In Genesis, Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel) gave a prophecy to Judah which said, in part, “[Judah] will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk” (Gn 49:8-12).

Judah’s blessing has always been believed to be a Messianic prophecy. It indicates he is of perfection and his blood will somehow be important. Donkeys represent peace and the vine prosperity.

It seems the prophet Zechariah picked up on this theme from Genesis as he spoke of a coming king: “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zc 9:9).

The verse before this one speaks of the One to come to be a victorious warrior, but he would have Israel reign in peace. This is reminiscent of King Solomon (1Ki 1:32-40). His father, King David, had been the warrior king and conquered many nations and incorporated them into Israel. Solomon became a king of peace. When he was inaugurated, he was placed on David’s mule and paraded throughout Jerusalem so that all would know he was the succeeding king and that he was about peace and not war.

The mule is different from a donkey. The mule has a mare, a female horse, for a mother and a donkey for a father. Solomon riding on David’s mule indicated he was the current king’s choice for who would be the next king, and the animal he rode being a mule indicated the kingdom was going from a nation at war (the mare) to a nation at peace (the mule).

Jesus told two of his disciples: “Go to the village [Bethphage] ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me” (Mt 21:2). When the disciples were questioned as to what they were doing, they simply stated that the Lord had need of them and those questioning let the disciples take them.

Jesus had the colt and its mother brought to him because some believed the passages in Genesis and Zechariah spoke of two separate animals. This ensured no one could claim the prophecy was not fulfilled. It is also likely that the colt’s mother being present helped the animal to remain calm when amid the throng of people around it.

Scripture states that Jesus rode on the colt of the donkey which had never been ridden. Normally, without being trained, a donkey would never allow a human to ride it. Yet, Jesus had no problem in riding on the donkey colt. Jesus was indicating two things by doing this. One, he was indicating his kingdom. Solomon rode on David’s mule to indicate he was now the reigning king of David’s kingdom. Jesus is riding on a donkey which had never been ridden indicating that his kingdom is not of this world for no one in the world could ride a donkey of this type without issue. Second, he, like Solomon, would be a king of peace, and the donkey indicated how he would bring about that peace.

It is interesting that all donkeys bear a dorsal cross on their backs. This likely explains, at least in part, why Jesus rode on a donkey to indicate how he was going to bring peace. Solomon rode on a mule which does not have this cross. He was going to bring peace based upon his father David’s previous work by bringing other nations under the umbrella of Israel. Jesus was going to bring peace based upon his Father’s work as well. His death would bring those currently under Satan’s kingdom under the umbrella of peace of his spiritual kingdom.

Note that here at Jesus’ first coming, Jesus is riding on a donkey to indicate the peace he offers. Yet, when he returns to this earth, he will be riding on a horse, as Revelation 19:11 states: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.” As noted, the horse is a symbol of war because Jesus will defeat Satan and take the Earth which will null and void any rights Satan currently has to it.

I think this can be a lesson for us today as well. Scripture will always be fulfilled just as biblical prophecy indicates. Yet, it is us humans who use our imagination as to how God will accomplish his prophecy but it is rarely how God fulfills his word. His fulfilment is always more profound and impactful than we can ever imagine. So, we should know our Scripture and know what God is going to do, but we should let God be God and follow his lead when he fulfills Scripture before our eyes. We don’t want to miss it as the Jewish leaders did in this case we just mentioned. Let’s be watchful, vigilant, and be open to God’s leading.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

In the last several posts, we have talked about how we are to partner with angels. Yet, we also need to understand some of the cautions we need to consider which Scripture warns us about.

Just because we work with angels does not mean we revere them too highly. Scripture is clear on this: we are not to worship angels. When Satan encountered Jesus and tempted him in the wilderness just before Jesus began his ministry to Israel, Jesus said to him [Satan], “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only’” (Mt 4:10). The apostle Paul also held the same caution: “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you” (Cl 2:18a). The apostle John did likewise: “I [John] fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them [revelations of visions] to me. But he said to me, ‘Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!’” (Rv 22:8b, 9).

We should take note that the spiritual realm is very real, and we should learn to operate in it. We use prayer to fight in the spiritual realm. Prayer is not just a way to ask God for things we think we need but is a way to bring down our enemy’s spiritual strongholds using the authority of the Word of God. Both Christians and angels are followers of Christ and do his bidding. We need to be as steadfast in our devotion to Christ and his will as are his angels. Angels obey God’s written words as well as his commands. We should as well.

Thereby, Christians and angels operate together to accomplish God’s plan. By serving Christ, we empower and enable angels and they empower and encourage us. Just because we don’t see the spiritual should not mean we don’t trust and operate in it. Actually, it is the only way we can achieve victory in this life and in the life to come.

Another caution: Christ is greater than any angel. The book of Hebrews tells us four reasons for this fact: Christ is the creator of the world and the heir of all eternity (Hb 1:2). Christ reflects the glory of God and holds all things together by his power (Hb 1:3). Christ has made purification of sins and has sat down at the right hand of God (Hb 1:3). Christ has a name more superior than that of any angel (Hb 1:4). Therefore, only Christ, not angels, deserves our worship. Angels will never desire your worship. Only prayers that are according to his will does he answer, and he uses both us and angels to accomplish it. We are only effective if we operate within the will of God.

We become warriors on our knees. We can’t know his will unless we operate in the spiritual realm through prayer, reading and knowing his written word, which are the very words of God. All that comes through the power and understanding the Holy Spirit gives us. And we can’t receive the Holy Spirit unless we acknowledge our sin and understand that we need rescuing from our sin. That is what Jesus Christ did for us: the one without sin, took on our sin, so he could pay the sin debt for us that neither we, nor anyone else, could pay for us. That’s why we must come as we are because we cannot change or save ourselves. It is only after we trust in what Christ has done for us that he gives to us the Holy Spirit who imparts power and authority to operate in the spiritual realm through our prayers as we yield more and more of ourselves to him. The spiritual realm then becomes more real to us because that is where the true fight for our future resides. I invite you to do just that.

We can never understand all of God’s wisdom and ways. And that’s okay because if we accept what Jesus has done on our behalf so that our sins are blotted out of the sight of God the Father by Christ’s blood, we can be declared righteous and have an eternal inheritance with him. Let us learn how powerful our prayers can be if we direct them to Christ with full faith and understanding of the power and authority God’s Holy Spirit has given to us. We can then truly be powerful partners with God’s holy angels and help bring God’s will for the world into reality. Isn’t that an exciting challenge? Are you ready?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

This is perhaps the only “negative” miracle of Jesus recorded in Scripture. This is found in two of the gospels: Matthew chapter 21, verses 12-27; and Mark chapter 11, verses 1-33.

To understand this miracle, we need to understand what occurred prior to this miracle. Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem on the colt of a donkey. Why is that? This fulfilled a prophecy of Jesus doing so which we find in Zechariah chapter 9, verse 9.

What were the people saying about Jesus as he entered the city? “Hosanna to the Son of David,” “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!’ “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

They were quoting from Psalm 118: “LORD, save us! LORD, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD. From the house of the LORD we bless you. The LORD is God, and he has made his light shine on us. With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession up to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise you; you are my God, and I will exalt you. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever” (Ps 118:25-29).

Today, we use the word Hosanna synonymous with Praise. Yet, in Hebrew, the word Hosanna means “save, rescue, savior.” The people were saying and acting out this passage in Psalm 118. They were saying they recognized Jesus as the fulfillment of this scripture and their Messiah to bring in his kingdom for Israel.

So, why did Jesus get angry with the tree and why did he drive out moneychangers?

Fig trees give two fruits: small nodules in Spring on the new shoots just as the leaves are coming in and then figs in the Fall, around September near Rosh HaShanna on the shoots from the previous year.

Here, with the leaves already on the tree, there should have been nodules where the leaves attached to the stem, but there was nothing. So, something was wrong with this tree and would not yield a fig harvest.

Jesus saw this representing what he saw at the temple. The Jewish leaders looked good, but they were pushing out converts, i.e., Gentiles whose only place to worship was the Court of Gentiles.

The temple was designed with separate spaces which takes one closer and closer to God. The high priest could enter the Holy of Holies once a year where he was to meet with God. Priests could enter the Holy Place which contained specific furniture representing the traits of their coming Messiah and make the sacrifices on the bronze altar outside the temple. Levites could only enter the Court of Priests and aid in preparing the animals for sacrifice. Jewish men could only enter up to the Court of Israel, a space just outside the Court of Priests going all the way around the temple itself. Jewish women could only enter the Court of Women which was a large area on the other side of the Nicanor gate and the steps where the Levites would play musical instruments and sing. This was the area which had large lights which were utilized during certain feasts. Gentiles could only be in the Court of Gentiles which was outside from where any Jew could enter. There was a balustrade beyond which no Gentile could go or be met with sudden death from temple guards.

The Court of Gentiles became packed during festivals. This is where all the vendors set up for sacrifices and money changers sat. According to the historian Josephus, during a Passover week, up to 250,000 lambs would be sacrificed.

Why did Jesus overturn the tables here? This was the only place where Gentiles could worship. They were kept from worshipping due to all the chaos and selling of animals. Their place of worship had been turned into a chaotic marketplace.

Gentiles were some of the most responsive to Jesus. His kingdom was open to both Jews and Gentiles. Here, Gentiles were being excluded.

As Jesus and his disciples returned from the temple, the disciples now noticed the fig tree had withered and they were amazed. This fig tree represented the leaders of Israel, as Scripture refers to Israel as a fig tree, and most notably the Jewish leaders:

“I will take away their harvest, declares the Lord. There will be no grapes on the vine. There will be no figs on the tree, and their leaves will wither. What I have given them will be taken from them” (Jr 8:13).

Jesus fulfills this scripture. Religious leaders were in the way of the coming kingdom. They thought and acted like God’s salvation was exclusive to them because they followed the Law. Jesus said they look good on the outside, just like the fig tree, but they were not producing fruit. Something was wrong on the inside of them.

Jesus reacted to their myopic view of scripture where they over-interpret some parts but then ignore others. They were ignoring their responsibility to being God’s light to the world.

God had told Abraham his descendants were to affect the whole world: “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all people on earth will be blessed through you” (Gn 12:2-3).

God had told Israel they were to be God’s priests to the entire world: “you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (Ex 19:6).

God had revealed through the prophet Isaiah that Israel was God’s servant to show God’s glory: “He said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor’” (Is 49:3).

Why did Jesus not explain this to the Jewish leaders? He tested their hearts to see if they would listen. They refused, so he did not go further with them. They closed off the community. They focused on their own worship and on each other, never looking outward. This led them to cause all their people to lose the greatest blessing Jesus was offering them.

Are we not like these Jewish leaders today? Today, have we become dead fig trees? As a church, have we become so focused on ourselves that we have forgotten the Great Commission? Jesus is giving the opportunity to be transformed. Others see us and should want to worship God as well because of how they see him working in us.

How did the Jewish leaders miss that Jesus was their promised, long-awaited, Messiah? The word Messiah comes from the Hebrew word Mashiach; in Greek, Christos, and means “anointed.”

Hebrew: Yeshua HaMashiach : Jesus the Messiah; Jesus the Anointed One

Greek: Jesus Christ: Jesus the Messiah; Jesus the Anointed One

In the books of the Law, Messiah is noted as a priest:

“Then the anointed priest shall take some of the bull’s blood and carry it into the tent of meeting” (Lv 4:5).

The word “anointed” is mashiach, from which we get the word messiah. In the Historical Books and Psalms, Messiah is noted as a king:

“David asked him, ‘Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?’” (2Sa 1:14).

“These are the last words of David: ‘The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the hero of Israel’s songs’” (2Sa 23:1).

“There I will make the horn of David to bud. I have ordained a lamp for my anointed” (Ps 132:17).

Again, the word “anointed” is mashiach, i.e., messiah.

The prophets were anointed by the Holy Spirit:

“The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beersheba recognized that Samuel was attested as a prophet of the Lord” (1Sa 3:19-20).

“Samuel said to them, ‘The Lord is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand’” (1Sa 12:5).

This is where the idea that the Messiah will be prophet, priest, and king originates. He came as a prophet (Holy Spirit descended upon him; Jn 1:32), he is currently our High Priest making intercession for us (Hb 8:1-2), and will come back and rule as king (Rv 11:15).

Daniel then paints the Messiah as the Conquering One:

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and people of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Da 7:13-14).

“Know and understand this: From the time the world goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens’, the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood. War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him” (Da 9: 25-27).

This led to the teaching of two coming messiahs: one who would come, suffer, and die and then one who would come to conquer.

What was the Messiah expected to do?

“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, ‘Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.’ Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away” (Is 35:1-10).

“But your dead will live, Lord; their bodies will rise—let those who dwell in the dust wake up and shout for joy—your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead” (Is 26:19).

“In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see” (Is 19:18).

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor” (Is 63:1-3).

According to the Torah, the Messiah will be a male descendant of the Jewish King David, human - he will have a human birth and human parents, a perfect teacher of God’s law, a great political leader - inspirational and a good judge, able to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, ruler over humanity - but he will rule with kindness, the bringer of peace to the world, and able to unite humanity. Ultimately, it is believed that the Messiah will establish God’s kingdom on Earth.

The Jewish leaders were focusing so much on the conquering aspects of their Messiah they ignored all his other attributes. They focused on what they wanted from God and did not ask what God wanted from them.

May we not do the same.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

We find this miracle recorded in three of the gospels: Matthew chapter 9, verses 20-22; Mark chapter 5, verses 25-34; and Luke chapter 8, verses 42-48.

The woman with the bleeding issue likely had menorrhagia. This is a heavy menstrual flow that is typically defined with these types of symptoms: (1) soaks through one or more sanitary pads or tampons every hour for several consecutive hours (realize this woman had nothing like these products to help, but likely used rags or strips of cloth); (2) heavy bleeding that requires a person to use more than one period product at a time (she would not have had this aid); (3) the need to change pads or tampons in the middle of the night (she would have to continuously wash the strips of cloth she had and continuously reuse them); (4) menstrual flow or bleeding lasting more than a week (hers had lasted for at least 12 years –can you even imagine?!); (5) the passage of blood clots that are the size of a quarter or larger; (6) symptoms of anemia, including fatigue and shortness of breath (how she could maintain a living would be quite difficult); (7) constant lower abdominal and pelvic pain (for her to ensure for so long is a testimony to her fortitude); (8) the inability to perform regular daily activities because of bleeding (this would force her to be labeled unclean).

These symptoms from which she suffered had a huge social stigma for her to bear. She would be considered perpetually unclean requiring her to separate herself from family and all of society, could never go to the temple or synagogue, and likely had to live alone without any physical human contact.

The cause of menorrhagia could be from any number of issues: hormonal imbalance, ovaries that are dysfunctional, fibroids in the uterus, polyps, adenomyosis, cervical cancer, bleeding disorders that are inherited, progesterone hormone deficiency, anovulatory cycles in the first year of attaining menarche. These are difficult issues to deal with in today’s society. It is hard to imagine the hardships she had to go through.

We know very little about her background. At one time she had money, or her family had money as she had seen many physicians to try and get healed. So, at one time, people cared for her. Perhaps over time that dwindled away and she became a social outcast. Was she bitter? Did she still have people who cared? We can only hope she had family who still cared for her. Yet, even if so, there would be no human contact since she would be considered unclean constantly.

How did the woman decide that she would only touch the hem (tzitzit) of his garment? In these passages, the Greek word is krsaspedon, meaning fringe, tassel, border, or hem. The Hebrew word is tzitzit. In Numbers chapter 15 and in Deuteronomy chapter 22, it instructs that tassels, or tzitzit, should be placed on the corners of their garments.

Tzitzit were prepared in a very specific way. Five double knots were placed on each tzitzit tassel. In the spaces between these knots, one of the fringes being longer than the others is coiled around the rest. Seven coils in the first space, eight in the second, eleven in the third, and thirteen in the fourth for a total of 39 coils and has the same numerical value as “HaShem Echad”: God is One.

One could ask, was the woman justified to disobey the Law to get to Jesus? In her mind this was her one and only shot to get cured. If she wasn’t cured, then she may have people angry at her for making them ceremonially unclean, but she likely had that occur so many times before. If she was cured, then she could have a normal life. Some argue that as long as her skin did not touch anyone else’s skin, then no one would become unclean. Yet, in a crowd of this size, such a condition could not be guaranteed.

Was Jesus made impure because the woman touched his clothing? The Law stated this about a sin offering: “Whatever touches any of the flesh [of the sin offering] will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in the sanctuary area” (Lv 6:27). Since Jesus was our sin offering, one could argue that he was in no danger to become unclean, but he would be the one to pass cleansing on to the woman rather than she passing uncleanness onto him. In addition, by her touching the tzitzit of Jesus’ garment, there was no danger of making him unclean, even if the previous argument is rejected.

Although many people were touching and jostling Jesus, he knew immediately when this woman touched his tzitzit. Healing went out of him into her. Others wanted what Jesus could give them but did not possess the faith in what Jesus could really give them. This woman had the faith in what Jesus could do for her. What was Jesus’ response? He called her daughter. Can you imagine what an emotional impact that had on her? He did not condemn her for disobeying the Law of Moses by putting others at risk of becoming unclean but had tender compassion for her and praised her for her faith. She got far more from Jesus than what she had ever dreamed of receiving.

What about you? What do you want from him? He only requires faith to achieve something for you that will also be beyond your comprehension: a new life that will transform you forever. How special is that?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

There are actually two storms recorded in scripture which Jesus calmed. Yet, there is only one of these storms Jesus rebuked, and only one was involved with Jesus’ walking on the water.

One of the miracles of Jesus calming a storm is found in three of the gospels: Matthew chapter 8, verses 23-27; Mark chapter 4, verses 35-41; and Luke chapter 8, verses 22-25.

This is on the heels of Jesus’ sermon on the mount, which likely lasted for days—about a week. He did not have to physically feed people at this time because there were towns on the northwestern portion of the Sea of Galilee near Mount Eremos. Capernaum was less than 2 miles away. And Gennesaret was about the same distance in the opposite direction.

When Jesus got into the boat, he went to sleep almost immediately. He was likely exhausted, and his body needed rest. The storm did not even wake him. The disciple, on the other hand, were quite concerned for their lives and woke Jesus. It is odd that they woke him but then acted surprised when he calmed the storm. After all, what were they expecting him to do if not calm the storm?

We need to ask, “Who was Christ speaking to when he said, ‘Quiet! Be still!’” The word for “quiet” here means “silence” or “hush.” The word for “be still” here means “to muzzle.” This would imply this storm was caused by Satan and Jesus was rebuking him and his actions. Satan had to immediately comply because he cannot go against a direct command.

There is another instance recorded in Scripture about an instance when Jesus walks on water and calms a storm. This instance is found in three gospels: Matthew chapter 14, verses 22-33; Mark chapter 6, verses 45-52; and John chapter 6, verses 16-24.

This incidence came on the heels of Jesus feeding the 5,000 men as well as women and children by multiplying five small loaves of bread and two fish into enough food to feed such a crowd and then even have leftovers! After this event, Jesus went to be alone and pray as the disciples left in a boat to head back to the western side of the Sea of Galilee.

When the storm came up, the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water and at first thought he was a spirit, but Jesus assured them who he was. Peter asked to come to him. Jesus agreed. Peter started walking on the water as well, but he got distracted and began to sink. Jesus helped him up and they both got into the boat and the storm immediately calmed.

This time, there was no rebuking of the storm. The storm calmed the moment Jesus stepped into the boat. Perhaps, as we just stated, the first storm was from Satan trying to cast doubt on their faith whereas this storm was an opportunity for them to exercise their faith.

Is there a reason for only Matthew to include Peter walking on the water? Matthew was an eyewitness of the event. Mark got his information from Peter who likely did not want to detract from the miracle of Jesus walking on the water. John was selective in the miracles he presented in showing Jesus as divine.

It seems the feeding of the 5,000 put all the people into a frenzy. Everyone started going all around the lake trying to find Jesus for more food or for healing. It seems Jesus’ teachings were not the main reason people followed him.

What about us? Are we searching for Jesus for what we want him to do for us? Or are we willing to be content and praise him for who he is? Perhaps we, like Jesus’ disciples, all need some self-reflection.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

This miracle is found in the following passages: Matthew chapter 8, verses 28-34; Mark chapter 5, verses 1-20; and Luke chapter 8, verses 26-39.

It’s almost funny, but I’m sure Jesus’ disciples did not think so. Jesus had decided to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. His disciples likely thought he was wanting to get to a solitary place away from the crowds for awhile as the other side of the sea was composed mostly of Gentiles rather than Jews and certain areas were rather barren and, thereby, a good place to “get away.” However, things did not go according to plan. On their way, a sudden storm came up and nearly capsized their boat. Jesus, being with them, calmed the storm and allowed them to arrive safely.

So, here they were, tired and dazed from the ordeal only to now be met with two disheveled, deranged, naked men run toward them and yelling at the top of their lungs. I’m sure their eyes were as wide as saucers. I know mine would have been!

These men were madmen. They were not in their right mind, were naked, had cuts all over them, had broken chains around their ankles and wrists, and were yelling at the top of their lungs, had long, mangled hair and long beards for no one could get close to them to help them. Trying to help was risking one’s own life. These men were uncontrollable.

They also had severe personality changes. We know this became the before and after pictures painted in these passages show them to be quite opposite to each other. When possessed, the men would strip off their clothes, yell, cut themselves, and be violent to others. Afterward, they were calm, clothed, and in their right mind.

One of the two stated his name was Legion. A legion of soldiers was typically 6,000 men. It is unclear if this was the name of just one of them or both together. Either way, they each were possessed with more than one demon. Those who have witnessed demon possession tell us that each demon has its own distinct personality and that the individual possessed begins to manifest the distinct personality of the demon by which he is possessed. If it is a feminine spirit, the voice will be a feminine one, if masculine then very manly.

They had anti-social behavior. They lived in solitude away from civilization and that is likely why they lived in the tombs as this would be a place not many would ever visit. They were also hostile to others. No one wanted anything to do with these men.

These two had keen spiritual insight beyond what most humans had for they instantly recognized Jesus and knew him as the Son of God or Son of the Most High. Even many humans did not identify Jesus in this manner. They asked if Jesus had come to torture them before their time. So, these demons who possessed these men knew their ultimate fate.

The demons also gave these men super-human strength. When caught and captured, they would break their chains and then go to solitary places. Hence, this is why they were around the tombs and away from civilization, which fit the characterization of them being anti-social.

These poor men were in a constant state of mental torment. They would shriek like wild animals and act insane. Likely their cutting of themselves with stones may have been partly to try and stop their mental pain using physical pain, or these demons caused these men to hurt themselves just for their own delight and show their control over these poor men. The mental torment by these demons must have been unbearable. No wonder everyone was afraid of these men.

These two possessed men seemed to totally ignore the disciples with Jesus as they directly approached Jesus himself. This was not an act of worship but an affront for him coming into their territory. Their acknowledgement of Jesus was done in a state of yelling and screaming.

It seems this was not a simple exorcism as had been in other instances. These men bowed before Jesus, but they were not worshipping him. It seems Jesus had told them to leave, and this is when they went into a fit for Jesus not to torture them and send them away. In Jewish thinking, demons were assigned to specific geographic areas, so they also asked that they might not be asked to leave the region. There are other scriptural passages that do seem to support this idea. Luke’s account adds that they asked not to be sent to the Abyss where others had been sent previously (2Pt 2:4).

Perhaps these demons were so afraid of Jesus sending them away to the Abyss they proposed an alternative. They knew Jesus would not allow them to enter another human, so they proposed to go into the herd of pigs: 2,000 of them. Of course, this would mean that each pig would be possessed by more than one demon.

Jesus granted their request. Why did the pigs then run headlong off a cliff and into the sea and drown.

1.           As the men, when possessed, were not in their right mind, these pigs were now not in their right mind either.

2.           Each pig had more than one demon inside them which likely caused much confusion.

3.           Pigs can swim, so they normally would not have died just because they jumped into the water. Yet, likely, because demons cause those they possess to harm themselves, this may have been part of that, or the pig became so distraught that it panicked and thereby was not able to think clearly enough to swim.

4.           Jesus likely used this as a topical lesion for those in this area as well as for his disciples as well:

a.           Jews considered pigs unclean, so it would seem natural for an unclean spirit to enter unclean things, or animal in this instance

b.           The Sadducees taught there were no such thing as a spirit, but this scenario totally demonstrated that spirits were absolutely real. While one could argue that the men were just insane (due to chemical imbalance of neurotransmitters), their state after encountering Jesus argues against that supposition because the men became calm while the pigs acted irrationally. Seeing such would have been truly revealing that these spirits were real.

c.           These Gentiles used pigs not only for food but for animal sacrifice to their “gods.” They would not have believed their gods were evil but were their protectors. This demonstrated that whom they served was not looking out for their best because the demons just took away part of their main livelihood.

d.           This forced these Gentiles to decide if their livelihood and their beliefs were more important than the lives and restoration of two of their citizens.

The response of the townsfolk is quite telling. Those who tended the pigs first ran back to town to tell them what happened to the pigs. When the people came to investigate, they then saw the men now completely sane and clothed. Seeing the men like this for some reason made these townsfolk afraid. So apparently this indicated Jesus was even more powerful than these two men had been. Perhaps the townsfolk couldn’t process that fact. To them, a demon-possessed man who had super-human strength should have had the upper hand. Perhaps these two men became demon possessed due to some of their religious rites and rituals.

These townsfolk had rather have a demon-possessed man in their town than Jesus, the one who had rid these men from their spiritual torment. When people are more afraid of what Jesus will do in their lives than what Satan does in the moment, they often push Jesus away.

At least one of these men not only wanted to go with Jesus, but to be with Jesus. Jesus told the man to go back to his townsfolk and tell all he met about what Jesus had done for him. This was just the opposite of what he told many Jews when they were healed.

In Galilee and Judea there were Messianic hopes which would have been quickly fanned into flames if the miracles of Jesus were too widely publicized too quickly. There was no such danger in the Decapolis, Greek cities on the eastern side of the Jordan, and thus the mercy of the Lord was to be heralded. This is exactly what this man did. He obeyed Jesus.

Spurgeon said of this passage: “He was told to publish what great things the Lord had done for him. He went and published what great things Jesus had done for him. Did he make any mistake? Oh, no! It is but another name for the same Person: for Jesus is the Lord; and when you speak of him as divine, and talk of him in terms fit only for God, you do but speak rightly; for so he deserveth to be praised.”

This passage should help us understand the reality of the influence of Satan in our culture. Our main warfare is not of flesh and blood but of a spiritual realm (Ep 6:12). The occult is real and can entrap people today just as it did to these two poor men. In the beginning we may think we are in control but like these two men showed, ultimately, they will become our master.

This also helps us to see the counterpart to demon possession is the filling (or control) of the Holy Spirit in our lives (Ep 5:18). Yet, contrary to demons wanting to torture us, the Holy Spirt wants to impart new life to us, help us become more godly, and have us exhibit the character of God in our lives. As the control of these demons were evident in these men, we should strive to have others see the control of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Which control do you desire? Only one yields true freedom.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Three examples of such a miracle are given in scripture: (1) a person who had just died only minutes before (Mt 9:18-19, 23-26; Mk 5:21-24; 35-43; Lk 8:40-42; 49-56); (2) a person who had been dead for a day or so (Jn 7:11-17); (3) a person who had been dead for over three days (Jn 11:1-57). Think about this as we go through these examples.

Jairus was a ruler in the synagogue at Capernaum. The ruler of the synagogue was the man chosen to care for the physical arrangements of the synagogue services. Today’s equivalent would be the president of the synagogue. They partner with the clergy, oversee the business operations of the synagogue, preside over the governance of the congregation, and serve as the chief financial officer and revenue generator.

This man’s daughter was likely only dead for less than an hour or so because she was sick when Jairus left to get Jesus and had just died when Jesus arrived at his house.

Surely, Jesus knew that the girl had actually died, so why did Jesus say Jairus’ daughter was only asleep? We don’t know for sure. Maybe he was indicating that weeping and mourning for someone who had hope was not necessary. Maybe he was indicating that there is no true death when the Messiah is involved, or her time of death will be so short it will be as if she had been asleep. Maybe he was mocking them for they were insincere in their crying and weeping.

It seems strange, and almost rude, that the mourners laughed at Jesus’ statement. Why did the mourners laugh? These were likely professional mourners. In rabbinic times, funeral processions were led by lamenting female mourners, often professionals. The Mishnah states that "even the poorest in Israel should hire not less than two flutes and one wailing woman" for his wife's funeral. Women also composed elegies that were chanted aloud. Prohibitions against women's voices being heard in public were relaxed for funerary rituals. Therefore, these mourners had no real invested interest in the family. This was just a job to them. Otherwise, they would have been incensed at his statement and not have resorted to laughter.

Why did Jesus tell Jairus and his family not to tell anyone what happened? Maybe he did not want his fame to spread within Israel too quickly as that would overshadow his greater message. Yet, we must realize that keeping such an act silent in such a close-knit group of people would have been nearly impossible.

Why did Jesus only have Peter, James, and John with him when he healed the girl? We don’t know for sure because Scripture doesn’t tell us. Maybe, though, he knew these three would be the leaders of the church after his ascension.

Another example was the raising of a widow’s son. This man was likely dead only a day or so because a body was typically buried as quickly as possible after death because the Jews did not embalm their dead. We don’t know of any necessary reason Jesus would have to go through Nain on his journey from Capernaum. Undoubtedly, he went there to meet this poor widow and decrease her pain. Even if that was not the case, learning she was a widow and no other male sons, this moved him to have compassion on the woman.

She had no husband and now, no son. Typically, the property would go to the next male heir in line. Therefore, she would be dependent upon more distant relatives who may have less of her interest at heart. While during this time, some women did have affluence, this was not typically true of those of agrarian societies with less Roman influence. Even if she was able to own the property, she would not be able to take care of it on her own. And if she sold it, she would have no place to stay. So it was a conundrum. It seems Jesus had a solution to her conundrum that no one would have ever thought possible. Only he could turn sorrow into profound joy.

Next is the resurrection of Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus. Why was Jesus away when his close friend died?

It seems Jesus often stayed with Lazarus, Martha, and Mary in Bethany when he came to Jerusalem because the distance between the two cities was only about two miles. He had been teaching in Jerusalem and had several disputes with the Jewish leaders. Discussion became so hot they threatened to stone him. He eventually left to go on the other side of Jordan so things could settle down somewhat. Likely, he considered two miles not far enough away for him to be confronted outside Jerusalem.

So, an important question: did Jesus let Lazarus die? Bethany beyond Jordan (also known as Bethabara) was only 15-20 miles away from the Bethany near Jerusalem where Lazarus lived with Martha and Mary, and this distance could be traveled in a day. If it took the men a day to travel and tell Jesus of Lazarus being sick, and then Jesus waiting two days, and then traveling a day to reach Bethany where Martha and Mary were, then it would mean Lazarus died shortly after the men left on their way to tell Jesus. Lazarus was likely buried on the same day of his death as the Jews did not embalm people, and this occurred in the Springtime when decay would start to settle in quickly. Jesus knew Lazarus was dead as soon as the men told him he was sick.

If Jesus knew this, why did he tarry two days before starting his trip to Bethany and arrive on the fourth day after Lazarus died? Jewish mysticism teaches that a deceased person’s spirit remains around the body for up to three days after death before departing. It was well-known in Israel 2,000 years ago that someone deceased could come back to life during this 3-day period but not afterwards.

The other two examples were within this time period. Jesus wanted to show that he was indeed the Lord of Resurrection. After the spirit left the body and even after decay had set in, he could restore one to perfect health.

How much faith did Mary and Martha have? More than some, but less than likely Jesus expected. They didn’t doubt he was the Messiah and could heal. They were just unsure why he did not do it for their brother who was so close to him. Yet, they obeyed his command even though they did not understand it. That is the definition of faith, is it not?

Again, the Jewish leaders’ hearts were only hardened against Jesus for this feat which was clear only someone from God could accomplish. What was Caiaphas, the high priest, really saying when he said the following to his fellow members of the Sanhedrin: “You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish?”

Caiaphas was a Sadducee and held the position of high priest for 18 years. Sadducees held the majority seat in the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court, over which Caiaphas ruled while he served as high priest. In terms of theology, Sadducees denied the afterlife and any existence of the spiritual world (angels, demons, etc.). Because of these things, they were often at odds with Jesus due to His teachings about humility, heaven, and his own deity.

In addition to his role as high priest, Caiaphas came under the direct authority of the Roman governor (he served under two: Quirinus and Gratus). The governor wielded power to appoint a high priest of his choice. This is why Annas worked hard to keep the high priesthood within his family after he was removed from that position. Caiaphas was his son-in-law. The governor could also use self-serving political influence and take custody of the high priest’s sacred vestments.

Caiaphas therefore had an incentive to keep the Pax Romana, the Roman peace, and help squash any and all insurrections of any kind. He was saying they had to have Jesus killed so that Rome would not take vengeance on them or the people as a whole. Therefore, that is why they plotted to have him arrested. His words, while intending to be their plot became the prophecy of why Jesus actually came to earth so he could die and unite all unto himself.

And what of your reaction? Will you be like Martha and Mary who had enough faith to follow Jesus’ instructions even when they did not understand them only to have joy beyond their imagination, or will you be like Caiaphas who saw only a means to and end in using Christ rather than acknowledging and serving him? He’s waiting for your response. Trust me; go for the joy.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

As we mentioned in a previous post, there were three types of miracles the Jewish leaders taught that only the Messiah would be able to do: (1) cast out a mute demon, (2) heal a man born blind, and (3) heal leprosy. We have already seen how he did the first two. In this post, we’ll see how he did the third.

The healing and cleansing from leprosy is found in three of the gospels: Matthew chapter 8, verses 1-4; Mark chapter 1, verses 40-45, and Luke chapter 5, verses 12-16. In these passages, Jesus encounters a man with leprosy who asked Jesus to heal him. Jesus does and tells the man to go to the priest so he could be pronounced clean and then enter back into society.

Then, Luke records another encounter for us in chapter 17, verses 11-19. Here there are ten lepers. They do not approach Jesus, but yell to him from a distance asking for healing. They head to the priest and are healed along the way. One of them returns and falls at Jesus’ feet praising and thanking him.

What about the healing of leprosy was considered so profound? In the Torah, it appears that God alone inflicts leprosy on a person:

“Then the LORD said, ‘Put your hand inside your cloak.’ So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow” (Ex 4:6).

“The LORD replied to Moses, ‘If her father had spit in her face, would she not have been in disgrace for seven days? Confine her outside the camp for seven days; after that she can be brought back.’ So Miriam was confined outside the camp for seven days, and the people did not move on till she was brought back” (Nu 12:14-15).

“They confronted King Uzziah and said, ‘It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the LORD God.’ Uzziah, who had a censer in his hand ready to burn incense, became angry. While he was raging at the priests in their presence before the incense altar in the LORD’s temple, leprosy broke out on his forehead. When Azariah the chief priest and all the other priests looked at him, they saw that he had leprosy on his forehead, so they hurried him out. Indeed, he himself was eager to leave, because the LORD had afflicted him. King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house—leprous, and banned from the temple of the LORD. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land” (2Ch 28:18-21).

And in the Tanakh, it stated that no person had ever healed an Israelite from leprosy; only God himself had sone so. Because of this, the priest to whom these men presented themselves must have been taken aback to hear their stories of healing by Jesus as it was his belief that only God could heal leprosy. Unfortunately, we don’t have a record of his reaction.

Jesus was the only person who would touch an unclean person and not be afraid of becoming defiled himself. Why? One reason could be because of what the Law said about the sin offering.

“Whatever touches any of the flesh [of the sin offering] will become holy, and if any of the blood is spattered on a garment, you must wash it in the sanctuary area.” (Lv 6:27).

Did you catch that? As far as I know, this is the only thing that makes something else holy. Normally, the Law stated that anything unclean would make something it touches unclean. Here, it is just the opposite. That is why they had to be so careful about handling the sin offering. As Jesus was our sin offering, it seems what he touched became clean. In this instance, the leprosy (being an uncleanness of the skin) became whole (cleanness of skin). I find that remarkable.

There are some translations which state Jesus was “indignant”? The NIV is one of the few who translates the word to “indignant” rather than “having compassion.” There has been much debate about this. However, Jesus did have compassion or else he would not have healed. Yet, it may be that he could have become indignant because the man said, “if you will” which implied doubt on the man’s part that Jesus was willing. Jesus responded that of course he was willing and healed the man from his leprosy. If he was indignant, this did not mean he was not also compassionate. Otherwise, the man would not have been healed.

Leprosy was a very devastating disease. It wasn’t just the physical part where a person’s skin literally came off a person. It was that no one would touch a leper. Can you image going for years and years without any human contact or touch. For Jesus to touch him when he was a leper was probably more moving than we can ever imagine.

Why did Jesus give the healed leper a strong warning not to tell anyone except the priest? There are perhaps three important reasons to consider:

1)           Publicity over his healing might hinder Christ’s mission and divert public attention from his message to them. Such publicity is what, at times, forced Jesus away from the more populated areas.

2)           It was important that the priest pronounce the man to have obtained a genuine cure so that there might be no prejudice among the Jews against its being a real miracle. Possibly, if the man did not go at once to the priest without delay, evil-minded men might prejudice the priest and prevent his declaring the healing to be true because it was done by Jesus.

3)           Jesus did not want people focusing on the miracles themselves, but rather on the message he was proclaiming and the death he was going to die.

Why did the one leper come back to Jesus and the others did not? There are likely several reasons, but for this man who was a Samaritan, he had no priest to go to in order to show he was healed. The only place to go to have recognition of his cleansing was the one who had performed the cleansing. It is likely the others were Jewish and would go to the temple to receive their cleansing and be allowed back into society.

This does not excuse them from not returning to be thankful but could be one explanation for why this one man returned: not only because he was thankful, but he had no other person to present himself to for recognition of his cleansing.

So, we have seen Jesus perform three miracles that Jewish tradition stated that only their coming Messiah would be able to do. Yet, the Jewish leaders still did not believe him to be the Messiah. Why? Perhaps we should reverse that question and ask why do we not believe when we have this same level of evidence?

Ponder that and see if you can come to the same realization of who Jesus really is that his man did. What did he do? He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. Jesus is waiting for this moment from you so he can wrap you in his arms just as you are. He is the sin offering. His touch will cleanse you. Are you ready?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

This miracle is found in the gospel of John chapter 9, verses 1-41. Jesus and his disciples come across a man who had been blind since birth. His disciples are curious to know if this man or his parents had sinned causing this man to be born this way. Jesus said the answer was neither. This surprised the disciples because they had always been taught that such an incurable infirmity must be due to sin. They had often heard their Jewish leaders say, “there is no death without sin and there is no suffering without iniquity.” Some teachers of the law taught that Scripture taught this. For the parents to be at fault, some Jewish leaders pointed to Exodus 20:5 (for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me) and Ezekiel 18:20 (the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them). Yet, these phrases seem to be taken somewhat out of context to support this tenant. Regarding the unborn having sin, some rabbis thought it possible, while others thought it impossible. It’s not clear how widely held the prenatal sin view was, but apparently it was widely held enough to generate debate among themselves. Some argued that when it was stated about Jacob and Esau that they “struggled together” in the womb (Gn 25:33), it was implying they were trying to kill each other. Again, this seems to be an over interpretation of what the scripture is actually implying. So, it seems the disciples were wanting to understand from Jesus what the true answer to this debate was as they knew Jesus, of all people, would know the answer.

Instead, Jesus said this man was born this way so God could be magnified. Jesus made some mud using his own saliva, placed it on the man’s eyes, and then told him to go and wash his eyes in the pool of Siloam (in the southern part of the city of Jerusalem). The man did so and received his sight.

Jesus also made somewhat of a strange statement: night is coming when no one can work. What did he mean by this? The disciples were learning that they needed to make the most of their opportunities while they had the Light of the World (i.e., Jesus) with them. They needed to pay attention to him, to learn from him, so they could know him and faithfully represent him later. Today, we can’t “work while it is day” in the same way because Jesus is not personally here on earth. Yet, we still have been enlightened by him—he is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). Like the disciples, we should look to him, and like the disciples were encouraged to do—and like Jesus did—we should also make the most of the opportunities afforded to us. Each opportunity is provided by God for his glory, so we need to consider how we can work while it is still day.

Why did Jesus make mud with his saliva? There was a belief that saliva had healing properties. Maybe Jesus was indicating that healing was in progress to the people around him. Or it may be because the act of creating mud was considered work by the Jewish leaders. Perhaps Jesus is again emphasizing that the Sabbath was created for man and not man for the Sabbath (Mk 2:27). Doing good is always appropriate for the Sabbath. If the Law allowed them to get a donkey out of the ditch on the Sabbath (Dt 22:4), why not their fellow man who is far more valuable?

Why did Jesus send the man to the Siloam pool? In some respects, it was a word play, for the word Siloam meant “sent” (Jn 9:7). Christ had been sent by God through his authority, and now Christ was sending this man in his authority.

This was the last great day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). The previous seven days, the priests each morning went from the temple to the Pool of Siloam in the southern part of the City of David and gathered water in a golden vessel and brought it to the altar through the Water Gate in the Southern side of the Temple. The water was then poured down the side of the altar to signify the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

On this last day, the ceremony was not done. Yet, Jesus is now sending the blind man to the pool. Rather than the Holy Spirit being brought to the temple, the man is sent to the Holy Spirit for his healing.

Christ had just stated he is working while he is here on Earth. Who would be working when he is gone? The Holy Spirit. Perhaps this was a lesson for the disciples to ponder once he was gone from them.

Jesus did not go with the man to the pool. Who took him? We don’t really know. Maybe he knew his way around, but that’s traveling about a fifth of a mile. Also, Jesus was not there when the man received his sight. The miracle of sight would be its own witness for the man to proclaim to the people.

Why did the people not believe this was the man who had been blind and begged? Those who knew this man knew he had been born blind. They had been taught that one born blind could not be cured. Such a one was in sin and God would not heal such a man steeped in sin before he was even born. This is also why the Pharisees and Jewish leaders grilled him and his parents so. They also could not rectify that one born blind could now see. Rather than rejoicing in the miracle, they did all they could to deny the miracle.

They questioned the man relentlessly but did not believe him. They then questioned his parents and then brought the man back again. Not to understand, but how to discredit. They still tried to make the man feel like a sinner rather than rejoice with him. They said that the man who healed him was a sinner as well. The man quotes back to them scripture that they should know and reveals what they said about Jesus was untrue: “The Lord is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous” (Pr 15:29). This makes the Jewish leaders mad, and they tell this man that someone steeped in sin from birth has no right to tell the righteous (indicating themselves) they are wrong. They then forcibly excommunicate the man from the temple.

Jesus then meets the man a second time. This miracle affected this man deeply and he was willing to stand up to the Jewish leaders and point out their hypocrisy. He was ready for a true encounter with the Messiah. Jesus reveals himself and the man readily accepts him and worships him. Jesus does not stop him from doing so.

What did Jesus mean when he said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind?” The reference to those who see versus those who are blind is meant to explain this entire incident with the blind beggar and the religious critics. Those who admit their need, and trust in God, are those who will be granted sight—just as the blind man was given both sight and knowledge by Jesus in response to his sincere faith. Those who are arrogant and presume they already know, will be hardened by the presence of Jesus, instead. Despite their knowledge (“You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refused to come to me to have life” (Jn 5:39-40)), they allow their own prejudice to blind them (“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2Co 4:4)), making them incapable of understanding what they don't want to understand, anyway (“Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own” (Jn 7:17).).

Jesus' statement here underscores an important principle: God holds people accountable not only for what they know but holds them absolutely accountable for it. Those who come to God in humility, admitting weakness and seeking truth, are met with grace and forgiveness. We see this in this man’s response to his encounter with Jesus:

When Jesus heard that the Jewish leaders had thrown the man out of the temple (i.e., excommunicated him), he found him, and said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him (Jn 9:35-38).

This is a good example of the fulfillment of Matthew 7:7–8 – “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Those who think they are wise, who claim to have spiritual sight, will be judged accordingly (“Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (Ja 3:1)). This is especially true of those who, like the Pharisees, have knowledge and deliberately choose to ignore it.

Yet, can we today be too quick to judge here? Do we not at times act hypocritical? I think this is a good example for us to really look at our actions and see how they really align with Scripture. “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them” (Ja 4:17). Truth is necessary even when it is sometimes hard to hear.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

This miracle is found in the gospel of Mark chapter 1, verses 21-28, and in the gospel of Luke chapter 4, verses 31-37. Jesus went into the synagogue at Capernaum one Sabbath. A man who was possessed with a demon cried out loudly asking Jesus what he was doing there. Jesus commanded the demon to come out of the man and the demon had to obey. Everyone there were amazed, and Jesus’ notoriety increased greatly.

In the first century, synagogues were run by a chief ruler. This person would often open the service with various recitations, he would have a priest or Levite read a portion of the Torah, a portion from the prophets would be read in Hebrew and interpreted for the common people in attendance, and a sermon was then provided by someone. This was typically by the chief ruler but could also be a visiting rabbi or teacher. It seems Jesus often spoke at a synagogue as the chief rulers would allow him to do so since his fame was spreading throughout the land of Israel.

The word “synagogue” was formed from a combination of two Greek words (“ago” meaning to lead or bring along, and the preposition “sun” meaning together) and came to mean “to gather in, collect, or assemble.” The word synagogue in its earliest usages did not refer to a physical location or a physical building. First, Jewish individuals assembled and then once they began to build structures for their meetings, the word synagogue came to be applied to the building itself.

There were several activities these synagogues provided for their congregation. Activities included the reading and instruction of the law, the Torah, as well as providing hostel services such as lodging, food, and water for strangers.

Scripture indicates Jesus often healed people while he visited synagogues. The controversy of his work there wasn’t about his healing but about him doing so on the Sabbath. Healing on the Sabbath was a sacrilege according to some (Jn 15:1-18). There is one instance when the ruler of the synagogue angrily told the people to return to the synagogue on a day other than the Sabbath to be healed (Lk 13:14).

The same help the synagogue gave to its congregation and to those who were sick or needed help was also provided by the temple in Jerusalem. The temple of Jerusalem and the synagogues scattered throughout the land of Israel both seem to have attracted the needy in their respective communities. This may suggest why the Gospel writers often locate Jesus healing at a synagogue when he was not in Jerusalem, but when he was in Jerusalem, he healed at or near the temple instead of the synagogue. It seems appropriate contextually that Jesus first proclaims his mission to the needy at the synagogue and performs many of his acts of compassions on behalf of the needy at the synagogue — the ancient Jewish community center. He proclaimed at the synagogue in Nazareth, his hometown, the following: “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 good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:18-21).

So, the synagogues were built as a geographical and symbolic extension of the Jerusalem temple. It allowed Jewish leaders to meet the Jewish people in their own communities more often than when the people visited the Jerusalem temple.

Many people, when they heard Jesus speak, would say he spoke with authority. Why was that? The scribes and Pharisees would quote from various authoritative Jewish scholars when they taught to drive home a point or an interpretation of scripture, like a textbook where references are provided to show that there are other authoritative sources saying the same thing as you or that supports your premise or conclusion. In the Old Testament, prophets had authority because they spoke, “Thus says the Lord.” Jesus spoke from his own authority and would say, “Verily I say unto you.”

Why did Jesus shut the demoniac down so quickly? Jesus did not give dignity to the demon by carrying on a conversation with it or allow it to manifest its nature further. Jesus rebuked the demon almost immediately, commanding it to be silent and to come out of the man. The demon obeyed, but only after one final rebellious act. The demon cast the man to the ground in a way that was so violent, it seemed certain the man would have been seriously injured. Yet in Luke’s account of this, he lets us know that no injury came to the man from this display. Jesus, not the demon, was in total control.

During this time in first century Judaism, exorcisms were not uncommon, but were typically a long, drawn-out process with formulas and protocols to follow, like first getting to know the name of the demon they were dealing with. It was believed that if they knew the name of the demon, the one performing the exorcism could use that name against the demon making it reveal something they could then use to force the demon out of the person. This was one reason the process was so lengthy as often the demon knew their tactics and did not want to relinquish their name to the one trying to exorcise them from the person they inhabited. The one doing the exorcism knew when they were successful when they noticed a quick, definite, and dramatic change in the person’s persona or speech.

Jesus did not do his exorcism in this manner. He cast out the demon in just one short sentence: “Come out of him!”

The brevity of the incident had a profound impact on those who watched. At the word of Jesus, demons obeyed. This demonstrated to the people there that Jesus had great power and authority.

There is another incident of this type where a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute was brought to Jesus for healing (Mt 12:22-23; Jn 11:14-20). This time, the people asked if Jesus was the Messiah after this miracle of healing but not after the miracle he performed in Capernaum. Why? Normally, a person who was mute all their lives would have to learn how to talk. That was not the case here. The man could talk coherently immediately.

This passage in John lets us know that it was the demon who was preventing the man from speaking. It was this kind of demon against which Judaism's methodology was powerless because he could not speak, so there was no way of establishing communication with this kind of a demon; no way of finding out this demon's name. Likely, this demon was using this thought of a mute demon being beyond help to stay in this man. So, within the framework of Judaism, it was impossible to cast out a dumb demon.

The rabbis taught, however, that when the Messiah came, he would be able to cast out this type of demon. As this was one of the messianic miracles that would prove who the Messiah really was, the audience turned to the leaders and asked them, “Is this him?” In other words, they were asking if Jesus was the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. After all, Jesus was doing the very things they had been taught from childhood that only the Messiah would be able to do. They never asked this question when Jesus casts out other types of demons. However, when he casts out a dumb demon, they raised the question because they recognized from the teachings of the rabbis that this was a messianic miracle.

There were two other messianic miracles that the Jewish leaders taught that the coming Messiah would be able to perform. One was the healing from leprosy. They taught that only the Messiah would be able to heal a Jewish leper. The other miracle was healing someone born blind. Healing someone who had gone blind was one thing since it was a matter of restoring what was lost. Yet, one born blind had no history to go back to when that person could see. In the posts to come, we’ll address how Jesus also fulfilled these types of miracles as well.

As you can see, Jesus Christ was more than a miracle worker. He went beyond expectation to remove any doubt of his authority and his purpose. Yet, as you can see, the Jewish leaders still did not believe. What about you? Do you still doubt even though you have read all he has done for you? More evidence is not what will make you believe. Yielding your will to him and believing him by faith will. Take the step. You’ll be so glad you did.

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

This miracle is found in the gospel of Luke in chapter 5, verses 1-11. Jesus was speaking to a group of people on the seashore near where Peter and his friends were returning from an all-night toil of trying to catch fish, but they had no success and were returning with no fish whatsoever. Jesus asked Peter if he could take him out a little from the shore so he could speak to the people. He later asked Peter to cast his net for a catch of fish. Peter reluctantly does so, and the number of fish he caught in his nets was so great, the boat nearly sank. This led to Peter recognizing that Jesus was, indeed, the Messiah for whom the Jews had been waiting.

Gennesaret is a small plain bordering the west shore of the Sea of Galilee between Capernaum and Magdala. The plain is about four miles long, running north and south along the seacoast, and up to about two miles wide. The name is also a small town in the area bearing the name Gennesaret. Some sources read “Gennesar.” Therefore, the sea was called by some Sea of Gennesaret rather than Sea of Galilee. The land here is level, rising gently from the level of the Sea of Galilee, which is 650 ft. below the Mediterranean Sea. Hills rise sharply on three sides. The main road from Capernaum to Tiberias runs through this area close to the seashore.

During the time of Christ, this plain was the garden spot of Palestine. The historian Josephus described this area as being beautiful and fertile with a climate ranging from hot to temperate. There were also several streams in this area providing plenty of water for irrigation. There was an abundance of wild trees and flowers, as well as important crops such as grapes, figs, olives, walnuts, rice, wheat, vegetables, and melons. The rabbis often spoke of this plain as “the Garden of God” and a “paradise.”

For Jesus to address large crowds and they hear him, it would suggest that Jesus was below the crowds and the crowds sat along the slope of the hillside. This is also why he often spoke from a boat slightly offshore. Sound waves are reflected off the surface of the water toward the shore because the sound waves are bent down back into the surface of the water and then reflected so the sound wave travels even farther. The sound waves hit the warm air above the lake, the upper part of the sound waves travels faster than the lower part, and so the wave gets bent downward back onto the surface of the water where it's then reflected back into the air--and the process repeats. When the sound waves arrive at the shore, the air at ground level is now warm (and the air above the ground is cooler). This makes the sound waves bend upward--up the hill. Thus, all the people seated or standing on the hillside can clearly hear what Jesus is saying. In addition, this area where Jesus spoke to them was away from the sounds of the nearby towns.

What was the purpose of this miracle? First, it seems likely Jesus knew Simon Peter would be there, so he picked this place not only for the better acoustics but for a specific person as well. Going into the boat also allowed Jesus to not be so pressed by the crowds and allowed him to use the water to help amplify his words for the people to hear better. Jesus also likely knew it would take something monumental to get Peter’s attention. It seems Peter tried to be polite, but he was also tired, so obeying Jesus’ request was irritating to him as he felt Jesus knew nothing about fishing whereas fishing was his specialty. He had toiled all night fishing with zero results. In Peter’s mind, he was likely asking himself what could Jesus possibly contribute to his fishing expertise?

It seems Peter and Andrew were in some type of alliance with Zebedee and his sons James and John. This allowed them to share resources as well as profits and even their debts. Jesus knew this and used this fact to get not only Peter’s attention but that of James and John as well.

While Peter obeyed Jesus’ request, he did not obey with much enthusiasm. Yet, Peter’s obedience brought in a surprise catch—more than Peter could have ever imagined. There were so many fish in their nets that both the boat of Peter and Andrew as well as the boat of James and John could barely contain the quantity of fish without sinking. This definitely got Peter’s attention and broke down his stone exterior and began to reach his heart. The amount of money this catch brought them likely was enough to sustain them for quite some time and allowed Peter, Andrew, James, and John to follow Jesus without adding undue hardship to their families.

This story is a bookend to the beginning and the end of Jesus’ ministry and to the relationship between Jesus and Peter. We see something similar in John chapter 21, verses 2-15. Peter’s ministry with Jesus started with a net full of fish and Jesus encouraged Peter again after his resurrection to let Peter know his ministry will and should continue. In both instances, the number of fish was indicative of something extraordinary happening. While the nets began to break this first time, the net held the second time, perhaps signaling Jesus was strong enough to care for them as the disciples continued to move forward. Also, this second time, Jesus had bread and fish already cooked for them. This likely caused the disciples to think about the times Jesus fed the multitudes and let them know Jesus could still sustain them and multiply their efforts.

I think Peter was somewhat like Paul in personality and Jesus knew something dramatic was needed to get his attention. Yet, once he had his attention, he was most loyal.

Jesus also knows what makes us tick and creates circumstances to get our attention to let us know he is there for us. Are you looking for these circumstances? Do so, and you will see how great our Lord is to provide for us, sustain us, and multiply our humble efforts. We serve such a great God!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

This miracle of Jesus is found in the gospel of John Chapter 4, verses 43-54. Those in Galilee were excited to see Jesus because of what he had done in Jerusalem. What did Jesus do in Jerusalem when he went there for Passover? Let’s follow the progress of the events:

1.                  After leaving Cana, Jesus, his family, and his disciples went to Capernaum and stayed a few days (Jn 2:12).

2.                  Near Passover, Jesus went to Jerusalem (Jn 2:13).

3.                  He made a whip of cords, drove out of the temple sheep and oxen, poured out the changers’ money, overthrew their tables, and told those who sold doves to remove them from the premises saying, “Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!” (Jn 2:14-16).

4.                  The Jews asked by what sign he could give to show his authority to do this. Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days” (Jn 2:18-19). They did not understand him (Jn 2:20-22).

5.                  At the Passover Festival, he did many signs (Jn 2:23). We don’t know what he did, but he did not entrust himself to them because they were only interested in what he could do and not who he was (Jn 2:24-25).

6.                  Jesus met with Nicodemus (Jn 3:1-21).

7.                  Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, spent time with his disciples, and baptized (Jn 3:22).

8.                  Some went to John where he was baptizing north of there, and he was happy to hear what Jesus was doing (Jn 3:23-36).

9.                  Jesus heads back to Galilee because the Pharisees had gained an interest in what he was doing compared to what John had done regarding baptizing (Jn 4:1).

10.              Jesus goes through Samaria and meets the woman at the well in Sychar. He stayed there for two days, and many Samaritans believed on Christ without ever having observed a miracle from Jesus (Jn 4:2-42).

11.              He then left to go back to Galilee (Jn 4:43).

The person that meets Jesus with his request is a royal official. The name used for him was basilekos, meaning a nobleman, likely of Herod’s court. This person could have been Jewish or Gentile, yet Jesus’ response to him is what he had said to other Jews. Jesus rebukes him saying, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.” He had just come from the Samaritans who had believed without a miracle. The nobleman was insistent in his request, so Jesus told him to go home because his son lived. This showed the power of Christ’s divine word. He did not need to be present for the healing to take place.

As the nobleman went back toward Capernaum, he found those who had come from his home looking for him because they had news that his son was indeed well. The man discovered his son recovered the very same moment Christ had told him his son was well. The distance from where this man met Jesus to his home was about 16.5 miles—more than a day’s journey. Some have said he was so confident in Jesus’ words that he waited a day to head home. But I don’t think so. He would have been anxious to get back home no matter his belief in Jesus’ words. The distance proves it would take him more than a day for his journey home. Because of the miracle of the nobleman’s son’s healing, the whole household believed in Christ.

It is interesting to note that this time, Jesus did not say not to tell anyone. It could be because Jesus had just returned from Jerusalem and from the temple; his waiting to introduce his purpose to the Jewish leaders was now past.

There are two types of miracles: signs and wonders. Often, a true miracle from God is purposeful, and not an unexplained matter of chance or coincidence.

A sign is a divine intervention to show Divine authority. Water to wine is a sign because of the symbolism that goes with it.

A wonder is something which causes people to marvel, be astounded or even terrified. A wonder is a special manifestation of God's power. The plagues in Egypt are examples of wonders as these had no symbolism except to prove God’s authority and that He is greater than any Egyptian god.

Why did John say this was the second sign (Jn 4:54)? He said it was the second sign in Galilee. As we read earlier, Christ did many signs in Jerusalem. We don’t know what they were, but these signs got the people excited but not necessarily caused them to believe in Jesus as who he said he was.

One of signs of the past which Jesus referred to when he spoke to Nicodemus was the bronze serpent which God had commanded Moses to build and place for the people to look at so they could be healed from the serpents’ deadly bites (Nu 21:9).

Why did Jesus refer to this passage from the past? He told Nicodemus, “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him” (Jn 3:14-15). Bronze was used to represent sin and judgment (the reason the altar in front of the tabernacle and temple was made of bronze). The serpent represented the serpents who plagued the Israelites because of their sin. By looking to the bronze serpent, they were symbolically transferring their sin to the serpent on the pole and believing that God would heal them. They were relying upon God for their physical salvation which was also a symbol of their spiritual salvation.

Jesus became that for us. Our sin was transferred to him on the cross. Our belief in what he did for us brings us our spiritual salvation. In Hezekiah’s day (770 years after Moses raised the bronze serpent in the wilderness), the bronze serpent was still around and revered. Yet, people had started worshipping the bronze serpent rather than worship God. They missed the point of the message he had provided them. Are we not doing the same today? We worship the sin rather than the one who can remove the sin for us.

Hezekiah called the bronze serpent Nehushtan – meaning “a thing of bronze” (2Ki 18:4). He reduced it to its literal meaning so that people could see that it was nothing to worship. It was just a piece of brass. The people should worship the one who had the power this bronze serpent was representing. To show their foolishness, Hezekiah broke it into pieces. This did two things: (1) the people could no longer worship it; and (2) this demonstrated that this image had no imbued power. It could have been a great memorial and topical lesson for people, but they revered it rather than the one to whom it was pointing toward. Perhaps this is also symbolic of Christ’s body being broken for us.

This miracle of Jesus also helps us know that distance is not something we need to be concerned with either. Jesus can be just as personable to us as he was then. We may not see him, but he can still do great things for us. Just like this nobleman, it only requires faith. He had the faith to believe in Jesus and what he could do. How about you? You do have that kind of faith? I hope so. It will take you into a relationship you’ve always hoped for. Look to the one who was lifted up for you to bear your sin and pay the sin debt required. No one else could have done that. How will you respond?

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens

Jesus is known for his miracles. There are at least 42 recorded in scripture, yet even what is recorded pales in the number he actually conducted (Jn 21:25). Of these 42 recorded miracles, Matthew records 64% of them, Mark records 55% of them, Luke records 55% of them, and John records 19% of them. This being the case, it is obvious that many of these were recorded by more than one gospel writer. Yet, each gospel records some unique ones as well.

There are five miracles recorded only by Matthew: 1-healing a sick and demon-possessed man: Mt 4:23-25; 2-healing two blind men: Mt 9:27-31; 3-healing a demon-possessed, mute man: Mt 9:32-34; 4-healing mute, blind, lame, and impaired individuals: Mt15:29-31, and 5-temple tax found in a fish’s mouth: Mt 17:24-27.

There are two recorded only by Mark: 1-healing a deaf and mute man: Mk 7:31-37; and 2-healing a blind man at Bethsaida: Mk 8:22-26.

There are six recorded only by Luke: 1-miraculous catch of fish: Lk 5:1-11; 2-raising a widow’s son from the dead in Nain: Lk 7:11-17; 3-healing a woman who had been crippled for 18 years: Lk 13:10-17; 4-cleansing ten lepers: Lk 17:11-19; 5-healing a man with dropsy on the Sabbath: Lk 14:1-6; and, 6-healing a servant’s ear which was cut off as he is arrested: Lk 22:50-51.

And, there are six recorded only by John: 1-turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana: Jn 2:1-11; 2-healing an official’s son at Capernaum: Jn 4:46-54; 3-healing a man at Bethesda: Jn 5:1-15; 4-healing a man born blind: Jn 9:1-41; 5-raising Lazarus from the dead in Bethany: Jn 11:1-45; and 6-another miraculous catch of fish: Jn 21:4-11.

That means 23 were recorded by more than one of the gospel writers. Of the 42 miracles recorded, only one of these were recorded by all four gospels: the feeding of the 5,000 men plus women and children (Mt 14:13-21; Mk 6:30-44; Lk 9:10-17; and Jn 6:1-15). And, finally, of all these recorded miracles of Jesus, only one appears negative in nature: he curses a fig tree, and it withers (Mt 21:18-22; Mk 11:12-14, 20).

So, what was the purpose of Jesus conducting these miracles? After all, it’s not like he healed everyone. So, how did he pick and choose? There are likely several reasons for him doing this. Here are a few thoughts about this topic. You may even think of more than I have.

1.      Jesus preached “the good news of the kingdom of God”(Lk 6:20). Many of the Jewish prophets had taught that the Messiah would bring in an age of wonder where many things would be restored: Isaiah was one such prophet who declared the eyes of the blind would be opened, and the ears of the deaf would be unstopped, the lame would leap like a deer, and the mute tongue would shout for joy (Is 35:5-6). He also declared the dead would live (Is 26:19). Isaiah also stated the Messiah would proclaim good news to the poor, bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom to the captives, and release prisoners from their darkness. So, Jesus was doing all these things to help everyone realize that he was the one to whom Isaiah spoke and he could do all the things the prophets had taught about what their coming Messiah would bring them.

2.      It seemed some people had been born with an infirmity for this very time so Jesus could release them and demonstrate his power to everyone (Jn 9:1-5).

3.      More often than not, Jesus stated it was the person’s faith that had healed them: the woman with a bleeding disorder for 12 years (Mt 9:22; Mk 5:34), two blind men (Mt 9:29), healing the daughter of a Canaanite woman (Mt 15:28), healing a paralyzed man (Mk 2:5), healing blind Bartimaeus in Jericho (Mk 10:52), healing a Roman Centurion’s servant (Lk 7:9), the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her hair (Lk 7:50), a leper (Lk 17:19), and others. It seems some healings did not take place because of their lack of faith (Mt 13:58).

4.      Many times, Jesus just had so much compassion for the people he could not help himself but minister to their physical needs as well as to their spiritual needs (Mt 9:36, 14:14, 15:32; 20:34; Mk 6:34, 8:2; Lk 15:20).

Over the next several posts, we will look at several of Jesus’ miracles in more detail and see what we can glean from them. I hope you join me. Until then, God bless!

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Visit Books & Words to Inspire by Randy C. Dockens