Concluding his second year of ministry

(One Perfect Life Chapters 69-73) Jesus completes his second year of ministry by showing His power over nature, demons, disease and death. He is the God of creation and has authority over all created things.

By calming the storm, Jesus showed His authority over nature. Some believe that the storm was supernatural in origin. Regardless of the source of the storm – physical or spiritual, we see the elements of nature being obedient to their creator.

When Jesus reached the other side of the lake, He was immediately confronted by two demon possessed men. One of the men was possessed by a large number of demons that constantly tormented him. The man and his demons recognized Jesus and feel down and worshipped Him. We learn that the demons know there is a future date when they will be “cast into the abyss.” That time had not yet come so He casts them out into a herd of swine that then drown themselves in the lake. The man was delivered and was “in his right mind” when the people of the town came to see what happened. The response of the people was fear, so they asked Jesus to leave.

Jesus instruction to the man are unique. He tells the man to go throughout the region and let everyone know what God had done for Him. Prior to this Jesus always told those he healed or delivered to tell no one. Jesus is preparing the way for a future visit to the region.

Next Jesus raises a twelve year old girl and heals a woman who had been sick for twelve years. Jesus was asked to heal Jairus’ daughter. He was a leader in the synagogue. But unlike many of the religious leaders of that time he had faith in Jesus. On His way to encounter the girl he is touched by a sick woman who is healed. Because she had “an issue of blood” by touching Him, Jesus would have been made ceremonially unclean. Instead His holiness cured her illness.

Likewise when He arrives at Jairus’ home and touches the now dead girl, He is not made unclean – she is raised. The people had ridiculed Him for contradicting the fact that she was dead. He knew the Father would be glorified by raising the child. When Jesus encountered hostile nature and demons and people defiled by sickness and death He is not effected by them – they are made whole by their contact with Him.

Jesus continues on by healing two blind men and delivering a mute, demon-possessed man. Despite these many miracle that showed His authority over all created things, many in the religious establishment refused to acknowledge Him. They persisted in their accusation that He cast out demons by “the ruler of demons.” Their persistent denial of who He was demonstrated their lost state.

The second year of ministry ends back in Nazareth where the people still thought of Him as the son of Mary and Joseph and would not recognize Him as their Messiah.