Week 11 March 4, 2012 "Jesus for Everyone"

This week we did not show an on-location video from Israel. We showed the video "Strangers" which illustrates how each life lived for Jesus can effect countless others. We will return to our own video segments next week. The button below should allow you to play the ignite Video seen in service today.

Text: This week, we’re covering Luke 6:12-19, dealing with Jesus’ choosing of twelve apostles from the larger group of his disciples and how Jesus ministered to people from any and all backgrounds. We will also journey back to the healings in Ch. 5.

Other passages to read:  This week, we encourage you to read "horizontally" in these passages that are parallel to our text from Luke:

·         Choosing the Twelve: Matthew 10:1-4; Mark 3:13-19

·         Ministering to the diverse crowd: Matthew 4:23-25; Mark 3:7-8

·         Other verses: Genesis 12:1-3 (Promise to Abraham); 1 Samuel 17 (David & Goliath)

Other Resources: This week’s recommended resource is Luke, Volume 1: That You May Know the Truth (Preaching the Word Series), by R. Kent Hughes. The author was the pastor of College Church in Wheaton, IL, for many years. His solid expository preaching has been crafted into a very readable and inspirational commentary. He is one of my personal favorites.

Sermon Notes: "Jesus is for Everybody"

Read Luke 6:16-19 (esp. v. 18) and Luke 5:12-26

While Pastor Randy only got through the first point in his sermon, we are including his whole outline for you.

Lessons to learn:

• A Physical healing that illustrates spiritual truth:  Jesus makes filthy people clean.
• Jesus took care of other people…and He took care of Himself.
• People need Jesus, and it is our great privilege to bring them to him.  Remember, there is always going to be an obstacle.
• Avoid Religious ‘Separatism’ – quit treating others like lepers. 
• If you get to Jesus, He will fulfill you. If you fail Jesus, He will forgive you.

Points to ponder: In your study this week, you might want to think about one of these questions:

• Why (for what purpose) did Jesus choose the twelve?
• Why did he choose those particular twelve men? Can you think of at least two reasons this group would be a counterintuitive choice?
• Read the parallel passages in Matt. 4 and Mark 3 and locate on a map where the crowd listening to Jesus had come from. How far are you willing to go to hear Jesus?
• How could so many people from such diverse and even contentious backgrounds all gather together in one place?
• If we believe that physical healing is still available today, and we do, why are some people healed and some people not healed?

Questions to ask ourselves: The following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus…

• Is there anyone that seeks Jesus out whom he turns away? Are any disqualified from seeking Jesus and being saved by his grace?
• To what is Jesus calling each of us today?
• Is there something in your life that is keeping you from answering Jesus’ call to come, hear, and follow him?
• Are there things you desperately desire Jesus to heal in your life? Write them down. Take those issues to Jesus in prayer. Also, feel free to call the church for prayer as well.
• What is the key to being a congregation of people from diverse backgrounds who worship well together?

Previously on “Ponderables”:

• What is Jesus saying about David’s actions in 1 Samuel 21? How are the two situations parallel? Jesus is saying that the issue was human need over religious rules. That is the heart of the Sabbath. David, God’s anointed king, refused to take things into his own hands and rebel against Saul. He trusted God to elevate him to the throne in God’s own time. However, Saul had the priests killed for innocently helping David on his way. I think there could be a subtle allusion here to the actions of Saul and Doeg the Edomite and the future actions of  the Pharisees against him and his followers. Leon Morris writes, “It is the Son of David who is Lord. If David could override the law without blame, how much more could the much greater Son of David do so?” (Luke, 135)
• Is there some area where we have become “religious” that doesn’t foster our relationship with God? This is not really a question that I can answer for you. Hopefully, you spent time thinking about this. Our walk with Christ should not be primarily moralistic, but relational.  What is it that we treasure the most? Is it biblical? More questions…they just keep coming!
• Like last week, what details does Luke supply that are not found in Matthew or Mark? The disciples are described as having “rubbed the grain in their hands” (which violated rules about threshing), and in describing the Pharisees’ reaction to the healing of the man with the withered hand, Luke says they were “filled with fury”. However, both Matthew and Mark also add unique details to the story…did you notice? Remember, observation is important!
• What does the Sabbath mean to us today? How should we apply the principle in our lives? Sabbath is no longer a command to us, for it is fulfilled in Christ (Col. 2:16-17). However, the Sabbath principles are still very helpful to us today in being able to remain effective for the Lord (and our families) over the long haul. We need regular rest from our work and all the electronic accessories that go along with it! Pastor Randy did a great job unpacking that in his sermon.
• Read Hebrews chapters 3-4 and ask yourself, “What is the key to entering into God’s Sabbath rest?” The key is not working harder or being better; the key is our believing or trusting in Jesus! God in his love reaches down to us to bring us into true rest if we will only respond!

Quotes & Commentary:

R. Kent Hughes on the four friends digging through the roof:

 “The four then proceeded to tear a hole in the roof! The typical roof of that day  consisted of timbers laid parallel to each other about two or three feet apart. Sticks were closely laid crosswise upon the timbers, and the structure was padded with reeds, thistles, and twigs. The whole thing was overlaid with about a foot of earth [crushed limestone], which was packed down to minimize leakage. All told the roof was about two feet thick. During the spring grass flourished on these primitive roofs. So the paralytic’s friends had their work cut out for them—they were performing a mini-excavation.” (R. Kent Hughes, Luke Vol. 1, That You May Know the Truth, Crossway, Wheaton, 1998, 174.)

Since our message this morning did not spend time teaching about the choosing of the twelve apostles (6:12-16), we will take a more extended look at that section here with this excerpt again from Do You See Him? Expository Studies from the New Testament, by Greg K. Dueker.

Jesus Appointed Twelve Apostles  

A) Who Were They?

When we talk about apostles, what do we mean?  As we have seen, Jesus called many with Him to the mountain, but of these, He chose only a few, twelve to be exact, to a special relationship with Him.  These twelve men Jesus designated as apostles, which involved more than being a student or disciple; it meant "one who is sent out with a commission, having the authority of the sender."  To put it simply, these men were called "missionaries," or "ambassadors" by our Lord.  As it is written,

Mark 3:13-19 "Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.  He appointed twelve‑‑designating them apostles‑‑that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.  These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder); Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him."

Luke 6:12-16 "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.  When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor."

In addition to these lists of the names of the apostles, there are two other lists of the apostles that may be found in Matthew 10:1-4 and Acts 1:13.  There have been some questions over the years concerning these lists of names because of apparent differences.  However, there are really no unreconcilable problems with the lists.  Most of the problems come because of the use of one or the other of an individual's names, making it look like they refer to two separate people.  Actually, there is great similarity between these lists, put forth in three groups of four.  In all the lists, Simon Peter, Philip, James the son of Alphaeus, and Judas Iscariot always hold the same positions.

These are the twelve men that Jesus designated as apostles:

1) Simon: Jesus surnamed him "Peter," which means "Rock."

2) Andrew: Peter's brother; led Peter to Jesus; a former disciple of the Baptist.

3) James: John's brother, a son of Zebedee, surnamed with John "Boanerges," which was a Hebrew expression for "Sons of thunder or tumult." 

4) John: Referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved," a former disciple of the Baptist.  James and John are believed to be cousins of Christ, as their mother, Salome, may be the Salome who was the sister of Mary.

5) Philip: A Greek name that was not uncommon in Galilee; he led Nathanael to Christ.

6) Bartholomew: Also known as Nathanael; most likely he was "Nathanael Bar Tholomew" for Bartholomew is a patronymic meaning "Son of Tolmai".

7) Matthew: His name meant "a gift of God"; also called "Levi, the son of Alphaeus".  He was a former tax collector.

8) Thomas: Called "Didymus," meaning "the twin," was ready to die with the Lord but is more famous for doubting the news of the resurrection, though when he did see Christ, he made the wonderful confession, "My Lord and my God!"  Thomas has not been treated fairly.

9) James, son of Alphaeus: Perhaps the brother of Matthew (Levi), but because Alphaeus was a common name, we cannot be sure; also called "James the younger." 

10) Simon, who was called the Zealot: This title may have referred to his personality as being zealous for God, but most likely refers to his former membership in the political party of the Zealots. 

11) Judas son of James (a.k.a.  Lebbaeus, or Thaddaeus): James was also called "Lebbaeus," meaning "big-hearted" and "Thaddaeus," which has its origin in the word meaning "praise."  So his real name would have been Judas Lebbaeus and his surname Thaddaeus.  It is believed by some that Judas was the brother of James, not the son of James; further, they would say that, based upon the testimony of the ancient historians, that James, Judas, and Simon were brothers and "cousins" of Christ on Joseph's side.  We cannot be sure.

12) Judas Iscariot: Iscariot may mean "man from the town of Kerioth," a town in Judea, in which case he was the only non-Galilean of the group.  One commentator suggests that the name "Iscariot" is equally likely to have meant "dagger man" (like today's "gunman").

B) How Did Jesus Approach This Very Important Decision? 

When Jesus came to the place in His ministry when He began to switch His emphasis from teaching the crowds to preparing a select group to establish the church after His own death, He approached the decision of whom to choose very carefully.  The choice of whom we are going to invest our lives in is very important.  The text teaches that Jesus spent the whole night in solitude and prayer, to make sure that He had the Father's heart on the matter.  He did not want to be influenced by the thinking of the crowd.

After praying all night long, Jesus chose the apostles by exercising His divine will (in full submission to the Father), making a sovereign choice.  As it is written, "Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him." (Mark 3:13)

In considering the "How?" of Jesus' selection of apostles, we must understand that He was exercising sovereign choice, doing the will of the Father, establishing His "cabinet" for the Kingdom of God as represented in the Church.  Yet whenever one talks of sovereign choice at this point, the question of Judas Iscariot comes up.  Did Jesus make a mistake?  Did He somehow miss God's will in choosing the last of the apostles?  After all, eleven out of twelve is a pretty good batting average (.917 for you baseball fans).  Of course, we would see that this is wrong thinking.  Jesus chose Judas Iscariot, in love, seeing his potential, yet knowing that Scripture must be fulfilled and that it would be through the actions of Judas Iscariot that prophecy would be fulfilled.  As it is written, 

Zechariah 11:12-13 "I told them, 'If you think it best, give me my pay; but if not, keep it.'  So they paid me thirty pieces of silver.  And the Lord said to me, "Throw it to the potter"‑‑the handsome price at which they priced me!  So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord to the potter."

There can be no other basis for the selection of the apostles other than sovereign choice, for Jesus later said to the apostles, "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last."  (John 15:16a)

C) What Kind of Men Did He Choose? 

Jesus did not generally choose the rich and powerful to be His apostles, but rather, He chose simple, common, average people, men who were teachable and who, after spending time with Him, might be able to teach others also.  They were not perfect men, but men in whom and through whom God saw fit to work out His plan.  It has been said, and rightly so, that "The apostolic character, in short, must combine freedom of conscience, enlargement of heart, enlightenment of mind, and all to the superlative degree."  ^[1]

Yet Jesus did not choose them mainly for some quality which they had, nor for what they were at the time, but for what they might become upon spending time with Him.  For example, Jesus' statement to Simon (Peter) in John 1:42 shows that Jesus was looking at their potential.  They must have appeared to Jesus to be sincere and teachable (except for Judas) and all, except Matthew (Levi) in the beginning and Judas in the end, seemed to have been fairly religious as well as morally respectable.  However, as Lockyer wrote,

"The transformation of the twelve was not the least, it was almost the greatest of Christ's miracles…The application for our hearts in all this is that it is not what we are, in ourselves, when we hear and respond to Christ's call, but what by His grace and power He can make us as we company with Him."^[2]

There are no self-made Apostles and no self-made Christians in the kingdom of God--we owe all to His wonderful grace.  The encouraging thing is that what God did in the lives of these simple Galileans, He also desires to do in our lives today, if we will only "follow Him."

D) Why Did Jesus Choose the Twelve? 

Jesus did not just choose the twelve so that He might have something to do or feel like He was important.  Rather, Jesus chose the apostles for reasons that are obvious from the texts listed at the beginning of this section.  It is appropriate for us to relate this to the parable of the grain of wheat, that unless it dies it cannot yield a crop.  Jesus chose the twelve, into whom He sowed His life, that after He was gone and the Holy Spirit came upon them, they would yield an eternal crop of redeemed souls.  Jesus was preparing twelve men to teach others about Him.  Jesus was doing as the apostle Paul admonishes us to do, as it is written, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." (2 Timothy 2:2)

The purpose of the Lord was foreshadowed by His use of the phrase "fishers of men" in the calling of the four fishermen--though at the time, I'm sure that they did not fully understand His meaning.

1) To be with Him.  The foremost reason that Christ had appointed them apostles was that they might be with Him.  This special calling would eventually send them forth, but first they must spend time with Him, learning at His feet.  They were called to a special relationship with their Savior above all else.

2) To be sent out.  Secondly, they were to learn and grow so that they might be sent out as missionaries and ambassadors of Christ, ministers of the Gospel (good news).  When Christ commissioned them and sent them out two by two, they had two main functions: to preach and to minister to people's needs (e.g., to cast out demons).

a) To preach.  The message that they preached was, until after the Resurrection, for the Jews only, giving the children of Israel first chance to repent and believe that the Kingdom of God was at hand.  That repentance was possible and that the spiritual Kingdom of God (where God could reign in their hearts) was good news indeed and many believed.

b) To have authority to minister to people's needs.  Their preaching was to be accompanied by the supernatural and very practical casting out of demons that were afflicting people.  This also included healing the sick.  They were designated apostles, given a message and given power to verify the message by ministering to the people's desperate needs.

3)Twelve is the number of governmental perfection.  Many teachers might have had two or three disciples; some would have had more, but to have twelve would have been quite a statement. It seems obvious enough to our study that their number was symbolic of the twelve tribes of Israel. Perhaps this implied that Jesus was laying claim to the whole nation. Perhaps it was a statement as to the "new Israel" that would be established by the Messiah; certainly, it established a parallel between the Church and the chosen nation Israel. Later, Jesus told them that they would rule over the twelve tribes when all things are made new.  As it is written,

"Jesus said to them, 'I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.'" (Matthew 19:28)

4) They were representative of mankind.  Although there was not one from all the various nations nor even from many various towns, they were somehow representative of the human race.  They were not a group that you would have found together apart from Christ.  Not only were their occupations, educations, and goals quite different, but they were of differing personalities.  Lockyer comments,

"For instance, Peter is forward and self-assertive, but Andrew, his brother, keeps in the background and is never obtrusive.  James is like a volcano, but Nathanael is like a quiet summer pool.  Philip always looked before he leaped, but Peter leaped before he looked.  Some of the band were born to lead, others were content to be led . . . " ^[3] 

For a more in-depth character study on the apostles, Lockyer's book entitled All the Apostles of the Bible would be an excellent place to start.  Although I do not agree with all that has been assumed or hypothesized about the personalities of the various apostles, this book contains much interesting information.

---

[1]   A.B. Bruce, The Training of the Twelve, Eerdmans, 1894, 1971,1988, 14.
[2]   Herbert Lockyer, All the Apostles of the Bible, Zondervan, 1972, 11.
[3]   Herbert Lockyer, All the Apostles of the Bible, Zondervan, 1972, 16.

Week 8 February 5, 2012 "What Word Is This?"

Text = This week, we covered Luke 4:31-44.

Introduction = This passage we consider this week covers the following events:

1. Jesus’ move to Capernaum (after being rejected at Nazareth last week)

2. Jesus’ teaching in their synagogue

3. Jesus’ first recorded instance of casting a demon out of a person

4. The healing of Simon’s [Peter] mother-in-law, and

5. Jesus’ “Working the Night Shift” to heal all the sick that were brought that night;

6. Jesus' departure into a lonely place and his statement of purpose.

Pastor Randy is aware he was mispronouncing "Capernaum" in the video...or maybe he was quoting from the Latin Vulgate?

Other passages to read = Previously, we introduced the idea of reading the parallel passages to our text in Luke, which are found mainly in Matthew and Mark. So this week we will again encourage you to read "horizontally" in these other passages: Matthew 4:12-17, 23-25; 7:28-29; 8:14-16 [Isaiah 53:4]; Mark 1:21-39.

Other Resources =
Another basic commentary resource is Leon Morris’ Luke (Revised Edition) in the Tyndale New Testament Commentary series. Australian Morris’s work is a good introductory-level look at Luke. While he is not especially eloquent…he is solid, accessible, and his easy-to-read observations may help to clear up most questions a general reader or Bible Study leader might face.

Points to Ponder =
We want to be thinking as we are reading. While certainly the following questions are not all that we could be thinking about while we read this text, I think they can serve as seed ideas:

• Why is this demon referred to as an “unclean demon”?
• Why did they receive Jesus so differently than in Nazareth?
• Why was Jesus able to do so many miracles in Capernaum and not in Nazareth?
• What are some of the key words in this week’s passage? Why?
• We are living in a culture that often teaches “any press is good press” and “never pass up free marketing,” so why did Jesus tell the demons to “be muzzled”?
• In reading through Luke, notice the author’s precise use of medical terms and therapeutic details. Why is this? What unique details do we see this week?
• In reading the parallel passage in Mark, what two additional details can we add to our picture of this time in Jesus’ ministry?

Questions to ask ourselves = The following questions are intended to help us move towards greater application of what we learn about Jesus…

• Does the passage give us any clue as to why the people didn’t bring the sick to Jesus until after dark?
• Do we see Jesus’ words as having “authority and power” in our lives today?
• When was the last time you sensed Jesus speaking into your life in a very clear way?
• When we read about Jesus in the Bible, what words would most often describe our emotions and our actions?
• In verse 43, Jesus lets the inhabitants of Capernaum know that his mission is bigger than perhaps they want it to be. How do we respond when we don’t get our way with God?

Pastor Randy's Sermon Notes = Jesus' Authority
The Big Idea of this Passage:  The Authority of Jesus

• Exousia – unquestioned, ultimate authority that is tied into a person’s being, it is borne out of substance/essence.
• Dunamis – explosive power that accompanies authority
• Illustration = Picture of a football player (powerful), then a referee (authority).

1. Jesus teaches with authority
“And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.” (Luke 4:32)

2. Jesus has authority over the demonic

“Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits…”  (Luke 4:36)

“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.” (1 John 3:8)

3. Jesus has authority over sickness and disease

“When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.” (Luke 4:40)

How will I respond to the authority of Jesus?
A) The faith of the Nazarenes – no submission, angry at Jesus, refuse to believe in Jesus or in what He says.

“But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. People begin to talk about their astonishment and amazement.”  (Mark 6:4-6)

B) The faith of demons – forced submission –‘shuddering’ faith believes in Jesus but hates Him. 

“You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that — and shudder.” (James 2:19)

“And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.” (Luke 4:41)

C) The faith of the Centurion – submitted faith, believes in Jesus and in His words.

“Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. 2 And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. 3 So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. 4 And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, 5 “for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.” 6 Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. 7 Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it. 9 When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” 10 And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick.” (Mark 7:1-10)

 

Quotes & Commentary = Here are several commentary quotes from this section of Luke, which have been arranged around four major components of the passage.

1. The response of the people in Capernaum to Jesus’ words v.31-32, 36-37
They we stunned…amazed… astonished blown away! I write more about this in this week's SOAP journal [http://b4lukejournal.blogspot.com ]. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary make two very good points; the first about the reaction of the people and the second about Luke’s focus on the message.

“The reaction of the people, though comparable to that in the preceding incident (vv. 20-22), differs from it in one important aspect. Now they are astonished that this teacher, who in their eyes was not even a rabbi, taught with authority (v. 32). The contrast is sharpened in Mark 1:22 by the additional words "not as the teachers of the law." The majority of rabbis would base their teaching on the chain of tradition, citing the opinions of their predecessors. By omitting this specific comparison, Luke may simply be deferring to his Gentile readership, who would perhaps not be as aware as Jewish readers of rabbinical custom. But it may also be that Luke is emphasizing the absolute authority of Jesus. In support of this is Luke's use of the word "message" (logos, lit., "word"). For the importance of the "word" in Luke, see comment on 1:1-4. Keeping in mind that the parallel passage in Mark does not use "word" but says "he taught them," Luke would seem to be emphasizing the "authority" of Jesus' "word" (cf. v. 36).” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary—Vol. 8, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI, 1984, p. 871)

2. The response of the demons to the presence and authority of Jesus v. 33-35, 41
The translation in English of their response is "Ha!" The word in Greek is "Ea!" (pronounced ay-ah), which Thayer's Greek Lexicon says was "an interjection expressive of indignation, or of wonder mixed with fear." The question, "Have you come to destroy us?" could also be a statement, "You have come to destroy us!" 

"In one respect those who were 'demonized' exhibited the same phenomenon. They all owned the Power of Jesus. It was not otherwise in the Synagogue at Capernaum on that Sabbath-morning. What Jesus had spoken produced an immediate effect on the demonized, though one which could scarcely have been anticipated. For, there is authority for inserting the word 'straightway' immediately after the account of Jesus' preaching. Yet, as we think of it, we cannot imagine that the demon would have continued silent nor yet that he could have spoken other than the truth in the Presence of the God-Man. There must be, and yet there cannot be, resistance. The very Presence of the Christ meant the destruction of this work of the Devil. Involuntarily, in his confessed inability of disguise or resistance, he owns defeat, even before the contest. 'What have we to do with Thee, Jesus of Nazareth? Thou art come to destroy us!21I know Thee Who Thou art, the Holy One of God.' And yet there seems in these words already an emergence of the consciousness of the demonized, at least in so far that there is no longer confusion between him and his tormentor, and the latter speaks in his own name. One stronger than the demon had affected the higher part in the demonized. It was the Holy One of God, in Whose Presence the powers of moral destruction cannot be silent, but must speak, and own their subjection and doom. The Christ needs not to contend: that He is the Christ, is itself victory.

But this was not all. He had come not only to destroy the works of the Devil. His Incarnation meant this - and more: to set the prisoners free. By a word of command He gagged (This is the real meaning of the expression rendered, 'Hold thy peace.' It stills the raging of the powers of evil just as, characteristically, it is again employed in the stilling of the storm, St. Mark 4:39) the confessions of the demon, unwilling made, and even so with hostile intent. It was not by such voices that He would have His Messiahship ever proclaimed. Such testimony was wholly unfitting and incongruous; it would have been a strange discord on the witness of the Baptist and the Voice Which had proclaimed Him from heaven. And, truly, had it been admitted, it would have strangely jarred in a Life which needed not, and asked not even the witness of men, but appealed straightway to God Himself. Nor can we fail to perceive how, had it been allowed, it would have given a true ground to what the Pharisees sought to assign as the interpretation of His Power, that by the Prince of Demons He cast out demons. And thus there is here also deep accord with the fundamental idea which was the outcome of His Temptation: that not the seemingly shortest, but the Divine way must lead Him to the goal, and that goal not Royal proclamation, but the Resurrection.

The same power which gagged the confession also bade the demon relinquish his prey. One wild paroxysm - and the sufferer was forever free. But on them all who saw and heard it fell the utter stupor and confusion of astonishment. Each turned to his neighbor with the inquiry: 'What is this? A new doctrine with authority! And He commanded the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.' Well might they inquire. It had been a threefold miracle: 'a new doctrine;' 'with authority;' and obedience of the unclean spirits to His command. There is throughout, and especially in the account of the casting out of the demon, such un-Jewish simplicity…” (Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 1883 Version Book III, Chapter 14, [In newer Eerdmans version p 335-336])

3. The healing work of Jesus in Capernaum v. 38-41
After preaching and delivering the demonized man in the synagogue, Jesus healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law of a high fever or "burning fever," one of those unique medical terms Luke uses. After she was healed, she immediately served the Lord and his followers. What a great example for all of us. If only our first impulse upon receiving the miraculous working of Christ was to serve Him! Edersheim paints the scene on the canvas of our imagination...

“It was evening. The sun was setting, and the Sabbath past. All that day it had been told from home to home what had been done in the Synagogue; it had been whispered what had taken place in the house of their neighbor Simon. This one conviction had been borne in upon them all, that 'with authority' He spake, with authority and power He commanded even the unclean spirits, and they obeyed. No scene more characteristic of the Christ than that on this autumn evening at Capernaum. One by one the stars had shone out over the tranquil Lake and the festive city, lighting up earth's darkness with heaven's soft brilliancy, as if they stood there witnesses, that God had fulfilled His good promise to Abraham. On that evening no one in Capernaum thought of business, pleasure, or rest. There must have been many homes of sorrow, care, and sickness there, and in the populous neighborhood around. To them, to all, had the door of hope now been opened. Truly, a new Sun had risen on them, with healing in His wings. No disease too desperate, when even the demons owned the authority of His mere rebuke. From all parts they bring them: mothers, widows, wives, fathers, children, husbands - their loved ones, the treasures they had almost lost; and the whole city throngs - a hushed, solemnized, overawed multitude - expectant, waiting at the door of Simon's dwelling. There they laid them, along the street up to the market-place, on their beds; or brought them, with beseeching look and word. What a symbol of this world's misery, need, and hope; what a symbol, also, of what the Christ really is as the Consoler in the world's manifold woe! Never, surely, was He more truly the Christ; nor is He in symbol more truly such to us and to all time, than when, in the stillness of that evening, under the starlit sky, He went through that suffering throng, laying His hands in the blessing of healing on every one of them, and casting out many devils. No picture of the Christ more dear to us, than this of the unlimited healing of whatever disease of body or soul. In its blessed indefiniteness it conveys the infinite potentiality of relief, whatever misery have fallen on us, or whatever care or sorrow oppress us. He must be blind, indeed, who sees not in this Physician the Divine Healer; in this Christ the Light of the World; the Restorer of what sin had blighted; the Joy in our world's deep sorrow. Never was prophecy more truly fulfilled than, on that evening, this of Isaiah: 'Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.' By His Incarnation and Coming, by His taking our infirmities, and bearing our sicknesses - for this in the truest and widest sense is the meaning of the Incarnation of the Christ - did He become the Healer, the Consoler of humanity, its Savior in all ills of time, and from all ills of eternity. (Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 1883 version, Book III, Chapter 14, in newer versions on p. 335-336)

4. The departure of Jesus for a desolate place v. 42-44
Jesus makes one of his very important "purpose statements" in this passage. They went to "bring him home" from his time of prayer outside the city with the line "the people are looking for you." Jesus' answer, that his mission in proclaiming the Kingdom of God, was bigger than they expected. He had been sent to "look for the people" by preaching in all their towns...not just in Capernaum. N.T. Wright comments,

“Though Capernaum was his base of operations, he spent most of his time on the move. This may have been partly for the sake of the village itself; it couldn’t have sustained having more and more people come there for healing. Some have suggested that Jesus didn’t want to risk people setting up a kind of local industry around him. But the main reason is that he had to go to where other people were. He had to tell people that God was becoming King in a new way, that God’s long awaited salvation was breaking into the world, even though it didn’t look like they had expected it would. And in doing this he had to stay one jump ahead of the authorities. It isn’t too long before we find opposition following him. Crowds and healings, powerful teaching about God’s kingdom: many found it threatening then, and may find it threatening still.” (N.T.Wright, Luke for Everyone, Westminster John Knox Press 2004, p.52.)