Matthew 4:25 says, ‘ Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed Jesus.’ Why? Why did they follow? And, why are words like ‘amazed’, ‘astonished’, ‘marveled’, and ‘in awe’ used to describe how people responded to Jesus? Why did He have such a large following?
Mark 4:35-5:42 records four events in Jesus’ life that are ‘awe-inspiring’ events. First, Jesus steps out onto the edge of a boat being pummeled by the wind on the Sea of Galilee and He has the audacity to say “Peace, be still!!”. And, do you want to hear something more absurd than that? The wind and the sea obey. Next, Jesus exits the boat on the shore of the Gerasenes and a wild man meets him—a man possessed with demons. Jesus, without blinking His eyes, casts out the man’s demons. This man, who has cut himself and shrieked in his agony and wrenched apart the bonds that held him, a man who has lived in isolation and without clothing and has scared the living daylights out of people, is transformed into a man, clothed and in his right mind and conversing rationally with Jesus. DEMON-FREE!! Next, while walking with a crowd of people to check on the sick daughter of Jairus, the ruler of a synagogue, a woman who has suffered for twelve years with hemorrhaging quietly comes up behind Jesus and touches his cloak. She wants healing, but she wants it to happen secretly. The result of her action of faith: what doctors for twelve years have been unable to do happens. She is healed because she touches the cloak of Jesus. Finally, the climax of these miraculous events: Jesus goes on to the house of Jairus, despite the news that his twelve year old daughter has died. With her parents looking on, Jesus speaks to the dead girl as if she were taking a nap. “Little girl, get up!” The inconceivable happens. SHE STANDS UP AND WALKS AROUND AND EATS.
Why do we ‘stand amazed in the presence of Jesus the Nazarene’? Because He is God. To the people who saw Him here on earth, He demonstrated His power over nature (‘the wind and the sea obey Him’), over demons (‘come out of this man’), over disease (‘Jesus realized that power had gone out from Him’), and even death (‘Talitha koum!’). May we never lose our amazement about Jesus! As we read the gospels afresh, let us fall in love with Jesus the Nazarene! As the old song says, ‘I keep falling in love with Him over and over, and over and over again. He gets sweeter and sweeter as the days go by, oh what a love between my Lord and I, I keep falling in love with Him over and over and over and over again.’
Prayer: Our Father, we thank you for sending Your only Son to be our savior. We love Him for how He gave of Himself for us. Help me to fall at His feet in worship and in awe. Amen.
Terry Brown
Abilene, Texas
No comments:
Post a Comment