Not Just Stories - Part 2

His Word, His Presence, His Touch

I am thankful!

John 10:10 NKJV

10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Author Kathy Crabtree calls John 1:10 “The Greatest Plot Twist Ever”

Luke 7:1–10 NKJV

1 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.

1) Thankful for His Word

His Word Carries His Authority

Matthew 28:18–20 NKJV

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Luke 10:19 NKJV

19 Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Matthew 10:7–8 NKJV

7 And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

2) Thankful for His Presence

Luke 7:11–17 NKJV

11 Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. 12 And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14 Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15 So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. 16 Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has risen up among us”; and, “God has visited His people.” 17 And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

Setting the Stage:

Luke alone records the breaking up of the funeral procession Jesus met on the way to the cemetery. The city of Nain was approached by a steep ascent, with burial caves on each side of the road. The day after Jesus had healed the centurion’s servant, He set out with His disciples on a missionary tour around the Lake of Galilee, and as He journeyed, the size of His followers increased.

Setting the Stage:​

1. Setting - City of Nain​

2. Setting - Funeral Procession​ going down steep incline to a burial cave

3. Audience - His Disciples and a Great Crowd​, A Grieving Widow & Mother, Mourners​

To get to the city of Nain you literally had to walk up a steep hill through a dark, dank, grave yard of caves dug into the hillside. At time, there would certainly be the stench of decaying bodies as you approached the city.

But Jesus showed up.

3) Thankful for His Touch

Old Testament Dead Body Cleansing Ritual

Uncleanness: Anyone who touches a human corpse becomes unclean for seven days (Numbers 19:11).

Purification: The person must purify themselves with water on the third and seventh days (Numbers 19:12).Water of cleansing: The water used for purification is derived from a mixture of cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet yarn, which is then sprinkled on the unclean person (Numbers 19:6, 18).

Sprinkling: The person being cleansed must be sprinkled with the water of cleansing on the third and seventh days (Numbers 19:13-14).

Washing: The person must wash their clothes and bathe with water on the evening of the seventh day to complete the purification process (Numbers 19:22).

Failure to purify: If the person fails to purify themselves on the third and seventh days, they will remain unclean and be cut off from the community (Numbers 19:13).

Ashes of the red heifer: The ashes of a red heifer, burned according to specific instructions (Numbers 19:1-10), are used to create the water of cleansing.

It’s important to note that this ritual was part of the Mosaic law and was intended to maintain ritual purity and separation between the Israelites and God’s holy presence. The ritual was not a means of forgiveness for sin, but rather a way to restore ceremonial cleanliness.

In the context of the Old Testament, this ritual was significant because it:

Emphasized the importance of ritual purity in approaching God’s presenceProvided a means for priests and others who came into contact with death to restore their ceremonial cleanlinessHighlighted the distinction between moral purity (righteousness) and ritual purity (ceremonial cleanliness)

In the New Testament, Jesus’ teachings and actions demonstrated a shift away from the emphasis on ritual purity and towards a focus on moral purity and spiritual cleansing through faith in Him (e.g., Mark 7:1-23, Hebrews 9:13-14 ).

Hebrews 9:13–14 NKJV

13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

His Touch brings life into dead situations.

Luke 4:16–21 NKJV

16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”