[0:00] Good morning and a warm welcome to this Easter service and as we were hearing the music playing there probably it's the words we're going through our minds these words that we that we remember and we rejoice in on Easter Sunday morning. He lives the fact that Jesus our saviour who died for our sin he rose from the dead and he lives. A warm welcome to those who are in the building and those who are not in the building but who are watching at home or those who are listening in on the telephone it's good for us to be able to come together and to worship God as as usual and one or two intimations I want to give just before we begin.
[0:50] Come in Kirsty when I looked over to my right I thought we're expecting one more. Good morning good to see you. Intimations just a few intimations to to go over before we begin and the first is to say that there'll be an Easter family service normally we would have had the family service in the morning but with only a few of the children here we'll have the family service online in the evening so that'll go out not at six o'clock but it'll go out at five o'clock just so that the children are all able to tune in at that time. The YF will meet I think Stuart tonight not tonight so there's a break from YF tonight but the prayer meeting will be online at half past seven on Wednesday and Anthony Latham will share a word this coming Wednesday. I hope to be on holiday from the end of the day through for a week so if there's any pastoral issues please speak to one of the elders in the first instance. Next Sunday morning the service will be taken by Gordon McLeod and next Sunday evening the service will be taken by Stuart King. One more intimation I was given by Gordon and that's to say that at half past seven on Monday the 12th of April Dr Amy McCaskill consultant psychiatrist will be speaking at the youth leader discipleship training her topic is mental health suicide anyone involved in youth ministry or interested in this particular subject is welcome to attend it's going to be over zoom and if you want to attend that please speak to Gordon by 8th of April that's Thursday the 8th of
[2:40] April and you'll get further details and Dr Amy McCaskill just for those who are wondering is a member of the free church in Kamali in Arden and Merchant she worships there with her husband and her three children so these I think are all the intimations for those who were who were tuning in last Sunday we finished up last Sunday by looking at those who were with Jesus and we thought about the fact that there were the 12 who were with Jesus and there were some women as Luke calls them in Luke chapter 8 they were with him and these women we see were with Jesus in life they traveled with him from village in town to village in town as he ministered and they served him in ministry and they were with Jesus not only in life but they were with him at his death the disciples were a long way back from the cross but we see women who were around the cross and then we see the first people to go to the place where
[3:50] Jesus body was laid were again these women and I want to to look just for a moment at Luke 24 you don't need to turn there but I'm just going to read the opening verses of Luke chapter 24 where we are taken to the resurrection it says there on the first day of the week very early in the morning the woman took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb they found the stone rolled away from the tomb but when they entered they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus while they were wondering about this suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them in their fright the woman bowed down with their faces to the ground but the men said to them why do you look for the living among the dead he is not here Jesus is not here he has risen remember how he told you while he was still with you in Galilee the son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men be crucified and on the third day be raised again then they remembered his words and that's what we do this this
[5:09] Easter Sunday morning we we remember what Jesus told them would happen we're not thinking new thoughts this Easter Sunday morning we're not kind of looking for new ideas we're remembering the truth we're remembering that what Jesus said would happen it did happen that he was delivered into the hands of sinful men he was crucified to pay the price for our sin and on the third day Jesus was raised again from the dead so that if we believe in him we can be saved from sin we can be saved from sin and we can receive that resurrection life and let's pray just as we as we prepare to sing our heavenly father we thank you for the wonder of the Easter story we thank you for this Lord's Day this special Lord's Day every Lord's Day we remember that Jesus is risen but we remember especially today that first Easter Sunday when those went to the tomb expecting the worst with hearts that were heavy and when they arrived there they saw that the stone was rolled away that Jesus was not dead the clothes that he was wrapped in were were laid aside and he was and he is risen we thank you that he lives we thank you that we that we worship that we serve a risen Savior and we thank you that when we are believing in him we are promised that we share in that everlasting resurrection life we thank you that the resurrection speaks to us about the fact that our sins have been forgiven if we're trusting in Christ
[7:10] Satan has been defeated and that the victory is eternally Christ's so enable us this day to see this to hear this to understand to believe and to rejoice in the wonder of the Easter story and we pray these things in Jesus name and for his sake amen we're going to sing or Cammie is going to sing in just a moment from Psalm 22 Psalm 22 and Cammie will sing verses 1 to verse 5 and then verse 31 at the end of the psalm and it's a psalm that we're going to in particular today because it it takes us to the cross of Jesus we hear the words of Jesus from the cross my God my God why have you forsaken me and it takes us also to the place where we get a glimpse of the resurrection because we we finish the psalm there with these these words that he has done it he hath done this the work of salvation is complete and the resurrection we are looking towards so let's listen to God's praise being sung
[8:38] Psalm 22 verses 1 to 5 and verse 31 my God my God why hast thou me forsaken why so far art thou from helping me and from my words that roaring are all day my God to thee I cry yet am not heard by thee and in the season of the night I cannot silent be but thou art holy thou that dost inhabit Israel's praise our fathers hope in thee they hope in thee they hope in thee they hope in thee they hope in thou didst them release when unto thee they set their cry to them them deliverance came because they put their trust in thee they were not put to shame.
[10:48] They shall command, they shall declare his truth and righteousness unto a people yet unborn and that he hath done this.
[11:22] Let's unite our hearts and pray again for a moment. Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the psalm that we have sung.
[11:36] A psalm that we confess we struggle to understand. We struggle to get into the depths of because we recognize it's a psalm that takes us into the sufferings of Jesus.
[11:58] And as we rejoice this Easter Sunday morning, help us not to overlook the cost at which our salvation came.
[12:10] Help us to remember that Jesus, your Son, our Saviour, he was forsaken so that we need never be forsaken, but so that we may know reconciliation and peace with God.
[12:26] help us not to overlook the fact that he who was sinless became sin so that we could be forgiven.
[12:39] He who was innocent became a curse for us so that we could know your blessing. And we thank you that when it comes to the work of salvation, we have the assurance as that psalm ends that he has done it.
[13:00] The words that rang out from the cross, done it, finished. We thank you that all that we have to do to be saved, is to believe, to take hold of the grace that's offered to us in Jesus, to fall at your feet and to cry out, Lord, save me.
[13:27] And your promise, Lord, is that you will save us when we come, calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus. So we ask, Lord, that you would be working in this place, that you would be working in each home, that you would be working in all of our hearts, that we may see our need of salvation, that we may understand even with that childlike faith that Jesus has done everything necessary for us to be saved.
[14:02] And we pray that each one of us would come that none of us would hesitate, none of us would put this off. We ask that all of us would know the assurance of the salvation that is offered freely to us but came at such great price.
[14:20] We thank you, Lord, for your great love for us, that you sent your Son farther into this world that we might not perish but have everlasting life.
[14:34] And we pray that we would each one know a taste of that in time and the assurance of that for eternity. We thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to come together to worship.
[14:50] We thank you that some of us in the building are seeing each other for the first time in a long time. We thank you for the blessing and for the encouragement that that gives to each one of us.
[15:00] And we thank you for the freedom that we have to be able to come together in this way to worship you. We pray, Lord, for countries where there is no such freedom.
[15:12] We pray for brothers and sisters in places around the world where they are not able to meet physically and they are not even to meet in a virtual way, online, because of the authorities that close down on any efforts to bring the gospel onto the airwaves.
[15:33] We ask, Lord, that you would be with your people, that you would give them courage, that you would give them protection. And we thank you that we see and have seen throughout the history of the church that where authorities try to close down, the gospel cannot be chained.
[15:50] And, Lord, you continue to work and build your church. So, build your church around the world, we pray, and we ask that you would build your church, that you would rebuild the church even in this nation, because we confess that we are far from you.
[16:05] And even having gone through a year of pandemic where so much of what took up our lives was taken away, we confess, Lord, that as a nation we have not turned back to you.
[16:20] And we ask that you would move in the hearts of our nation, we pray that you would move in the hearts of those that you have allowed to be in authority over us, that each one of us would look to the God who promises that when we repent and turn from our wicked ways and call upon you, you will hear our prayers and heal our land.
[16:43] So, bring that healing to this nation, we pray. And for each of us, Lord, in our own homes, you know our needs, you know our stresses and our struggles.
[16:55] And we ask that you would meet us at the point of our need for those who are sick, Lord, that your hand of healing and sustaining would be upon them. For those who are grieving, Lord, that they would know the touch of your comfort.
[17:08] For those struggling with addictions and difficulties that they cannot break free from, we ask, Lord, that they would know the power of Christ, the one who is able even to deliver legion.
[17:25] And, Lord, for each of us, whatever it is we are troubled by, we thank you that we hear the call of Jesus who says, come to me, all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.
[17:40] So, help us to come, we pray. And to know the rest that God alone can give. And we pray these things in Jesus' name and for his sake. Amen.
[17:54] Boys and girls, it's good to see a few of you here this morning. Are you all doing okay? Thumbs up? Right there too.
[18:06] Yeah, that's good. That's good. Oh, there's Michael. I was looking for him. Now, I'm going to tell you a story first up today. And I have to go back in time probably about, oh, maybe 35 to 40 years.
[18:23] and I have to go all the way back in time to when I was a wee boy and I was over in Ness at my granny's house. And it was Easter weekend.
[18:38] And my granny said to me on Saturday night, she said, tomorrow morning is Easter Sunday morning. I said, yes it is. And she said, and you know what?
[18:48] I'm going to do a special thing for you. I'm going to, I'm going to make you Easter eggs for your, for your breakfast. And I thought, Easter eggs in Ness.
[19:01] This is amazing. I was absolutely delighted that I was going to get Easter eggs for my breakfast. But I didn't know what Easter eggs were and I was pretty sure that my granny didn't know what Easter eggs were either.
[19:14] So I wondered what these eggs would be like. Because there's plenty of hens running around the place. So I got up on Easter Sunday morning and I went through for my breakfast.
[19:26] I wondered what kind of egg would it be? Would it be chocolate? Would it be some special recipe? Do you know what kind of egg it was? Johnny?
[19:38] No, it wasn't a chocolate egg. I wish it had been. It wasn't. Do you want to know? Pardon? A normal fried egg.
[19:51] That's all it was. A fried egg that was made in the stove that had some wee brown bits around the side. And I was not very happy with my normal fried egg.
[20:02] It wasn't an Easter egg I thought to myself so I was quite disappointed. But this week I was doing some reading and one of the things I was reading it helped me to understand what a real Easter egg is.
[20:20] So are you watching? I'm going to show you a real Easter egg. You don't look that impressed.
[20:34] what makes this a real Easter egg? Do you want to know? Well it's Easter today yeah but this egg is different to other eggs that you might get from the shop or in an egg box.
[20:55] This is an Easter egg. So what makes an Easter egg do you think? It's Easter Sunday I know that but that's not actually what makes it the Easter egg. Any ideas?
[21:09] Michael what do you think? What makes this an Easter egg? Not sure? I wish I wish you could actually come out you're not allowed to come out I know.
[21:20] Johnny? Bunnies? Easter bunnies yes but what's that got to do with this egg? They made it well no that's not the reason that this is an Easter egg.
[21:35] If you could feel it you would know. Oh! Nothing to worry about.
[21:49] What makes it an Easter egg? that was a clue. It's empty.
[22:05] There's nothing in it. See it's not it's not got egg in it white it's not got yolk in it it's empty. It's just an empty shell.
[22:17] And that's what makes this an Easter egg. Here's another Easter egg. Tasty or what? What makes this an Easter egg? Do you think?
[22:28] John Rory? Chocolate. Chocolate? That's not what makes it an Easter egg though. John? Can you hide it on Easter? Pardon? Can you hide it on Easter?
[22:40] No it's not that either. John Rory? It's shaped off the stones Well that it's shaped like the stone that was rolled away from the tomb that's another thing that the egg reminds us of yeah?
[22:53] But that's not what I was going to say yeah? Do you want to? It's empty. It's right. I smashed it. It is empty.
[23:05] So what do you think that's supposed to remind us of? That's a picture. I heard it from one of the adults.
[23:19] Any of the children get it? What do you think that reminds us of? Do you want to know? The tomb that Jesus' body was laid in. Because we read about that didn't we?
[23:32] The woman they went to the place where Jesus' body was they thought as they were going it says in one of the other passages they wondered how they were going to roll this massive stone away. They didn't know.
[23:43] But when they got there they could see the stone already had rolled away. And when they looked inside the tomb was empty. Which tells us what?
[23:57] That Jesus is alive. He wasn't dead anymore.
[24:10] He did die for our sin. But he rose from the dead. The tomb was empty. That tells us that he was and he does and he forever will be alive.
[24:28] And what does he promise to us if we believe in him? What does Jesus promise to us if we believe in him? what?
[24:40] He promised that the resurrection everlasting never ending life that he had and he showed he will share with us.
[24:52] It says in another place in the Bible the wages of sin is death. Sin leads to death. But Jesus died to take our sin away and he rose showing that everybody who trusts in him will live forever.
[25:08] And that's good news isn't it? Good news. We're going to sing about that now or Cammie's going to sing about that now. Mission Praise 52 which is a hymn that tells us very simply the whole message of the gospel.
[25:26] God sent his son. They called him Jesus. He came to love, heal and forgive. He lived and died to buy my pardon. an empty grave is there to prove my saviour lives.
[25:41] And we're going to sing or Cammie's going to sing this hymn just now and we'll listen in the church. You can sing out home to God's praise. God sent his son.
[26:00] They called him Jesus. He came to love, heal and forgive. He lived and died to buy my pardon.
[26:18] And empty grave is there to prove my saviour lives. Because he lives, I can face tomorrow.
[26:35] Because he lives, all fear is gone. Because I know he holds the future and life is worth the living just because he lives.
[26:56] How sweet to hold a newborn baby baby and feel the pride and joy he gives.
[27:13] But greater still, the calm assurance this child can face uncertain days.
[27:24] because he lives. Because he lives, I can face tomorrow. Because he lives, all fear is gone.
[27:43] Because I know he holds the future and life is worth the living just because he lives.
[27:57] And then one day I'll cross the river I'll fight life by no war with pain.
[28:12] And then as death gives way to victory I'll see the lights of glory and I'll know he lives.
[28:27] Because he lives, I can face tomorrow. Because he lives, all fear is gone.
[28:42] Because I know he holds the future and life is worth the living just because he lives.
[28:59] Okay, boys and girls, thank you for listening so well. You're going to go through to Sunday school. Remember to tune in to the service tonight at five o'clock. Thank you for doing the readings and we'll have a shorter message and the children are going to help us read and we're going to have various people from the congregation singing in the course of the service.
[29:23] So be encouraged to tune in to that this evening. We're going to turn now to Luke's Gospel and chapter eight. Luke's Gospel chapter eight.
[29:42] We're carrying on from where we were last Sunday which might surprise you but we're going further than we were last Sunday as well. We'll be fast forwarding into the Easter story at each point.
[29:54] But we're going to look at the verses from 22 to the end of the chapter. Luke chapter eight, verse 22 to the end of the chapter.
[30:09] This is God's word. One day Jesus said to his disciples, let's go over to the other side of the lake. So they got into a boat and set out.
[30:20] As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake so that the boat was being swamped and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him saying, Master, Master, we're going to drown.
[30:34] He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters. the storm subsided and all was calm. Where is your faith? He asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, who is this?
[30:49] He commands even the wind and the water and they obey him. They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee.
[31:01] When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon possessed man from the town. For a long time, this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.
[31:13] When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me.
[31:25] For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.
[31:41] Jesus asked him, What is your name? Legion, he replied, because many demons had gone into him, and they begged him repeatedly not to order them to go into the abyss.
[31:52] A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into them, and he gave them permission. When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank and into the lake and was drowned.
[32:11] When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside. And the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind, and they were afraid.
[32:31] Those who had seen it told the people how the demon possessed man had been cured. Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear.
[32:43] So he got into the boat and left. The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, return home and tell how much God has done for you.
[32:55] So the man went away and told all over the town how much Jesus had done for him. Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.
[33:06] Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.
[33:18] As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him, and a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.
[33:32] Who touched me? Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you. But Jesus said, Someone touched me.
[33:45] I know that power has gone out from me. Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling at 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.
[34:03] Then he said to her, Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace. While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler.
[34:13] Your daughter is dead, he said. Don't bother the teacher anymore. Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, Don't be afraid, just believe, and she will be healed.
[34:26] When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he said he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her.
[34:40] Stop wailing, Jesus said. She is not dead, but asleep. They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead, but he took her by the hand and said, My child, get up.
[34:52] Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.
[35:08] Amen. And may God bless that reading of his word to us. Let's pray for a moment. Our heavenly father, we thank you for your word, and we pray now that you would help us, that you would send the Holy Spirit, that he would be our teacher, that we would see and hear and understand what you are saying to us.
[35:33] Give us faith, we pray, that we may be those who, like the disciples, were found amazed, but looking to Jesus, the one who is able to save.
[35:47] So hear our prayers. Help us, Lord, in this time as we study your word. We pray for the children. We ask, Lord, that you would help them also to understand and to believe.
[35:58] We pray for the churches around us, those who meet physically, those who meet virtually, and we ask that whatever the gospel is preached, that you would add your blessing to the preaching of your word, and that you would build the church.
[36:13] Draw many to Jesus. On this Easter Sunday, we pray, and we ask these things in Jesus' name and for his sake. Amen. Grace, that's Grace, my middle daughter.
[36:32] She had a picture for years on our bedroom wall. I went to look for it today or yesterday, and typically I couldn't find it. It had gone recently from our bedroom wall, but for those who know Grace, they won't be surprised to know that it was a picture of a horse.
[36:50] And it was one of these strange pictures where when you look at it directly, you can see just a straightforward picture of a horse. But if you tilt the picture a little, or you look at it from an angle, it's got a kind of depth to it.
[37:07] I think it's a holographic picture, it's called. it's got a depth to it. You see different dimensions on the same image. And that's something that we see happening all the way through the Bible.
[37:24] We sang Psalm 22 just a few minutes ago. And that's a psalm that was written by David, the psalmist. And as we read the psalm, as we sing the psalm, we get some insights into the kind of sufferings that David faced in his own life.
[37:42] And he had many sufferings to face in his own life. But when we look at the psalm more closely, we see that there's a depth to the psalm that may not be apparent on first reading.
[37:56] It goes beyond David. As we study the psalm, we see more than David, we see Jesus. We see his sufferings, we hear his cries.
[38:09] We see his cross. And in Luke chapter 8, as we've just read the verses, we see, as we scan through the chapter there, we see a storm.
[38:23] We see spiritual warfare, this encounter with legion. We see healing. We see even resurrection. These are specific events things that Luke describes at this juncture in Jesus' ministry.
[38:40] But if we look more closely at the text, we see more than that. We see the cross of Christ coming into focus.
[38:51] We see a preview of Jesus' resurrection. resurrection. salvation. We see a foreshadowing of what Jesus would go on to do to make it possible for us to be saved from our sin.
[39:08] So what we're doing today is we're looking at the second half of Luke chapter 8, but we're looking at more than that. We're starting there, but we're seeing how it brings us on to see the cross and the resurrection of Jesus, which is the heart of the Easter story.
[39:27] So four points this morning, hopefully, in the time that we have. And the first point, the first thing that we see is a storm. So the first point is to see the storm.
[39:40] And that takes us from verse 22 to verse 25. So let's look first of all at the storm, this event that Luke describes for us. Verse 22, one day Jesus said to his disciples, let's go over to the other side of the lake.
[39:55] So they got into a boat and set out. Now I wonder on that day, did the disciples want to go to the other side of the lake?
[40:12] My guess is probably not. We can imagine the conversation that may have happened around what Jesus said. Why do we have to go to the other side of the lake, Jesus?
[40:26] Why can we not just stay on this side? Why do we have to go to Gentile country? Why do we have to go out away from the shore into that notoriously dangerous water?
[40:37] Why can't we stay, Jesus, where it's comfortable and where it's safe? But no, we read in verse 22 that Jesus sets the course for them.
[40:47] and they follow. That's the way things were. That's the way things still are for disciples of Jesus.
[40:58] Jesus leads. You and I follow. And sometimes, in fact, oftentimes, he leads us out of our comfort zone.
[41:12] Sometimes he even leads us right into the eye of a storm. as he did with the disciples. Verse 23. As they sailed, he fell asleep.
[41:26] A squall came up, came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, Master, Master, we're going to drown.
[41:39] Now, one of the commentators makes the observation that Jesus slept peacefully through the storm.
[41:51] When everything is absolutely raging in the waters, when these fishermen, these experienced fishermen, were fearful for their lives, Jesus is fast asleep.
[42:02] He trusts his Father. But the second, one of his disciples, calls out to him, fearing they will perish, Jesus is up, and he's ready to act.
[42:21] And I think that's something that we should just note and take to encourage ourselves. And that there, I think, is an encouragement for us to keep on praying.
[42:36] Keep on crying out to Jesus. Storms will come in life. Some of us are going through storms right now. Jesus made clear that the Christian life will not be plain sailing, but when storms hit, what should we do?
[43:00] Well, we should cry out to Jesus. knowing that he is the one who hears and who answers prayer.
[43:13] And we see the answer there in verse 25, much more than they could have ever expected. Jesus got up, rebuked the wind and the raging waters. The storm subsided and all was calm.
[43:26] where is your faith? He asked the disciples. And that's a question to underline.
[43:40] You know, there isn't a single person in this room or behind that screen who doesn't have faith. everyone has faith.
[43:53] It's just a question of where our faith is. The most vociferous atheist has very strong faith.
[44:05] It's just misplaced. The agnostic who's gone off course and has settled in a particular position has some measure of faith, but it's misplaced.
[44:24] Jesus asked, where is your faith? And that's the question that determines where you and I will spend eternity. Where is your faith?
[44:38] That's a question that Jesus asked and it was designed to cause the disciples to look to him. And as Jesus calms the storm with a word, that's exactly what we find the disciples doing.
[44:59] They are utterly transfixed in that moment on Jesus. In fear and amazement it says in verse 25, they asked one another, who is this?
[45:14] he commands even the winds and the water and they obey him. Now the disciples at this point, they have baby faith.
[45:28] They don't have a clear picture of who Jesus is. Their Christology, you could say, is still quite cloudy. but through the storm, their eyes and their faith is directed to Jesus.
[45:49] So here we see a storm, we see a real storm that was used to teach the disciples back then and it's used still to teach us today about the storms of the Christian life and about the love and the care and the power of Jesus.
[46:12] And yet this storm that we read of in Luke chapter 8 is only a preview of what was coming. Some of you might remember John McSween preaching here a number of months back, I think it was online actually, and he made this observation observation.
[46:35] He observed that this storm that Jesus was in the center of was pointing forward to another storm, the storm of Calvary.
[46:49] And on the storm of Calvary, on the storm that would happen on the cross, the waves of God's wrath, his right punishment for our sin, would crash in on the Savior.
[47:03] And that's what we see in Psalm 22. It was the storm of God's wrath that caused Jesus to cry out from the cross, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
[47:22] And why was Jesus forsaken? Well, it was because of your sin and mine. Isaiah tells us that in Isaiah 53.
[47:34] 600 years before the cross, Isaiah tells us about the storm of the cross that was coming and our part in it.
[47:47] He says he was pierced, Jesus was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was laid upon him and by his wounds we are healed.
[48:04] the Messiah was coming but he was coming into a storm. We all like sheep, says Isaiah, have gone astray.
[48:19] Each of us has turned to his own way and the Lord has laid on him Jesus the iniquity of us all.
[48:34] you know we don't set off onto the high seas if we know a storm is coming. We stay on shore but Jesus came from heaven to earth knowing that he was coming into the eye of the storm.
[49:01] He came knowingly and willingly for us so that we would not perish but we would have eternal life if we trust in him.
[49:19] So we see that's the first point. We see the storm. The second point, Luke changes the scene and we go from the storm to we see, secondly here, Satan's defeat.
[49:33] And that takes us from verse 26 to verse 39 and it's a fair chunk of text. There's not a lot of time left so you can just scan the verses from that section.
[49:48] Satan's defeat is what we see from verse 26 to verse 39. verse 22. Let us go over to the other side.
[50:02] He didn't promise that it would be a smooth crossing to the other side. He just said, let us go over to the other side. And it wasn't a smooth crossing but what he said came true.
[50:16] And so now we see the disciples are on the other side. But the welcoming party on the other side is not that welcoming. They were met, verse 27, by a demon possessed man from the time.
[50:33] Now what do we know about this man if we just scanned through these verses? Well we can see that he is a man who didn't wear clothes, hadn't done for a while.
[50:44] He lived in the tombs. It shows the how disturbed he was in his mind. There had been attempts to restrain this man with chains on his hands and his feet but he would just break them.
[51:01] There were guards, likely Roman guards, who were assigned to try to restrain this character but they weren't strong enough because he had supernatural strength. There was a vast number of demons that had gone into this man.
[51:19] He was an extreme case of demon possession. A legion of Satan's agents had control of him. And we can imagine the community living in fear of this man.
[51:33] And as soon as Jesus is on shore we see this man rushing at Jesus. And the demons in this man immediately recognize Jesus.
[51:46] They react against Jesus and the scene is set for this mighty battle. We expect this huge clash. But what we actually see is that for all the rage of the demons and this man, when they are faced with Jesus, they are utterly powerless.
[52:07] and rather than being some fierce battle, it's a kind of pathetic scene.
[52:23] As we hear this man or the demons within this man beg pathetically that Jesus would spare them from torture, spare them from the abyss, verse 31.
[52:38] They're asking Jesus, please don't send us there, can we take over this herd of pigs, verse 32. And with a word from Jesus they're forced out of the man.
[52:49] It's no struggle. They enter the pigs and they lead them to instant destruction, verse 33. And the question that we tend to ask, I'd be surprised if somebody's not asking it in their minds just now, is, why did Jesus allow that to happen to the poor pigs?
[53:13] Because that's our culture. We have animals up there, whilst there are abortions happening every moment of the day. And so we look at this and we say the poor pigs.
[53:28] And we overlook the poor man. And yet the pigs had no soul. The man had a soul that was on the road to hell.
[53:42] And Jesus had intentions to snatch the soul of this man from the grasp of Satan and save him. But I still think we can ask the question, why did the pigs have to be taken over the cliff?
[54:03] Why did Jesus allow these demons to take over the herd of pigs? And the answer, strictly speaking, is we don't know. We're not told. But I'll suggest two possible answers.
[54:16] I think one possible reason that Jesus allowed these demons to go into the pigs is so that the people who were watching this unfold could see that this man who was so possessed in an instant, he has his right mind again.
[54:34] He's back to being a human. And in that same instant, these pigs become demented and they're over the side of the cliff. So there's evidence there that what Jesus says is going to happen in the spiritual realm, we see in the physical realm evidence of what Jesus said actually happening.
[54:56] Warren Wiersbe says when the herd of swine rushed down the bank into the water, there was no question that the demons had departed from the man and that Jesus had done it.
[55:09] So those watching were able then to bear witness and say, we saw it happening with our own eyes. And perhaps the other reason that Jesus allowed these demons to enter this herd of pigs is so that we can see what Satan does and what his agents do to a life when they take hold of it.
[55:39] Sometimes we hear people talking along the lines of well becoming a Christian is boring. To follow Jesus is a boring way of life. It's like a track that takes us down a form of life that's not really living.
[55:55] But the devil's way, he's got all the best tunes. That's where the excitement is, that's where the action is, and that's a lie that we hear all the time.
[56:09] We have a picture here of what Satan does when he takes hold of a person or even a herd of pigs. his intention is to destroy us, to take us over the cliff and into a lake, not a lake of water, but a lake of fire.
[56:36] That's Satan's intention for our lives. He wants us to go to that place of never-ending destruction.
[56:48] But the good news is that Jesus is able to break Satan's hold. And if we will look in faith to Jesus, he has the power to defeat Satan.
[57:06] He has the power to release any grip that Satan has on our lives. He has the power to save us. He has the power to give us life. And so in this encounter between Jesus and Legion, we see more of the power of Jesus, just as we saw the power of Jesus in the storm.
[57:29] And we learn something here in application. As we look around us in the world, we learn here that there is no one, no one, no one.
[57:43] No matter how far into sin they may seem to be, no matter how dark a life may seem to be, there is no one that Jesus cannot save.
[58:03] Think about that. Think about the people, even in this moment, think about some of the people that God has allowed to be in your life, who are the furthest possible people away from Christ.
[58:20] The most vociferous against Jesus. Do you believe that Jesus can save that person?
[58:34] Well, we're taught here he can. We get to write off no one. No one. we see here that Jesus can save to the uttermost.
[58:51] So we see how thoroughly Jesus defeats Satan in this clash in Luke chapter 8 and yet again. Tilt the text a little, think about the hologram picture.
[59:05] There's more depth to this than we first see because this is only a preview. Where do we see Satan's ultimate defeat?
[59:17] We see it on the cross. On the cross, all the powers of hell were concentrated on Jesus.
[59:32] Satan threw everything, every agent he had at Jesus on the cross. And yet when Jesus died, he didn't die because Satan took his life away.
[59:52] He died because he laid his life down. And as Satan struck the heel of Jesus on the cross, Genesis 3 15, what actually was happening was that Jesus was crushing the head of Satan once and for all.
[60:14] The cross was the place of Satan's ultimate defeat. The cross was the place where our salvation was ultimately secured. Paul writes about this in Colossians 2.
[60:29] He says, when you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins. Having cancelled the written code with its regulations that was against us and stood opposed to us, he, Jesus, took it away, nailing it to the cross.
[60:49] And listen to this verse, and having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
[61:06] Satan, for a moment, thought that this was his finest hour, but the reality was it was his absolute humiliation.
[61:21] It's where he was defeated once and for all. so how do we respond to this?
[61:36] As we consider this great power of Jesus to save? Well, you know what the right response would be? The right response would be for us to say, save me, Jesus.
[61:53] The right response would be for us to fall at the feet of Jesus and to worship him, as we consider the great power that he has.
[62:05] But do you notice what the people there do? In verse 37, they witness this immense power of Jesus as this man who was possessed in such a horrendous way, is right-minded, he is clothed, he is lucid, he is human again.
[62:25] What do they say to Jesus? Leave us. They cared more about the lost prophets from the pig sales than the salvation of the man.
[62:41] And so they say to Jesus, leave us. We don't want you around here. And do you notice what Jesus does? He leaves them.
[62:55] But he leaves a missionary amongst them. Because the man that Jesus saved, although he begs Jesus, can I go with you?
[63:06] Jesus says, no, no, I've got a job for you. You're staying here. You're going home, verse 39. You're going to go and tell everybody how much God has done for you.
[63:23] And I think there's parallels there that we should take on board in our own lives. We live in a place, we live in a country that has asked Jesus to leave long ago. And as we look around us in Scotland today, it looks a lot like a country that Jesus has left behind.
[63:45] left us to our own ways. What's our job then if we're Christians? It's to be missionaries.
[64:01] The fact that we are here and not in heaven is evidence of the fact that Jesus is asking us to do what this man was asked to do.
[64:13] Tell the people around you how much God has done for you. Tell them about the cross. Tell them about the resurrection.
[64:24] Tell them about the great love of Jesus because they don't know it anymore. Tell the people what God can do for even the legions of this world.
[64:39] so we see the storm. We see Satan's defeat. Thirdly, much more briefly, we see sin's cure.
[64:55] One thing to be clear on before we think about this is that sickness is not a punishment for sin. Sometimes we allow our minds to go there.
[65:07] we think when I'm healthy God must be happy with me. When I'm sick God must be angry. But we see throughout the Bible think about the book of Job in particular we see that's not the case.
[65:25] Sickness is not a punishment for sin in this world but sickness is often a picture of sin. It's a picture of what sin has done and is doing in this world.
[65:37] And as Weersby the commentator says healing is a symbol of salvation and so in verse 40 and following we see two people who are sick. When Jesus returned verse 40 a crowd welcomed him for they were all expecting him.
[65:55] Then a man named Jairus a ruler of the synagogue came and fell at Jesus' feet pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter a girl of about twelve was dying. Now who was Jairus?
[66:08] Well Jairus was an important man. He was the president of the synagogue. He was a man who had reached essentially the highest position that one could reach in that culture at that time.
[66:20] So he's the kind of guy that if he asks you to help you drop everything to help him because he has influence he has power and he comes to Jesus and Jesus is willing to help him.
[66:34] But as Jesus is on his way to Jairus' house he meets another woman who's sick or she meets Jesus. Verse 43 the crowd is almost crushing him.
[66:48] A woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years but no one could heal her. Who was the woman? What was her name? We don't know. Probably nobody knew her name because she was on the other end of the scale from Jairus.
[67:05] He was important. She was nothing. His name was known. Nobody knew her name. Because of her condition she was considered to be unclean.
[67:15] She was a social outcast. She was a religious outcast. People avoided her. But Jesus stops everything to help her.
[67:28] And we learn something about Jesus here. There's no favoritism. We may treat different people different ways. We shouldn't but we may. But Jesus doesn't.
[67:43] John 6 37 he says whoever comes to me. Whoever I will never drive away. Rich or poor.
[67:55] Respected like Jairus or despised. We see both ends of the scale coming to Jesus for help and healing. And Jesus hears and responds to both prayers.
[68:09] She came up behind him. Verse 44 and touched the edge of his cloak, the hem of his garment. And immediately her bleeding stopped. So we ask the question, how did it stop?
[68:22] And Luke gives no medical explanation. Remember, he's a doctor, but he doesn't make any attempts to explain this medically. It's a miracle. Her sickness is cured. Her body is healed.
[68:33] But not only is her body healed, her heart is healed. And how do we know that? Well, we know that through her profession of faith. We have this awkward series of verses from 45 to 48, where Jesus says to her, who touched me?
[68:55] And everyone's denying it. And Peter takes Jesus aside and says, look at everybody, they're all pressing in on you. What do you mean who touched you? But Jesus perseveres.
[69:07] Who touched me? I want you to come forward. The woman who had faith to touch me, I want you to come forward and profess that faith, he says.
[69:23] And trembling, she falls at his feet, verse 47. And in the presence of all the people, she tells them why she touched Jesus, her and how she had been instantly healed.
[69:39] And then Jesus says to her, daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace. Now, if she hadn't professed, we wouldn't know that she was heart healed.
[69:58] but because she did profess, we know that the peace of God is now with her.
[70:13] We know that she has gone from being outside of Christ to a daughter, one who is recognized by Jesus as a daughter, one who is in the family of God.
[70:30] It wasn't easy for her to profess her faith. We can see that as she trembles. But her profession of faith led to an assurance of salvation.
[70:45] Her profession of faith led to Jesus being glorified. loved James. And I want to say to some who may be watching, listening, even present, take that as a challenge.
[71:06] Take that as an encouragement to profess your faith if Jesus has healed you. If you are one who has received that healing touch from Jesus where your sins are forgiven and your soul is saved.
[71:28] Come forward and tell of that. So we see her body healed.
[71:41] We see her soul is healed. But how was it healed? And where was it healed? And the answer?
[71:53] The children would tell me at the cross. Her bleeding stopped instantly because of the blood of Jesus that would soon start.
[72:08] That would soon be shed at Calvary. She became clean because Jesus would soon become unclean.
[72:19] He would become sin for her and all those who trust in him. It takes us to that verse that I never drift far from.
[72:34] 2 Corinthians 5.21 God made him Jesus who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
[72:53] So we see here thirdly the cure for sin. Sin's cure is Christ's cross. And finally in just a moment or two we see death's defeat.
[73:07] Verse 49 to verse 56 you can scan them I haven't got time to read them. But what do we see in these verses? Well what we see clearly in these verses is resurrection.
[73:22] We can step back to Luke 7 we see a young man resurrected. You look at Luke 8 here we see a young girl resurrected.
[73:35] Jairus' daughter not only was she sick but she dies. And so Jairus' helpers come and they meet Jesus on the way and they say to Jairus don't bother him anymore.
[73:50] I'm sorry to tell you your daughter's dead. Don't bother the teacher anymore. But see they needed to learn that Jesus was more than a teacher.
[74:05] He was the saviour. He was the one who said I am the resurrection and the life. And so Jesus hears these words from Jairus' servants but he's not deterred.
[74:20] He says to Jairus don't be afraid. Just believe. And so Jesus goes to her. He's met by a wailing crowd who instantly start to laugh when Jesus says she's only sleeping.
[74:39] And Jesus goes in to that home. He takes her by the hand verse 54 and he wakes her up from death like a father would wake his daughter up from sleep.
[74:55] this is more than healing. This is resurrection. We see the fourth point I don't know if I gave it is death's defeat.
[75:10] We see here death's defeat. And yet again this resurrection was only a preview of what was to come.
[75:24] because at the cross Jesus the one who was life would die and he would be buried and in the third day he would be raised from the dead as we read in Luke 24.
[75:47] so the resurrection of Jesus that we celebrate today especially and we celebrate every Lord's Day showed that Jesus had come through the storm of Calvary.
[76:04] He had defeated Satan. He had the cure for sin. he had defeated death for all who would believe in him.
[76:21] So do you believe or as Jesus asked on the boat where is your faith? Heavenly Father we we thank you for Jesus your son.
[76:40] We thank you that he came to be our saviour and we pray that you would give us the faith that we may look to him that we may receive the salvation that he offers that we may know the reality of eternal resurrection life and we pray these things in Jesus name Amen Sorry I went on a bit there but we'll finish by singing in Mission Praise 1072 Cammie will sing this hymn to finish in Christ alone my hope is found In Christ alone my hope is found He is my light my strength my song
[77:41] This cornerstone this solid ground firm through the fiercest drought and storm What heights of love what depths of peace When fears are stilled when striving cease my comfort my comforter my all in all here in the love of Christ I stand Lord in Christ alone who took on flesh fullness of God in helpless babe this gift of love and righteousness scorned scorned by the ones he came to save till on that cross as
[78:45] Jesus died the wrath of God was satisfied for every sin on him was laid here in the death of Christ I live there in the ground his body lay light of the world by darkness slain then bursting forth in glorious day up from the grave he rose again and as he stands in victory since curse has lost its grip on me for I am his and he is mine but with the precious blood of
[79:50] Christah No guilt in life, no fear in death This is the power of Christ in me From life's first cry to final breath Jesus commands my destiny No power of hell, no scheme of man Can ever pluck me from his hand Till he returns or calls me home Here in the power of Christ I'll stand Now we'll stand for the benediction And now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ
[80:53] And the love of God the Father And the fellowship of God the Holy Spirit Be with us all both now and forevermore Amen