Who Is This Jesus?
Preached by Jason Abbott
September 24, 2017
Justin Smith
Jason Abbott
Have you ever been surprised to find yourself in the presence of somebody with tremendous power? If so, how did you respond?I must’ve been in my late 20s when I drove over to a local middle school with a bunch of other guys to play some tackle football the day after Thanksgiving. When we got there, I was surprised to find this guy among those playing that day:Meet NFL Pro Bowl defensive end Justin Smith. Justin is 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 285 pounds. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.6 seconds and bench presses over 400 pounds. In short, he’s a giant, strong man who runs very, very fast.To help you grasp what this meant to me, just examine this revised image:Yes, this is a scale image of me fitting easily inside the body of Justin Smith. Jason is 5 feet 11-3/4 inches tall and weighs 181 pounds. Jason runs the 40-yard dash in 5.8 seconds (if those hamstrings don’t pop!) and bench presses over 200 pounds. In short, I’m not a giant, strong man who runs very, very fast.When, consequently, I arrived and saw someone as powerful as Justin Smith preparing to play, I immediately felt a proper amount of fear. But what would I do with it? Would I continue with this game—realizing I must change how I’d play because of Justin’s superiority? Or, would I take my ball and go—refusing to play because I don’t really want to deal with Justin . . . I don’t really want to change?Friends, in today’s passage, similar questions stand before those confronted with Christ’s power. Will they follow him or turn away? Let’s read and see.
Luke 8:22-39
22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. 24 And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.
As we study these verses, we’ll notice that they’re all about Jesus’ identity. Thus, after he calms the storm with a word, his disciples wonder: “Who . . . is this?” That’s the question Luke places before us now: Who’s this rabbi who rebukes wind and waves, as well as a thousand demons?! And what will we do with his identity? What will we do with Christ?Will we respond with (1st) stormy hearts—semi-trusting or faithless hearts—like the twelve disciples? Will we respond with (2nd) stony hearts like the crowds in the Gerasenes who send Jesus away? Or will we respond with (3rd) steady hearts like this once-possessed man who obeys Jesus? Keep these question in front of you as we look at each of their responses together.
1. Stormy Hearts (vv. 22-25)
If we think the disciples respond positively here then we must think again, because Jesus certainly doesn’t see their response during this tempest as a positive. Notice how he questions them after he calms the storm:
He said to them, “Where is your faith?” (v. 25a)
Jesus rebukes them here. He expects more than the panic-stricken response they give him. He expects faith from his disciples. He expects them to have a calm through this storm. But, it’s not because this isn’t a bad storm; it is! And, it’s not because there’s no real danger of perishing here; there is! Rather, Jesus expects them to stay calm . . . because he’s with them and leading them.We, however, might think Jesus expects too much from his disciples here—that maybe he’s setting the bar too high. But, I don’t think so.Let’s put Jesus’ rebuke of how the disciples react to this storm in its context. Just consider what they’ve already been able to witness as they’ve followed Jesus. Here’s just a taste from earlier in Luke:
With a touch, Jesus instantly heals a man of leprosy (5:13).
With a word, Jesus grants a paralyzed man the ability to walk (5:25).
Without being there, from a distance, Jesus makes a man well (7:10).
In the middle of a funeral, Jesus raises a dead man to life (7:15).
Therefore, after the disciples have witnessed these amazing demonstrations of power by Jesus (which were all accomplished to bring health and life to others!) they somehow imagine that Jesus is taking them out to sea in order to drown them, or that he is no match for the power of this storm. They have forgotten their past and, thus, doubt Christ with their present need.So, Jesus looks at them and asks: Where is your faith? Why do you panic? Why do you doubt? Haven’t I demonstrated my compassion, goodness, and power to you over and over again?And when storms come, we often need the same rebuke as these disciples. It’s easy for us to forget the past demonstrations of God’s kindness and faithfulness towards us. It’s easy for us to think only about the storms which loom ahead of us and imagine them to be more powerful than God—or presume that he doesn’t care about us. But, this is to forget his sovereign care for us in the past and his promise of sovereign care for us in the future.When you read through the Bible, it’s striking how often God institutes ways for his people to remember how he has graciously provided for them in the past. Think about the feasts and festivals to celebrate and remember God’s saving work in the Exodus from Egypt or think about Jesus instituting baptism and communion to celebrate and remember his work in defeating sin and death.Friends, God calls each of us to remember how he provided for us in the past so that we might have a steady faith whenever life’s future storms inevitably come. We should, consequently, take time to recall and praise God for his past provisions and, simultaneously, celebrate his promises to prosper and bless us in the future—promises which find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ’s return.So, whenever your prayers are answered, write them down and share them with others and praise God for his faithfulness. Around the dinner table each night, spend some time discussing how God provided for your needs in little or, perhaps, big ways during the day. Dwell on the promises of God. And remind one another of the tremendous present-and-future blessings we enjoy in Christ.Exercise and strengthen your faith in these ways!Well, while the twelve disciples have stormy and unsteady hearts in this text, we find that others have a different type of heart trouble when they’re confronted with the power and authority of Jesus. They have hard hearts or . . .
2. Stony Hearts (vv. 26-37)
There’s really no question about this. When these crowds take in this scene (the once possessed man made well and thousands of dead pigs floating belly up!), they want Jesus to go. They have stony hearts. Look at what Luke tells us:
Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear (v. 37).
So just like the disciples, these folks recognize the awesome power of Jesus and are afraid. However, unlike the disciples, they want nothing to do with him following his demonstration of authority. They harden their hearts towards Christ. But why?! That’s the real question.Some suggest it’s because of the loss of the pigs—that the people are afraid of losing more property. Others suggest it’s because of the supernatural display—that the miracle overwhelms the crowd, and they simply don’t want to deal with it; they just want peace and quiet . . . no fireworks!1 As for me, I think it is likely both of these reasons . . . and more.See people harden their hearts to the gospel for various and creative reasons. Sometimes it’s because they imagine following Christ will mean giving up fun—that Christianity is a dull, joyless existence. Sometimes it’s because they worry following Jesus will hurt their reputations—that Christianity is really unintellectual or unpopular or the like. Sometimes they think they’ll have to give up possessions or pastimes or power. Really there’s no end to the various excuses. People believe what they want to believe in order to turn Christ away, and they turn Christ away because, ultimately, they want to play god.Friends, every day when I get up, my inclination is to attempt to rule my life. Every day when I get up, I have a thousand temptations to harden my heart to God. I can manufacture infinite excuses to deny him authority and to keep it for myself. But, all my reasoning is merely a house of cards since there’s just one true King, and only his reign can bring life to my stony heart.Don’t harden your hearts to Christ!Well, we do find an exemplary response to the power and authority of Jesus. Ironically, it’s from the last guy you’d expect—the man with a thousand demons. He displays a willing heart or . . .
3. A Steady Heart (vv. 38-39)
Look at the last two verses with me. As Jesus is getting in his boat to leave, Luke tells us:
The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him (vv. 38-39).
Let me share two reflections as we close. First, note that this man doesn’t get what he wants; he doesn’t get to go with Jesus. And he really wants to go with him. The verb “begged” contains the sense in the Greek of having “deep personal need.” He’s not simply asking Jesus, casually, if there’s room in the boat. He longs to go. He is pleading with Jesus to go.Yet, when he doesn’t get the thing he longs for from Jesus, what does he do? Well, he does precisely what Jesus tells him to do. He obeys!Luke is giving us a model of true discipleship here. This man doesn’t come to Jesus hoping to call the shots. He doesn’t expect to compromise with the Savior. He asks, and—when he doesn’t get what he wants—he’s, nevertheless, obedient; he goes home telling everyone about Jesus.A church with a bunch of servants like this guy would be unstoppable!Second, for a moment, just ponder why Jesus might’ve sent the man home. Why not take him? Why did Jesus tell him to go back telling everyone about God and all that God had done for him? Where was home for this once possessed man? The answer is quite likely in the very city where all the stony-hearted people lived. And, if that’s the case, we catch a glimpse of something beautiful about Jesus here. We catch a glimpse of God’s heart for the lost. He’s still after those stony-hearts! He hasn’t given up on them!I would have. I might have even asked Jesus to reign down fire from heaven upon their little city. I’ll bet you can, at least, identify with my wrathful sentiments. But not Jesus! And, this is precisely why we need him so badly—in all his power and all his authority. For only Christ is:
. . . the founder and perfecter of our faith…[and only Christ] endured the cross, despising the shame, and [only Christ is now] seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).
1
Darrell Bock,
Luke 1:1-9:50
, 779.
