This is part 7 of a series that looks at why Jesus performed miracles and what He taught us through them. The series will work its way through:

1. Why Jesus performed miracles.
2. More Reasons
3. His Authority Over Disease
4. His Authority Over Satan
5. His Authority Over Death
6. His Authority Over Nature
7. His Authority Delegated to His Disciples
8. His Authority Delegated to His Church

You can get to any of the available lessons by clicking on the lesson title. If nothing happens you are either already at the lesson, or I have not written it yet.

Jesus' Miracles and His Authority

Jesus proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom of God. As its King, we would expect Him to rule. On earth He spoke and taught as one who had authority, and thus could command and expect obedience from His subjects. 

His miracles, however, demonstrated that His authority extended beyond the rule of citizens. In each of the next sections, I will provide several stories from the gospels and then add my comments

His Authority Delegated to His Disciples

He Sends out the Twelve

Jesus healed the sick, cast out demons, raised the dead, and manipulated nature. His disciples heard His teaching and watched His actions. As wonderful as these days must have been, Jesus' scope, due to His assumed humanity, was geographically limited. So, the day came when He expanded His range:

After Jesus called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, “Take nothing for your journey—no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, and do not take an extra tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave the area. Wherever they do not receive you, as you leave that town shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” Then they departed and went throughout the villages, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere. (Luke 9:1-6, The Net Bible)

Jesus did not give them authority to raise the dead, but they were able to command demons and cure diseases. He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. They were to trust God for all their provisions and have no possessions save the clothes on their back. They were to depend on the kindness of those they served. Three times in this short passage, we are told about healing. Two of these times link healing with the kingdom of God or the good news. Other parallel passages confirm this notion that the kingdom of God and healing go together.

It is worth mentioning that among these twelve was Judas Iscariot. He, too, was given "power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases." We know this because the text does not exclude him, and there is no evidence that his abilities were less than the others. Judas was well respected among the twelve. After all, he was in charge of their money box. The ministry of Judas to his hearers was God's ministry in spite of his fundamental unbelief. Judas is en example of who Jesus meant by these words:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven, only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

Take the case of Balaam who prophesied blessings on Israel at the command of the Lord, but then counseled the king of  Moab to corrupt the children of Israel with mixed marriages that would lead to idolatry. We must never think that someone doing legitimate miracles in God's name is of God. Just remember that Balaam was commanded to speak blessings on Israel through his donkey. If God wants a miracle, He will do His miracle. The miracle tells us something about God whether the miracle worker does or not. As Jesus said, "Be glad that your names are written in the book of life."

So, Judas was one who said, "Lord, Lord." He cast out demons and did many powerful deeds. But he did not know God and God did not know him. Paradoxically, Judas was an instrument of the Lord's mercy. He preached a message of truth and showed the power of God, but he did not understand of what he spoke and did. My next series will explore Judas in more detail.

He Sends Out the Seventy-Two

Some time later, Jesus expanded His geographical scope further by sending out a larger team:

After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him two by two into every town and place where he himself was about to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest. Go! I am sending you out like lambs surrounded by wolves. Do not carry a money bag, a traveler’s bag, or sandals, and greet no one on the road. Whenever you enter a house, first say, ‘May peace be on this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will remain on him, but if not, it will return to you. Stay in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you, for the worker deserves his pay. Do not move around from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and the people welcome you, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick in that town and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come on you.’ But whenever you enter a town and the people do not welcome you, go into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this: the kingdom of God has come.’ I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town! (Luke 10:1-12)

They were to "heal the sick" and proclaim the kingdom of God. Here again the two activities are linked. Healing and deliverance are part of God's kingdom. Note that the seventy-two are commanded to pray for more workers. Only in sending out others can Jesus' mission be spread abroad. 

When the seventy-two returned, they gave this report to Jesus:

Then the seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name!” So he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Look, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions and on the full force of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names stand written in heaven.” On that same occasion Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will. All things have been given to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone the Son decides to reveal him to.” Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see! For I tell you that many prophets and kings longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”(Luke 10:17-24)

They were excited about the miracles they performed, but Jesus reminded them of the value of knowing God over anything else.

As foreshadowing of what was to come, Jesus said this to His disciples:

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me, but if you do not believe me, believe because of the miraculous deeds themselves. I tell you the solemn truth, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (John 14:10-14)

Jesus was going to the Father and that meant a greater power was coming. This was the power of the Holy Spirit which enabled the gospel to be preached in a demonstration of God's power. The first recorded example was the lame man healed in the Temple:

Peter looked directly at him (as did John) and said, “Look at us!” So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk!” Then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. He jumped up, stood and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him. (Acts 3:4-10)

Thus the work of Jesus continued and continues by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Observations

Jesus ministry was and still is geographically bound. When He taught, He could reach immediate hearers. With the twelve, He reached more. With the seventy-two He reached even more. This is why he asked His workers to pray for more workers. The more people out there proclaiming the gospel with power, the more people will hear and be saved. Jesus needs equipped workers.

His workers carried His authority to authenticate His ministry for His purposes. That is what it means to do something in Jesus' name. "In Jesus' name" is not a magical incantation. These are not merely words to tack on to the end of a prayer to make it work. We act and work as His representatives on earth. The more that we act like Him and teach like Him the more in Jesus' name we are. If we carry His name and do not live like Him or teach like Him, we dishonor that name.

Monday: Jesus' Authority Delegated to His Church

<>< Test everything. Cling to what is good. ><>

This is part 6 of a series that looks at why Jesus performed miracles and what He taught us through them. The series will work its way through:

1. Why Jesus performed miracles.
2. More Reasons
3. His Authority Over Disease
4. His Authority Over Satan
5. His Authority Over Death
6. His Authority Over Nature
7. His Authority Delegated to His Disciples
8. His Authority Delegated to His Church

You can get to any of the available lessons by clicking on the lesson title. If nothing happens you are either already at the lesson, or I have not written it yet.

Jesus' Miracles and His Authority

Jesus proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom of God. As its King, we would expect Him to rule. On earth He spoke and taught as one who had authority, and thus could command and expect obedience from His subjects. 

His miracles, however, demonstrated that His authority extended beyond the rule of citizens. In each of the next sections, I will provide several stories from the gospels and then add my comments

His Authority Over Nature

Jesus was not the first person to raise a dead person to life. As recorded in 1 Kings 17:17-24, Elijah prayed for the life to return to the son of a widow. Elijah had to ask, but Jesus commanded. That should be enough to establish Jesus as the Son of God with unique authority. In this section, however, we move to the realm divine fiat wherein  Jesus commanded and transformed nature.

Jesus calmed a storm. The cynic would say coincidence, but those who were there thought otherwise:

As he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And a great storm developed on the sea so that the waves began to swamp the boat. But he was asleep. So they came and woke him up saying, “Lord, save us! We are about to die!” But he said to them, “Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it was dead calm. And the men were amazed and said, “What sort of person is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!” (Matthew 8:23-27), The Net Bible)

Jesus rebuked the winds and the sea and "dead calm" prevailed. There is a suggestion here of sudden and dramatic change and not the gradual subsiding of a fierce and raging storm.

Jesus could operate outside the boundaries of physical laws:

As the night was ending, Jesus came to them walking on the sea. When the disciples saw him walking on the water they were terrified and said, “It’s a ghost!” and cried out with fear. But immediately he spoke to them: “Have courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.” Peter said to him, “Lord, if it is you, order me to come to you on the water.” So he said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind he became afraid. And starting to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they went up into the boat, the wind ceased. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” (Matthew 14:25-33)

There are bugs who take advantage of the surface tension of water to walk or skim on the surface of water. Beyond that an object on water sinks or floats. Jesus walked. So it would seem that underlying physical laws of the universe were suspended locally.

Jesus created food from nowhere:

When the apostles returned, they told Jesus all that they had done. Then he took them and they withdrew privately to a town called Bethsaida. But when the crowds found out, they followed him. He welcomed them, spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and cured those who needed healing. Now the day began to draw to a close; so the twelve came and said to Jesus, “Send the crowd away, so they can go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and food, because we are in an isolated place.” But he said to them, “You give them something to eat.” They replied, “We have no more than five loaves and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all these people.” (For there were about five thousand men.) Then he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.” And they did so, and the people all sat down. Then he took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven he gave thanks and broke them. He gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. They all ate and were satisfied, and what was left over was picked up—twelve baskets of broken pieces. (Luke 9:10-17) 

Jesus altered the molecular makeup of water including adding the presence of molecular elements not originally present:

Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and both Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.” Jesus replied, “Woman, why are you saying this to me? My time has not yet come.” His mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.” Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the water jars with water.” So they filled them up to the very top. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the head steward,” and they did. When the head steward tasted the water that had been turned to wine, not knowing where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper wine when the guests are drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!” Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him. (John 2:1-11)

Observations

With a command He calmed the storm. With a step, He makes a firm footpath on the surface of the sea. With a blessing, He multiplies bread and fish. With nothing at all, He turns water to wine.

What really strikes me is that when you compare healing with demonization with death with nature there emerges a remarkable fact. As you move from healing to nature, Jesus' effort seems to be less. You have the example of the blind man that Jesus healed in two stages, but to raise the dead, Jesus commanded the dead person to rise. To create food for 5,000 men and their families, Jesus merely blessed. The reason for this is personality. God has created this universe such that our unbelief constrains Him. The wind and the sea must obey Him, we do not. It seems the Lord wanted creatures who freely loved, and, therefore, have the capacity to hate. 

To take the concept of effort to its fullest extent, the miracle of our salvation cost Jesus His life.

Thursday: Jesus' Authority Delegated to His Disciples

<>< Test everything. Cling to what is good. ><>

This is part 5 of a series that looks at why Jesus performed miracles and what He taught us through them. The series will work its way through:

1. Why Jesus performed miracles.
2. More Reasons
3. His Authority Over Disease
4. His Authority Over Satan
5. His Authority Over Death
6. His Authority Over Nature
7. His Authority Delegated to His Disciples
8. His Authority Delegated to His Church

You can get to any of the available lessons by clicking on the lesson title. If nothing happens you are either already at the lesson, or I have not written it yet.

Jesus' Miracles and His Authority

Jesus proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom of God. As its King, we would expect Him to rule. On earth He spoke and taught as one who had authority, and thus could command and expect obedience from His subjects. 

His miracles, however, demonstrated that His authority extended beyond the rule of citizens. In each of the next sections, I will provide several stories from the gospels and then add my comments

His Authority Over Death

The woman who had the hemorrhage and touched the hem of Jesus' garment  interrupted an important procession. The ruler of a synagogue had come to Jesus because his daughter was dying. The crowd was rushing to the home so that Jesus could heal her. The delay caused by the woman proved fatal:

Then the woman, with fear and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler’s house saying, “Your daughter has died. Why trouble the teacher any longer?” But Jesus, paying no attention to what was said, told the synagogue ruler, “Do not be afraid; just believe.” He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. They came to the house of the synagogue ruler where he saw noisy confusion and people weeping and wailing loudly. When he entered he said to them, “Why are you distressed and weeping? The child is not dead but asleep.” And they began making fun of him. But he put them all outside and he took the child’s father and mother and his own companions and went into the room where the child was. Then, gently taking the child by the hand, he said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up.” The girl got up at once and began to walk about (she was twelve years old). They were completely astonished at this. He strictly ordered that no one should know about this, and told them to give her something to eat. (Mark 5:33-43, The Net Bible)

The thing that strikes me here is how little effort Jesus expended to raise this dead girl. When Jesus healed people, He sometimes spit, made mud cakes, or had them do something. To raise this dead girl, He spoke. More remarkable, He spoke to the dead person. I say spoke, but, in fact, He commanded. With the demons, Jesus had often to dialog with them to arrange the terms of exit. Raising the dead, by comparison, seems easy with Him. This observation is borne out by this next story:

Soon afterward Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the town gate, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother (who was a widow), and a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then he came up and touched the bier, and those who carried it stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!” So the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they began to glorify God, saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us!” and “God has come to help his people!” This report about Jesus circulated throughout Judea and all the surrounding country. (Luke 7:11-17)

Here again, Jesus commands the dead to do some action of the living, and they rise.

The Jews quickly buried their dead. Acts 5:6 tells of the burial of Ananias even before his wife knows of his death. Perhaps Jairus' daughter and the widow's son were only in some deep coma. There are stories, perhaps of the urban legend variety, of people reviving in the morgue. Perhaps Jesus merely healed these people. The story of Lazarus, then, is all the more important:

Jesus, intensely moved again, came to the tomb. (Now it was a cave, and a stone was placed across it.) Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, replied, “Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, because he has been buried four days.” Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. I knew that you always listen to me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, and a cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.” (John 11:38-44)

Here is the same speaking to the dead as before.

Observations

The dead cannot hinder Jesus' work. There is no issue of belief, no belief, or unbelief in their case. Consequently God's will moves more freely, not constrained by our interference. I am reminded of creation, "And God said ... and it was so."

That Jesus spoke to the dead is clear evidence that life persists after the grave. It is indirect evidence that our lives exist beyond the firing of neurons in the brain. To raise the dead, Jesus had to repair the body. Then by His command the person returned to its carton and obeyed. So it will be in the day of our resurrection, when the Lord will have new cartons for us and will bid us to occupy them.

Jesus' verbal authority over death clearly establishes His nature to be beyond that of men. We begin to see His divine nature emerging. Tomorrow, you will see that nature in its full expression.

Thursday: Jesus' Authority Over Nature

<>< Test everything. Cling to what is good. ><>

This is part 4 of a series that looks at why Jesus performed miracles and what He taught us through them. The series will work its way through:

1. Why Jesus performed miracles.
2. More Reasons
3. His Authority Over Disease
4. His Authority Over Satan
5. His Authority Over Nature
6. His Authority Over Death
7. His Authority Delegated to His Disciples
8. His Authority Delegated to His Church

You can get to any of the available lessons by clicking on the lesson title. If nothing happens you are either already at the lesson, or I have not written it yet.

Jesus' Miracles and His Authority

Jesus proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom of God. As its King, we would expect Him to rule. On earth He spoke and taught as one who had authority, and thus could command and expect obedience from His subjects. 

His miracles, however, demonstrated that His authority extended beyond the rule of citizens. In each of the next sections, I will provide several stories from the gospels and then add my comments

He Had Authority over Satan

There are 2 stories that I will relate to illustrate Jesus' authority over Satan.

Then they went to Capernaum. When the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people there were amazed by his teaching, because he taught them like one who had authority, not like the experts in the law. Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “Leave us alone, Jesus the Nazarene! Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, “Silence! Come out of him!” After throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. They were all amazed so that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He even commands the unclean spirits and they obey him.” So the news about him spread quickly throughout all the region around Galilee. (Mark 1:21-28, The Net Bible)

One of my activities is directing an Alpha course in my church. One of the highlights of this course is the Alpha weekend away. It is a retreat to get away from the common cares of life and learn about the Holy Spirit: who He is, what He does, and how to be filled with Him. Saturday evening is when I ask for the presence of the Holy Spirit to come among us and fill us. It is always a special time of connecting with the Lord. On one occasion, however, a young man reacted to the presence of the Holy Spirit by speaking strange sounds in an evil booming voice. We laid hands on the young man and he found peace. Much later I learned that he had engaged in occult practices for some time before coming on the course. This will often open people up to the demonic realm. In the presence of the Holy Spirit, the demon bothering this man manifested and left him.

This is what happened in the synagogue at which Jesus taught. The presence of God forced the demon to make itself known, disrupt the meeting, and create controversy. Jesus then commanded the demon to leave and it left after making a further scene.

The second story shows the degree to which Jesus had authority over the realm of Satan.

So they sailed over to the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man from the town met him who was possessed by demons. For a long time this man had worn no clothes and had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and shouted with a loud voice, “Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I beg you, do not torment me!” For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him. So he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, but he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into deserted places.) Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. And they began to beg him not to order them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and the demons begged Jesus to let them go into them. He gave them permission. So the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of pigs rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned. When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside. So the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been healed. Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized with great fear; 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 to your home, and declare what God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town what Jesus had done for him. (Luke 8:26-39)

Notice again how the presence of God in the person of Jesus initiated the demonic manifestation. Jesus commanded the evil spirit and it began to negotiate its exit. With authority, Jesus continued to command responded to some of their requests and forced them to leave. The man's deliverance freaked out the citizens of that country, so they asked Jesus to leave.

Observations

The demonic realm is real. Before I became a Christian, I too experimented with the occult and sought mind expansion through drug use. During one meditation session, I felt like something had grabbed me by the toes and was pulling me from my body. With effort I stayed put. Afterwards, I sensed the presence of spirits around me constantly. When I surrendered my life to Christ the presence left and never returned. Today as more young people open themselves to occult teaching, we can expect the level of demonization in increase. I will write more about this in the section on delegated authority.

Wednesday: Jesus' Authority Over Death 

<>< Test everything. Cling to what is good. ><>

What's in a Name?

The name of this blog is "Nagid Ben Chesed." You pronounce it like Nah-Geed Ben Keh-sed. It means Leader son of Lovingkindness

I, of course, like to watch the world come to this blog. Well, it's not quite the world yet. I am always grateful for the visits by way of blogs4god, theoneforce, and flyovercountry.

The most intruguing of all visits come from search engines. Of these I have had 3. The first came by way of interest in the 12 apostles. The next 2, I am afraid, have come from some who cannot spell and have interests other than a Christian meditation. They are looking for "nagid women". The search delivers very disappointing results. Only Ben Chesed, apparently, is in the buff.

My hope is that they linger awhile before finding a dictionary.

This is part 3 of a series that looks at why Jesus performed miracles and what He taught us through them. The series will work its way through:

1. Why Jesus performed miracles.
2. More Reasons
3. His Authority Over Disease
4. His Authority Over Satan
5. His Authority Over Nature
6. His Authority Over Death
7. His Authority Delegated to His Disciples
8. His Authority Delegated to His Church

You can get to any of the available lessons by clicking on the lesson title. If nothing happens you are either already at the lesson, or I have not written it yet.

Jesus' Miracles and His Authority

Jesus proclaimed the good news of the Kingdom of God. As its King, we would expect Him to rule. On earth He spoke and taught as one who had authority, and thus could command and expect obedience from His subjects. 

His miracles, however, demonstrated that His authority extended beyond the rule of citizens. In each of the next sections, I will provide several stories from the gospels and then add my comments

He Had Authority over Disease

The Blind Man in the Village

There are two elements in this story that are unusual, and they are possibly related. The first is that Jesus led this man out of a village to heal him and then forbade him to return. The second is that Jesus made two attempts before the healing was complete. Was the problem with Jesus or with the man? What was the problem with the village?

Then they came to Bethsaida. They brought Jesus a blind man and asked him to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside of the village. Then he spit on his eyes, placed his hands on his eyes and asked, “Do you see anything?” Regaining his sight he said, “I see people, but they look like trees walking.” Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again; then he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, “Do not even go into the village.” (Mark 8:22-26, The Net Bible)

The Centurion's Slave

There is some circumstantial evidence that this centurion was Cornelius whose household marked the spreading of the gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 10). Here is the story of his encounter with Jesus. What did this Gentile centurion see that the Jewish followers did not yet see?

After Jesus had finished teaching all this to the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave who was highly regarded, but who was sick and at the point of death. When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they urged him earnestly, “He is worthy to have you do this for him, because he loves our nation, and even built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not presume to come to you. Instead, say the word, and my servant must be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me. I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him. He turned and said to the crowd that followed him, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” So when those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the slave well. (Luke 7:1-10)

The Man Born Blind

I urge you to become familiar with the rest of this story as recorded in John. The dynamics between Jesus, this man, his parents, and the ruling authorities are astounding:

Now as Jesus was passing by, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man or his parents?” Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that the acts of God may be revealed through what happens to him. We must perform the deeds of the one who sent me as long as it is daytime. Night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Having said this, he spat on the ground and made some mud with the saliva. He smeared the mud on the blind man’s eyes and said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated “sent”). So the blind man went away and washed, and came back seeing. Then the neighbors and the people who had seen him previously as a beggar began saying, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” Some people said, “This is the man!” while others said, “No, but he looks like him.” The man himself kept insisting, “I am the one.” So they asked him, “How then were you made to see?” He replied, “The man called Jesus made mud, smeared it on my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and was able to see.” They said to him, “Where is that man?” He replied, “I don’t know.” They brought the man who used to be blind to the Pharisees. (John 9:1-13)

The Woman with a Hemorrhage

It is worth comparing this story with the story of the centurion and his servant. Each had a different idea about how Jesus' healing worked. For the centurion, healing could come at His command and the presence of Jesus was unnecessary. For the woman, the presence was necessary and the command or even awareness of Jesus was not. Why did Jesus honor both? What common element binds the tales?

Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years but could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of his cloak, and at once the bleeding stopped. Then Jesus asked, “Who was it who touched me?” When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing against you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I know that power has gone out from me.” When the woman saw that she could not escape notice, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she explained why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” (Luke 8:43-48)

Observations

There is no question that faith played a critical role in the Jesus' healing. Matthew wrote, "And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief." (Matthew 13:58) To understand this fully, I think we need to distinguish three faith-states of the heart: belief, no belief, and unbelief. To use three different terms: faith, ignorance, and denial. Ignorance is solvable with education. Denial or unbelief is a moral defect and requires repentance, a change of mind and heart, and a different view of the world. The centurion and the woman with a hemorrhage represent people with a high level of faith,  which is represented by the risks that they took. The centurion had a slave at the point of death, but he risked having Jesus just speak a command from a distance. For the woman, Jesus was moving as quickly as he could in order to arrive in time to heal the daughter of Jairus. If she did not receive the healing, there was no knowing when He would return to the area. Both bet there well being on a subtle understanding of Jesus' authority and power. The centurion risked everything on his belief that Jesus had authority. The woman risked everything on her belief that Jesus had power. For both, their faith achieved their ends and Jesus played the less direct role. He commanded and the servant received healing. She touched and power flowed out of Him.

The case of the man born blind is an example of ignorance. This man did not know who Jesus was. Jesus chose to heal Him so that the glory of God would be manifested. There was no exercise of faith on the blind man's part, but rather the miracle awakened his faith. So one with no faith can be brought to faith by the miracle. The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem had unbelieving hearts. They were not ignorant. They had questioned both the man and his parents. They discovered that he was born blind and that he could now see. Their investigations revealed that it was Jesus who had healed the man and they knew from past investigations who Jesus was. In spite of this, they chose to cast the now seeing man from the synagogue.

Jesus healed out of compassion, for the glory of God, and in response to faith. Unbelief, in the sense of a chosen path, will block the flow of God's power. The book of Hebrews develops this theme in great detail and it is my hope to bring that to you some time later. But for now, I would ask you to reflect on the faith-state of your heart. Study to discover and correct ignorance and seek God to help increase your faith.

Tuesday: His Authority Over Satan

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