Behold the King: A Day of Unnatural Storms and Flying Pigs
Notes
Transcript
And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep.
And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!
And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.
And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?
And there was a good way off from them an herd of many swine feeding.
So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.
And he said unto them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters.
And they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the devils.
And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.
Even earthquakes and flying pigs prove that Jesus is God in the flesh.
When the unthinkable happens do you stop to think about the King?
“God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.” - William Cowper
Vital lessons to think about the next time you face uncertain circumstances or see flying pigs.
Flexing of Power
Flexing of Power
The word tempest comes from the word seismos where we get seismology from. This tells us that this violent condition could have been caused by an earthquake. We know that it was a sudden unexpected moment that resembled an earthquake to those on a boat. The waves were so large that they covered the boat.
It’s as if this storm is unnatural and Satan is holding the sea like and shaking it like a you would a glass of water.
Angels had made their presence known by causing such upheaval.
And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
with the sound of the living creatures’ wings brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound.
The storm was great meaning large and loud.
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
In Jewish writings the sea is often represented as wild or chaotic.
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Calamities happen, that is just a fact of life. Just as good things happen to all bad things happen to all.
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
God gives mercy to everyone. But the problem of the sin curse is also equally poured out on everyone.
The Devils showed their power by controlling two individuals that caused fear and anxiousness in Gergesenes.
This is the first time we are given more than a glance at demon possession in Matthew. It describes the torment and rippling effect of those given to the power of fallen angles.
The word for possessed with devils is daimonizomai. It means to be under the power, control, or influence of a demon.
These demons were fierce, violent, dangerous, hard to deal with to an extreme degree.
In 1942, during WW2, C. S. Lewis published The Screwtape Letters. An inverted allegory, it is a group of letters by a high-ranking demon named Screwtape, to Wormwood, an underling. The letters are discussions on how to cunningly lead someone to Hell. The book was a great success in America. It was made into a broadway play in 2008.
Jayne Blanchard of the Washington Times wrote, “No matter what your religion, ‘The Screwtape Letters’ may set you to thinking about your own eternal soul” (April 25, 2008). Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune wrote, “The main takeaway: remember the devil really exists” (October 14, 2008).
Yet many of these critics and even those actors that did the book such justice fall prey to the very schemes they are warning others about.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
When we face unnatural calamities we must consider who is flexing their power.
Frantic Pleading
Frantic Pleading
By the disciples.
They decided to try and cause Jesus to be as frantic as they were.
The fear of death consumed them and they had yet learned Who their travel companion was.
The word perish means to die, to pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life.
It has been said that ulcers are not caused by what you eat, but what is eating you!
During an Children’s Easter Play nervous young Shawn had a part in which he was to step out onto the stage and say “It is I; be not afraid!” But when the time came he stepped out and shouted “It’s me and I am scared!”
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
By the demons.
The initial response of the demons was to cry out in fear. They were afraid that Jesus was there to subject them to the same unbearable pain that they had caused the inhabitants of Gergesenes and the two they had controlled for so long.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
By the dwellers
They implored the one who fixed the towns obvious issue to leave. This seems very odd to us, but these people were Gentile pagans. They left the demonic individuals torment them due to the belief that god’s had possessed them.
The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
When that which terrorizes you is proved to be nothing more than a demonic influence you must realize that it is terrified of Christ.
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
When unnatural calamities and unnatural forces try to get you to bow in fear you need to contemplate who is flexing their power and why are you frantic?
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Fantastic Proof
Fantastic Proof
Jesus demonstrates His deity when the unexpected and unexplainable try to exercise their power.
Jesus was the one leading the disciples to go by sea to the grave of violent men.
He knew how the townspeople would respond (most likely Gentile pagans that worshiped many gods).
When the disciples tried to drag Jesus into their frantic state of mind due to the chaotic circumstances they faced, Jesus first addresses their faith and then proves that He Lord over chaotic events in this world that He created.
The sin curse makes the creation moan with impatience for the return of its King. Jesus is its King.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.
It is not a coincidence that right after the disciples asked what manner of man Jesus was that they were lead to two demon possessed men that told them exactly who Jesus is.
“What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God!”
When demons try to cast a false philosophy of their creator, as an unjust tormentor. Jesus, graciously, grants their request to inhabit pigs causing the only case of flying pigs.
Then sit down with the men clothing them and giving them a right mind.
And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
When spiritualistic, superstitions townspeople urge the Messiah to leave their shores, He patiently obliges them knowing the work He would do for them and the strength of the Gospel message.
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Prophecy)
Dr. Charles C. Ryrie has pointed out that, by the law of chance, it would require two hundred billion earths, populated with four billion people each, to come up with one person who could achieve one hundred accurate prophecies without any errors in sequence. But the Bible records not one hundred but over three hundred prophecies fulfilled in Christ’s first coming.
Conclusion:
You can be in the middle of nowhere with the most spiritual friends and still be vulnerable to doubt and fear.
You can see amazing victories, verifiable by many who witness the change Jesus makes only to be treated with skepticism and fear.
Following Jesus does not mean you will not be afraid of close encounters.
Jesus is not alarmed with the violent attempts on His life.
We need to practice our faith in Jesus
Unnatural events are not always caused by God.
The demons know and fear the presence of Jesus
The spirit of man has more room for growth than the physical part of man.
Jesus does not demand to stay where He is not wanted.
When calamity hits remember to consider who is flexing their power, why are you so frantic, what fantastic proofs does this time give you. God loves you and His word is true.