The Heaton File

The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:3-6)

The Importance Of Reading

Jesus is the Son of God, Creator, Divinity, and all-knowing, yet He reminds men of the importance of knowing the word of God. From the beginning of creation, God revealed Himself to the world through natural and special revelation. Creation heralds the nature of God as the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen. A man can know there is a higher being viewing the creation, but he cannot know the character of God. Understanding the will and character of God can only come from special revelation. Adam and Eve knew what God said when they were told not to eat of the forbidden fruit. They disobeyed His word. Noah understood the command to build an ark and the impending flood. He did what God said.

Moses received the law from God at Sinai that became the code of conduct for righteousness for the Hebrews. Everything a Jew needed to know about his relationship with God was found in the Law of Moses. Parents were commanded to teach their children the law. A priesthood was established to carry out the law. Kings were required to read the law and obey it. The Gentiles were a law to themselves as God revealed Himself to them, and Israel followed the Law of Moses. No one could plead ignorance to what God required of them.

During the ministry of Jesus, the Son of God referred to the word of His Father for His authority. When Satan came to Jesus in the wilderness, the Son of God did not rely on His wisdom to battle His adversary. On each occasion of Satan’s wiles, Jesus said, “It is written.” He appeals to the word for authority. The Jewish leaders continually attacked the teaching of Jesus, and His reply was, “Have you not read?” This itinerant preacher from Nazareth kept referring His enemies back to the word of God. The Pharisees charged the disciples of Jesus with breaking the Sabbath. To vindicate what His disciples did, Jesus told them to read what David did when hungry. He reminded them of what the priests had to do on the Sabbath to prepare sacrifices but were blameless.

Jesus defended what He taught by appealing to the word of God. The Sadducees challenged Jesus with a question about the resurrection, and His answer was to direct them to read what God had spoken to them. There was ample evidence in the Old Testament scriptures that proved there was such a thing as the resurrection. The Sadducees were wrong because they had failed to read the word of God. If they had read what Moses had written down, they would have had the answers they sought.

Reading is fundamental to faith. If people believe they will find faith apart from reading the word, they are mistaken. Jesus knew the word because He took the time to read the word. A man’s faith will be measured by how much time he spends or does not spend reading the word of God. Paul explained that faith comes from hearing and that hearing evolves from the word of God. Amos summed up the failure of God’s people when he wrote, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” A faithful child of God is a faithful reader of the Book. Reading is power because it brings knowledge. Take time to read. Have you not read?

I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. (Luke 12:49-51)

Jesus Came To Divide

The Prince of Peace came to bring war. As the Lamb of God, Jesus came to bring division. God sent His Son into the world to separate men from one another. The teachings of Jesus were radical. He taught with authority, and the people marveled. When the Jewish leaders challenged Jesus, they acknowledged He was honest and showed no partiality to any man. The character of Jesus was unlike what the people had seen of their leaders. His teaching was bold, accusatory, controversial, demanding, and firm. No one could doubt where Jesus stood on a matter.

An innumerable crowd assembled to hear the teachings of Jesus. He warned them of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees and the need to fear God above all. If any man would follow the Son of God, he must be willing to confess Him as Lord. Many would not confess Jesus for fear of being ostracized by their fellow countrymen and being cast out of the synagogue. Jesus warned the crowd of covetousness and the constant fear of how to provide things in life. Everything pointed toward the coming of the Lord when none of those things would matter. It takes a faithful heart to follow Jesus, and discipleship is not for the faint of heart.

One of the remarkable teachings of Jesus was to tell the multitudes His mission was to bring fire on the earth. He tells them He did not come to bring peace on earth but rather division. Jesus explains that His teaching is so radical that it will divide families. Father will be divided against son and son against father. A mother will be in conflict with her daughter, and the daughter will be against her mother. The teachings of Jesus would divide families against one another. How could the Prince of Peace suggest He was coming to bring division, causing families to be divided against one another?

The teachings of Jesus were not radical because they were against God’s will but against men’s wisdom. God’s word has always been at odds with the carnal mind. Noah was told to build an ark, and the world scoffed. The Hebrew writer says Noah condemned the world through his preaching. His telling the world of the impending flood was met with ridicule. Noah’s three sons were married. What became of their families? What became of Noah and his wife’s relatives? Only eight were saved, and the rest perished. The preaching of Noah brought division.

When a man follows Christ, he walks away from the world. Worldly gain is no longer important, the carnal flesh is unsatisfied with the pleasures of an evil world, and the spirit of a follower of Christ will not be conformed to the world. Sometimes, the impact of a Christian walk of life will spill over into relationships. Husbands and wives can be at odds because one walks with God and the other does not. Parents can argue about how best to teach their children. Friends that were once near and dear may change because of the influence of an ungodly world. Fathers and sons may no longer speak, and mothers and daughters may be estranged. The price that is paid for holiness is high.

Jesus warns those who choose to follow Him that to do so comes at a high price. The Son of God often told His followers that to follow Him was to take up a cross. There is nothing joyful about bearing a cross. Some bear a heavier cross than others, but all must bear one. There are times when a son must stand up against his father because of righteousness. A daughter may have to end a relationship with a mother who condemns her life in Christ. Families are torn apart. The word of God can divide families, which can be the cost of serving Christ.

God hates division and strife. He wants His people to be at peace with all men as much as possible. Sadly, there can come a time when that peace is broken because someone takes up a cross to follow Jesus at the ridicule of his family. Jesus reminds His disciples that if a man loves his father or mother more than Him, he will not be saved. If a man loves his family more than Jesus, he will not be saved. An old expression says, “Blood is thicker than water.” The inference is that family (blood) comes first before religion (water). Jesus says that is an eternal mistake. Obedience to God is above all things, including parents, siblings, grandparents, and friends.

Jesus came to divide so that He could join together the faithful in the body of Christ. Family relationships are important, but they can never be more important than the relationship shared in Christ. Tough choices may have to be made. Family cannot be first above Christ. Jesus came to divide the righteous from the unrighteous. There will come a day when God divides the saved from the lost. Who will be important then?

Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. (Genesis 22:1-3)

A Growing Faith

The faith of Abraham was established when the Lord called him to go out to a place he would receive as an inheritance; without knowing where he was going. Abraham was seventy-five years old when the Lord called him to take his sixty-five-year-old wife and dwell in tents as they journeyed from place to place. God promised Abraham and Sarah a child, and that promise did not come to fulfillment until Abraham was one hundred years of age. The womb of Sarah was dead at the age of ninety, yet God provided her with a healthy baby boy named Isaac.

When Isaac was a lad, God came to Abraham and tested his faith beyond measure. The faith of Abraham was tried when the Lord told him to leave his homeland and, for the next twenty-five years, to wait on the promise of a son patiently. It took a great deal of faith to believe, at the age of one hundred years, that Abraham would have a son. God made the impossible possible. The joy Abraham and Sarah had in their son as he grew from a baby boy to a young lad. There is little doubt an incredible bond grew between parents and son. Then, the day came when God would test Abraham’s faith to its limits.

God tells Abraham to take his only son Isaac, whom he loved dearly, and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering. The faith of Abraham understands the nature of the Lord God he serves. He knows how abominable human sacrifice is to the holiness of God. Animal sacrifices were part of worship from the beginning of the world. Idolatry became blasphemous through human sacrifice. God told Noah that life is sacred as life is in the blood. Abraham is now faced with the command to offer his only son as a human sacrifice. It goes against everything that faith would determine as right and wrong.

Moses writes that Abraham rose early in the morning and began the journey to Moriah. There was no hesitation on the part of the man of faith. He saddled his donkey, took two of his servants along with Isaac, his son, and began the three-day trip to where God told him to go. Only God knows what Abraham thought about those three days. When the company arrived at the mountain prescribed by God, Abraham did not hesitate. He left the servants and told them he and his son were going to worship the Lord, and the two of them would return. Abraham goes to the place instructed by God and builds an altar to sacrifice Isaac. Placing his son on the altar, Abraham took a knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord stayed the hand of Abraham and Isaac was spared.

The test God placed upon Abraham was measured by his faith. Faith is not an immediate feeling of security gained with little effort. Growing faith helps a man decide to leave his family to go where the Lord tells him to go, and then he grows into a mature faith willing to offer his only son a burnt offering because God told him. Abraham did not have that kind of faith earlier. His faith grew in his relationship with the Lord, allowing him to obey the word of the Lord because he trusted in the Lord. Abraham believed he would kill Isaac and God would raise him from the dead. That kind of faith does not come at the beginning.

Growing faith is essential for God’s children to prepare for the days when God asks more than He did yesterday. Faith that is not growing is dead. Abraham could not imagine what God would ask of him, but he was ready. The faith of a child of God is not measured in how often they sit in a pew but how often they sit at the feet of the Savior. Faith comes from hearing the word of God. There will come a day when more is asked than before, and without the growing faith in maturity, the test will fail. Ask yourself a piercing question: would you have acted as quickly and thoroughly as Abraham? The real question is whether God would test you or not.

Carl D. Windsor relates that in 1870, a bishop spoke before a church gathering and said, “Man has invented everything that can be invented. He has done all he can do.” But the meeting’s presiding officer suggested that a great invention would yet be made within the next fifty years. Upon further questioning, the officer replied, “I think man will learn how to fly.” The bishop was astonished, saying, “Don’t you know that flight is reserved for the angels?”

It was just thirty-three years later the Wright brothers embarked on their first halting flight at Kitty Hawk. Imagine the amazement of Bishop Milton Wright, who had denied the possibility of flight only to later witness his two sons, Orville and Wilbur Wright, become the first humans to fly.

The folly of human wisdom is its limitations. Man’s pride drove him to build a tower in the land of Shinar to make a name for himself. God saw what men were trying to do, so the Lord went down and confused their languages. The work stopped, and the world was filled with nations and cultures. Its name is called Babel because the folly of human wisdom could not withstand the knowledge of God.

Many advancements have been achieved through human knowledge. Men have walked on the moon, plumbed the depths of the oceans, opened the molecular blueprints of the human gene, and created a world filled with technologies unheard of in generations past. Medicine has taken enormous leaps, but man has yet to cure the common cold. The International Space Station has proven that men can live in the outer reaches of the planet, but only for a limited time. Computers have redesigned the face of the world, but only when they are working as designed. Electricity is the foundation of every part of life until it stops working. Man has done some amazing things, but they always come with limitations.

There are no limitations with God. More than forty men wrote the Bible over a period of 1500 years, and there is harmony, unity, and perfection. With each generation, the wisdom of God is confirmed as eternal and never changing. The message of the gospel saved people in the year 1134 and will save men today. That wisdom cannot be matched by the human mind. Prophecy shows the power of God to predict events thousands of years before they come to pass in exact detail. At least sixteen prophecies concerning Christ are to be fulfilled within twenty-four hours, and each came true.

The folly of man is clear. God is the only source of true knowledge. Following the wisdom of man will not bring peace and happiness. Seeking the word of God will answer the questions of life. Are you seeking? Visit the Trenton Church of Christ, and let’s find the wisdom of God together. Let’s listen to what God says through His word to know how to find peace and joy. We look forward to meeting you soon. www.trentonchurchofchrist.com

Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:12-19)

The Unthankful

During the ministry of Jesus, multitudes of people were healed of disease and infirmities through the healing power of the Holy Spirit. A woman with a blood disorder suffered for twelve years before being healed. Some men born blind were given sight for the first time. Demon-possessed people had their horrors taken away from them, giving them peace. The age of miracles was a time of great change in the world of Palestine, unknown in any other time in history by people who experienced the grace of God in a real way. No other time in history saw the power of God so manifested as it was during the ministry of Jesus.

A man born blind would find great joy in being given sight. He had never seen a blue sky, a green tree, or the blue waters of Galilee. Words fail to describe how the lives of so many people were changed by the hand of God. The demon-possessed man of Gadarene wanted to follow after Jesus, but the Lord told him to spread the good news of what had happened. There was no hesitation in the former possessed man telling the world what great things Jesus had done for him. Leprosy was a feared disease that meant an inevitable and slow death. Lepers were shunned by society, cast out by family, and lived in communes filled with death. There was no more loathsome disease than leprosy.

Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem when he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers who, standing afar off, begged the Son of God to have mercy on them. They recognized Jesus of Nazareth and had heard of His power to cure any disease. Their faith was shown by seeking the grace of God through Jesus to heal them of leprosy. This kind of faith was a challenge for a disease that was incurable. There was nothing that could be done for leprosy. The last time a leper had been healed was hundreds of years earlier when Naaman, a Syrian commander, was cleansed. There were many lepers in that day but only one had found the grace of God to be healed.

Jesus had compassion on the ten lepers and told them to show themselves to the priest. The Law of Moses required a man to confirm whether he had leprosy by going to the priests. A remarkable thing happened as the men turned to go to the priests. The ten lepers felt the horror and stench of leprosy leave their bodies and were pure once again. It must have been an incredible feeling to endure the ravages of leprosy and then, in a moment, feel no pain or distress. They realized the curse of death was lifted. The sentence of certain death by a slow and horrible disease was gone. How happy they must have been. Their joy so overcame them that they forgot one essential part of their healing.

As Jesus watched the ten men hurry to the priests, He noticed one of the men stop, look at himself, and turn back to find Jesus. A lone soul, a leper moments before, stood before Jesus Christ and glorified God with a loud voice for the mercy shown to him. To the sadness of Jesus, the nine did not return to give thanks to the God of mercy. Jesus did not heal the men to beg for acknowledgment or thanks. He healed them from a compassionate heart. His power to destroy leprosy confirmed He was the Son of God, the Divine. The difference between the nine and the one is that one saw the glory of God and gave thanks.

God has done so much for man. There is not enough time or space to reflect upon all that God has provided for sinful man through His Son. Jesus left His Father to become a man and live as a man. God became flesh to experience everything about the flesh. Jesus died a horrible death at the hands of the Jews and Romans with mockery, abuse, humiliation, torture, and crucifixion. The ten lepers were healed of a disease that would have taken their lives, but a great disease is the sin that will destroy an eternal soul. Nine men did not return to the Lord to give thanks. One leper returned to acknowledge the glory of God. How many of the blood-bought children of God give thanks to God for the cleansing power of Jesus to destroy sin?

The nine ungrateful lepers illustrate the humanity of those who enjoy the blessings of God’s mercy and fail to give Him glory for what He has done. What is sad in the kingdom of God are the innumerable saints who have been washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and refuse to give thanks or glory to His name. They have little interest in the memorial of remembrance instituted by Jesus on the night He was betrayed. A spirit of ingratitude fills their hearts. The lives of the ungrateful expect God to save them with little or no effort on their part. They live like the world and hope for life in the eternal.

When Jesus saw the one return, He saw hope in a heart moved by the mercy of God. It is sad that only one returned. Jesus said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” There are many who will not give glory to God for His grace. Their lives are ungrateful, unkind, and filled with an unthankful heart. Be thankful. God’s grace is undeserved. Tell Him often how much the cleansing of sin has meant to you. Do not be numbered with the nine. Stand apart. Be the one who returned.

When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!” For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Jesus asked him, saying, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned. (Luke 8:28-33)

Jesus Had Authority Over Demons

The multitudes that followed Jesus experienced the healing power of the Spirit to cure them of blindness, infirmity, leprosy, mangled limbs, lameness, sickness, and, in some cases, resurrection. These miracles testified to the power of Jesus over all disease. He also showed His power over the natural forces of nature. Everything in the world was at the command of Jesus. The Lord showed His authority as Creator to control His creation. Thousands of people could testify to the healing power of Jesus, and many more experienced His power over nature.

Another group of beings faced the authority of Jesus with fear and trembling. Jesus had power over the demon world. Little is known about the world of evil spirits and demon possession. The only time the manifestations of the spirit world appeared was when the Holy Spirit exercised His power to control them. During the ministry of Jesus and the early days of the church, God allowed the demon world to exercise limited power over men. The purpose was to show that Jesus had authority over all things in the world and those in the demon world.

Jesus visited the country of Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee, and found a man possessed of demons for a long time. The man was in a terrible state as the demons drove him to madness where no man could tame him or allow him to live in peace. Immediately upon the arrival of Jesus, the demon called out to Jesus, calling Him the “Son of the Most High God.” The world may struggle with believing Jesus is the Son of God, but this is not the case with the demons. They knew exactly who Jesus of Nazareth was, and they feared Him. It is clear they knew they were subject to Him.

Demons had names. The one Jesus encountered was called “Legion” because many demons possessed the man. When Jesus commanded the demon to come out of the man, the demon obeyed without question. There was no thought to argue with Jesus or to refuse to obey. The word of Jesus commanded the demon to come out of the man, and immediately, the demon obeyed and possessed a herd of swine feeding nearby. About two thousand swine then ran headlong into the sea and drowned.

The demons did not argue with Jesus or refuse to obey Him. They knew the authority of Jesus Christ and that He had authority over them. No man had that power except as given by the Holy Spirit. Jesus cast out demons to show He had power and authority over everything in the natural world, and He had control over all the demons. The fullness of His authority was confirmed in the manner the demons recognized Him as God’s Son, and whatever He commanded them to do, they had no choice. Jesus did not allow them to testify of Him. He told them to be quiet whenever they proclaimed Him to be Lord. The proof of His divinity could not come from the testimony of evil spirits.

Having power over the demon world completes the divine authority of Jesus of Nazareth. He could cure any disease, change and control the natural world, and exercise authority over all the spirit world. There was nothing He did not have authority over. His control and power were complete. The miracles of Jesus included the power of demons to show the world there was nothing Jesus could not do for them. There is no demon possession after the early days of the church. The power of Jesus has not diminished. After God raised Him from the dead, Jesus became Lord, Christ, and King. His dominion is complete. If Jesus can heal any disease, calm the forces of nature, and command the demons; what can He not accomplish in my life?

The power of Jesus was not demonstrated to tell stories centuries later. When the Holy Spirit wrote the scriptures of the divine book, He intended to show the power of Jesus Christ so that all men could know what the Son of God could do in their lives. God gave His Son as a gift of His grace to bring all men to salvation. Jesus can take away any sin when a man repents. There is nothing Jesus cannot do. Why not let Jesus remove the stain of sin from your life and make you free from the bondage of Satan? Jesus has all power and authority.

Now it happened, on a certain day, that He got into a boat with His disciples. And He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” And they launched out. But as they sailed He fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water, and were in jeopardy. And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then He arose and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. And they ceased, and there was a calm. But He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and marveled, saying to one another, “Who can this be? For He commands even the winds and water, and they obey Him!” (Luke 8:22-25)

Jesus Controlled The Weather

The world can be a dangerous place when it comes to the forces of nature. Few places on earth do not experience a form of excessive weather that can jeopardize human life. Hurricanes roam the waters, tornados leave huge paths of destruction, earthquakes shake the world, and floods wipe out communities. There is very little man can do against the incredible force of nature gone wild. Hurricanes go where they want, and no technology of man will ever harness the power of such a force. Tornados cannot be fully predicted and can come at a moment’s notice, often without warning. Tsunami barriers give a false sense of security when the earth underneath moves, sending a torrent of water crashing through cities.

Weather is no different today than how it has been from the beginning. God promised that the world would continue as it had until the end. There will always be four seasons. This is a promise made by the Creator. When the Son of God was on earth, He faced the onslaught of storms and challenging weather throughout His life. On one occasion, He was in a boat with His disciples when a windstorm swept across the lake they were sailing. It was a violent storm. The boat began to fill with water and was in great danger. Jesus had settled down for a nap and slept during the storm. The disciples were not sleeping but fearful.

As the storm grew worse, the disciples awakened Jesus, as they feared they were going to die. The wind blew hard against the boat, with waves crashing over the side in strong torrents of raging water. Four of the disciples were seasoned fishermen, but they were afraid. It was a perilous time for the twelve. Jesus awakened from His sleep, arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water. It was a split second, and the storm ended. The sea became calm and clear, and the winds vanished instantly. All the fear of a deadly storm died out at the words of Jesus. The Lord rebuked His disciples for lacking faith in His presence and power.

When Jesus rebuked the waves and the winds, they ceased immediately, and the disciples were afraid. In fear and amazement, they considered what had just happened. They were in the midst of a terrible storm, violently throwing their boat around as if it were nothing. Jesus spoke a few words, and the powerful forces of nature bent to the will of Jesus. There was not a long period of slowing calming. It happened immediately. They had never seen or heard of such a thing happening. Peter, Andrew, James, and John had never experienced such a miracle as fishermen. They were astonished.

Jesus commanded the winds and the waves, and they obeyed Him. As Creator, Jesus had power over the forces of nature. When the storm was raging, Jesus slept. He had no fears of the wind and waves because He trusted in His Father. He showed the disciples His power was over all things in the world. Jesus had the power to control any part of nature. He walked on water as dry land. When He turned water into wine, He overpowered the natural process. Multiplying the loaves of bread was a miracle over nature. Jesus had power over the world.

The miracles of Jesus are given to prove He is the Son of God. If a man refuses to accept Jesus’ miracles, he refuses to acknowledge Jesus as Lord. Knowing the power of Jesus affirms that He is God’s Son and that His death was for the redemption of mankind. If Jesus can control the weather in calming violent storms in a heartbeat, what can He not accomplish in your life and mine? The Lord will not intervene if a hurricane bears down on the coast, but He will intercede when sin knocks at the door. Weather may have powerful forces that destroy lives and properties, but sin destroys souls. The One who calmed the storm on the sea can and will calm the storms in your life. Believe He has the power. Do not lack faith in knowing how He can help. His words will bring peace and calm to a troubled soul.

Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. (Luke 7:11-15)

Jesus Raised The Dead

Living during the age of miracles must have been an amazing time. The prominent times of miracles include the rescue of the Hebrews from Egypt, the time of the prophets, during the ministry of Jesus, and the early days of the church. All of these times were days of conflict, and the miracles proved the power of God and His will. Jesus performed miracles by the Finger of God, the Holy Spirit. Each miracle proved Him to be the Son of God, and the greatest miracle, His resurrection, proved Him to be Lord and Christ. Jesus healed thousands of people of any disease that afflicted them. He never failed, and the miracle was instantaneous.

While all miracles were amazing, with individual results changing the lives of all who experienced them, the power to raise the dead was in a class by itself. The Bible does not reveal all who were raised from the dead. Jesus gave power to the twelve apostles to raise the dead. In the early church, the miracle of resurrection was exercised. The Gospels record Jesus raising three people from the dead. A friend of Jesus, Lazarus, was raised from the dead and had been in the grave for four days. The tombs were sealed after the third day because the body began to decompose. Lazarus had been in the tomb long enough for the visible sign of decay to be evident. He walked out of his tomb, still bound in his burial garments.

Jesus raised the daughter of Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, from the dead. After Jairus had come to Jesus asking him to heal his daughter, who was at the point of death, the Lord journeyed with the ruler to his house. On the way (after the incident of the woman with an issue of blood), the girl died. Jesus assured Jairus and the multitude there was nothing to fear. Jesus raised the twelve-year-old girl from the dead, and the people were overcome with great amazement.

Luke is the only writer to tell the story of Jesus arriving in the city of Nain, accompanied by many of His disciples and a large crowd. When they came near the city gate, a funeral procession was making its way out of the city. A widow had just lost her son, and they had placed him in an open coffin to carry him to the family plot. When Jesus saw the processions and mourners surrounding the grieving widow, He had compassion on her and told her not to cry. To the astonishment of the widow and all the people, Jesus halted the procession and told the young man to arise. He did. The widow’s son sat up and began to speak. Jesus presented the son to the jubilant mother and great fear came upon all, and they glorified God.

It is impossible to suggest one is greater than the other. Stilling the storm would have been a miracle to experience, much like Peter walking on the water. Healing all diseases would have been an amazing thing to experience, especially for the victim. Bartimaeus received his sight; shortly afterward, the man who gave his sight was killed on a cross. Raising the dead is a testimony to the power of God to accomplish anything; even the impossible. Through the centuries, man has been able to cure or mediate some diseases. Technology has given man a new experience into the impossible. Miracles (Biblical) ceased two thousand years ago. Faith healers today are liars and frauds. Raising the dead is proof of that.

Jesus raised the dead to show the limitations of human wisdom and power. Nothing in the arsenal of human wisdom can raise someone from the dead. When a man dies, he cannot be raised. God allowed that power to exist on earth for a very short time, and He has now withheld it. Jesus walked up to an open coffin and spoke to a dead person, and he arose. How can a man explain that? There were no incantations, spells, or rituals to perform. Jesus spoke, and the young man sat up. There is no doubt he was dead. The family was taking him for burial. Jesus raised the dead.

If the Son of God can take a man four days in the tomb, a twelve-year-old girl, and a young man who just died and raise them from the dead, what can he do for you and me? Jesus did the impossible, and He can do the same for anyone willing to believe Him to be the Son of God. Sin is worse than death, and Jesus can take that away. Death is temporary, but the consequence of sin is eternal. Jesus can raise a person from the depths of sin and make them alive. His word will bring salvation to a dead heart. Paul describes the avenue of resurrection through the power of Christ when he writes that when a man is baptized into the death of Jesus, he can be raised as a new creature. Jesus raised the dead, and He raises people today from the spiritual death of sin. Believe in the impossible. He can raise you from the dead so that one day He will raise you from the dead and dwell with the Father forever.

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits. And they were healed. And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all. (Luke 6:17-19)

Jesus Healed A Multitude

The miracles of Jesus proved He was the Son of God. Each miracle confirmed His authority over time, nature, distance, spirits, and death. The gospels record many individual miracles of the blind receiving sight, the lame healed, the spirit possessed released from their misery, and the dead being raised. All the miracles Jesus performed are not listed in the gospels; as John noted, there is not enough time or space to tell the whole story of Jesus. On a few occasions, the gospels say Jesus healed the multitudes.

On one occasion, Jesus was faced with a great multitude of people. There were a lot of people who came to Jesus, along with a large population of His disciples. When Jesus fed the five thousand (not counting the women and children), they were called the “multitude.” The great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre, and Sidon could have numbered in the thousands. This is not just a crowd of the local population. Jesus was confronted with thousands of people flocking to Him to be healed of their diseases and find release from unclean spirits. The fervor of activity surrounding Jesus was Him healing those with diseases, and many people sought only to touch the Lord to be healed.

The story of Jesus healing the multitudes is repeated in scripture. There well could have been tens of thousands of people who attributed their healing to Jesus. Great multitudes of people returned to their homes without infirmities. A number of blind people could now see. Lepers rejoiced to be cleansed of their death sentence. Any disease was destroyed by the will of the Father through His Son and the power of the Holy Spirit. In the nearly three years of the ministry of Jesus, untold numbers of people in the Middle East were healed of their infirmities. There is no place on the planet where so many “healthy” people lived as those in the days of Jesus in the regions of Judea, Jerusalem, and other parts of the land.

What is a sad irony to the story of Jesus healing so many people is that the people rose up and had the Great Physician killed on a cross. With the testimony of thousands of people healed by Jesus Christ, no one came forth to defend Jesus. Where were the lepers Jesus healed? Why did not the blind who were healed come to the defense of Jesus? There were those who were dead and were brought from the grave, and yet no one spoke in defense of Jesus. The great Healer stood before the Jewish leaders and Roman authorities and said nothing of His healing power. Jesus did not just heal a few people; He healed thousands, often at the same time.

The miracles of Jesus were done to lead people to the Father. A miracle cannot save one from the wrath of God. It serves as a catalyst to show the power of God. With all the evidence of the power of Jesus healing so many people, how could the world turn against Jesus and kill Him on the cross? They could not see the power of God in the teachings of Jesus. Faith comes from hearing the word of God, and while they enjoyed the benefit of Jesus’ miracles, those healed by Jesus failed to come to the word for salvation. There are no healing miracles today as touted by false preachers who deceive the multitudes. Salvation is found in the word of God. The miracles of Jesus testify that Jesus is God’s Son. Obey the will of the Father to experience the miracle of the new birth.

Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. (1 John 3:7)

Who Is Righteous?

There are a lot of good people in the world. They go about doing benevolent things, they obey the laws of the land, encourage community unity, and show the world a kind spirit. The world is filled with religious groups that follow a certain faith that makes them distinctive. Some of the world’s religions are very old, while new movements of religious fervor begin with each generation. There is an innate desire in the human experience to worship. How that worship is directed depends upon the philosophy of the belief system. Not all faiths have an eternal reward. For some, it is a matter of living a good life, and there is nothing more after death. Some religions have an eternal view of the afterlife, calling it Nirvana, Valhalla, Reincarnation, or Heaven.

Righteousness is the state of being right. There are two kinds of righteousness: the system of right and wrong, which is determined by human wisdom, and that which the Lord God establishes. While there are some similarities to both ideals of righteousness, there are glaring differences in how righteousness is determined. The righteousness of human wisdom allows man to live as he desires to justify what he believes is right and wrong. This system of righteousness fails because man’s righteousness changes to his whims. Idolatry is a system of righteousness based on the carnal desires of human wisdom that would include sexual immorality and human sacrifice. God calls idolatry an abomination because His righteousness condemns the meaning of what is right and wrong in idol worship. Sexual immorality and murder are abominations to the righteous character of the Lord.

Defining who is righteous cannot be done through human wisdom. A man is righteous when he does what is right in the sight of God. Human wisdom cannot determine what is right and wrong. God establishes government, but it cannot assess righteousness apart from the law of God. Individual choice cannot say what righteousness is. The character of right is founded on the word of God given to man to know how to live before his Creator. Only God can say what is right and wrong. Failing to obey the word of God is unrighteousness because righteousness is in God’s mind. A man can live a sterling good life and be lost because he has not followed the will of the Father. Jesus described many who were very religious but were cast out because they did not follow the will of the Father.

Human wisdom has convinced the world that being good is all a person needs to do, and having some sense of religion will suffice. The apostle John warns his readers not to be deceived into believing that righteousness is found in any form. Only those who practice righteousness or do God’s will can be saved. This demands action on the part of the individual. James writes that faith, without works, is dead. Righteousness is found in those who practice following the word of God. Being a good person will not save and being religious will not save. Human wisdom cannot and will not save. If a person is to be righteous, he must practice righteousness.