Luke Pt. 17: Christ’s Gospel & His Glory

Our community here at Midtown Church is formed around the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A key aspect of that culture is we place a High Value on the Word of God: ‘The Scriptures’

If you are looking for commentary & speculation on our current situation, you have come to the wrong place. If you are looking for the Word of God prayerfully presented, explained and applied, welcome home! May God Bless you!

This passage is extremely important regardingTheology & our resulting discipleship. We get a clear definition of exactly who Jesus of Nazareth is and what He will do. We get clear expectations from Jesus as to how His true disciples should respond to His Messiahship, His Redeeming Death & Resurrection and His call lose our lives. We see how together the Old & New Testaments proclaim Jesus as Messiah and together are a progressive revelation of who God is We get a Clear Command to ‘Listen’ to Jesus. To listen is to hear and understand, and if we listen to Christ well, we will always act on what He says. That is what we call Discipleship!

Luke 9:18-36

18 Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” 19 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.”

  • The last thing we saw Jesus do is feed 5000 people with 5 loves & 2 fish
  • At this point the Disciples had seen: Calming Storms / Healings / Resurrections
  • The crowds saw some of these things as well; how does society view Jesus?
  • There was that tendency to define God as He had previously been defined
  • Same attitude as Herod Antipas in last weeks’s text

20 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” 21 Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.

  • Knowing that they (the 12) had been chosen He asks them in private
  • Peter answers for them: Eternal / Anointed / Divine / Glorified
  • It wasn’t God’s plan for Jesus of Nazareth to be declared Messiah at that time
  • By all accounts the Disciples did what Jesus commanded them to do

22 And he said, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.”

  • Christ says ‘Must’… this is God’s plan laid out to His Disciples
  • The ‘Son of Man’ Speaks the mystery of the Incarnation (All God & All Man)
  • He Must: Suffer many Things
  • He Must be Rejected by The Entire Religious Establishment (Roman Style)
  • He Must Die (His human body)
  • He Must be Resurrected
  • This is the story of how the Gospel (The Message of the Messiah) was enacted

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

  • Christ gives clear expectations of what it takes to be His Disciple
  • Self Denial…the only way to be honest about that is to surrender your life
  • The daily taking of my cross means I have to do it every day (go to my death)
  • The only way to do this is His Way; it only works when we follow Him
  • Being His Disciple means you lose your life FOR HIM
  • If you want to be the god of your life you cannot be Jesus Christ’s Disciple
  • If you want to be the god of your life you will lose ‘life’ (Eternity with God)

One is truly wise who surrenders what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose!

25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

  • The question Christ asks us all is: What really matters?
  • This a crucial part of what the Gospel Message contains: How we respond!
  • When you totally buy into something you are not ashamed to be associated
  • His association with us will mirror our association with Him
  • Our commitment now / His commitment for eternity
  • If we could get a glimpse of that glory we would respond with commitment

27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” 28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray.

  • He ends the conversation with a real zinger!
  • He shows them what He is talking about 8 days later…Taking only the three

29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.

  • Christ models how prayer is the way we ‘Open Up’ to what God is doing…
  • The three were given a view of Christ’s full on Glory
  • Moses & Elijah
  • Speaking of his ‘departure’ as in His Crucification
  • The plan was in place What he shared with disciples earlier is confirmed
  • Why Moses & Elijah? Why is it significant that they be in accord with the plan

32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)

  • They had been praying for a while (hard to stay focused) like in Gethsemane
  • They figure out who these two guys are.
  • They represent Old Testament Scripture:: The Law & The Prophets
  • God shows the revelation of the Hebrew scriptures are continued in Christ
  • Peter wants this meeting to continue, to have them all stay there
  • He did realize it was a window into heavenly reality, a glimpse of eternal glory

34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”

  • The cloud was the ‘Shekhinah Glory’ of God
  • The Glory of God is the presence of His Holiness
  • Contact with that Holiness causes humans to fear because His power is near
  • God clearly identifies The Christ and conveys His authority
  • Context of Father & Son is of oneness; so listen to Him like you listen to ME

36 When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

  • It all ends abruptly…they were given a measured dose of Christ’s Glory
  • This revelation would not make sense until Jesus had died & risen

Summary:

The world is confused about who Jesus Christ actually is, His Disciples are not

Christ planned to suffer, be rejected, die and be raised to life: to save our souls

As His disciples we must : deny ourselves, carry our cross & follow him unashamed

God shows Christ to be a continuation of the revelation of Himself: Story of Scripture

Christ’s glory can be seen on earth, but only in limited way ‘Glimpses of Heaven’

Christ’s disciples are commanded to listen to Jesus: It is just that simple (listen = act)

Application Questions:

List at least three things that convinced you Jesus is God’s Messiah?

What does it look like in your life to ‘not be ashamed’ of Jesus or His words?

Why was Christ ‘elevated above’ and ‘included with’ Moses & Elijah?

God says: ‘Listen to Jesus’. What do you need to listen to Jesus about today?

Keep PRAYING (Send Prayer Requests to: barbiebriggs67@gmail.com)

Keep Pressing into God (Take greater ownership of your discipleship) Build habits!

Keep giving sacrificially: Honor the commitments you have made and give beyond in ways God prompts

/by

Luke Pt. 16: Christ’s Provision For His Disciples

How does Christ provide for His Disciples as shown in the Scriptures? There is a pattern in this passage that I have personally experienced. Provision shown in Scripture is for His Disciples, ones who lay down their lives for Him. This passage is specific to the provision for those who were doing His will & following. We are going to see individual provision & community provision (same pattern in both). We will see how amongst Christ Disciples there is a network of shared provision. The generosity of ‘Christ’s Surrendered Disciples’ is used by God as a means to provide for other surrendered disciples. Of course He does the heavy lifting! Our part is to venture out with open hearts & hands to join Christ in His work and to take chances while living for the Gospel, trusting Christ will provide.

Luke 9:1-17

One day Jesus called together his twelve disciples and gave them power and authority to cast out all demons and to heal all diseases. 2 Then he sent them out to tell everyone about the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

  • ‘The Twelve’ Named select group (called by God, confirmed by their following)
  • Christ confers power to His chosen disciples (All disciples of Christ are ‘Chosen’)
  • The power He gives them is to heal others, to provide freedom, wholeness & life
  • Important: power over demons & diseases (not all disease is caused by demons)
  • He provides power to be used (use it or lose it)
  • He empowers those who act: He provides for those who distribute HIS love

3 “Take nothing for your journey,” he instructed them. “Don’t take a walking stick, a traveler’s bag, food, money, or even a change of clothes. 4 Wherever you go, stay in the same house until you leave town.

  • If you are going to be provided for you don’t need to provide for yourself
  • This is a class for those who are serving & obeying as true disciples (just 12 now)
  • He tells them I am going to provide for you through others (Those who respond)
  • God’s people are going to take care of His ‘Co-Workers’ (Don’t steal my blessing!)
  • Be good with what he provides, don’t go ‘provision shopping’ (trust God is right)
  • Whatever season you are in trust that the way God is providing for you is best

5 And if a town refuses to welcome you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.” 6 So they began their circuit of the villages, preaching the Good News and healing the sick.

  • If you are not part of Christ’s providing for His Co-Workers, you are on your own!
  • The ‘Circle of Provision’ in The Kingdom of God: be provided for and help provide
  • Once given the mission they went.
  • This is Christ’s expectation of His disciples: Gospel Living & People Loving!
  • They trusted Christ to provide…does it work?

7 When Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, heard about everything Jesus was doing, he was puzzled. Some were saying that John the Baptist had been raised from the dead.

  • It is an aside between the two stories, He is interested but clueless
  • Classic example of being so self-absorbed you can’t get what God is doing

8 Others thought Jesus was Elijah or one of the other prophets risen from the dead. 9 “I beheaded John,” Herod said, “so who is this man about whom I hear such stories?” And he kept trying to see him

  • Secular view of a limited God: He recycles old guys, only works in certain ways
  • Herod thinking he controls something, can’t be John…I dealt with him!
  • There is interest in a condescending way… He didn’t try very hard to see Him

10 When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida. 11 But the crowds found out where he was going, and they followed him. He welcomed them and taught them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who were sick.

  • Everything ‘THEY’ had done…they knew it was Christ’s power
  • Bottom line ‘Stuff happened’! When you rely on God you will see ‘God Stuff’
  • He was in Capernaum, went around top of sea of Galilee…
  • Even without trying Jesus was drawing crowds
  • Once the crowds found Him, He welcomed, taught & healed
  • Those who took the time to find him were provided for! It is worth it to seek Him!
  • The crowd was there to be discipled: they listened, learned & followed

12 Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to him and said, “Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.”

  • The Twelve wanted to provide for the crowds, but not thinking of the supernatural
  • Just like the 12, our ideas of provision are often limited to what we can see
  • Just like us they needed to be taught how to get in on the provision network

13 But Jesus said, “You feed them.” “But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,” they answered. “Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?” 14 For there were about 5,000 men there.

  • They have expressed that there is no way to provide, Christ says: ‘You can do it!’
  • Jesus shows them they can’t provide from what they have or what they can get
  • it is important for us to get out of our limited perceptions and illusion of control
  • I have looked at situations and said, there is no way I can do this…
  • When I have walked in faith and obedience I have seen God do what I could not

Jesus replied, “Tell them to sit down in groups of about fifty each.” 15 So the people all sat down. 16 Jesus took the five loaves and two fish, looked up toward heaven, and blessed them.

  • 50 is about the perfect size for a fellow ship meal (like we are going to have soon)
  • He took what was there and looked to heaven
  • He blessed what was shared…His Disciples shared the 5 loves & 2 fish

Then, breaking the loaves into pieces, he kept giving the bread and fish to the disciples so they could distribute it to the people. 17 They all ate as much as they wanted, and afterward, the disciples picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!

  • In order for us to bless others Christ wants to break us first! (Maturation Process)
  • Oswald Chambers: ‘We are to be broken bread and poured out wine’.
  • We get in on the provision network when we live sacrificially
  • Sharing our lives for Him & with Him as Disciples He will use us to provides 4 His
  • And as we live in such a manner, we will in turn be provided for by His Disciples
  • Midtown Has been provided fro by communities of disciples: New Hope / 1st Woodstock / Crosspoint / 1st Powdersville / Victor Church / 1027
  • As a community of disciples we have provided for communities of disciples:

    Summary:

    Christ wants us to venture out to do His work, in His power, trusting He will provide.

    Christ wants us to be content with the provision He has given us.

    Christ wants His disciples to participate in His Provision for His Disciples.

    Christ wants to bless both sides of His Disciple Provision Network.

    Application Questions:

    What has kept you from taking chances to share Christ’s message & healing?

    What has happened when you did something that required you to really trust God to provide?

    Have you not been content with what God has provided? What might change that?

    How have you been provided for by Christ’s Disciples? How have you provided for Christ’s Disciples?

    /by

    Easter 2020 Who Jesus Christ Is: 4 Scenes From 66 Hours

    4 SCENES THAT ANSWER 4 QUESTIONS

    WHO DO WE BELONG TO?

    WHO BOUGHT US?

    WHO IS OUR HOPE IN?

    WHO IS OUR REVELATION?

    The four scenes take place from 6pm Thursday to Noon Sunday

    6pm Thursday: WHO DO WE BELONG TO? John 13:1-6

    The setting is the ‘Upper Room’, they are about to begin the ‘Passover Seder Ritual’. Before they begin the meal, the guests feet were washed by a servant of the Host

    1 Before the Passover celebration, Jesus knew that his hour had come to leave this world and return to his Father. He had loved his disciples during his ministry on earth, and now he loved them to the very end. 2 It was time for supper, and the devil had already prompted Judas, son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.

    • John gives us insight from the Holy Spirit as to Jesus’ state of mind
    • He had loved them by action, and His death would be the ultimate act of love
    • The betrayal was part of God’s plan

    3 Jesus knew that the Father had given him authority over everything and that he had come from God and would return to God. 4 So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him.

    • With full knowledge of EVERYTHING… Jesus sought to demonstrate His love
    • The Mystery of the Incarnation…not a mystery to Jesus
    • He took on the role of the lowliest servant and one by one, washed their feet

    6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand now what I am doing, but someday you will.” 8 “No,” Peter protested, “you will never ever wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t belong to me.” 9 Simon Peter exclaimed, “Then wash my hands and head as well, Lord, not just my feet!”

    • Peter is like: your not really going to do this are you?
    • Peter can’t understand how Jesus is the greatest because He is willing to be least
    • You have to let Jesus serve you (Die For You) in order to belong to Him
    • Once Peter realizes what is at stake, he is all in
    • Are you all in with the idea of letting Jesus cleanse you / forgive you / redeem you

    Who do we belong to? CHRIST CALLS US TO BELONG TO HIM!

    3pm Friday: WHO BOUGHT US? Matthew 27:46 & 50-53

    The setting: The Place of the Skull… At about 9am Jesus is nailed to the cross. Roman solders throw dice for his clothes. The religious leaders mock him. He interacts with one of the thieves next to him. At Noon it goes dark for three hours…Here is where we pick up the action:

    46 At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

    • The sin of all mankind is placed upon The Christ
    • God the Father cannot be in fellowship with sin so He must abandon Him
    • David prophesied this; it only makes sense in a bigger context
    • A price had to be paid, God’s perfect Justice demanded it

    50 Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit.

    • He says: ‘Father, into your hands I commit my spirit’ & ‘It is finished!’
    • His Life-Force left that body…for now (He Himself released His Spirit)

    51 At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, 52 and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. 53 They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.

    • In both Mark and Luke the curtain being torn TOP TO BOTTOM is recorded
    • The separation of God’s presence from us because of sin is ended from His end
    • Supernatural power caused nature to resonate & God’s people to rise to new life
    • They were godly because God animated them & they demonstrated redemption

    Who Bought us? CHRIST BOUGHT & PAID FOR US TO BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD!

    6am Sunday: WHO IS OUR HOPE IN? Mark 16:1-6

    1 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?”

    • Sabbath was sundown Friday to sundown Saturday (No commerce)
    • The stones were not meant to be rolled away often
    • With a lever you could get it open enough to get inside
    • There would normally be men who performed such a service but not 1st thing
    • Rich people’s cemetery, there would be ‘attendants’

    4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside. 5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side.

    • Something had happened, they didn’t see it happen, they just could see the result
    • Luke describes ‘A young man clothed in a white robe’

    The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.

    • If you search for Jesus, who was crucified, there is no need to be alarmed
    • The angel tells them exactly what has happened; we have God’s word on it!
    • The angel says: believe in what you can’t see! That is what Hope is!

    Who is our hope in? CHRIST IS OUR HOPE FOR ETERNITY WITH GOD!

    Noon Sunday: WHO IS OUR REVELATION? Luke 24:13-17 & 21-27

    13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him. 17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently…

    • They were part of the core of Jesus’ followers talking about the past 66 hours…
    • The resurrected Christ seems to be just another traveler
    • Jesus wants to start with what they think about it (God meets you where you are)
    • He is there to reveal Himself to them

    21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago. 22 “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report.

    • They had hoped… but they did not believe Jesus was the Messiah
    • They had an amazing ‘report’….Amazing as in there was no explanation for it

    23 They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”

    • Angels telling them Jesus is alive, an empty tomb and STILL they don’t believe
    • They had information, but no revelation!
    • Throughout the world people know some the story but do not believe
    • The problem is they don’t know the Whole Story…
    • Where do you get the whole Story?

    25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?”

    • It’s all there in the Hebrew Scriptures! Who the messiah is and what He does…
    • The death, burial & resurrection of Jesus the Christ only makes sense with O.T.

    27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

    • The information in the Bible comes alive as God’s Spirit enables us to understand
    • God Himself wants to take us through the Scriptures to understand who He is
    • Christ Himself provides the Illumination that leads to Revelation of God’s Glory
    • We need the whole of Scripture, Old & New Testaments understood together
    • We are so blessed to have the complete revelation!

    Who Reveals God to us? CHRIST IS OUR REVELATION OF GOD’S GLORY!

    Application Questions:

    What are some lifestyle choices that can help you more fully belong to Jesus Christ?

    How can you intentionally pay forward what Jesus Christ paid for you?

    How can you focus on expressing your hope for eternal union with Him?

    How can you increase your openness to Scripture’s revelation of who Christ is?

    /by

    Luke Pt. 15: Faith For Yourself & Others

    What is ‘Faith’ and where does it come from? How do you practice your faith, act in faith and live by your faith? When I think of practicing my faith this is what it looks like, trusting God can change things that seem unchangeable. You need a firm foundation: God’s Word. Faith comes from God’s hand, we are gifted by God with the faith to believe in Him. We can ask God for faith but we cannot create it ourselves.

    Faith is the belief in a reality that we cannot completely document or prove, something for which there is incomplete evidence. Yet it is not a belief founded in nothing.

    This passage shows that when we believe in Him as the All Everything God, amazing thing, unexpected things, long hoped for things… will happen in our lives!

    Luke 8:40-56

    40 Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. 41 Then a man named Jairus, a synagogue leader, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house 42 because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.

    • People are tracking Jesus’ movements and are waiting for him (Capernaum)
    • A Jewish Religious leader, more like an Elder than a Pastor in our context
    • Meets Jesus at the shore, wants Him to come with him to his house (faith act)
    • Big deal for such a man to fall at Jesus’s feet (it was all for someone else)

    As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. 43 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. 44 She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.

    • Picture Jesus walking through town being mobbed by people in the street
    • Some manuscripts include: though she had spent all her living on physicians V43
    • What it meant to have bleeding for 12 years!
    • The desperation she must have experienced…she had exhausted human means
    • She approached Him in faith
    • She was like: “If I can just touch Him”
    • Mat 9:21 & Mark 5:28 She said to herself, If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed
    • BAM! Instant healing

    45 “Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”

    • Jesus’ healing power is accessible by faith
    • Peter talks to Him like He is just a man who can only have finite knowledge
    • All God / All Man, Jesus invokes His divinity here and is ‘All Knowing’
    • He knows who the someone is, He wants her to tell her story
    • Christ wants you to tell your story

    47 Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. 48 Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”

    • Even after Jesus had healed her she tried to hide…then she publicly testified
    • Her story leaves no doubt divine intervention had occurred (Miracle)
    • Jesus proclaims it’s her faith that caused the healing (Faith In Jesus to heal her)
    • We know God does the healing but our faith
    • She is to go in peace because she knows 1st hand who Jesus is

    49 While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” he said. “Don’t bother the teacher anymore.” 50 Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, “Don’t be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.”

    • One of Jairus’ people come to tell him that his daughter has died (human view)
    • With Jesus there He says “no point having the ‘Teacher’ come” (underestimating)
    • Jesus says: Don’t listen to fear, trust ME! Believe in ME!
    • Putting your faith in Jesus for ‘Others’ (praying for others)

    51 When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child’s father and mother. 52 Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. “Stop wailing,” Jesus said. “She is not dead but asleep.” 53 They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead.

    • Why only the three & the parents? Did Jesus only want faith in the house?
    • Faith in Jesus for who He truly is plays some role in God’s healing process
    • The people were convinced she was dead based on what they knew & could see
    • When Jesus claims He can change the situation, they laugh (Pure Pride)

    54 But he took her by the hand and said, “My child, get up!” 55 Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. 56 Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

    • By HIS WORD He changes what was thought to be unchangeable
    • Dominion over life & death, proven by The Resurrection, 4 details see next week
    • The eating is to demonstrate the restored life is same as before, human
    • Why does He order them to not tell? He tells the parents not to tell, but the girl…

    Summary:

    Jesus responds to acts of faith with miracles.

    Christ has a healing agenda of His own that is not always clear to us.

    Our faith is part of the process God uses to bring healing to our lives.

    If we trust Jesus and relinquish control, we will see miracles for ourselves others

    Application Questions:

    How can & do you specifically approach Jesus Christ in faith for your own needs?

    When was a time you acted in faith on someone else’s behalf? What did you learn?

    When God is not doing something on your timetable how do you react?

    Are there things in your life you are convinced God can’t change? What & Why?

    Make the most of this Holy Week and get ready to celebrate Easter next Sunday!

    /by