come in power, meeting us in our need today. Amen.
Dad will fix it. That's what happens in our home anyway. If something breaks or it's not working,
well give it to Dad, he'll fix it. Well most of the time things get fixed and sometimes they
aren't and if we can't we give it to someone else who can or we take it to someone else who can.
Sometimes however things are so broken that we just can't fix it.
I was reminded of this during the summer. We received the sad news that Rebecca's friend
had taken her own life. And as we went to visit the family and saw the heartache, I so desperately
wanted to fix it all. Soon after we got news that my dad was diagnosed with cancer. As we
got the results, two to five years with treatment, I so desperately wanted to fix it all.
More recently, a friend confessed to being a secret alcoholic. As we heard the effects of
their family and their family and their life, I so desperately wanted to fix it. And these
things are not unique to me or to us as a family. Every one of you here have situations and circumstances
that you desperately want to fix it. But you can't. Sometimes things are so terrible,
there is nothing we can do. We are powerless and helpless.
Well, in Luke's account, we meet people just like us. People who are powerless. People who are
helpless. Four big ideas, four things we're going to learn from these true events today. First,
Jesus confronts the powers of darkness. Jesus confronts the powers of darkness. As Jesus
comes into the world and where we are in Luke's gospel, he's really just still beginning his
ministry and people are getting to hear about him and he's receiving a lot of attention and he's not
immune to the darkness we face. In fact, he walks right into it and confronts it head on. First, we meet the
fearful disciples on a boat. Look at verse 22. One day, Jesus said to his disciples, let's go over to the
other side of the lake. So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, Jesus fell asleep. A squall,
which is really a small hurricane, came down on the lake so that the boat was being swamped and they
were in great danger. The disciples went and woke Jesus saying, Master, Master, we're going to drown.
Now, we've just faced a little storm, storm Ophelia, and that was terrifying.
You think what it would be like to be out in that open lake in the dark, no light, in your small little
wooden boat being tossed around by the waves and your boat filling up with water. We're going to drown.
We're going to die.
Then we meet a tortured demon-possessed man. Verse 26.
They sailed through the storm to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee.
When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time,
this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.
Picture the scene. A naked madman. His only friends are the dead.
Now, I don't know if you've ever experienced something or someone that you would say,
this is evil or satanic. It is not a joke.
This man has been physically, mentally, and spiritually tortured by Satan's servants.
Even his name reflects the chaos that is in his life.
Down at verse 30, Jesus asked him, what's your name?
Legion.
Legion means hundreds, even thousands.
Legion, he replied, because many demons had gone into him.
He had no rest.
Third, we meet a woman ostracized by her sickness.
Verse 40.
Now, when Jesus returned, so he's kind of gone back again across the lake,
a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.
Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet,
pleading with him to come to his house, because his only daughter, a girl of about 12, was dying.
And then it's as if Jesus is interrupted.
As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.
And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years,
more than likely a gynecological problem.
She'd been bleeding for 12 years, but no one could heal her.
Not only does she have to deal with the constant bleeding,
she faces being ostracized from her community.
You see, her bleeding made her religiously unclean and untouchable.
12 years of being pushed out and ignored.
And then fourth, we meet a broken father whose daughter is dying.
We just met Jairus, didn't we?
Who comes to Jesus to heal his only daughter.
Well, verse 49.
While Jesus was still speaking,
someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler.
Your daughter is dead, he said.
Don't bother the teacher anymore.
And with those words ringing in his ears,
his life is shattered and broken.
His only daughter, 12 years of age,
has been snatched from him.
You see, these are not just stories.
These are real people in their real experiences of life.
And when they are recorded together,
they reveal the darkness that we all see and experience
as we walk through life.
The chaos of nature's storms,
as hurricanes and flash flooding
destroy whole communities,
leaving a trail of destruction in its path.
the devastation of evil,
as it enslaves lives,
breaking and destroying all that is beautiful
and all that is good.
The suffering that sickness brings,
unbearable pain,
restricting and isolating people
from their friends and family.
And then all of these things
come to a horrible and inevitable climax.
Death itself.
And those we most love and hold dear
are taken away.
Sometimes through the process of time,
sometimes without warning.
And what makes this darkness so dark
is our absolute inability to do anything about it.
By ourselves, we are powerless and hopeless.
The disciples,
despite their years of fishing experience,
are at the mercy of the storm.
We're going to drown.
And those who try to contain
the demon-possessed man
are confronted by their own weakness.
Look at the end of verse 29.
Many times the demon had seized him
and though he was chained
hand and foot and kept under guard,
he had broken his chains
and had been driven by the demon
into solitary places.
And the suffering woman
who had sought every possible cure,
end of verse 43,
but no one,
there was no doctor,
no power
that could heal her.
And then Jairus,
who came running to Jesus for healing,
has lost all hope
because his little daughter
is dead.
We like to think
that we can face
whatever life throws at us.
That somehow we have the power
and the resources within ourselves
to deal with it.
But life's experiences
confront us with the reality
that left to our own devices,
we are powerless
and helpless.
Weather forecasts
will not protect you.
Rules and laws
will not constrain evil.
Doctors and medication
are not always enough
and no one and nothing
can save us from death.
Facing the chaos
and brokenness of this world,
we are powerless
and we're hopeless.
Second,
Jesus restores
with the power of God.
Jesus restores
with the power of God.
Well, all those we meet
in this account
are powerless.
Jesus proves
to be powerful.
Look at the way
in which Jesus restores
and renews
each situation.
First,
the disciples
in the storm.
Panic has set in.
The waves
are coming in.
We're going to drown.
But listen
to the words of Jesus.
Verse 24.
He got up,
rebuked the wind
and the raging waters.
The storm subsided
and always calm.
From the chaos
and destruction
to calmness
and restoration.
Then the demon-possessed man,
his life has been enslaved,
controlled by demons.
His life is ruined
by their constant attacks.
But look what happens
when Jesus delivers.
Verse 35.
The people went out
to see what had happened
and when they came
to Jesus,
they found the man
from whom the demons
had gone out
sitting
at Jesus' feet,
dressed
and in his right mind
and they were afraid.
And those who had seen it
told the people
how the demon-possessed man
had been cured.
From a violent,
tormented mind
to a quiet
and cured mind.
Then the sick woman,
her life is a desperate situation,
no means of a cure,
ostracized from her community.
Her life hangs
in the very balance.
But an encounter with Jesus
changes everything.
Verse 44.
She came up behind Jesus,
touched the edge
of his cloak
and immediately
her bleeding stopped.
Verse 48.
Then he said to her,
Daughter,
daughter,
your faith
has healed you.
Go
in peace.
From pain
and suffering
to peace
and healing.
And then the helpless father.
His life has been shattered
and broken.
His only daughter
is dead.
All hope is gone.
And Jesus arrives.
Verse 50.
Hearing this,
hearing that the little girl
had died,
Jesus said to Jairus,
Don't be afraid.
Just believe
and she will be healed.
Verse 52.
Meanwhile,
all the people
were wailing
and mourning for her.
Stop wailing,
Jesus said.
She's not dead,
but asleep.
In other words,
that to Jesus,
her death
was just like
someone
who is sleeping.
They laughed at him
knowing that she was dead,
but he took her
by the hand
and said,
My child,
get up.
And her spirit
returned
and at once
she stood up.
From unrelenting
sorrow
to inexpressible joy,
from death itself
to the resurrection
of life.
As Jesus
comes and
confronts
the darkness,
he restores
what is broken,
he renews
what is destroyed,
he reverses
the disorder,
lives that have been
overwhelmed
with darkness
burst into
glorious light.
Where chaos
ruled,
it is now
replaced by
calm seas,
stilled minds,
unimagined peace,
and new
life.
what awesome
transformation.
But let us not
miss the point
of all of these
events.
This is nothing
less
than the power
of God
on display.
Look at how
each of these
stories
develop and
build on each
other.
As the disciples
sit in the
calmness of the
sea,
after Jesus
has calmed
it.
Verse 25,
In fear
and amazement
they asked
one another,
Who is
this?
He commands
even the winds
and the water
and they obey
him.
Well,
they knew that
God had created
the world by just
speaking words.
They knew that
God alone
controlled the
forces of
nature.
They knew
Psalm 147.
He sends
his commands
to the earth.
His word
runs swiftly.
He spreads
the snow
like wool
and scatters
the frost
like ashes.
He hurls
down pebbles
or hailstones.
Who can withstand
his icy blast?
He sends
his word
and melts
them.
He stirs
up the breeze
and the waters
flow.
So who
is this
that stands
before us
in the boat
rebuking
nature
by his
word?
Who is
this?
Well,
ironically,
it's the demons
who know
who Jesus
is.
Look down
at verse 28.
When this
man,
this demon
possessed
man,
saw Jesus,
he cried
out and fell
at Jesus'
feet,
shouting at
the top
of his
voice,
what do
you want
with me?
Jesus,
son of the
most high
God,
a title
that's reserved
for God
alone.
I beg you,
don't torture
me,
for Jesus
had commanded
the evil
spirit to
come out
of the
man.
We expect
that when
Jesus meets
a demon
possessed
man,
there's going
to be some
kind of
fight,
some kind
of resistance,
that this is
going to
be difficult
and this
is going
to be
hard.
Instead,
when he
comes to
Jesus,
he falls
at his
feet in
total
surrender.
Verse 32,
a large
herd of
pigs were
feeding there
on the
hillside.
The demons
begged
Jesus to
let them
go into
them and
Jesus gave
them
permission.
when the
demons came
out of
the man,
they went
into the
pigs and
the herd
rushed down
the steep
bank into
the lake
and was
drowned.
Now,
I don't
want you
getting
sidetracked
worrying
about these
poor little
pigs and
their nice
little curly
tails.
That's not
the point.
We are
to stand
back and
be amazed
at the
power of
God.
As
satanic
forces
crumble
at the
words of
Jesus,
begging
him for
permission
and obey
him at
his command
to their
very
destruction.
You see,
if the
disciples are
asking the
question,
who is
Jesus?
Who is
this?
And the
demons get
it right by
answering,
Jesus,
son of the
most high
God,
then the
woman knows
exactly who
it is that
she must
go to.
As she
reaches out
to Jesus,
verse 46,
Jesus said,
someone touched
me, I
know that
power has
gone out
from me.
She knows
where to
run,
because she
knows who
Jesus is.
Power
flows from
Jesus.
Power over
destruction in
the storms,
power over
the devil,
power over
disease,
and ultimately
power over
death,
as Jesus
speaks,
and the
very dead
are raised
to life.
Listen to
his words.
Watch and
be amazed
that this
is God
in the
person of
Jesus Christ
intervening
into the
lives of
ordinary
people who
are hopeless
and powerless
and helpless.
Now it's
important we
really don't
miss this
point.
You see,
all that we
see Jesus
doing here,
we need to
be careful how
we think about
it for
ourselves.
This does
not mean
that Jesus
promises to
calm every
storm,
banish every
evil,
heal every
sickness,
and raise
all who
die.
We should
never limit
the power
of Jesus.
We should
never limit
his authority
over all of
these things
and at his
will to do
what pleases
him.
But he does
not promise
it in every
situation.
In fact,
as Jesus
walked this
earth,
he did
not heal
every single
person.
And every
single person
that Jesus
did heal,
well,
they died
anyway.
Even Jairus'
daughter would
have to die
again and go
through the
pain of
dying.
The miracles
of Jesus
are not a
promise of a
suffering-free
life for you
and for me.
So what
are they?
Well,
they're here
to tell
us that
Jesus
confronts
the powers
of darkness
and as
he does
so,
he displays
the power
of God
to restore
and renew
so that
in the
darkness,
in our
powerless
and helpless
state,
we will
not fear.
Instead,
we will
run to
him in
faith.
so third,
Jesus
frees us
or sets
us free
by the
power
of faith.
He sets
us free
by the
power
of faith.
God
says,
I wondered
if you
noticed
the main
emotion
or the
main
reaction
in all
of these
events
as we've
gone
through.
It's one
of fear.
There's
fear
in the
storm.
There's
fear of
this demon
possessed
man as
he lives
on the
edge of
town and
what he's
going to
do to
the people.
there's
fear for
this woman
that she's
going to
be noticed
and what
are people
going to
say if
they find
out she's
an
untouchable.
There's
fear for
Jairus
as his
daughter is
dying and
eventually
death takes
her.
This is
normal
and a
natural
reaction.
And when
we can't
control the
events or
the circumstances
around us,
we begin to
panic and
we fear.
And sometimes
fear grips us
in such a
way that it
conquers us
and controls
us.
We feel
imprisoned by
anxiety and
worry.
No way
out.
No hope.
But there's
another fear
going on.
Did you
notice that?
Look at the
disciples.
They were
afraid in
the storm.
They were
afraid they
were going
to drown.
Then Jesus
calms the
storm.
So it's
all nice
and calm.
But look
at their
response,
verse 25.
In fear
and amazement,
they asked
one another,
who is this?
He commands
even the
winds and
the water
and they
obey him.
It was the
same for the
people where
the demon
possessed man
had lived.
they were
afraid of
him.
He was
causing
chaos and
destruction.
And then
Jesus
confronts
him and
he releases
the man
from the
demon
possession.
And he's
healed and
cured and
in his
right mind.
But look
at the
response of
the people,
verse
25.
Sorry,
verse 37.
then all
the people
of the
region of
the
Gerasenes
asked Jesus
to leave
them because
they were
overcome with
fear.
So he
got into
the boat
and left.
You see,
when confronted
with God's
power,
there is
an even
greater
fear.
not just
fear of
the
circumstances
we are
in,
but fear
of an
awesome
power.
They are
so terrified
that they
want to
get rid
of Jesus.
Why?
Well,
they're
missing the
point.
They're not
grasping who
Jesus is.
Jesus didn't
come into the
world to
terrify us,
but to
save us.
Jesus
comes into
the world
to display
his power
so that
we will
run to
him and
trust him.
If we
grasp who
Jesus is,
rather than
be conquered
by fear,
we will
run to
him in
faith.
The
question
Jesus
asks his
disciples in
the boat
is the
same question
we all
need to
ask
ourselves.
do you
see what
Jesus
asked them
in verse
25?
The
beginning
of verse
25,
he says
to them,
where is
your
faith?
Where is
your faith?
Who do
you trust?
Who do
you run
to in the
chaos and
brokenness of
life?
When we're
out of
options,
when we're
powerless and
helpless,
where do
you turn?
Well,
Jairus and
the woman
show us
where we
should turn
and what
faith is
like.
First,
we need
a desperate
faith.
Verse
41,
then a
man named
Jairus,
a ruler of
the synagogue.
Now,
a ruler of
the synagogue
is a very
high position.
You are
well respected.
People kind
of tilt
the head
to you.
A ruler
of the
synagogue
came and
fell at
Jesus'
feet,
pleading
with him
to come
to his
house.
Again,
you get
the sense
that Jairus
knows something
of who
Jesus is,
and rather
than run
in fear,
he runs
in faith.
He falls
at Jesus'
feet in
desperation.
He has
nowhere else
to go
to,
no one
else to
turn to.
He
humbles
himself
before
Jesus,
throwing
everything
at him.
Everything
rests on
what Jesus
will do.
He
depends on
him and
him alone.
That's
what faith
is.
It's
saying,
without
Jesus,
I will
not get
through
this.
I need
you.
don't
be
conquered
by your
fear.
Run
to him
in
faith.
But we
also need
what I
just term
here a
touching
faith.
Look at
verse 44.
Look at
how the
woman comes
to Jesus.
She came
up behind
him,
secretly,
and touched
the edge
of his
cloak,
and
immediately
her
bleeding
stopped.
Who
touched
me?
Jesus
asked.
When they
all denied
it,
Peter said,
Master,
the people
are crowding
and pressing
against you.
I mean,
everybody's
touching you.
What do
you think?
But Jesus
said,
someone
touched
me,
and I
know that
power has
gone out
from me.
Remember,
this woman
is religiously
unclean.
Because of
her bleeding,
she's
untouchable.
If she
touches
someone,
they become
unclean.
She could
lose her
life over
this.
But when
she reaches
out and
touches
Jesus,
she becomes
clean.
Her life
and circumstances
are changed.
And in
case we
think that
somehow there's
something magical
going on,
that Jesus'
clothes have
power to
heal,
look how
Jesus responds.
He wants
everybody to
make sure
how this
healing has
happened,
including us.
Verse 47,
Then the woman,
seeing that she
could not go
unnoticed,
came trembling
and fell at
his feet,
again in
desperation.
In the
presence of
all the
people looking
in at her,
she told why
she had
touched him
and how she
had been
instantly healed.
Then Jesus
said to her,
daughter,
your faith
has healed
you.
Go in
peace.
It's her
faith in
Jesus
that heals.
Everybody
else is
crowding around
and touching
and pushing
against Jesus
but nothing
happens.
But this
woman reaches
out in
frail,
secret
faith.
That's
what faith
is.
Reaching
out to
Jesus
and simply
trusting
in him.
Don't be
conquered by
your fear.
Run to
him
in faith.
faith.
And then
last,
Jesus
gives
hope
through the
power of
his death
and
resurrection.
Jesus
gives hope
through the
power of
his death
and
resurrection.
You see,
these stories
are,
yes,
they're
amazing
stories,
but they're
stories that
push and
point to
an even
bigger
and ultimate
story.
What these
stories tell
us about
is that
what Jesus
did for
some people
here,
he has
done for
all through
his death
and resurrection.
What Jesus
has done
for some
here,
he has
done for
all who
will trust
him through
his death
and resurrection.
As Jesus
would go to
the cross,
it is at
the cross
where he
confronts
the powers
of darkness
in all
its terror.
At the
cross he
went to
war against
sin and
Satan.
And as
Jesus died,
it seemed
that evil
has won,
darkness
descended,
the demons
laugh.
But three
days later
Jesus rises
again from
the grave.
He has
defeated
sin.
He has
defeated
Satan.
He has
conquered
sickness and
death.
He has
disarmed
the evil
powers and
authority.
He has
destroyed
the devil
who holds
the power
of death.
Jesus
rose
victorious
and triumphs
over all
with absolute
power and
supreme
authority.
This is
the God
that we
are to
look to.
This is
the God
that we
can trust.
He sets
us free
from our
fear today.
and he
gives us
the hope
of eternal
freedom
to come.
This is
the God
who says
to us,
daughter,
my son,
go in
peace.
Do not
let the
fears of
the darkness
overcome
you.
Go in
peace.
and this
is the
God
who will
say to
us,
for surely
when that
day will
come,
when we
all die,
whether it
comes through
the process
of time
or whether
it comes
suddenly,
we will
hear the
words of
Jesus say
to us,
my child,
get up.
and we
will rise
and we
will live
with him
for all
eternity
in a
world
absence
of darkness
and evil
and sin
and sickness
and disease
and death.
Do not
fear.
Go in
peace.
Let's
pray.
Amen.
Lord,
what can we
do but
other than
bow before
you and
fall at
your feet
just like
Jairus,
just like
the woman.
For we
have nowhere
else to
go.
We have
no one
else to
run to.
You are
Lord and
you are
God.
You are
powerful,
awesome,
and great.
And you
have displayed
that power
through your
death and
through your
resurrection.
salvation.
And
therefore we
stand,
not
conquered by
fear,
but going
in peace
and looking
forward in
faith.
Thank you
that you
are an
awesome God
that we
can trust,
a God
whom we
can look
to.
Amen.
We praise you
for who you
are.
Amen.