Miracles
March 31, 2024
EASTER SUNDAY – Resurection: The Greatest Gift of All. Miracles Matthew 28:1-10
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/3306724972962353
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/762597309309935
I Doubt It
There have always been skeptics, and there have always been those that oppose the Gospel. It has been banned, and it has been burned.
In 303 A.D., the Roman emperor Diocletian issued an edict to stop Christians from worshipping, the razing of their churches, the burning of their Scriptures, and those who held high positions would lose all civil rights, while any citizen, if they persisted in their profession of Christianity would be deprived of their freedom. Twenty-five years after Diocletian’s edict, the Roman emperor Constantine issued an edict ordering that fifty copies of the Scripture should be prepared at the Roman government’s expense.
Centuries later the French philosopher Voltaire claimed that in one hundred years from his time Christianity would no longer exist. Voltaire vehemently opposed Christianity, and yet it was Voltaire who ceased to exist. Fifty years after his death in 1778, the Geneva Bible Society used his printing press and house to produce and distribute many Bibles.
Years ago, the intellectual Christian scholars persuaded many to embrace the belief that Moses could not have written the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible), because Moses did not have a form of writing, so it must have been written by someone else, and at a later date. But…then some folks discovered the “black stele”, or the “Stele of Hammurabi”. This was a great archeological discovery, and on it contained the very detailed laws of Hammurabi, which pre-dates Moses writings by at least centuries, which means the written language did exist at the time Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. The “intellectual Christian scholars” were wrong.
The “intellectuals” also claimed that there were no Hittites at the time of Abraham, because there were no records of their existence apart from the Old Testament, so they must have been a myth. But archeologists have uncovered evidence of 1,200 years of a Hittite civilization. God’s record of history is more thorough than man’s.
Nelson Glueck, one of the three most respected archeologists in the world says this, “All I have ever said is that in all my archaeological investigation I have never found one artifact of antiquity that contradicts any statement of the Word of God.”
There have been many trends in history that have tried to discredit the Word of God and disprove God’s existence. They go by different names, but always cast the same doubts, propping up new “experts” on the subject. We see it today within the “deconstruction movement”, there is nothing new under the sun, and it is all authored by Satan. The point is to deceive people and lead them far away from the Truth.
God is not worried with each new plot that Satan devises, because none of these movements have outlasted the truth. Voltaire is dead, and scripture is still being printed and distributed, and it is still leading people home to God. I hope that before his death Voltaire came to know the God of the Bible that he so passionately scorned in life, and though he may not have been a willing party, God used him to further His Gospel, by means of his printing press.
If you are a skeptic and you happen upon this little devotional, I have an invitation for you. God is not afraid of your doubts, and He does not hate you because of your questions. The Apostle Thomas had his doubts, so Jesus showed His wounds. Church should be a place where you can ask those questions, and voice your doubts. Let’s have a discussion! What troubles you about the Bible? What prevents you from believing in God? I would love to have a respectful conversation. I may not have all the answers, but we can figure them out together. It will be fun!
To those who do believe…Praise God! The attacks on Christianity will continue, and they will fail, just as they always have, but remember this, you were once an unbeliever, and it is only by grace that you believe. Be loving with the skeptic, and pray for them, and be prepared to give an account of why you believe. God opened your eyes for a reason. You have been called to share. God clothed Himself in humanity, He taught us how to live, He died on the cross, and there is an empty tomb. Was it a miracle? Well for Jesus, I don’t think it was a miracle, after all He has the power over life and death, but it certainly was a miracle for us, and we need to share it. Everyone needs to hear what God did for them, through His Son, and you have been chosen to do it!
– Ginny Axelrod
March 29, 2024
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/963321435399753
March 24, 2024
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/963321435399753
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/762597309309935
If my people pray…
On Monday night we attended our prayer vigil. Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer…orreally sweet hour and a half of prayer. It was a sweet and refreshing time, and it was exactly what I needed. I felt the peace of God, and was overcome by His goodness, in spite of the turmoil that I see in the world. As I prayed for our world, and poured out my concerns to God, I heard His still, small voice say, “Pray for revival”, and that is what I did.
I saw a news report this week, well in truth I could not read the whole report, because it was so heart breaking, that I just couldn’t. But from the little bit that I did read, this is the story: Warning this is disturbing. Sixteen-month-old Jailyn Candleario was left in a pack-n-play, unattended, without food or water for 10 days, while her mother went on vacation. This precious little baby suffered a horrible death, and now is being loved and cherished by her Father in heaven.
When I read this, I was sickened, and my heart hurt for this innocent little baby, and yes, I was angry. How could a mother do such a thing? A mother’s instinct is to protect and care for their child, so how does something so unnatural happen? How could the neighbor hear her cries for her mother and do nothing? I just don’t understand. And this is not the only horrifying story in the news. It seems like every day we face the horrors of what is happening in our world, and as we seek an answer to the question: why? we need only to turn to scripture. In Matthew 24:11- 13, Jesus tells us, “ And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved”. In this verse we are told that the false prophets will lead many astray. Prophets were viewed as an authoritative voice, people listened to what they had to say. But these prophets would misdirect the sheep, guiding them in a direction that is contrary to God’s Word, and because of this the people would do “what was right in their own eyes”, just as was done in the days of the Judges, and because the Word of God would not be taught, people would decide what was right and what was wrong according to their own standard….or convenience.
Our culture has been our “false prophet”. It has influenced us. It has made us self-centered, and cold to other people’s pain. We are seeing Jesus’ prophecy come true in this day…the love of many has grown cold, even the love that should come naturally, like the love of a mother. I think that we see that clearly in the story of Jailyn Candleario.
The Word of God defines love, and without God’s standards, or definition of love…or His example of love, the social system breaks down, and we are seeing that now. All the crime, all the violence, is a result of a culture that has turned away from the truth of God. Human life is no longer a sacred thing. Children are victimized. This is a reality in 2024. But we are not without hope. The Gospel of Jesus Christ changes people. God specializes in converting the sinner to saint.
We could stand in judgment of Jailyn’s Mom, but I would ask us all, “what would I be like if Jesus had not entered my life?” Maybe we would not leave a baby uncared for 10 days…but what are the things we would have been capable of? I don’t know what I would have been without God, but I know what I am with Him…which is still a sinner, grateful for the grace He extends to me every day. I know that He loves me and chose me to be His adopted daughter. There was nothing that set me apart…there was nothing that God needed from me. He just chose to love me, and I will always be grateful for that. Jailyn’s Mom is in need of that same grace from God. I pray that God calls her out of her darkness, I pray that she meets the one who died for her sins, and that she will receive the comfort that she will need when she is overcome with the horror of what she has done.
The Word of God changes everything. The Word of God can change anyone! God promises that in the latter days He would poor out His Spirit on all flesh. I am waiting for that day! The
peace that we can have in these tumultuous times is real…and the world needs it. God is still on His throne, and this Sunday we celebrate an empty tomb, and a risen Savior, but there are so many people out there that do not know the peace that we have. I want that for them. I will be praying that God will pour out His Spirit, I will be praying for revival, because the world needs it! Will you pray also? – Ginny Axelrod
March 17, 2024
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/783779639918427
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1811297362667960
I had a friend. He was an older gentleman. He was sweet and kind. He was a good husband, a good father, and a good friend. This older gentleman was (let’s call him “Bob”) was a faithful member at the Ridge. He, like most of us, had his regular seat, and each week as we began our worship, I would look out and see “Bob’s” smiling face. Bob called me one day, and told me that he was sick, and that it didn’t look good, “Bob” had a type of cancer, and was given just a few months to live. Bob and I would visit once a week by phone. You all remember the “pandemic days”, well, Bob was one of my “pandemic people”. Bob shared all about his life, during those phone calls, but after his diagnosis, we spoke more about his future. I would remind him of all that he had to look forward to in heaven, and he would respond with, “Well Ginny, I hope I’ve been good enough”.
Anchul and I have had quite a few of those “end of life” conversations. Part of our job, as Christians, is to bring comfort and hope, and that includes at the end of life, but too many of our conversations involve our brother or sister in Christ, wondering if they have been “good enough” to get into heaven. Are you wondering if you have been “good enough”? Well if you are, the short answer is….no! You are not good enough, but your salvation has never been based on your goodness, it has always been about God’s grace.
When sin entered the world, it had a devastating effect. It affected every living creature, the earth itself, and all that it produced, and in the instant that it made its grand appearance, everything was changed (Genesis 3:14-19). Sin brought along with it a curse. We can see the lasting effect of that curse today.
Sin also created a chasm between God and man. The communion Adam and Eve shared with their Creator-Father was interrupted.
The Old Testament is a narrative of what sin can cause people to do, it is the story of how sin destroys, corrupts, and defiles everything in its path, but it is also a story with a moral, and the moral is; man is incapable of defeating sin on his own, he cannot earn or work his way to heaven…man is in need of a savior.
One of the most beautiful stories of redemption, to me is the story of the thief on the cross. On the day Jesus was crucified, there were two men that were crucified beside Him. When you piece together the account from all of the gospels, we find that both of the thieves mocked Jesus right along with the spectators. (Matthew 27:44, Mark 15:32). Think about that for a moment. You are being tortured to death (that was the point of crucifixion) on the cross, and yet he joined his tortures in their insulting, and blaspheme of the Savior of the world. Where did he get the energy to do that? Sin…sin produces hate, and that was some next level hate. He heard Jesus’ prayer on the cross for him, and the crowd, “Father forgive them”, but he was unmoved, prevented from salvation because of his own pride.
Now let’s consider the second thief. He mocked right along with his pal, but when he heard the prayer of the Savior, he was changed. In a moment, this second thief realized who Jesus was, and he was given a new heart. He was a sinner, convicted of a crime, about to die, he had joined the crowd in mocking Jesus, and yet he found grace, or rather grace found him.
In those moments before his death the thief did not have time to join a church. He did not have time to serve in ministry or teach a bible study. He did not have time to do any good deeds at all, and he didn’t wonder if he was “good enough”, because he knew that he wasn’t. The progression was simple. He came to the realization of who Jesus was, saying to the other thief “this man has done nothing wrong”, (Luke 23:40-41). Then we see evidence in this man’s faith, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Luke 23:42). This is really astounding when you think about it. The disciples have scattered in fear, the crowd is cheering for the bloody show, Jesus seems to be at the mercy of His captors…It doesn’t look good, and yet in this unlikely moment, this man sees Jesus for who He is, his Savior. This is one of the beautiful miracles of Jesus. This man, through grace, was able to see beyond the moment, and put his faith and trust in Jesus, and for what remained of his life, which wasn’t much, he had peace…there was no wondering…he knew that he would be with Jesus in paradise.
I am writing this because I want you to know that there is nothing you can do to earn your salvation, but on the other side of that coin, once you have received it, it can never be taken away because it is a supernatural work done by God. You are given a new heart, and you are a new creation. There is an end to worrying whether you are “good enough”, because you know that you aren’t. You have been saved by grace, there is no boasting, no earning…God had mercy. So now you can walk in confidence knowing that nothing can separate you from His love.
The one thing that we can be sure of is that we will die. We should normalize talking about it. Because it is inevitable. But in your final moments, and every moment up till that moment, for you to have the peace that comes with knowing that you have a rich and full future in heaven.
You and I are sinners. Our sin separated us from God. God loved us, so He paid the debt of our sin. Jesus took on all our sins at the cross, and he imparted His righteousness to us, and now we stand blameless and shameless. We cannot earn our salvation, and it can never be taken from us. In the end, I think that my friend Bob understood that, and I hope that you do too. I pray that you have that confidence, and I pray that you share it with others, because honestly….it is life changing! – Ginny Axelrod
March 10, 2024
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1129034058229236
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/1463256770931365
Before you continue reading this devotional, please read Mark, chapter 2, verses 1 through 12!
I have read the account of the paralytic many, many times. I have heard, probably, over a hundred sermons on the text, but I gotta tell ya…this time it hits differently!
We are all familiar with the story, Jesus returns to Capernaum, and a crowd gathered…a large crowd, so large that there was no more room…you couldn’t even get close to the door! Four men arrive carrying a paralytic, and they of course could not get in, so naturally they climbed the roof!
As I read this story I am struck by the audacity of this group of men! They hear that Jesus is home, and they know…they just know, that Jesus is the one to heal their injured friend, but when they arrive, they find that there is “no room at the Inn”, not even standing room, so they decide to climb up on the roof. If you think about this for a moment, it was not very safe, and would not have met OSHA standards, I mean four guys, carrying a fifth guy on a stretcher, climb up on the roof (that took some coordinating) , they then tear a hole in the roof, so they can lower down their friend. I have questions. I want to know who these men are. I want to know if they knew Jesus, or had they just heard about Him? Were the men carrying the paralytic his friends, his brothers, or uncles?
I guess the only things we need to know are these; these men had faith, and they were convinced that Jesus could heal their friend. These men were not discouraged; they saw the crowd and realized that they were not getting to Jesus through conventional means, so they devised a plan! Nothing was going to keep them from bringing their friend to Jesus! These men were desperate; they would not stop until their friend met the Savior! I think that is beautiful!
As I look around me, and assess the state of the world, and humanity, I think what a dark world we live in. Basic empathy, kindness, and compassion seems to be lacking, and there is only one thing that can bring about change, and that is a revival of the soul. We can put laws in place, and we have plenty of them, wouldn’t you agree? But they don’t seem to be transforming the masses? The only way to transform the masses is to deliver the life changing message of Jesus….one person at a time. But it’s not just about changing our world. It’s also about saving individual men from a meaningless life, and an eternity of suffering.
We Christians love John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”. But we so often stop at verse 17, and without following the continued thought process we miss the urgency of verse 18. John 3:18, “Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”. There is a lot at stake. The world stands condemned, they are guilty, and sentence awaits them, but God is kind and compassionate, and sent His Son to pay our debt. The four men who carried the paralytic knew that Jesus was the only one who could save their friend. They risked their lives…maybe…to get him up on that roof. They saw his life as valuable, so valuable that they broke the law by destroying another man’s roof. They broke the rules of polite society…they “cut the line”, they didn’t care if the crowd objected, they just wanted their friend to meet Jesus. There is something so gorgeous about that! So, what about us? What are we willing to do? For the people that are already condemned, are we willing to speak the truth?
Have you ever seen the “Co-exist” bumper stickers? I only mention it because of all the religious symbols on them, but on those stickers that tell us to co-exist, there is only one “symbol” that can save a world that stands already condemned, and that is the Cross. We are told today that Christianity is intolerant, but that is not true…some Christians may be intolerant, but Christianity is welcoming. Every other religion claims to be the “right way”, but in order to be “acceptable” you must be part of their religion, and of course there are requirements within those religious systems, or put another way…there are certain “works” that must be carried out in order to obtain acceptance within these systems. Christianity is opened to all, you don’t need to be part of any religion, just a part of the “family”! Christianity realizes that all men have fallen short of the glory of God, and they desperately need atonement…God does not require us to clean ourselves up…He provided the Savior that we all needed so that we could have our sins washed clean by HIs blood.
The message of the gospel is clear, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved”. (Acts 16:31). Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). And in the book of Acts we are told, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12). There are not many “paths” to God, there is only one way to God, and to redemption, and that is through Jesus Christ.
Many people, even some Christians find that statement offensive, they feel that it excludes a whole lot of people, and they are right…it does, but here’s the thing…Anyone, and I mean anyone…a Buddhist, a Muslim, a jew, and even a satanist, will be received by God, if He accepts what Jesus did on the cross, no one is turned away!, because God loves His creation, each man, woman and child is a precious life that He crafted lovingly, and they all have intrinsic value, because God’s “fingerprints” are on them, and He loves them so much that He paid the debt of their sin, with His Son. Jesus willingly, joyfully, went to the cross to pay the ransom, to set them free from their bondage. The keys to their prison are waiting for them, but if they don’t know that they are in prison, how will they know to grab them? That’s where we come in.
Each of us has a calling. We have been set free, we have met the risen Lord, and He has changed us. We all have a testimony, or a story to tell…and as we share that story, God will work through it. Yesterday, as I was writing this devotional, I had a young man arrive to fix my oven. My oven did not get fixed…but…I had an hour-long conversation. We talked about all sorts of things, and God used all the weird little circumstances of my life to create a “connecting point” with this young man. Mostly, I just listened to his story, and answered his questions, but in the answers, I got to tell him about my God, and what He has done for me. I got to share about my life and my struggles, and how I had seen God work through the tough times. I got to share the hope that comes through a relationship with God. You see, people are struggling out there, and they need that hope, and you and I are the ones who have been called to extend it to them. And it isn’t difficult, it really is just being available, and waiting to see what God does, and what God tells you to do. He probably won’t tell you to climb up on a roof, but then again, He does tell us to “shout it from the rooftops”! but at least you won’t be carrying a man on a stretcher! I invited my oven repair man to church, and to Passover Supper. I don’t know if he will come, but he is a man who is being drawn by the Spirit…that was clear, and I did what I was asked to do by God, which was to stop writing and go and talk to the man standing in my kitchen. Sometimes it’s as simple as that. – Ginny Axelrod
March 3, 2024
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/952964849887343
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/267080129670190
Here is what I observe away from the story of the demon possessed man. The moment Jesus steps out of the boat and on to the land the demon(s) know who He is. They recognized Him and fell down before him “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all” (Philippians 2:10-11), even the demons will, and did bow, because they recognized His authority over them.
The man who is the “vessel” for the demons is from the city of Gerasene, so he is a gentile, or a non-Jew. That’s important information to the original reader of this Gospel (incidentally, Luke wrote his Gospel for a gentile audience), so we modern readers should make a mental note. We also observe that this man is running around in his birthday suit. Now to me that has a spiritual meaning; this man had no sense of his humanity. He was like an animal, not abiding by societal norms of his culture. Also, spiritual speaking, the man was without protection, he had no spiritual covering. The man had no house and lived amongst the tombs. He had no home, or a place of safety and rest, a place of belonging, but rather he lived amongst the dead and decaying as he was spiritually dead and in darkness. To the Jew, he lived amongst the ceremonial unclean, and would have been cut off from worship, and community. This guy was dangerously angry and was treated as one would a menacing animal…we see he was kept under guard, and bound by chains and shackles, but human means was not going to free him from the hold the powers of darkness had over his life. The world of demons appears to have given him superhuman strength, and he would break free, and the demons would herd him into the dessert, a place where there is no life, and no hope. But in Jesus there is always hope.
Jesus saw this man, not as a gentile, but as one of His precious children, and cast his tormentors into a herd of pigs. In Luke we are told it is a large heard, but in another Gospel we are told it is a herd of 2000 pigs, so in case we think the demon’s spokesperson was being cute when he said his name was Legion, he wasn’t, because none of the 2000 pigs were keen on the idea of sharing their bodies with a demon, and chose to drown rather than give their bodies over to these evil beings…turns out pigs are pretty smart! This man had been tormented by evil, vile creatures for years, they owned him, they ran his life. The citizens tried to fix the problem, he was a thing of terror, and a person to be avoided. So, they shackled him, posted a guard, but as so often is the case. spiritual problems cannot be solved by material reasoning or solutions. Jesus saw things that they could not see…He saw the enemy of humanity victimizing this poor man. He saw a man who could not be held by physical chains and could not break free from his spiritual shackles …Jesus saw a man who needed to be rescued. Jesus saw a man in need of a Savior, and He saved him that very day!
When the people of the city heard what had happened, they came to Jesus, and found the man, all cleaned up, sitting at Jesus feet (this signifies a place of worship), clothed (he has been clothed in Christ’s righteousness), and in his right mind! This makes me think of Nebuchadnezzar after God had restored his reasoning, he no longer was like a beast, but did the sensible thing, giving praise and glory to the Most High. Once we are set free from spiritual blindness the natural thing to do is to worship God. But the towns people were still spiritually blind.
When they arrived, they found the man restored, listening to Jesus’ every word. What was their reaction? They were afraid. This fear was not the healthy fear…. or awe of Jesus. Their fear was something else, this is speculation, but could they have thought Jesus was a powerful magician…. maybe. Many think that was the case, or could it be that the demons that possessed the pigs had just destroyed their livelihood, and they held Jesus responsible, that could be true, but whatever the case, these folks had just come in contact with their own creator, and yet they remained in darkness. They should have been on their knees in worship, but instead they begged him to leave. They were comfortable in their familiar darkness, and they didn’t want to give it up. I think to them, what Jesus did was wrong. They would rather have had their “demoniac” kept in shackles bound by the enemies’ power, than lose their livelihood (the pigs). To them money was more important than the freedom of a tormented soul. They probably justified their reasoning…This is not my son or daughter possessed and tortured, this has nothing to do with me, I have a family to take care of…this is not my problem. They didn’t realize that although they tried to keep the demoniac under control, the demons that controlled him would not be subdued by their efforts, and although they were clothed, their souls stood naked before the Lord, their sin and shame made them just as vulnerable to that same enemy who had mastered the demon possessed man. They may not have lived in the tombs, but their spirits would have been at home amongst the dead, because they were spiritually dead themselves, and the sad thing is they did not know it.
In the end there is still hope! The man wanted to go with Jesus, but Jesus said, nope, go home (a reminder that sometimes the good things we want are not the best things God has for us), because the man had a testimony to share. And maybe some of his countrymen, at some later time would hear the story of that man Jesus who once upon a time visited. “You know the guy who set the demon possessed captive free”, had been crucified and died, and that man did not stay dead….people saw him walking around… perhaps they would seek out their neighbor, the former demoniac, and ask about Jesus, and he would joyfully tell them what his Jesus did for him, and they would ask how do I receive this Jesus, and I’m sure the former demoniac would share all that he knew! Because he would know how precious freedom is, and he would know that freedom is only found through Christ! – Ginny Axelrod
February 25, 2024
Our 9:00 am Traditional Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/3658274251054262
Our 10:30 am Contemporary Service: https://www.facebook.com/BRBUMC/videos/3863011017267308
Here is what I observe away from the story of the demon possessed man. The moment Jesus steps out of the boat and on to the land the demon(s) know who He is. They recognized Him and fell down before him “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all” (Philippians 2:10-11), even the demons will, and did bow, because they recognized His authority over them.
The man who is the “vessel” for the demons is from the city of Gerasene, so he is a gentile, or a non-Jew. That’s important information to the original reader of this Gospel (incidentally, Luke wrote his Gospel for a gentile audience), so we modern readers should make a mental note. We also observe that this man is running around in his birthday suit. Now to me that has a spiritual meaning; this man had no sense of his humanity. He was like an animal, not abiding by societal norms of his culture. Also, spiritual speaking, the man was without protection, he had no spiritual covering. The man had no house and lived amongst the tombs. He had no home, or a place of safety and rest, a place of belonging, but rather he lived amongst the dead and decaying as he was spiritually dead and in darkness. To the Jew, he lived amongst the ceremonial unclean, and would have been cut off from worship, and community. This guy was dangerously angry and was treated as one would a menacing animal…we see he was kept under guard, and bound by chains and shackles, but human means was not going to free him from the hold the powers of darkness had over his life. The world of demons appears to have given him superhuman strength, and he would break free, and the demons would herd him into the dessert, a place where there is no life, and no hope. But in Jesus there is always hope.
Jesus saw this man, not as a gentile, but as one of His precious children, and cast his tormentors into a herd of pigs. In Luke we are told it is a large heard, but in another Gospel we are told it is a herd of 2000 pigs, so in case we think the demon’s spokesperson was being cute when he said his name was Legion, he wasn’t, because none of the 2000 pigs were keen on the idea of sharing their bodies with a demon, and chose to drown rather than give their bodies over to these evil beings…turns out pigs are pretty smart! This man had been tormented by evil, vile creatures for years, they owned him, they ran his life. The citizens tried to fix the problem, he was a thing of terror, and a person to be avoided. So, they shackled him, posted a guard, but as so often is the case. spiritual problems cannot be solved by material reasoning or solutions. Jesus saw things that they could not see…He saw the enemy of humanity victimizing this poor man. He saw a man who could not be held by physical chains and could not break free from his spiritual shackles …Jesus saw a man who needed to be rescued. Jesus saw a man in need of a Savior, and He saved him that very day!
When the people of the city heard what had happened, they came to Jesus, and found the man, all cleaned up, sitting at Jesus feet (this signifies a place of worship), clothed (he has been clothed in Christ’s righteousness), and in his right mind! This makes me think of Nebuchadnezzar after God had restored his reasoning, he no longer was like a beast, but did the sensible thing, giving praise and glory to the Most High. Once we are set free from spiritual blindness the natural thing to do is to worship God. But the towns people were still spiritually blind.
When they arrived, they found the man restored, listening to Jesus’ every word. What was their reaction? They were afraid. This fear was not the healthy fear…. or awe of Jesus. Their fear was something else, this is speculation, but could they have thought Jesus was a powerful magician…. maybe. Many think that was the case, or could it be that the demons that possessed the pigs had just destroyed their livelihood, and they held Jesus responsible, that could be true, but whatever the case, these folks had just come in contact with their own creator, and yet they remained in darkness. They should have been on their knees in worship, but instead they begged him to leave. They were comfortable in their familiar darkness, and they didn’t want to give it up. I think to them, what Jesus did was wrong. They would rather have had their “demoniac” kept in shackles bound by the enemies’ power, than lose their livelihood (the pigs). To them money was more important than the freedom of a tormented soul. They probably justified their reasoning…This is not my son or daughter possessed and tortured, this has nothing to do with me, I have a family to take care of…this is not my problem. They didn’t realize that although they tried to keep the demoniac under control, the demons that controlled him would not be subdued by their efforts, and although they were clothed, their souls stood naked before the Lord, their sin and shame made them just as vulnerable to that same enemy who had mastered the demon possessed man. They may not have lived in the tombs, but their spirits would have been at home amongst the dead, because they were spiritually dead themselves, and the sad thing is they did not know it.
In the end there is still hope! The man wanted to go with Jesus, but Jesus said, nope, go home (a reminder that sometimes the good things we want are not the best things God has for us), because the man had a testimony to share. And maybe some of his countrymen, at some later time would hear the story of that man Jesus who once upon a time visited. “You know the guy who set the demon possessed captive free”, had been crucified and died, and that man did not stay dead….people saw him walking around… perhaps they would seek out their neighbor, the former demoniac, and ask about Jesus, and he would joyfully tell them what his Jesus did for him, and they would ask how do I receive this Jesus, and I’m sure the former demoniac would share all that he knew! Because he would know how precious freedom is, and he would know that freedom is only found through Christ! – Ginny Axelrod