn’t even have to be a purposeful touch.  She hopes to get a healing on the sly and slip away.  Why would she do that?  Part of it may have to do with the fact that her unclean condition is well known.  For her to purposefully touch a rabbi in public, thus making him ceremonially defiled, would be considered at least a social faux pas and perhaps even an act worthy of civil punishment.  On top of this is the question.  How many people would she touch in trying to get through the multitude to Jesus?  Her only chance of getting close to Jesus would be to hide her identity and attempt to get it without anyone knowing.  To get forgiveness is easier than to get permission.

In the Gospel of Matthew, we are told that she wants to touch the “hem” of his garment.  Typically, the hem would have tassels and even, at times, designs that evidenced a person’s place and authority.  This could be the hem at the bottom of the garment or on his sleeves.  We are not told if Jesus had any such items, but this is reminiscent of Malachi 4:2 where it says, “But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings;”.  The word for “wings” can mean exactly that in the context of birds or such.  It simply means the extremity of something.  In the context of a garment this could mean the edges or hems of the garment, and in the context of the person it would be their hands and feet (extremities).  I believe that this verse in Malachi is clearly referencing the Messiah by the title “Sun of Righteousness.”  Since it is a person the image is not so much wings, but rather his hands or the edges of his garment.  Our passage today is clearly a fulfillment of this passage and so is any healing event in which Jesus laid his hands upon the person.

The woman is healed

Upon the touching of the hem of Jesus’ garment, we are told that the “fountain of her blood” was immediately healed.  Whatever the source of the bleeding was, it was instantly healed and quit bleeding.  We are also told that she could feel that something had changed in her body.  She knew in that instant that she was healed.  Now, all she had to do was slip away and go through the purification rituals.  She would no longer be ceremonially defiled and could return to a normal interaction with Judean society.

Just as the woman felt something physically happen to her, so Jesus sensed the power that had healed her.  The word for “power” her is the term “dunamis,” which points to the creative and restorative power of God.  At first, this may give the impression that the Bible is saying that healing is something that can be carried around and given to someone else by touch and even without willing it.  That is, all it takes to be healed is to touch something that his holy, and blessed by God.  Yet, there is more to it than that, which we will come back to in a moment.  Before the woman can make her exit, Jesus suddenly turns around within the crowd and says, “Who touched my clothes?”

The disciples are incredulous at the question Jesus asks.  They point out that many people in the crowd are constantly touching him.  The question might be better, “Who hasn’t touched me?”  Clearly this is not what Jesus is talking about.  He knows who he is talking about and so does the person who was healed.

The woman is afraid and trembling as she falls down before Jesus and confesses the whole story to Jesus and the surrounding crowd.  Most likely, she expects some kind of public rebuke and perhaps legal consequences.  Yet, Jesus is unconcerned with any fears of being defiled and protecting his reputation as a holy man.  He never even brings it up.  In fact, this episode begs the question.  Is Jesus now ceremonially defiled?  The most powerful evidence to the contrary is the fact of her healing.  It was not her defiling him, but him healing her.  The defilement of her condition was no match for the healing power of Jesus.  We cannot defile him, but he can heal us.  This is not just true with physical issues.

Many people do not turn to Christ because they fear that they will be rejected due to their sins.  However, our sin cannot affect Jesus.  He can handle your sins.  He went to the cross for your sins.  His power is greater than all our sin and can set us free from them, both legally and in actuality.  In no way, do I imply that it is okay to embrace sin as a follower of Jesus.

This part of the story ends with Jesus addressing her as daughter.  We talked about this earlier, but I believe it is an endearing term meant to set her at ease, and also a reminder to those around them that she is still a daughter of Israel.  She never lost her place with God because of this disease.  The pharisaical position on such people would be that they are cursed by God, no doubt due to sin, and thus a sub-citizen of sorts.  She would not be seen as a true daughter of Israel, at least until she is healed.

His statement following this address is that her faith has made her well.  Jesus does not mean that faith by itself is enough to be healed.  It is not a faith that just keeps saying, “I am healed; I am healed.”  This would be faith in faith itself.  However, Jesus said “her faith.”  What exactly was her faith?  Her faith was not centered in positivism or a mantra.  It was solidly placed upon the person of Jesus.  She believed that Jesus could heal her if she just touched his garment.  This is the plain teaching of Scripture.  God has provided for healing through faith in Jesus.  No, it is not guaranteed that all people will be healed in this life because God has a purpose that goes beyond this life.  As Jesus told the Apostle Paul, “My grace is enough for you.”  Yet, this story is an amazing revelation nonetheless.  Many simply will not believe that healing in the name of Jesus is possible at all, and thus they miss out on the possibility that God would heal them.  Others believe that Jesus heals, but blame all situation where there is no healing upon the faith of the person or their loved ones.  We must be careful in this area and ask for healing and yet trust God no matter what his answer.

Jesus tells her to go in peace and enjoy her healing from this plague.  Not all that plagues humanity is physical.  However, in Jesus we have the One who is able to make us every bit whole.  Will you put your faith in him for both your body and soul?  We can touch Jesus through our prayers of faith in him.

Woman Healed audio

The Power & Authority of Jesus

Mark 5:1-20.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Sunday, July 21, 2019.

Many scientists do not believe there is such a thing as a spirit realm. They hold to a materialism world-view and they would not accept that a human has a true spirit, much less that there are spiritual entities other than human.  The basic line of thought is that ancient humans couldn’t explain disease and mental illness and so they came up with the idea of spirits, both good and bad (the bad being demons).  The problem with this is that is presents the false idea that we now understand everything about the human body and mind. 

As advanced as our technologies are, the human mind still presents a difficult puzzle to scientists.  There are clinically trained psychiatrists who have come to the conclusion that some cases that they have encountered cannot be explained by a problem within a person’s mind.  Things such as: the knowledge of individuals and things outside of the person’s ability (even very private things), speaking languages not learned or even encountered,  and especially aggravation at talk about and the person and work of Jesus.

Of course the opposite error does exist.  Some religious people treat all strange activity as demonic.  Many “exorcisms” gone awry have resulted in the death of people, and I am not just talking about within Christianity.  As believers in the One who is Truth, we must not cast aside the recognition that demons are real.  Yet, we also must not let fear rule our hearts and label every mental illness or strange sickness as demonic activity.

Today we will look at a passage that makes it clear that though demons do exist, they must flee before the power and authority of Jesus Christ.

A demon-possessed man approaches Jesus

Our story begins with a demon-possessed man that meets Jesus and his disciples at the shore as they get out of their boat.  We should remember that, at the end of chapter 4, Jesus and his disciples were boating across the Sea of Galilee from the Galilee region (NW part of the sea).  During this trip a huge storm occurred threatening to destroy the boat and them.  This story is what happened after that scene.  Another point to recognize is that all three synoptic gospels have these stories back to back.  They are integrally linked in the minds of the apostles.  This has caused some to see a supernatural aspect to the storm scene. 

The Scriptures do not state that this is the case.  However, it is quite possible.  In the story of Job, Satan is allowed to “touch” Job.  Of the several catastrophes that occur two seem to be natural disasters:  fire falls from heaven upon the sheep and shepherds, and a great wind destroys the house in which his adult children are feasting, killing them all.  Regardless of whether or not the above conjecture is correct, the message is the same.  Jesus is greater than anything that may come upon us in this life, whether natural or supernatural, period.

So, just where are they landing with their boat?  If you look at all three gospel accounts (Matthew 8, Mark 5, and Luke 8), you find a difference in the name of the area in which they land.  On top of this, there are also some textual differences within the manuscript evidence.  Is it the area of the Gadarenes, Gergasenes, or the Gerasenes?  It is most likely that these are variant terms of the same or overlapping areas.  The Gadara area would include all of the southern part of the Sea of Galilee.  So that gives us a rough estimate of where they were.

Immediately upon their beaching f the boat, they are met by the demon-possessed man.  This guy is in a terrible condition of which we are told about up front in the story.  Not all demon-possession manifests in a way that is so violent and socially adverse as this guy.  This man represents the “crazy person” picture of possession.  We are told initially that he has an unclean spirit, which is a synonym for a demon.  Notice that the term “demons” is used in verse 12.  He lived among the tombs rather than in a regular house of that time, most likely due to being driven out of town.  He was out of his mind crying out, cutting himself with stones and naked.  When it talks about crying out here, it is not talking about tears, but rather loud screams and words that may or may not have made sense.  The people of the area have often tried to restrain him with shackles and chains.  However, he would break these chains and tear off the shackles.

The strength he demonstrated could be called super-human.  However, it is unclear how much of the power is simply the demons pushing him to exert more energy than a person would normally push themselves.  Also, I’m sure the strength of the metals in that place and at that time are very weak compared to what we would have today.  However, we should also recognize that these people had restrained many others before.  This guy was unrestrainable in a day that knew how to restrain some pretty strong guys.  The overall picture is that this guy is a menace to the area and has been driven out of the city and into the tombs, or at least has gone there of his own accord.  Also, we see that he is a very tortured individual.  The demons are not his friends.  They have brought him to a horrible and low state.

The demons resist leaving the man

The writing of this scene is a bit choppy, but one can follow it.  It seems the man approaches Jesus and Jesus first commands the spirit to come out of the man.  It is then that the demon begins to speak.

Now we must deal with an unfortunate translation in verse 6.  The man is not worshipping Jesus as the English in the KJV, NKJV, and RSV states.  The word most of the time does mean to worship. However, at its base it means to prostrate one’s self before another as if to kiss their hand in obeisance.  Thus, the better picture is that the man has ran up and fallen down in front of Jesus, looking like a fiend (no clothing, cuts all over his body, not in his right mind, hair probably a knotted mess, etc.).  Jesus recognizes the unclean spirit and commands it to come out. 

At this point, the demon has some protests, or at least, a short dialogue takes place.  The first statement of the demon is really a question.  It essentially means what do you want with me, or why are you bothering me.  This area is not considered part of Israel at the time.  No Jew worth his salt would be caught dead there, and so, the people in this scene are most likely gentiles.  The question is on the order of asking why Jesus is “out of his territory.”  Secondly, the demon demonstrates the knowledge of who Jesus is.  He addresses him as Jesus, Son of the Most High God.  Notice that Jesus normally would not let demons talk, at least when he was in Israel.  However, here we see that Jesus interacts to some degree with the spirits.  Why would he do so here, but not in Israel?  When he was in Israel, Jesus didn’t want demons for his P. R. speakers.  I would think that here in this Gentile land the only Israelites are his disciples and they are already convinced that he is the Messiah.  These Gentiles are not thinking to themselves that Jesus could be the Messiah.  Most likely, they are not even aware of what that is.  Yet, Satan and his spirits knew exactly who Jesus was, but they did not know what he was there to do.

This demon asks Jesus if he is there to torment him.  Matthew 8 adds the phrase “before the time.”  So, what is this about?  The book of Revelation speaks of a time when Satan is to be cast into the bottomless pit.  Perhaps the demons will also have that fate.  Regardless, we know that all evil beings will be cast into the Lake of Fire when the New Heavens and the New Earth are created by God.

These spirits have clear knowledge of this coming judgment. However, they also seem to have the idea that it isn’t time yet for their judgment.  To them, Jesus is here early.  This adds to the fear of these demons.  What is he doing?  Is he throwing us into the bottomless pit/Lake of Fire early? 

Jesus asks the spirit what its name is and is told that it is “Legion.”  This is clearly not a proper name, but rather a nick-name, or better a nom de guerre.  He is possessed by many demons, whether that literally means thousands or not is irrelevant.  The demons protest that they do not want to be sent out of the region (vs. 10).  We are not told why.  Most likely they believe they have a sweet deal in this area and are able to have their way.

However, they suggest an alternative.  In their fear, they beg Jesus to give them leave to enter a herd of pigs that are nearby.  We are told that there are 2,000 pigs.  It is unclear why they ask this, and also why Jesus permits it.  It would probably be foolish to speculate too much.  However, several things are clear.  The spirits demonstrate the same violence and torment in the pigs as in the demoniac.  The pigs “go crazy” and stampede down the hill into the sea and drown.  Thus, the spirits are released into the area desperate to find another person to inhabit and have gotten away from Jesus.  Later, the disciples of Jesus would come back into this area and most likely have to deal with them again.

The people of the region are afraid

The swine-herders become the heralds of what happened.  We are not told into what city they go, but it is most likely a nearby small village.  Eventually a crowd from the area gathers at shore in order to see this spectacle.  Then the story is recounted for them about Jesus freeing the demon-possessed man and the death of the pigs.

Alongside of this story, is the reality of the man himself.  He is clearly the same man they had feared in the past, most likely with cuts still visible on parts of his body.  However, he is not ranting and stark raving naked.  He is fully clothed and in his right mind.  These evidences powerfully testify to these first century people, but it also powerfully testifies to us 21^st century people.  If our psychiatrists had an one ounce of the ability Jesus had, we would not see nearly as much mental illness in our society.  I am not saying all mental illness is the result of demonic possession.  It is often just the natural result of sin, both ours and that of others.  However, Jesus healed people as well as casting out demons.  We should learn from the only one who demonstrated mastery of both, instead of scoffing at the testimony of these eye-witnesses.

There are two responses recorded here.  The first is from the people of the region.  No doubt, they can appreciate the freeing of the demon-possessed man.  However, they also may see Jesus as just another spiritual threat.  If he is stronger than a legion of evil spirits than what would he do to them?  Also, the destruction of 2,000 pigs was a heavy economic hit.  Can we afford any more actions of such a man in our country?  Regardless of all their thoughts, they plead with Jesus to leave. 

It is easy to be fearful and afraid of spiritual things because we don’t understand them and can’t control them.  However, this is the point.  Evil spirits are fearful, but the power of the Holy Spirit is greater than them.  When we believe in Christ and have his Holy Spirit dwelling in us, we have nothing to fear from such spirits, even a legion of them. 

The Holy Spirit is pure and clean.  He does not control people, torment them, and abuse them.  He works gently and kindly within us to encourage us in the right direction.  He enables and empowers us as we act in faith and trust in God’s Word.  You have nothing to fear from the Holy Spirit, and, when He is living within you, you have nothing to fear from those evil spirits that roam this world looking for people to inhabit and torment.

The second response is that of the man, which is quite different from the people.  The man wants to follow Jesus and become one of his disciples.  However, Jesus gives him a different mission.  This Gentile man is not who God has to become an apostle in Israel.  Rather, he is to tell that Gentile region his story and how Jesus set him free from a legion of demons.  Imagine what it was like when a decade or two later the disciples of Jesus came into that area.  They would find many people open to the gospel because of what they had heard from this man years earlier.  His activity would be a kind of “pre-evangelism” that would prepare the inhabitants of the region to receive the Gospel later.

As we leave this story, I pray that, instead of being freaked out about spiritual things and pushing Jesus away, you will become excited about the one who has complete authority and power over all spiritual beings.  We need not fear the demons of darkness when the Lord of the Light has come. 

Power & Authority audio