"Only Believe..."

Jesus has been influencing the lives of 12 men in Luke, Chapter 8.

Jesus has been influencing the lives of 12 men in Luke, Chapter 8.

We have seen Jesus exercise His authority over the weather and demons.

Jesus was teaching His disciples that He was not merely a man.

Messiah

While Jesus impacted the lives of many around Him, He was showing His disciples that He was/is the messiah.

He was also

Lexham Theological Wordbook Messiah

Messiah is the anointed king through whom God establishes his rule over the world.

Messiah - The anointed king through whom God establishes his rule over the world.

Tara Lipinske - “Get off the ice for the Olympic Gold Medalist.”

Jesus was capable of performing any miracle in front of the disciples but He knows that there is no physical manifestation of Himself that can save anyone.

People are saved because they believe.

Jesus reminds us of belief by exercising authority over illness and death.

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1. Belief is Grounded in Humility.

Jairus, the leader of the synagogue in the eyes of people had no business bowing down at the feet of Jesus.

He was in charge of the Jewish worship services. Highly respected. Chose worship songs, people would would pray, and everything else.

Had one child. A daughter, who would serve as his heir.

Jewish leaders were not known for this behavior.

He publicly pleaded for Jesus to come to his house and save his dying daughter. His pleading was granted as Jesus walked through the large crowd toward his home.

I have yet to walk in on a tragedy involving a parent who might lose their child where the said parent is cool, calm, and collected about the situation.

Jesus is asking for you to be frantic or completely stressed out before He will answer You. He just wants you to be humble.

How we respond to God in our humility shares a great deal of how much we believe in His power.

Where do we turn in our greatest moments of need?

Jesus wants the real you when you come to Him with a need.

2. Belief is Grounded in Reckless Abandon.

The woman suffering from the bleeding for 12 years jumped into the middle of Jesus’ journey.

She had some form of $ because she had paid doctors to be healed to no avail.

In the crowds of people pressing in on Jesus, she managed to touch the end of his robe.

Immediately she was healed.

Jesus knew something had happened. He said, “I know that power has gone out from me.”

Jesus stopped dead in his tracks and made sure the woman was brought before Him.

The healed woman came terrified and bowed before Him. She had hoped that maybe she could be healed and get away.

Because of her bleeding, she was considered unclean by all society.

Touching Jesus would make Him unclean and unable to go into the temple until He underwent ritual cleansing.

She took a huge risk!

One of my favorite stories in the New Testament is found in where the men came to have their paralyzed friend healed by lowering him through the roof of someone else’s home.

Belief in in Jesus means that you are willing to take risks against the world. You will believe things that others would find insane.

You will ask God to heal/bless/forgive you in an “inopportune” time.

The kind of belief that gives up on doctors to make a last ditch, Hail Mary effort to touch the robe of Jesus will do whatever it takes to find themself in His presence.

Why does faith drive us to this behavior? Because those who believe know that they have no other way. There is no other name to believe in.

Have you set up your life in a way that only Jesus can save it?

3. Belief is Grounded in Endless Possibility.

Jesus was too late to the house of Jairus. An attended came to say that it was too late and that she had already died.

All possibilities ended for Jairus. It was time to mourn the death of his daughter.

Jesus told him the famous words “Don’t be afraid. Only believe, and she will be saved.”

Jesus didn’t tell him that to encourage him in the loss of his daughter. He had a plan.

Brought his inner circle.

He told the crowds to stop crying and that the girl was not dead. They laughed at him.

He called her in the ritualistic way that Hebrew mothers woke up their children.

Her sprit returned to her.

It was not yet time for people to know about His power and authority other than the disciples.

What separates the beliefs of Christianity from any other belief? We believe in one person who lived, died, and is alive forever. Based on our relationship with Him, we know that our faith in Him can bring about limitless blessings.

Because of Jesus, the doctors word is never final. Because of Jesus, the story is never over.

The authority of Jesus Christ the messiah stands above time, space, and reason. Jesus doesn’t call us to do the miracle. He calls us to believe.

What if you believed Jesus could do something and He didn’t do it?

Was it because of your lack of faith?

Even Jesus asked God to remove the cup of wrath from His life. But He ended His prayer with “but not my will but your will be done.”

God has a sovereign will but He also calls us to believe in His ability to do anything.

Jesus, the messiah establish God’s kingdom on Earth. A kingdom that praises the name of God on high for all eternity. We are promised that His sovereignty involves loving His people who trust in His name. .

Is Jesus Christ the Messiah in your heart? Does He have authority in your life?