WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.740 down and junior church can be dismissed at this 00:00:01.740 --> 00:00:06.379 time as well y 'all did well for the first time 00:00:06.379 --> 00:00:11.480 hearing that I love that song and obviously the 00:00:11.480 --> 00:00:14.699 words minister to us as they're making their 00:00:14.699 --> 00:00:17.660 way down if you would go to Matthew chapter 8 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:37.200 We're going to be looking this morning at the 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:40.780 section in verses 23 and wind at 34. But we're 00:00:40.780 --> 00:00:42.259 going to actually look at two different sections. 00:00:42.420 --> 00:00:43.799 The first section we're going to look at verses 00:00:43.799 --> 00:00:47.399 23 through 27. And so that will be our principal 00:00:47.399 --> 00:00:51.100 text this morning. And so let's read this and 00:00:51.100 --> 00:00:53.159 then we'll ask God to help us this morning as 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:57.140 well. Now when he, that is Jesus, got into a 00:00:57.140 --> 00:01:00.619 boat, his disciples followed him. And suddenly 00:01:00.619 --> 00:01:04.829 a great tempest arose on the sea. So that the 00:01:04.829 --> 00:01:08.069 boat was covered with the waves. But he was asleep. 00:01:09.390 --> 00:01:11.390 Then his disciples came to him and awoke him 00:01:11.390 --> 00:01:15.409 saying, Lord, save us. We're perishing. We're 00:01:15.409 --> 00:01:18.489 dying out here. But he said to them, why are 00:01:18.489 --> 00:01:21.890 you fearful? Oh, you of little faith. Then he 00:01:21.890 --> 00:01:25.230 arose and he rebuked the winds and the sea. And 00:01:25.230 --> 00:01:28.930 there was a great calm. So the men marveled saying, 00:01:29.150 --> 00:01:33.909 who can this be? That even the winds. and the 00:01:33.909 --> 00:01:37.450 sea obey him. Would you join me in asking God 00:01:37.450 --> 00:01:41.390 to help us this morning? Father and Lord, your 00:01:41.390 --> 00:01:45.609 word is life. It is light. Lord God, it gives 00:01:45.609 --> 00:01:48.849 us direction and instruction. But Father, this 00:01:48.849 --> 00:01:52.209 must be guided and enabled, made possible by 00:01:52.209 --> 00:01:55.230 the Holy Spirit of God. Father, I pray, Lord, 00:01:55.290 --> 00:01:57.030 for your help this morning. Lord, I pray that, 00:01:57.069 --> 00:02:00.170 Lord, you would use, Lord, your sacred word, 00:02:00.269 --> 00:02:02.189 Lord, you would use your promises to comfort 00:02:02.189 --> 00:02:05.120 your people. But Father, would you help me, Lord? 00:02:05.200 --> 00:02:07.739 Would you calm me, Lord? God, help me not to 00:02:07.739 --> 00:02:10.039 seek attention, but Lord, to focus all glory, 00:02:10.180 --> 00:02:13.500 all praise, all honor onto Christ. Lord, I pray 00:02:13.500 --> 00:02:15.319 that, Lord, you would guide my tongue this morning. 00:02:15.419 --> 00:02:18.860 And Lord, that which not to be said or is unhelpful 00:02:18.860 --> 00:02:21.840 or adds more obscurity, Lord, that you would 00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:25.020 keep me and refrain me from speaking that. And 00:02:25.020 --> 00:02:26.740 Lord God, I pray that that which needs to be 00:02:26.740 --> 00:02:28.780 said, you would even call to mind this morning, 00:02:28.840 --> 00:02:31.860 call to my remembrance. Father, would you show 00:02:31.860 --> 00:02:35.319 your people Jesus this morning? Show them what 00:02:35.319 --> 00:02:37.740 kind of man this is that calms even the wind 00:02:37.740 --> 00:02:41.699 and the waves, and they must obey him. It is 00:02:41.699 --> 00:02:44.219 found in Christ Jesus, our hope alone. It's in 00:02:44.219 --> 00:02:47.879 his name we pray. Amen. You have to understand 00:02:47.879 --> 00:02:49.680 something about this great gospel, this book 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:52.539 of Matthew. I believe there's just one central 00:02:52.539 --> 00:02:55.180 question that he's really asking over and over 00:02:55.180 --> 00:02:59.400 again, and that is, who is Jesus? Throughout 00:02:59.400 --> 00:03:02.900 his gospel, this question is answered, again, 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:06.680 not by telling you who he is, but rather showing 00:03:06.680 --> 00:03:10.620 you who he is. In chapter 1, Matthew opens this 00:03:10.620 --> 00:03:13.500 gospel and he uses a title. He calls Jesus the 00:03:13.500 --> 00:03:16.900 son of David and the son of Abraham. Now that's 00:03:16.900 --> 00:03:19.860 important because Matthew is written primarily 00:03:19.860 --> 00:03:23.219 for a Jewish audience. So when they're reading 00:03:23.219 --> 00:03:25.599 this and they see these titles, son of David, 00:03:25.819 --> 00:03:28.939 son of Abraham, No doubt they would immediately 00:03:28.939 --> 00:03:34.680 connect these promises given to these men with 00:03:34.680 --> 00:03:38.180 Jesus. See, both David and Abraham were given 00:03:38.180 --> 00:03:42.460 great promises by God through a covenant. And 00:03:42.460 --> 00:03:44.800 basically the covenant said a future blessing 00:03:44.800 --> 00:03:47.900 would come through one of their descendants. 00:03:49.099 --> 00:03:52.639 Abraham, he was promised that the entire world 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:56.699 would be blessed through his seed. And David 00:03:56.699 --> 00:04:00.180 later on was promised that a king would arise 00:04:00.180 --> 00:04:03.080 after him, one of his own descendants, who would 00:04:03.080 --> 00:04:08.039 reign on his throne eternally. And Matthew picks 00:04:08.039 --> 00:04:11.419 up his quill and begins to write, showing that 00:04:11.419 --> 00:04:14.960 these promises are fulfilled in Jesus. It is 00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:17.759 also in chapter 1 where we learn that Jesus was 00:04:17.759 --> 00:04:21.839 born in Bethlehem to a virgin named Mary, which 00:04:21.839 --> 00:04:24.139 is fulfillment of the promise given to Isaiah. 00:04:24.990 --> 00:04:28.689 God told that great prophet, that Emmanuel, God 00:04:28.689 --> 00:04:33.269 with us, would be born to a virgin, Isaiah 7 00:04:33.269 --> 00:04:37.089 .14. Later on, God told the prophet Micah that 00:04:37.089 --> 00:04:41.129 that virgin -born son would be born in Bethlehem, 00:04:41.149 --> 00:04:45.310 Micah 5 .2. We turn the page, we go to chapter 00:04:45.310 --> 00:04:48.230 2, and there we see that the son that was born 00:04:48.230 --> 00:04:51.649 to Mary is the same one that King Herod is trying 00:04:51.649 --> 00:04:54.879 to kill. which caused his parents to flee out 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:58.959 of Israel and then go into Egypt. Why? Well, 00:04:58.980 --> 00:05:01.660 Matthew says, so that the prophecy given to Hosea 00:05:01.660 --> 00:05:04.459 might be fulfilled, saying, out of Egypt I have 00:05:04.459 --> 00:05:08.420 called my son. Hosea chapter 11, verse 1. We 00:05:08.420 --> 00:05:11.439 go on to chapter 3, and Jesus is the one upon 00:05:11.439 --> 00:05:14.160 whom the Spirit of God descended when Christ 00:05:14.160 --> 00:05:16.980 was baptized, and we also hear God the Father 00:05:16.980 --> 00:05:21.759 speaking from heaven. In chapter 4, Jesus is 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:23.680 the one who's being led into the wilderness, 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:27.100 into the desert area, to be tempted by Satan. 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:31.740 But unlike Adam, and unlike Israel, who both 00:05:31.740 --> 00:05:34.819 failed in their testing, Jesus Christ passed 00:05:34.819 --> 00:05:38.660 the test and resisted temptation. He then begins 00:05:38.660 --> 00:05:42.360 to speak. Chapters 5, 6, and 7, that great sermon 00:05:42.360 --> 00:05:44.980 on the mount, he's teaching the people one, he's 00:05:44.980 --> 00:05:48.319 teaching though with authority, unlike the scribes 00:05:48.319 --> 00:05:50.589 and the Pharisees. And then we come to chapter 00:05:50.589 --> 00:05:53.350 8, where we spent last week and we'll spend today. 00:05:53.790 --> 00:05:56.149 He's the one who's healing lepers by touching 00:05:56.149 --> 00:05:58.790 them. He's causing men who've been paralyzed 00:05:58.790 --> 00:06:01.930 to be made whole by simply with a word. And he's 00:06:01.930 --> 00:06:05.810 casting out demons simply by his word. All manner 00:06:05.810 --> 00:06:08.050 of sick people are brought to him and we are 00:06:08.050 --> 00:06:11.329 told that he was healing them all. He is the 00:06:11.329 --> 00:06:14.009 one with just either a touch or a word brings 00:06:14.009 --> 00:06:17.699 healing and brings life. But he's also the one 00:06:17.699 --> 00:06:19.839 in chapter 8 who demanded radical commitment. 00:06:21.180 --> 00:06:23.459 Nothing, including one's family, can come before 00:06:23.459 --> 00:06:27.779 the commitment to follow him. Matthew, he's very 00:06:27.779 --> 00:06:30.040 clear. He's been painting this gloriously clear 00:06:30.040 --> 00:06:33.920 picture of who Jesus really is. But today the 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:36.379 picture is going to get a little sharper. We'll 00:06:36.379 --> 00:06:38.360 see two more accounts revealing the authority 00:06:38.360 --> 00:06:41.000 that Jesus has. He has authority over nature. 00:06:42.209 --> 00:06:44.149 And he has authority over the kingdom of hell. 00:06:44.250 --> 00:06:46.089 He has authority over the kingdom of darkness. 00:06:46.949 --> 00:06:49.069 These events, what we're getting ready to read, 00:06:49.129 --> 00:06:51.810 these are not just ostentatious displays of the 00:06:51.810 --> 00:06:54.970 miraculous. They're given for a point. They were 00:06:54.970 --> 00:06:58.050 meant to show you and I, or to show the reader 00:06:58.050 --> 00:07:03.610 at that time, who Jesus is. Is he just a wise 00:07:03.610 --> 00:07:06.550 rabbi? Is he nothing more than a very talented, 00:07:06.769 --> 00:07:10.250 well -spoken, articulate teacher? Or is he Lord 00:07:10.250 --> 00:07:13.720 of all? We come to our text this morning. He 00:07:13.720 --> 00:07:15.639 got into a boat. His disciples followed him. 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:19.680 A great tempest arises on the sea. It says the 00:07:19.680 --> 00:07:22.480 boat was covered with waves, and he's asleep. 00:07:23.339 --> 00:07:25.959 His disciples in, they're panicking here. They 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:27.860 come to him. They wake him up. Lord, save us. 00:07:27.879 --> 00:07:31.980 We're going to drown. Jesus gets up from sleep. 00:07:32.040 --> 00:07:34.480 He looks to his panic -stricken disciples and 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:37.000 says, why are you all afraid? Why do you have 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:40.899 such little faith? And he rebukes. It tells us 00:07:40.899 --> 00:07:44.959 the winds. He rebukes the sea. And suddenly there 00:07:44.959 --> 00:07:47.720 was a great calm. Now notice, the Lord got into 00:07:47.720 --> 00:07:51.040 a boat with his disciples. Why? Why leave? I 00:07:51.040 --> 00:07:53.560 mean, he's so popular where he is. All kinds 00:07:53.560 --> 00:07:56.699 of people are coming to him. He's going to leave 00:07:56.699 --> 00:07:59.889 because the crowds are unrelenting. His presence 00:07:59.889 --> 00:08:02.149 is demanded everywhere. Everyone wants to have 00:08:02.149 --> 00:08:04.209 an audience, a private audience with him. They 00:08:04.209 --> 00:08:06.730 want him to either touch them or speak a word 00:08:06.730 --> 00:08:09.410 to them. They know that this man has power. And 00:08:09.410 --> 00:08:11.850 Jesus and his disciples, they have been so very 00:08:11.850 --> 00:08:14.709 busy serving the people. But there's no end in 00:08:14.709 --> 00:08:17.490 sight. People just keep coming and coming, wave 00:08:17.490 --> 00:08:21.689 after wave. More people. Jesus and his disciples, 00:08:21.810 --> 00:08:23.490 they didn't have time to grab a bite to eat, 00:08:23.670 --> 00:08:28.720 much less rest. What's he been doing? He's exhausted. 00:08:29.180 --> 00:08:31.899 He's been teaching. He's been healing the sick. 00:08:32.539 --> 00:08:34.799 We're told that he's been casting out demons. 00:08:35.460 --> 00:08:39.679 And now it's evening time. He's tired. He's hungry. 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:43.539 He's weary. Now some of you, I know, know what 00:08:43.539 --> 00:08:45.879 this is like because I've talked to you. If you've 00:08:45.879 --> 00:08:47.379 ever worked in the medical field, which I have 00:08:47.379 --> 00:08:52.200 not, think of this as a busy day in the ER. Your 00:08:52.200 --> 00:08:56.319 shift has ended, but you can't leave. You're 00:08:56.319 --> 00:08:58.899 exhausted. You want nothing more than just to 00:08:58.899 --> 00:09:01.399 get out of there and relax, but you can't because 00:09:01.399 --> 00:09:04.659 more critical patients keep coming. This is what 00:09:04.659 --> 00:09:07.840 it's like. So Jesus, in wisdom, he eventually 00:09:07.840 --> 00:09:10.100 decides we need to leave this area. This is the 00:09:10.100 --> 00:09:12.179 only way we're going to get away. They're going 00:09:12.179 --> 00:09:14.320 to get into a boat and they're going to go to 00:09:14.320 --> 00:09:17.820 the other side of the Sea of Galilee. So they 00:09:17.820 --> 00:09:19.799 get in the boat and immediately it sounds as 00:09:19.799 --> 00:09:23.000 though Jesus, being exhausted, quickly falls 00:09:23.000 --> 00:09:26.210 asleep. And while he was sleeping, notice the 00:09:26.210 --> 00:09:30.789 text, a great tempest arose. Great tempest, great 00:09:30.789 --> 00:09:34.409 megas, tempest, seismos. And seismos is the word 00:09:34.409 --> 00:09:35.830 that we get in Greek. It's a word we get for 00:09:35.830 --> 00:09:39.629 earthquake. It's also used for violent storms. 00:09:39.830 --> 00:09:42.649 These are fierce, ferocious storms that could 00:09:42.649 --> 00:09:46.169 arise. Now, this is no ordinary storm. It is 00:09:46.169 --> 00:09:49.549 a life -threatening storm. Now, some commentators, 00:09:49.590 --> 00:09:51.909 I could never be dogmatic, and I don't even know 00:09:51.909 --> 00:09:54.809 if I hold to this. Some say that this storm was 00:09:54.809 --> 00:09:56.769 caused by Satan. He's the prince of power of 00:09:56.769 --> 00:09:59.470 the air. He has caused this violent wind to rush 00:09:59.470 --> 00:10:02.029 down to create this storm to try to drown Jesus 00:10:02.029 --> 00:10:05.470 before he could go to the cross. Speculation, 00:10:05.470 --> 00:10:07.669 we can never prove it. Nor does it really matter. 00:10:08.070 --> 00:10:13.750 But this is a fierce, mega storm. Why? Well, 00:10:13.789 --> 00:10:16.450 the Sea of Galilee, it's located about 700 feet 00:10:16.450 --> 00:10:18.809 below sea level. We had the privilege to go there 00:10:18.809 --> 00:10:21.669 years ago, and many of you have as well. And 00:10:21.669 --> 00:10:23.549 it's also surrounded by mountains on the eastern 00:10:23.549 --> 00:10:25.769 and western sides. So sometimes you'll get these 00:10:25.769 --> 00:10:28.350 strong winds coming off the Mediterranean. And 00:10:28.350 --> 00:10:30.389 they'll come whipping down there. And they will 00:10:30.389 --> 00:10:34.090 then cause these horrible storms to rise. Mark 00:10:34.090 --> 00:10:37.149 says in his gospel that the boat began to fill 00:10:37.149 --> 00:10:41.230 up with water. Mark 4 .37. A great windstorm 00:10:41.230 --> 00:10:44.049 arose. The waves beat into the boat so that it 00:10:44.049 --> 00:10:47.929 was already filling. Now, you don't have to be 00:10:47.929 --> 00:10:51.889 a seasoned sailor. nor an expert sailor to know. 00:10:51.950 --> 00:10:54.850 Let me just give you a basic lesson. Water out 00:10:54.850 --> 00:10:59.269 of the boat, good. Water in the boat, bad, really 00:10:59.269 --> 00:11:01.590 bad. Now keep in mind, this is night, right? 00:11:01.610 --> 00:11:04.809 It's evening. It's not illuminated here. There's 00:11:04.809 --> 00:11:07.710 a violent storm that rushed upon them and this 00:11:07.710 --> 00:11:10.789 boat is filling up with water. What does that 00:11:10.789 --> 00:11:14.240 mean? The boat's going down, folks. The disciples 00:11:14.240 --> 00:11:16.019 know what this means. They thought, we're going 00:11:16.019 --> 00:11:18.440 to drown. We're dead men here. And keep in mind, 00:11:18.440 --> 00:11:21.360 at least several of these disciples we know were 00:11:21.360 --> 00:11:23.320 seasoned fishermen who had spent their lives 00:11:23.320 --> 00:11:26.899 on this sea. They knew what storms were like. 00:11:27.080 --> 00:11:29.799 They were accustomed to how this could be, and 00:11:29.799 --> 00:11:32.940 even they were terrified at this point. Why? 00:11:33.200 --> 00:11:36.320 It's not an ordinary storm. It is absolutely 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:39.600 megas, as Greek would say. It's a big storm, 00:11:39.700 --> 00:11:42.240 and it's causing terror in the life of the disciples. 00:11:43.049 --> 00:11:46.070 Now Matthew also tells us that the boat was covered 00:11:46.070 --> 00:11:50.210 with waves. Look down at verse 24. And notice 00:11:50.210 --> 00:11:54.850 the juxtaposition. That he was asleep. The boat 00:11:54.850 --> 00:11:59.809 sinking. The master is sleeping. He's asleep. 00:12:00.710 --> 00:12:05.129 He's exhausted. He's spent. He's given of himself 00:12:05.129 --> 00:12:07.090 and given of himself and given of himself all 00:12:07.090 --> 00:12:12.279 day. He's weary. Now here we see our Lord's humanity. 00:12:13.940 --> 00:12:17.399 He truly is a human. He's man. He's a man like 00:12:17.399 --> 00:12:22.200 us. He needed to sleep. He needed to eat. He 00:12:22.200 --> 00:12:25.919 needs to rest. And that's what he's doing. Verse 00:12:25.919 --> 00:12:29.500 25, the disciples, they wake him up. Put yourself 00:12:29.500 --> 00:12:33.480 in their shoes. Lord, save us. Do something. 00:12:34.659 --> 00:12:38.230 We're perishing. Again, a stark contrast between 00:12:38.230 --> 00:12:40.950 Jesus and the disciples. They're panicking, Jesus 00:12:40.950 --> 00:12:43.450 peacefully sleeping. Now I don't know, Matthew 00:12:43.450 --> 00:12:46.029 never explains how Jesus is peacefully sleeping 00:12:46.029 --> 00:12:48.190 in the stern, that is the back of the boat, in 00:12:48.190 --> 00:12:50.429 such a violent storm. He must have been absolutely 00:12:50.429 --> 00:12:53.690 exhausted. So you find these disciples, they're 00:12:53.690 --> 00:12:56.490 terrified, the boat's taking on water, and Jesus 00:12:56.490 --> 00:12:58.629 is asleep without a seeming care in the world. 00:13:00.309 --> 00:13:02.549 Now sometimes we're too quick to criticize the 00:13:02.549 --> 00:13:04.350 disciples, so let's give credit where credit's 00:13:04.350 --> 00:13:06.840 due this morning. They had enough sense to go 00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:09.620 to Jesus, right? They wake him up and they're 00:13:09.620 --> 00:13:13.019 crying out for help. So what I see here, it's 00:13:13.019 --> 00:13:14.980 a picture. Their faith is not yet mature. It's 00:13:14.980 --> 00:13:18.320 not yet complete. But they do know to go to Jesus. 00:13:19.500 --> 00:13:21.820 Now, Matthew is always doing contrast. He'll 00:13:21.820 --> 00:13:24.019 contrast a Jew and a Gentile. He'll contrast 00:13:24.019 --> 00:13:26.440 faith. And we see that even here. Earlier in 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:28.139 this same chapter, chapter 8, we looked at it 00:13:28.139 --> 00:13:31.379 last week. We find an example of a great faith. 00:13:32.779 --> 00:13:35.600 It's a Gentile Roman centurion, a Roman soldier. 00:13:36.279 --> 00:13:38.519 So much so that it amazed Jesus. We find that 00:13:38.519 --> 00:13:41.840 in verse 10. When Jesus heard it, the faith of 00:13:41.840 --> 00:13:43.980 the centurion, he marveled and said to others 00:13:43.980 --> 00:13:46.720 who followed, Assuredly, I say to you, I have 00:13:46.720 --> 00:13:48.659 not found such great faith, not even in Israel, 00:13:48.860 --> 00:13:53.480 not even among my own people. But now Matthew 00:13:53.480 --> 00:13:56.500 highlights little faith. Oh, you have little 00:13:56.500 --> 00:13:59.460 faith. But where is this little faith found? 00:14:00.340 --> 00:14:03.340 In those closest to him. His disciples. Look 00:14:03.340 --> 00:14:07.080 at verse 26. Why are you fearful, O you of little 00:14:07.080 --> 00:14:10.539 faith? Strong faith founded in Gentile, weak 00:14:10.539 --> 00:14:13.159 faith founded in the Jews, but here's the point. 00:14:14.080 --> 00:14:19.240 All faith was centered on Jesus. What ultimately 00:14:19.240 --> 00:14:21.519 mattered, folks, was not the quantity of their 00:14:21.519 --> 00:14:25.779 faith, but the object of their faith. Faith in 00:14:25.779 --> 00:14:30.779 itself saves no one. It cannot. Jesus saves everyone 00:14:30.779 --> 00:14:34.899 who puts their faith in him. Jesus is the Savior. 00:14:35.059 --> 00:14:38.279 Jesus saves and faith is the instrument that 00:14:38.279 --> 00:14:42.220 connects us to the Savior. So the disciples go 00:14:42.220 --> 00:14:45.559 and they wake Jesus up. Now why did they wake 00:14:45.559 --> 00:14:47.480 him up? What made them think that he could help 00:14:47.480 --> 00:14:49.700 them in this situation? They'd never seen him 00:14:49.700 --> 00:14:52.639 do anything with nature before, or had they? 00:14:53.600 --> 00:14:55.700 Now recall all that they had seen up to this 00:14:55.700 --> 00:14:59.779 point. Cure lepers by touching them. Make whole 00:14:59.779 --> 00:15:02.879 paralytics with just a word. Everyone who was 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:06.320 sick got healed. And they also knew that he could 00:15:06.320 --> 00:15:09.700 cast out demons by just one word. So in my mind, 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:11.759 they're reasoning here. If anyone can help us, 00:15:11.820 --> 00:15:13.960 the situation looks bleak. It's night, we're 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:16.460 drowning. If anyone can help us, it's Jesus. 00:15:16.580 --> 00:15:19.519 So they wake him up. That's what they did. Verse 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:23.110 26. And you don't find Jesus immediately saying, 00:15:23.129 --> 00:15:24.690 oh, thank you guys. Yes, thank you for waking 00:15:24.690 --> 00:15:26.090 me up. Let me tell you how this is going to play 00:15:26.090 --> 00:15:28.669 out. Instead, there's a rebuke. Before he rebukes 00:15:28.669 --> 00:15:31.690 the wind, he kind of rebukes his disciples. Why 00:15:31.690 --> 00:15:35.610 are you so afraid? Are you of little faith? Now, 00:15:35.649 --> 00:15:39.230 this is almost comical. He says, why are you 00:15:39.230 --> 00:15:41.190 so afraid? And to me, that's an obvious question, 00:15:41.289 --> 00:15:44.009 right? What do you mean, why are they so afraid? 00:15:45.049 --> 00:15:47.210 They're afraid because they're drowning. They're 00:15:47.210 --> 00:15:51.059 going to die. The ship is going down. This is 00:15:51.059 --> 00:15:53.799 a terrible storm. Water is coming in the boat. 00:15:54.059 --> 00:15:58.320 Waves are coming upon them. So why then did Jesus 00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:01.080 ask this strange question? He didn't need information, 00:16:01.139 --> 00:16:03.980 by the way. Because here's what he's saying to 00:16:03.980 --> 00:16:07.679 them. Why are you afraid of a storm if I am in 00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:11.220 the boat with you? Do you not yet know who I 00:16:11.220 --> 00:16:14.500 am? See, everything in Matthew is pointing us 00:16:14.500 --> 00:16:18.299 back to Christ. Why are you so afraid? Do you 00:16:18.299 --> 00:16:21.440 still not get it? You don't know who I am? And 00:16:21.440 --> 00:16:23.139 I think if anyone should have known who he was, 00:16:23.159 --> 00:16:25.639 it should have been the disciples. They had the 00:16:25.639 --> 00:16:27.779 inside track. They spent all their time with 00:16:27.779 --> 00:16:31.440 him. But their faith was not yet mature. And 00:16:31.440 --> 00:16:33.659 Jesus gets up and he rebukes the wind and the 00:16:33.659 --> 00:16:36.820 waves. And notice there was an immediate calm. 00:16:36.980 --> 00:16:41.960 And Matthew says, a great calm. Do you see what's 00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:45.139 happening here? As soon as Jesus spoke, wind 00:16:45.139 --> 00:16:48.740 and waves obeyed. One minute you have sea churning, 00:16:48.899 --> 00:16:52.059 waves raging, and the next moment it is as smooth 00:16:52.059 --> 00:16:58.360 as glass. The disciples are like, whoa. How is 00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:02.620 this happening? Jesus created that sea. Jesus 00:17:02.620 --> 00:17:05.559 created those winds. They had no option but to 00:17:05.559 --> 00:17:11.039 obey him. Verse 27. So the men marveled. They're 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:15.980 in amazement saying, all right, who is he? Who 00:17:15.980 --> 00:17:19.440 can this be that even the wind and the seas obey 00:17:19.440 --> 00:17:24.039 him? Here's the question. What man can control 00:17:24.039 --> 00:17:27.240 even nature? And I think maybe some of their 00:17:27.240 --> 00:17:28.839 minds might have gone to this verse. Maybe not. 00:17:28.880 --> 00:17:34.480 Psalm 89. Oh, Lord God of hosts, who is mighty 00:17:34.480 --> 00:17:38.420 like you? O Lord, your faithfulness also surrounds 00:17:38.420 --> 00:17:42.180 you. You, look at verse 9, you rule the raging 00:17:42.180 --> 00:17:48.019 of the sea. When its waves rise, you still them. 00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:51.220 Okay, now what the psalmist just said is that 00:17:51.220 --> 00:17:55.779 God, Yahweh, is the one who calms seas and waves. 00:17:58.220 --> 00:18:00.319 Elohim, Yahweh, both of those are used in the 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:05.390 psalm there. Matthew says in Matthew 8, Jesus 00:18:05.390 --> 00:18:08.910 is calming the seas and the waves. You know what 00:18:08.910 --> 00:18:10.170 Matthew is showing? Remember he's painting this 00:18:10.170 --> 00:18:12.109 picture. He didn't come out directly and say 00:18:12.109 --> 00:18:14.470 Jesus is God. But what he's telling you, the 00:18:14.470 --> 00:18:17.750 one in that boat there, that is God in the flesh. 00:18:18.130 --> 00:18:20.809 That's who he is. Now here's the thing. We saw 00:18:20.809 --> 00:18:24.009 his humanity. He had to sleep. He had to eat. 00:18:24.190 --> 00:18:27.109 He was just working out of sheer exhaustion. 00:18:28.630 --> 00:18:31.230 Here's another picture. We see his divinity. 00:18:33.710 --> 00:18:35.769 The one who's exhausted in the stern of the boat 00:18:35.769 --> 00:18:38.109 is the one who just woke up and told the wind 00:18:38.109 --> 00:18:40.430 and waves, y 'all obey. Y 'all be quiet now. 00:18:41.170 --> 00:18:45.009 And they obeyed. In Mark's gospel, we read this. 00:18:45.730 --> 00:18:47.670 And they feared exceedingly. Talking about the 00:18:47.670 --> 00:18:50.410 disciples. They feared exceedingly. Mark 4, 41. 00:18:50.829 --> 00:18:56.710 They said to one another, who can this be? One 00:18:56.710 --> 00:18:58.750 minute. So think about this. One minute the disciples 00:18:58.750 --> 00:19:00.849 were in fear. Why? There's a storm and their 00:19:00.849 --> 00:19:02.910 lives are in jeopardy. Now there was an even 00:19:02.910 --> 00:19:08.250 greater fear. They feared exceedingly because 00:19:08.250 --> 00:19:11.289 who was in the boat with them? They were uncomfortable. 00:19:13.309 --> 00:19:15.630 It's not comfortable being near him when he's 00:19:15.630 --> 00:19:18.750 showing his power. They were more afraid of him 00:19:18.750 --> 00:19:21.170 than they were of the storm. And by the way, 00:19:21.190 --> 00:19:24.250 they should have been. They should have been. 00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:28.240 Commenting on this verse, R .C. Sproul says, 00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:32.000 Yes, human beings are afraid of floods, fires, 00:19:32.259 --> 00:19:35.180 earthquakes, and disease. But in the heart of 00:19:35.180 --> 00:19:37.059 every creature made in the image of God, there 00:19:37.059 --> 00:19:39.460 is a terror far greater than all these things 00:19:39.460 --> 00:19:42.200 combined. Because there is a threat far greater 00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:45.539 than any force of nature can present. It is the 00:19:45.539 --> 00:19:47.480 threat of falling into the hands of the living 00:19:47.480 --> 00:19:52.640 God. The disciples were starting to understand 00:19:52.640 --> 00:19:56.839 more of who Jesus was. It's not fully formed 00:19:56.839 --> 00:19:59.819 yet. Their faith is not yet quite mature. But 00:19:59.819 --> 00:20:01.380 Matthew's painting this picture for his readers. 00:20:02.339 --> 00:20:06.299 The one that's in the boat with these men, this 00:20:06.299 --> 00:20:09.079 is the son of the living God. This is God in 00:20:09.079 --> 00:20:12.460 flesh. Remember what Isaiah called him? Emmanuel, 00:20:12.640 --> 00:20:16.460 God with us. He literally is Emmanuel, God with 00:20:16.460 --> 00:20:19.640 us, just as Isaiah had promised. And by the way, 00:20:19.700 --> 00:20:21.880 you're going to see his mission now. He's coming 00:20:21.880 --> 00:20:24.240 back to take back all that Satan had stolen. 00:20:24.910 --> 00:20:27.769 This is where we come to our next section. Jesus 00:20:27.769 --> 00:20:30.789 had come to defeat the kingdom of darkness and 00:20:30.789 --> 00:20:33.109 usher in a kingdom of light. Look at the beginning 00:20:33.109 --> 00:20:37.069 of verse 28. When he had come to the other side, 00:20:37.269 --> 00:20:39.829 this is the Decapolis, this is a Gentile area, 00:20:39.970 --> 00:20:42.890 to the country of the Gergesenes, there met him 00:20:42.890 --> 00:20:46.930 two demon -possessed men. Let me just, as a side 00:20:46.930 --> 00:20:49.230 note, has nothing to do with the sermon. Some 00:20:49.230 --> 00:20:51.250 critics of the Bible say, hey, Mark only mentions 00:20:51.250 --> 00:20:55.130 one, Matthew mentions two. Okay. There's no discrepancy 00:20:55.130 --> 00:20:57.309 there. Mark just mentioned the one that might 00:20:57.309 --> 00:20:59.509 have been more vocal. Matthew's talking about 00:20:59.509 --> 00:21:02.130 the two. There is no discrepancy whatsoever there. 00:21:02.549 --> 00:21:04.609 But he met two demon -obsessed men coming out 00:21:04.609 --> 00:21:08.329 of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no 00:21:08.329 --> 00:21:10.930 one could pass that way. And suddenly they cried 00:21:10.930 --> 00:21:13.730 out, saying, What have we to do with you, Jesus, 00:21:13.849 --> 00:21:16.849 you son of God? Had you come here to torment 00:21:16.849 --> 00:21:20.089 us before the time? Now a good way off from them 00:21:20.089 --> 00:21:22.920 there was a herd of many swine feeding. So the 00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:25.660 demons begged him saying, if you cast us out, 00:21:25.740 --> 00:21:28.119 permit us to go away into the herd of swine. 00:21:28.680 --> 00:21:32.319 And he said to them, go. So when they had come 00:21:32.319 --> 00:21:35.359 out, they went into the herd of swine and suddenly 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:37.960 that whole herd of swine ran violently down the 00:21:37.960 --> 00:21:40.559 steep place into the sea and they perished in 00:21:40.559 --> 00:21:43.819 the water. They drowned. Then those who kept 00:21:43.819 --> 00:21:46.279 them fled and they went away into the city and 00:21:46.279 --> 00:21:48.180 told everything, including what had happened 00:21:48.180 --> 00:21:51.180 to the demon possessed men. And behold, the whole 00:21:51.180 --> 00:21:54.779 city came out to meet Jesus. And this is, I don't 00:21:54.779 --> 00:21:57.599 think I quite understand it. And when they saw 00:21:57.599 --> 00:21:59.160 him, they begged him to depart from the region. 00:22:00.299 --> 00:22:03.819 They're just as uncomfortable. See, Jesus crossed 00:22:03.819 --> 00:22:07.000 that sea, the Sea of Galilee, with his disciples. 00:22:07.099 --> 00:22:08.859 Now, what's the question that's ringing in their 00:22:08.859 --> 00:22:12.859 ears? Who can this be that even the wind and 00:22:12.859 --> 00:22:15.710 the seas obey him? We get to the other side, 00:22:15.769 --> 00:22:17.650 and it's interesting that a few thousand demons 00:22:17.650 --> 00:22:19.289 are going to answer that question for him pretty 00:22:19.289 --> 00:22:22.630 clearly in verse 29. What have we to do with 00:22:22.630 --> 00:22:26.430 you, Jesus, you son of God? They got it. See, 00:22:26.470 --> 00:22:28.529 Jesus goes in this area, the Sea of Galilee. 00:22:28.630 --> 00:22:31.589 It's known as the Decapolis, mostly Gentile. 00:22:31.609 --> 00:22:32.829 Now, there would have been Jews living there 00:22:32.829 --> 00:22:36.349 as well. Now, he leaves Galilee, where he's immensely 00:22:36.349 --> 00:22:40.150 popular. He's so popular that he needs to head 00:22:40.150 --> 00:22:42.789 across the lake, but he heads to the Gentile 00:22:42.789 --> 00:22:47.839 area. No, there's a purpose there. Why go there? 00:22:48.500 --> 00:22:52.759 Why not go somewhere else to escape? Jesus in 00:22:52.759 --> 00:22:55.400 John chapter 10, he said this, Other sheep I 00:22:55.400 --> 00:22:57.440 have which are not of this fold, they're not 00:22:57.440 --> 00:23:01.700 just Jews, them also I must bring, and they will 00:23:01.700 --> 00:23:04.299 hear my voice, and there will be one flock and 00:23:04.299 --> 00:23:07.779 one shepherd. I believe that Matthew painting 00:23:07.779 --> 00:23:10.869 this picture, he's foreshadowing. That the salvation 00:23:10.869 --> 00:23:14.170 the Lord came to bring was not exclusively for 00:23:14.170 --> 00:23:15.990 the Jews. Remember, he's written to a Jewish 00:23:15.990 --> 00:23:19.470 audience. Rather, he wants to note the Gentiles 00:23:19.470 --> 00:23:22.650 are also going to be included in this. Now, these 00:23:22.650 --> 00:23:24.910 men, we're not given details at all how they 00:23:24.910 --> 00:23:28.470 came to be possessed by so many demons. But we 00:23:28.470 --> 00:23:29.970 certainly can see the effects of the torment. 00:23:31.269 --> 00:23:33.630 Through these men, we see what Satan would like 00:23:33.630 --> 00:23:37.670 to do to each of us if he were permitted. We're 00:23:37.670 --> 00:23:40.829 told that Satan longs to steal, kill, and destroy. 00:23:42.450 --> 00:23:45.869 These men are living in absolute torment. This 00:23:45.869 --> 00:23:47.789 is an object lesson. This is life in his kingdom. 00:23:47.809 --> 00:23:49.849 This is life in the kingdom of darkness. Now 00:23:49.849 --> 00:23:51.509 notice, these men were living in mountainous 00:23:51.509 --> 00:23:55.130 tombs. They were living as if they were wild 00:23:55.130 --> 00:23:59.089 animals. I find this interesting. It's not the 00:23:59.089 --> 00:24:02.589 central point of the text. But God always exalts 00:24:02.589 --> 00:24:05.089 humanity, created in his image. We bear the Imago 00:24:05.089 --> 00:24:10.640 Dei. Satan loves to dehumanize mankind and cause 00:24:10.640 --> 00:24:13.880 them to live as animals. Again, this is not the 00:24:13.880 --> 00:24:17.039 central point here. But you and I today, we see 00:24:17.039 --> 00:24:19.480 more animal -like behavior in our culture as 00:24:19.480 --> 00:24:23.279 it has moved further away from God. You see this 00:24:23.279 --> 00:24:26.420 typified in violence. Just animal -like violence. 00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:30.160 There's this lack of respect for life. The dignity 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:32.200 and sanctity of life is no longer respected. 00:24:33.259 --> 00:24:35.779 And through aberrant sexuality, we see, which 00:24:35.779 --> 00:24:37.859 is so very prevalent, animal -like behavior. 00:24:38.759 --> 00:24:41.779 I've heard literally on TV evolutionary biologists 00:24:41.779 --> 00:24:45.680 say that man is hardwired to be immoral. He must 00:24:45.680 --> 00:24:48.140 spread his seed everywhere because it's hardwired 00:24:48.140 --> 00:24:51.539 through him by evolution. He's nothing more than 00:24:51.539 --> 00:24:55.759 an animal. And yet we see that man was not created 00:24:55.759 --> 00:24:58.680 to live by base instincts as if he were an animal, 00:24:58.779 --> 00:25:02.789 but by reason and faith in the living God. Now, 00:25:02.809 --> 00:25:05.230 we know from Mark's gospel that these men would 00:25:05.230 --> 00:25:08.289 run on naked. They were crying and they were 00:25:08.289 --> 00:25:11.869 cutting themselves with stones. They acted insane. 00:25:12.930 --> 00:25:15.529 There was no control over their own faculties 00:25:15.529 --> 00:25:18.049 whatsoever. Why? Because they had been possessed 00:25:18.049 --> 00:25:21.470 by the demon hordes of hell. That's why. Now, 00:25:21.490 --> 00:25:24.089 everyone was afraid of them. Look at verse 28. 00:25:24.890 --> 00:25:28.690 They were exceedingly fierce so that no one could 00:25:28.690 --> 00:25:32.130 pass that way. I mean these men were so crazy 00:25:32.130 --> 00:25:34.829 and so ferocious that they were a danger to anyone 00:25:34.829 --> 00:25:37.109 who might even get near them or pass by them. 00:25:37.970 --> 00:25:40.069 So what happened? People stopped going by the 00:25:40.069 --> 00:25:42.150 way of the tombs. That's a graveyard by the way. 00:25:42.910 --> 00:25:46.730 Let's not go by that path. We know from Mark 00:25:46.730 --> 00:25:49.470 again that these men were often chained up but 00:25:49.470 --> 00:25:51.730 to no avail because they somehow had supernatural 00:25:51.730 --> 00:25:57.490 strength to break the chains. Everyone is afraid 00:25:57.490 --> 00:26:02.869 of these men. Except Jesus. There was no one, 00:26:02.930 --> 00:26:06.250 Mark says, who could tame them. That is until 00:26:06.250 --> 00:26:10.450 Jesus arrived. These demons immediately recognize 00:26:10.450 --> 00:26:12.950 who Jesus is. They didn't need anyone to tell 00:26:12.950 --> 00:26:15.390 them. You see that in verse 29. Suddenly they 00:26:15.390 --> 00:26:18.009 cry out saying, what have we to do with you, 00:26:18.190 --> 00:26:21.230 Jesus, you son of God? Have you come here to 00:26:21.230 --> 00:26:25.170 torment us before the time? Now what had the 00:26:25.170 --> 00:26:28.680 disciples been asking? Who is he? What do the 00:26:28.680 --> 00:26:32.900 demons answer? It's Jesus, son of God. The demons 00:26:32.900 --> 00:26:35.619 immediately recognize who he is. The disciples 00:26:35.619 --> 00:26:38.220 were just starting to understand better. I believe 00:26:38.220 --> 00:26:40.480 that moment on the lake was a huge leap forward 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:43.519 in their understanding. But it will not be until 00:26:43.519 --> 00:26:47.240 Matthew chapter 16, where Peter makes his great 00:26:47.240 --> 00:26:49.839 and first confession, that their belief will 00:26:49.839 --> 00:26:53.259 be fully articulated for the first time. So a 00:26:53.259 --> 00:26:55.839 lot more has to take place. But we see here the 00:26:55.839 --> 00:26:58.279 demons, they recognize him. But they also knew 00:26:58.279 --> 00:27:00.460 a couple other things. Notice that they knew 00:27:00.460 --> 00:27:03.640 a future judgment awaited them. Have you come 00:27:03.640 --> 00:27:07.559 here to torment us before the time? They know 00:27:07.559 --> 00:27:10.420 what awaits them. They know that Jesus is the 00:27:10.420 --> 00:27:13.319 judge. And they know that Jesus is the judge 00:27:13.319 --> 00:27:16.839 that they must face on judgment day. They also 00:27:16.839 --> 00:27:19.880 knew that he had authority over them. He had 00:27:19.880 --> 00:27:21.839 authority. He could do with them whatever he 00:27:21.839 --> 00:27:24.940 wanted. If he wanted them out of the men, he 00:27:24.940 --> 00:27:26.559 could immediately cast them out of the men, and 00:27:26.559 --> 00:27:28.839 these demons would be powerless to resist him. 00:27:29.799 --> 00:27:34.319 Look at verse 31. So they're begging. So the 00:27:34.319 --> 00:27:37.200 demons begged him, saying, if you cast us out, 00:27:37.279 --> 00:27:39.279 because they have to do his bidding, by the way. 00:27:40.539 --> 00:27:43.440 Please, don't send us to final judgment yet. 00:27:43.900 --> 00:27:45.680 Permit us to go away into the herd of swine. 00:27:47.150 --> 00:27:48.950 Again, I find this interesting. They know they 00:27:48.950 --> 00:27:51.369 can't resist him, so they're begging him because 00:27:51.369 --> 00:27:53.190 they know a future day awaits, but that day's 00:27:53.190 --> 00:27:56.009 not yet. So don't torment us before the time. 00:27:56.309 --> 00:28:00.829 So Matthew is showing his reader something. He 00:28:00.829 --> 00:28:02.509 has authority over wind, he has authority over 00:28:02.509 --> 00:28:04.829 waves, and he has ultimate authority over nature 00:28:04.829 --> 00:28:10.109 and hell itself. Jesus, this is the point. Jesus 00:28:10.109 --> 00:28:13.329 is the sovereign son of God who has all authority 00:28:13.329 --> 00:28:17.420 over all things and all people. That's what Matthew's 00:28:17.420 --> 00:28:21.819 saying. Verse 32. Notice what Jesus spoke one 00:28:21.819 --> 00:28:24.900 word here. They're like, please, please, please, 00:28:24.940 --> 00:28:29.839 please. And he said, go. Jesus said, go. And 00:28:29.839 --> 00:28:32.920 what happens? They go into a herd of pigs. And 00:28:32.920 --> 00:28:34.259 I don't know if the pigs were like, hey, we're 00:28:34.259 --> 00:28:36.140 smarter than the men. This isn't going to happen. 00:28:36.220 --> 00:28:37.519 They kill themselves. We don't know what happened 00:28:37.519 --> 00:28:40.119 here. But Jesus' command that the demons leave 00:28:40.119 --> 00:28:43.769 these men with one word, go. Again, I'm referencing 00:28:43.769 --> 00:28:45.630 Mark's gospel because it's more elaborate there. 00:28:45.690 --> 00:28:48.230 It gives more details. In Mark's gospel, Jesus 00:28:48.230 --> 00:28:50.970 asked the identity of the demon. And do you remember 00:28:50.970 --> 00:28:54.089 how they answered? Legion, for we are many. Well, 00:28:54.109 --> 00:28:55.609 that's interesting. A legion was the largest 00:28:55.609 --> 00:28:58.190 unit of a Roman army. If it were to be fully 00:28:58.190 --> 00:29:00.369 staffed, it would have about 6 ,000 soldiers. 00:29:00.650 --> 00:29:02.710 Now, that does not mean that there were necessarily 00:29:02.710 --> 00:29:06.549 6 ,000 demons in these men. But it does mean 00:29:06.549 --> 00:29:08.670 there were many. Because it says legion, for 00:29:08.670 --> 00:29:11.910 we are many. There were many demon spirits possessing 00:29:11.910 --> 00:29:17.710 these men. Jesus simply said one word, go. And 00:29:17.710 --> 00:29:21.890 thousands of demons went. That's the point. And 00:29:21.890 --> 00:29:23.710 what did they do? They entered the herd of pigs 00:29:23.710 --> 00:29:27.329 that was close by. Mark tells us about 2 ,000. 00:29:27.809 --> 00:29:30.569 About 2 ,000 pigs run down a steep mountain off 00:29:30.569 --> 00:29:35.009 a cliff into the sea and drown themselves. One 00:29:35.009 --> 00:29:42.269 word, go. absolute, absolute, total control over 00:29:42.269 --> 00:29:45.769 the demonic forces. Do you see the picture's 00:29:45.769 --> 00:29:48.490 getting clearer? Yeah, he's a great healer, but 00:29:48.490 --> 00:29:51.029 that's not the point. He's wanting you to see, 00:29:51.089 --> 00:29:53.289 oh, he has what? Authority. Yeah, what kind of 00:29:53.289 --> 00:29:57.450 authority? Wind obeys him. Waves obey him. And 00:29:57.450 --> 00:30:02.490 by one word, demons must flee. Now we are never 00:30:02.490 --> 00:30:04.869 told why Jesus gave permission for those demons 00:30:04.869 --> 00:30:07.230 to go into the herd of pigs. But it was a powerful 00:30:07.230 --> 00:30:10.690 object lesson. It still is today. In verse 33, 00:30:11.009 --> 00:30:13.130 those who kept those pigs, they made a living 00:30:13.130 --> 00:30:15.630 off of them. They go in the city. They tell everything 00:30:15.630 --> 00:30:18.630 that they had just witnessed. And the whole city 00:30:18.630 --> 00:30:22.289 is like, what? Let's go see for ourselves. And 00:30:22.289 --> 00:30:25.430 they have a reaction. Now notice, they see the 00:30:25.430 --> 00:30:30.480 men who had been set free. And it says, They 00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:34.019 were afraid. Just like the disciples earlier. 00:30:34.980 --> 00:30:38.559 They were afraid of Jesus. They were afraid of 00:30:38.559 --> 00:30:42.099 his remarkable power. They were afraid of being 00:30:42.099 --> 00:30:43.779 in the presence of someone who had such tremendous 00:30:43.779 --> 00:30:46.900 authority. They were afraid of the Holy One. 00:30:47.980 --> 00:30:52.019 It made them uncomfortable. And they asked the 00:30:52.019 --> 00:30:54.380 unthinkable. Now listen, they knew what these 00:30:54.380 --> 00:30:56.319 two men had been like. They lived with them. 00:30:57.299 --> 00:30:59.180 Now they're there. They're clothed. They're in 00:30:59.180 --> 00:31:02.920 the right mind. Peaceful. You would think they're 00:31:02.920 --> 00:31:08.140 like, please stay. We need you. Thank you. Instead, 00:31:08.299 --> 00:31:12.339 please leave. Please leave our village. Please 00:31:12.339 --> 00:31:16.640 leave our community. Please leave us alone. Just 00:31:16.640 --> 00:31:18.759 go. We don't want you here. We're not comfortable 00:31:18.759 --> 00:31:23.490 here. Why? We don't know for sure. It could be. 00:31:23.490 --> 00:31:25.150 There's many reasons. Many commentators speculate. 00:31:25.289 --> 00:31:28.069 Some say the loss of 2 ,000 pigs would have certainly 00:31:28.069 --> 00:31:30.809 crippled the economy. The economy suffered. Maybe 00:31:30.809 --> 00:31:32.869 some lost businesses and they're afraid of losing 00:31:32.869 --> 00:31:36.950 further business junctures. We don't know. I 00:31:36.950 --> 00:31:39.630 don't know. I want you to notice something else, 00:31:39.650 --> 00:31:41.470 and this is just a side note. It has not the 00:31:41.470 --> 00:31:45.069 central point of the text. Jesus thought that 00:31:45.069 --> 00:31:47.970 the lives of 2 ,000 pigs were nothing compared 00:31:47.970 --> 00:31:51.980 to the lives of these two men. Why am I saying 00:31:51.980 --> 00:31:53.500 that? Because Jesus knew the value of human life. 00:31:55.259 --> 00:31:57.119 If it caught PETA, we'd be really upset with 00:31:57.119 --> 00:31:59.440 this particular section of scripture, wouldn't 00:31:59.440 --> 00:32:03.299 we? Jesus thought if it cost 2 ,000 pigs their 00:32:03.299 --> 00:32:06.759 lives to save these two men's lives, it's worth 00:32:06.759 --> 00:32:11.640 it. We elevate humanity, folks. Jesus came to 00:32:11.640 --> 00:32:14.000 that community and he came with healing. And 00:32:14.000 --> 00:32:17.500 he offered them freedom. They said, no, would 00:32:17.500 --> 00:32:21.140 you please leave? Now what? What's the point 00:32:21.140 --> 00:32:23.240 that you and I are supposed to be asking? Matthew's 00:32:23.240 --> 00:32:27.640 gospel is asking one question. Do you see? Do 00:32:27.640 --> 00:32:30.480 you recognize who Jesus is? I wonder if that's 00:32:30.480 --> 00:32:33.779 you this morning. Do you really see who he is? 00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:38.539 He touches lepers, but he's not made unclean, 00:32:38.539 --> 00:32:41.559 they're made clean. He makes paralytics whole 00:32:41.559 --> 00:32:45.180 by simply speaking. Any manner of disease, you 00:32:45.180 --> 00:32:49.920 name it, he heals it. He is authority. Over wind 00:32:49.920 --> 00:32:53.119 and sea, over all of nature. And with just one 00:32:53.119 --> 00:32:56.200 little word, he casts out the forces of evil. 00:32:56.359 --> 00:32:57.859 That's why Martin Luther's great song, The Mighty 00:32:57.859 --> 00:33:00.140 Fortresses of God, remember it says, one word 00:33:00.140 --> 00:33:03.420 will fail him. Listen, friends, this is not like 00:33:03.420 --> 00:33:08.339 who's going to win. One word, Satan's gone. Matthew 00:33:08.339 --> 00:33:12.819 has shown us he's more than a rabbi. He's more 00:33:12.819 --> 00:33:14.680 than a healer. He's more than a gifted teacher. 00:33:15.839 --> 00:33:20.269 He's Emmanuel. His God with us. Now why? Why 00:33:20.269 --> 00:33:22.430 is Matthew doing this? He wants you to see who 00:33:22.430 --> 00:33:25.569 Jesus is so that you might trust completely in 00:33:25.569 --> 00:33:29.190 him. So that you turn your life completely over 00:33:29.190 --> 00:33:32.329 to him. So that you would believe upon him and 00:33:32.329 --> 00:33:36.710 be saved, the Bible says. Jesus is that Messiah. 00:33:36.829 --> 00:33:40.329 Son of David. Yes. Son of Abraham. He is the 00:33:40.329 --> 00:33:43.390 long expected one. He is the Savior sent from 00:33:43.390 --> 00:33:48.329 heaven to save people from their sins. What about 00:33:48.329 --> 00:33:51.250 you, though? How have you responded to Jesus? 00:33:52.390 --> 00:33:54.430 Have you welcomed his deliverance and you bowed 00:33:54.430 --> 00:33:56.289 down before him, confessing him as Savior and 00:33:56.289 --> 00:34:00.109 Lord? Or like this community we just read about, 00:34:00.230 --> 00:34:01.769 have you asked him to leave? You're not comfortable. 00:34:03.289 --> 00:34:05.049 Church, I want to talk to those who know Christ. 00:34:06.430 --> 00:34:10.969 This ought to fuel our worship, our praise. Praise 00:34:10.969 --> 00:34:13.030 be to God for his salvation. Why do I say that? 00:34:13.170 --> 00:34:15.969 You and I, do you see those two men? They were 00:34:15.969 --> 00:34:18.929 in the kingdom of darkness. We once were enslaved 00:34:18.929 --> 00:34:23.010 to sin, enslaved to self, enslaved to Satan. 00:34:23.130 --> 00:34:25.889 You and I once were part of that kingdom of darkness. 00:34:26.090 --> 00:34:28.510 And Paul wrote this to the church at Colossae, 00:34:28.530 --> 00:34:31.030 this last verse here in Colossians chapter 1, 00:34:31.170 --> 00:34:35.710 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified 00:34:35.710 --> 00:34:39.849 us to be partakers of the inheritance of the 00:34:39.849 --> 00:34:44.949 saints in the light. He has delivered us from 00:34:44.949 --> 00:34:48.559 the power of darkness. And conveyed us into the 00:34:48.559 --> 00:34:54.639 kingdom of the son of his love. In whom we have 00:34:54.639 --> 00:34:59.300 redemption. How? Through his blood. What does 00:34:59.300 --> 00:35:04.539 it mean? The forgiveness of sins. Praise his 00:35:04.539 --> 00:35:08.210 name. Giving thanks to the Father. Let us give 00:35:08.210 --> 00:35:10.670 thanks. The Greek word is Eucharisteo, and we're 00:35:10.670 --> 00:35:12.929 going to come to the table now. Many church traditions 00:35:12.929 --> 00:35:15.349 call this the Eucharist. The Eucharisteo, it 00:35:15.349 --> 00:35:17.530 simply means offering up thanks. What are we 00:35:17.530 --> 00:35:21.289 giving thanks for today? The body and the blood 00:35:21.289 --> 00:35:25.289 of Jesus that brought to us the forgiveness of 00:35:25.289 --> 00:35:30.190 our sins. What a gracious God. What a mighty 00:35:30.190 --> 00:35:33.139 Savior. What a wonderful plan of salvation that 00:35:33.139 --> 00:35:35.780 you and I have been privileged to be brought 00:35:35.780 --> 00:35:38.340 into. Let's pray and prepare our hearts to come 00:35:38.340 --> 00:35:41.400 to the table of the Lord. Father, we thank you 00:35:41.400 --> 00:35:43.599 this morning. Lord, your word is rich. It is 00:35:43.599 --> 00:35:46.760 good. It is meaty. It is sustaining. Lord, it's 00:35:46.760 --> 00:35:51.280 sustenance. It's nourishment for our soul. Lord, 00:35:51.320 --> 00:35:54.539 now our eyes are directed toward Christ. Those 00:35:54.539 --> 00:35:57.360 promises, Lord, we see sealed in the table of 00:35:57.360 --> 00:36:00.239 the Lord as we hold in our hands, Lord, the promises 00:36:00.239 --> 00:36:02.780 that you have made that come through the body 00:36:02.780 --> 00:36:05.300 and blood of your Son that all who believe upon 00:36:05.300 --> 00:36:07.980 him will be saved. Lord, we believe this and 00:36:07.980 --> 00:36:09.539 you have sealed it with a promise and you have 00:36:09.539 --> 00:36:11.880 given it to us that we may hold it in our hands 00:36:11.880 --> 00:36:14.820 and drink it down, Lord, as we look to Christ 00:36:14.820 --> 00:36:17.559 and not physically but metaphorically, spiritually, 00:36:17.840 --> 00:36:20.159 we feast upon him, Lord, this morning as our 00:36:20.159 --> 00:36:23.639 Lord, as the true bread of life. As the one who 00:36:23.639 --> 00:36:28.000 gives us himself. Well thank you Lord for sending 00:36:28.000 --> 00:36:31.159 your son. Thank you Father. Thank you Lord Jesus 00:36:31.159 --> 00:36:34.059 for coming. For giving of yourself. For dying 00:36:34.059 --> 00:36:36.820 on that cruel tree. And thank you precious Holy 00:36:36.820 --> 00:36:40.039 Spirit for opening our eyes. Quickening us. Giving 00:36:40.039 --> 00:36:42.880 us life. That we may be brought in to this wonderful 00:36:42.880 --> 00:36:46.400 fold of salvation. Praise be to God. It's in 00:36:46.400 --> 00:36:50.199 the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Deacons if you 00:36:50.199 --> 00:36:53.150 would come and prepare the table. Thank you.