“His Interpretability” (Luke 8:42c-44)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/2/2026 10:19 AM

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus:  “His Interpretability”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  Luke 8:42c-44

            Message of the verses:  “the crowds were pressing against Him.  And a woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her hemorrhage stopped.”

            Lately in my Spiritual Diaries I have mostly been quoting from John MacArthur’s commentaries and adding all of his verse references, something that he mostly does not do as he only gives the references. 

            “As He endeavored to go with Jairus, the Lord found His way impeded by the crowds that were pressing against Him.  The thick mass of bodies was immobile, all desperately wanting Jesus’ attention.  Jairus’s anxiety and frustration at the delay in getting Jesus to his house must have been intense.  Every passing moment brought his beloved daughter closer to death.  Suddenly, to Jairus’s dismay, the Lord’s slow progress through the crowd was halted completely by an equally desperate person. A woman who had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak.  The delay she caused could and would prove fatal to Jairus’s daughter.

            “Jesus was used to being interrupted. Once while He was preaching a sermon, some men tore open the roof above Him and lowered a paralyzed man on a stretcher (Luke 5:17-19).”

(Luke 5:17-19)

“17 ¶  On one of those days, as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law were sitting there, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was with him to heal. 18  And behold, some men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they were seeking to bring him in and lay him before Jesus, 19  but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus.”

“On another occasion He was interrupted when ‘someone in the crowd said to Him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me’’’(Luke12:13).  Despite the overwhelming demands, Jesus was never indifferent to individuals in need.

            “The woman had lived with severe medical problems, a hemorrhage, for twelve years—as long as Jairus’s daughter had been alive.  While he and his family enjoyed watching their daughter grow up and looked forward to her future as a wife and mother, this woman had endured twelve years of misery and suffering.  Her condition produced severe physical effects; continual bleeding, fatigue and lack of strength from blood loss, fear that the condition might eventually prove fatal, and perhaps constant pain.  But the social effects were even more severe.  According to Leviticus 15:19-27, a woman with a bleeding problem like hers was ceremonially unclean for as long as the condition persisted.”

(Leviticus 15:19-27)

“19 ¶  "When a woman has a discharge, and the discharge in her body is blood, she shall be in her menstrual impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening. 20  And everything on which she lies during her menstrual impurity shall be unclean. Everything also on which she sits shall be unclean. 21  And whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 22  And whoever touches anything on which she sits shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening. 23  Whether it is the bed or anything on which she sits, when he touches it he shall be unclean until the evening. 24  And if any man lies with her and her menstrual impurity comes upon him, he shall be unclean seven days, and every bed on which he lies shall be unclean. 25  "If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, not at the time of her menstrual impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness. As in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean. 26  Every bed on which she lies, all the days of her discharge, shall be to her as the bed of her impurity. And everything on which she sits shall be unclean, as in the uncleanness of her menstrual impurity. 27  And whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water and be unclean until the evening.”

“That meant that she could not go to the temple, or attend the synagogue.  No one in her family could touch her or anything she touched or they too would become ceremonially unclean.  She was an outcast, both in society and in her own family.

            “Her situation was hopeless, since like everyone else at that time she could not be healed by anyone.  The woman’s cure was beyond the limited medical knowledge of that day.  All her desperate attempts to find relief had only increased her suffering; she had, as Mark records ‘endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse’ (Mark 5:26).  Ancient, useless treatments prescribed for women with her condition were bizarre:

One remedy consisted of drinking a goblet of wine containing a powder compounded from rubber, alum and garden crocuses.  Another treatment consisted of a dose of Persian onions cooked in wine administered with the summons, ‘Arise out of your flow of blood!’  Other physicians prescribed sudden shock, or the carrying of the ash of an ostrich’s egg in a certain cloth. (William L. Lane, Commentary on the Gospel of Mark, The New International Commentary on the New Testament [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1975], 192 n. 46)

            Her money and hope gone, cut off from friends and family, she desperately and anxiously forced her way through the crowd to reach Jesus.  Embarrassed and humiliated by her perpetually unclean condition and seeking to avoid disclosure, embarrassment, and resentment from the people, she came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak.  In the Old Testament law God had commanded the Jews, ‘You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of your garment with which you cover yourself’ (Deut. 22:12).  Those tassels, on the fringe of their robes, served as a reminder of their obligation to obey God’s commandments (Num. 15:37-41).”

(Num. 15:37-41)

“37 ¶  The LORD said to Moses, 38  "Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. 39  And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after. 40  So you shall remember and do all my commandments, and be holy to your God. 41  I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD your God.’”

“The Greek verb translated touched suggests that the woman did not merely tap one of the Lord’s tassels, but grabbed one and clutched it.  (The same verb is translated ‘clinging’ in John 20:17)  Matthew records that she kept ‘saying to herself, ‘If I only touch His garment, I will get well (Matt. 9:21).  After twelve years of suffering, Jesus was her only hope, so she literally and figuratively clung desperately to Him.

            “Jesus honored her faith, and as she grasped the tassel of His robe immediately her hemorrhage stopped.  Jesus often healed those who had no faith, but never saved anyone who lacked it.  This woman, her physical problem solved, was on the way to salvation.”

            Spiritual Meaning for my life today:  I cannot touch the Lord Jesus Christ like this woman did, but I can trust Him to continue to care for me and the issues that I am facing.

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trusting the Lord to take care of the loneliness that I have after my wife’s death.

10/2/2026 11:16 AM

 

 

 

“His Availability” (Luke 8:42b)

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/1/2026 8:43 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                  Focus:  “His Availability”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                     Reference:  Luke 8:42b

            Message of the verse:  “But as He went,”

            Not sure sometimes how John MacArthur divides up these verses like he does, I guess it has something to do with all of his studying, but I will just have to quote his text on this section to help me understand these four words from Luke chapter eight.

            “Jesus was not merely accessible in the crowd, but also was available to individuals.  Having heard Jairus’s desperate plea, He went with him.  Despite the relentless demands of the crowds that constantly surrounded Him, the Lord spent time with individuals.  The Gospels are filled with the stories of men, women, and even children (Matt. 19:13-14) to whom Jesus gave personal attention.” 

(Matt. 19:13-14)

“13 ¶  Then children were brought to him that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples rebuked the people, 14  but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

“As the creator walked with people, He felt their pain and had compassion on them; He was a comforter and burden bearer.  ‘Come to Me,’ He said, ‘all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give your rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light’ (Matt. 11:28-30).  Isaiah prophesied of Him, ‘Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, in His arm He will gather the lambs and carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes…A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish’ (Isa. 40:11; 42:3).

            “Of all the impressive miracles He could have done to prove that He was God, Jesus chose to do those that relieved people’s suffering.  Instead of flying off the pinnacle of the temple, He rescued His terrified disciples from a life-threatening story.  Instead of instantly creating a cow or a horse, He created food for thousands of hungry people.  Instead of lifting up a mountain and casting it into the sea, He healed the sick and raised the dead. His choice of miracles revealed not only Jesus’ deity, but also His divine compassion (Matt. 9:36; 14:14; Mark 1:41; 8:2; Luke 7:13).

(Matt. 9:36; 14:14; Mark 1:41; 8:2; Luke 7:13).

“36  When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.’

“14  When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.”

“41  Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.”

“2  "I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat.”

“13  And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”

            “Jairus’s heart was breaking.  Whatever he had thought about Jesus, or what the religious leaders might think of him for going to Him, was of no concern to him.  His desperate need drove him to the compassionate, powerful demonstration both of His power and His compassion.”

10/1/2026 9:21 PM

PT-2“His Accessibility” (Luke 8:40-42a)

 

MORNNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 10/01/2026 9:18 PM

My Worship Time                                                                          Focus: PT-2“His Accessibility”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  Luke 8:40-42a

            Message of the verses:  “And as Jesus returned, the people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him.  And there came a man named Jarius, and he was an official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus’ feet, and began to implore Him to come to his house; for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying.”

            John MacArthur writes:  “Among those anxiously waiting for Jesus to return and resume His healing ministry were two very contrasting souls.  One was a man, the other was a woman.  One was rich, the other poor.  One was a respected leader of society, the other a rejected outcast.  But each had a desperate need that only Jesus could meet.

            “Luke introduced first a man named Jairus, who was an official of the synagogue.  The Greek text includes the word idou (‘see,’ ‘behold,’ ‘look’), which notes that his appearance was something unexpected or standing.  As an official of they eynagogue he  was a respected leader, steeped in the Old Testament, and devoted to the religion of Judaism.  He was  on of those responsible for overseeing all activities in the synagogue, the focal point of Jewish religious life in his city.  Jairus was a leading figure in Capernaum’s religious establishment, which in turn was connected with national Judaism, which was mainly in the hands of Pharisees and scribes, who were hostile to Jesus and sought to destroy Him.  For a local representative of the very leaders who hated Him to fall at Jesus’ feet, and…implore Him to come to his house was a stunning development.

            “But Jairus did not come as a representative of the religious elite, but as a grief-stricken father whose only [cf. 7:12; 9:38] daughter, about twelve years old…was dying (literally at the point of death [Mark 5:23]).”

[cf. 7:12; 9:38]

“12  As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.”

“38  And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, "Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.”

[Mark 5:23])

“23  and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.”

“He was no longer concerned about what his fellow leaders in the synagogue or the scribes and Pharisees might think of him.  All that mattered to him was that he get to Jesus and bring Him to his daughter before it was too late.

            “Jesus had performed many miracles in Capernaum (cf. 4:38-40) one of which, His casting a demon out of a man in the synagogue (4:33-35), Jairus, as a synagogue official, may have witnessed.”

(cf. 4:38-40)

“38  And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39  And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. 40  Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.”

(4:33-35)

“33  And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34  “Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 35  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.”

“Word of the Lord’s raising a young man from the dead at Naim (7:11-15), only about twenty miles away, had certainly reached Capernaum, making Jairus aware of His power.”

(7:11-15)

“11 ¶  Soon afterward he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a great crowd went with him. 12  As he drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her. 13  And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” 14  Then he came up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” 15  And the dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother.”

“Such information led him to believe that Jesus could heal his daughter.  Perhaps, unlike the rich young ruler (18:18-23), he came to Jesus humbled by the reality of his own unworthiness, as he desperately sought help for his daughter.  He must have been relieved and grateful to find Jesus, as always, accessible.”

(18:18-23)

“18 ¶  And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19  And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. 20  You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’" 21  And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” 22  When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

10/1/2026 9:44 AM

 

 

PT-1 "His Accessibility" (Luke 8:40-42a)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/30/2026 8:55 PM

My Worship Time                                                                                 Focus: “His Accessibility”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                Reference:  Luke 8:40-42a

            Message of the verses:  “And as Jesus returned, the people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him.  And there came a man named Jarius, and he was an official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus’ feet, and began to implore Him to come to his house; for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying.”

            In earlier SD’s we have been looking at Jesus and His disciples in a boat when a great storm came up and He was sleeping.  They woke Him up out of great fear, and He calmed the storm.  Next He meet a man who was manic, actually there were two of them but it seems only one got all of the attention.  Jesus drove out the demons and the man then became a missionary for the cause of Christ. Now we are looking at the return trip across the lake and as the text says the people welcomed Him back.  Not too sure about their motives for wanting Him back, but we will see that Jesus is about to do healing to two people, one a twelve year old girl, and the other a woman who had a bleeding issue for twelve years.  At this time I will begin to quote from John MacArthur’s commentary and quote any verses that he mentions.

            “As the story opens, Jesus had just returned from the region of the Gadara, on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.  The Lord had gone there seeking relief from the ever-present throngs of people that followed Him wherever He went.  On the voyage to Gadara, Jesus and the disciples had been caught in a powerful storm, which He miraculously calmed…After they arrived, Jesus encountered two demon-possessed maniacs and casts the demons that infested them into a herd of swine…The terrified inhabitants of the region then begged the Lord to leave, and He got into a boat and returned across the Sea of Galilee to the familiar town of Capernaum (8:37).”  It kind of looks like MacArthur wrote something similar that I wrote in my first paragraph.

            “Upon His arrival, Jesus immediately was engulfed by a large crowd (Mark 5:21) who, in contrast to the people of Gadara, welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him.”

(Mark 5:21)

“21 ¶  And when Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered about him, and he was beside the sea.”

“Many in the crowd were crippled, blind, deaf, and plagued by various other diseases.  They had been anxiously awaiting His return, hoping to be healed.  Jesus was a hero for those already healed, and for some the ultimate celebrity.  They were captivated by the miraculous signs He performed and further hoped that He would use His power to free them from the yoke of Roman occupation.

            “Unlike most religious leaders in Israel, who avoided the common people so as not to be defiled by them, Jesus secluded Himself only occasionally to rest, to give further insight and instruction to His disciples, or to spend time alone in communion with the Father.  Apart from such occasions, His entire ministry was spent in public, mingling daily with the people in town and village streets, the fields, along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and wherever else they gathered.  Summarizing His ministry to Pilate, Jesus said, ‘I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in synagogues [cf. Matt. 4:23; 9:35] and in the temple [cf. John 7:14, 28], where all the Jews come together; and I spoke nothing in secret’ (John 18:20).”

[cf. Matt. 4:23; 9:35]

“23 ¶  And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.”

“35 ¶  And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction.”

[cf. John 7:14, 28]

“14 ¶  About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching.”

“28  So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know.”

(John 18:20)

“20  Jesus answered him, "I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret.”

“That was consistent with His purpose in coming into the world—to proclaim the gospel message of repentance and forgiveness (cf. Mark 1:38).”

(cf. Mark 1:38)

38  And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”

            “Despite their eager welcome of Jesus, the crowd was fickle.  Some, easily led by the hateful religious leaders, would eventually scream for His blood and cry out, ‘Crucify, crucify Him!...His blood shall be on us and on our children! (Luke 23:21; Matt. 27:25).”

(Matt. 27:25)

“25  And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!”

“Others were sign seekers (Luke 11:29) who would soon become disenchanted with Jesus and abandon Him (John 6:66).”

(Luke 11:29)

“29 ¶  When the crowds were increasing, he began to say, "This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.”

(John 6:66)

“66  After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.”

“Only a few were enduring, true followers of Him (Matt. 7:14; 22:14; Luke 13:23-24).

(Matt. 7:14; 22:14; Luke 13:23-24)

“14  For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”

“14  For many are called, but few are chosen."

“23 ¶  And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24  "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”

9/30/2026 10:00 PM

 

 

 

 

 

Intro to “Jesus’ Compassionate Power” (Luke 8:40-56)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/30/2026 10:23 AM

My Worship Time                                                 Focus:  Intro to “Jesus’ Compassionate Power”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 8:40-56

            Message of the verses:  “40 And as Jesus was returning, the people welcomed Him, for they had all been waiting for Him. 41 And a man named Jairus came, and he was an official of the synagogue; and he fell at Jesus’ feet, and began urging Him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, and she was dying. But as He went, the crowds were pressing against Him. 43 And a woman who had suffered a chronic flow of blood for twelve years, and could not be healed by anyone, 44 came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. 45 And Jesus said, “Who is the one who touched Me?” And while they were all denying it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing in on You.” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone did touch Me, for I was aware that power had left Me.” 47 Now when the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and admitted in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” 49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the house of the synagogue official, saying, “Your daughter has died; do not trouble the Teacher anymore.” 50 But when Jesus heard this, He responded to him, “Do not be afraid any longer; only believe, and she will be made well.” 51 When He came to the house, He did not allow anyone to enter with Him except Peter, John, and James, and the girl’s father and mother. 52 Now they were all weeping and mourning for her; but He said, “Stop weeping, for she has not died, but is asleep.” 53 And they began laughing at Him, knowing that she had died. 54 He, however, took her by the hand and spoke forcefully, saying, “Child, arise!” 55 And her spirit returned, and she got up immediately; and He ordered that something be given her to eat. 56 Her parents were amazed; but He instructed them to tell no one what had happened.”

            John MacArthur writes the following introduction to these verses:  “Ever since the fall, life on the cursed earth has been subject to disease, disaster, and death.  Tragedy, sorrow, misery, and suffering are woven into the fabric of human existence.  Death is a universal experience, and into the fabric of human existence.  Death is a universal experience, and all sophisticated modern medical technology can do is postpone the inevitable.  Because of man’s God-given capacity for love and relationships, sickness and death also produce intense grief and sadness.”  I certainly know all about that truth, as my dear wife of almost 53 years passed away two months and one day ago.

            “Jesus understood the suffering associated with disease and death.  He was, as Isaiah predicted, ‘A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief’ (Isa. 53:3).  As He observed the outpouring of sorrow and grief over the death of Lazarus, ‘He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled’ (John 11:33; cf. v38) and ‘wept’ (v.35).”

(John 11:38)

“38  Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.”

“The Lord, of course, knew that He was about to raise Lazarus from the dead.  But He grieved over the universally devastating impact of sin in a fallen world.

            “But despite the ruinous effects of sin, there is still hope.  There is One coming who has the power to reverse the curse; to heal all diseases and restore paradise.  He is the One promised by the Old Testament prophets; the Messiah, Savior and King.  He will set up the millennial kingdom, an Eden-like world where long life spans will be the norm (Isa. 65:20).”

(Isa. 65:20)

“20  No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.”

“After the millennial kingdom, the present earth and heaven will be destroyed (2 Peter 3:10), and the Lord will create a new heaven and a new earth from which disease, death, sorrow, and suffering will be forever banished (Rev. 21:1-5; cf. Isa. 65:17; 66:22)”

(2 Peter 3:10)

“10  But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.”

(Rev. 21:1-5; cf. Isa. 65:17; 66:22)

“1 ¶  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2  And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4  He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." 5  And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

“17 ¶  "For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind.”

“22  "For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the LORD, so shall your offspring and your name remain.”

            “The New Testament makes it unmistakably clear that only one person can accomplish those things—the Lord Jesus Christ.  All other claimants are charlatans, fakes, and frauds (cf. John 10:7-8).”

(cf. John 10:7-8)

“7  So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8  All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.

“The New Testament was written to establish that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, Lord, and Savior, the second person of the Trinity incarnate.  He alone was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, rose from the dead, and demonstrated absolute power over the natural realm and the spiritual realm.

            “This section of Luke’s gospel presents two more illustrations of Jesus’ supernatural power over disease and death.  It is the story of one miracle, the raising of a synagogue ruler’s daughter, sandwiched around another miracle, the healing of a woman with hemorrhage. This account provides insight into the personal aspect of His ministry; what He was feeling.  It takes us as far into the nature of the God-Man as the human mind can go, revealing that the Lord Jesus Christ not only had the power to heal, but also the compassionate desire to do so.  As the story unfolds, eight aspects of Jesus’ ministry to people become evident:  His accessibility, availability, interpretability, inexhaustibility, faithfulness, perspective, power, and priority.”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  I have mentioned the death of my wife earlier in this SD, and this section reinforces the truth that Jesus cares for me as I go through this difficult time in my life and I believe will help me to get through it.

            My Steps of Faith for Today:  Trust the Lord to do what He does in order to help me to get through this period of mourning over the death of my wife.

9/30/2026 10:59 AM

 

 

 

 

 

“The Daming Power of Sin” (Luke 8:36-39)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/29/2026 7:14 PM

My Worship Time                                                                 Focus:  “The Daming Power of Sin”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 8:36-39

            Message of the verses:  “36Those who had seen everything reported to them how the man who had been demon-possessed had been made well. 37And all the people of the territory of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Him to leave them, because they were overwhelmed by great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. 38But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might [s]accompany Him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39“Return to your home and describe what great things God has done for you.” So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city what great things Jesus had done for him.”

            I will continue to do what I have been doing for the last few months, and that is copy most of MacArthur’s commentary and add any verse references that he has to help us better understand the passage.

            “In stark contrast to the delivered maniac, the response of the sane people tragically illustrates sin’s power over the lost.  It blinds them to the truth and causes them to hate it and reject all evidence of it.  They obstinately cling to their false illusion of well-being because love of iniquity dominates them.  Jesus had performed an undeniable miracle that clearly manifested His absolute power over the supernatural realm and to deliver people from the force of hell.

            “The herdsmen, as noted above, who had seen Jesus cast the demons out of him and into the pings, reported to the people how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well (or delivered).  They heard the complete story in all its details.  Some argue that sinners will be convinced if they see a powerful enough miracle, but here is proof that that is not necessarily the case.  Before them was undeniable evidence of the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is hard to envision more dramatic, compelling proof than His casting thousands of demons out of the two maniacs.  But so powerful was sin’s hold on them that instead of believing in Jesus, all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surround district asked Him to leave them. Their hearts were like the hard-packed roadside soil in the parable of the sowers (cf. chap. 20 of this volume), which the seed of the gospel cannot penetrate.

            “Luke reiterates that the reason the people wanted Jesus to leave was that they were gripped with great fear.  Knowing that they were in the presence of God, loving their sin (John 3:19) and blinded by Satan (2 Cor. 4:4), they wanted only to rid of the one whose presence intimidated and terrified them.”

(John 3:19)

“19  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

(2 Cor. 4:4)

“4  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

“There was not a word of thanks for delivering them from the danger the man had posed; astonishingly, they saw Jesus as an even greater threat of their sinful lifestyle.  Thus they preferred a maniac to the Son of God; to be terrified by Satan rather than offer reverence to God; to endure the presence of demonic danger rather than the presence of divine deliverance; the unholy to the holy; a tomb dweller to the Lord of life.  David Gooding writes,

What a sad comment on man’s fallen and unregenerate state it is, that man should feel more at home with demons, than with the Christ who has power to cast out demons.

Yet it is often so.  Men who would try to help a criminal or a drunkard, or, if they should prove incorrigible, would want the one imprisoned and the other put into hospital, find it embarrassing and somewhat frightening if the criminal is saved by Christ and turned into a sane, wholesome, regenerate disciple.  (According to Luke [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987], 146)

In tragic reflection of their missed opportunity, Jesus got into a boat and returned to Capernaum.  There is no record that He ever returned to their region.

            “But the story, mercifully, does not end there.  The man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Jesus that he might accompany Him.  His willingness to forsake all and follow Christ shows that he had been delivered from his sin as well as from the demons.  Jesus was his Lord, Savior, and deliverer, and he naturally wanted to go with Him and learn from Him.  But Jesus had a different plan and sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you.’  Since he knew enough to be saved, he knew enough to be a missionary.  The priority for him was not further training, since he was the lone witness to the gospel in that region.  Though they had rejected Him, Jesus had not totally rejected them.  In obedience to the Lord’s command, the man went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.  Jesus had commanded him to tell others what God had done, and he told them what Jesus had done, since Jesus is God.  As a result of his testimony to Jesus’ power, everyone who heard him was amazed (Mark 5:20).”+

(Mark 5:20)

“20  And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.”

            “This remarkable story teaches several important truths.  First and foremost, it reveals Christ’s absolute authority over the demonic realm.  It also illustrates the truth that the good news of the gospel is for Gentiles, as well as Jews (cf. Matt. 12:18, 21).”

(cf. Matt. 12:18, 21)

“18  "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.’

“21  and in his name the Gentiles will hope."

“The passage also demonstrates that God graciously reaches out to those who reject Him.  Finally, the story of the maniac who became a missionary illustrates that it is the responsibility of all Christians to tell others of how Jesus delivered them from the power of sin (Matt. 28:19-20).”

(Matt. 28:19-20)

“19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

9/29/2026 7:59 PM

The Damning Power of Sin” (Luke 8:36-39)

 

MORNING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/29/2026 8:55 AM

My Worship Time                                                                Focus:  “The Damning Power of Sin”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                                 Reference:  Luke 8:36-39

            Message of the verses:  “ ³⁶ Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well. ³⁷ And all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them, for they were gripped with great fear; and He got into a boat and returned. ³⁸ But the man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Him that he might accompany Him; but He sent him away, saying, ³⁹ "Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.”

            “In stark contrast to the delivered maniac, the response of the sane people tragically illustrates sins’ power over the lost.  It binds them to the truth and causes them to hate it and reject all evidence of it.  They obstinately cling to their false illusion of well-being because love of iniquity dominates them.  Jesus had performed an undeniable miracle that clearly manifested His absolute power over the supernatural realm and to deliver people from the forces of hell.

            “The herdsmen, as noted above, who had seen Jesus cast the demons out of him and into the pigs, reported to the people how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well (or delivered).  They heard the complete story in all its details.  Some argue that sinners will be convinced if  they see a powerful enough miracle, but niable evidence of the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is hard to envision more dramatic, compelling proof than His casting thousands of demons out of the two maniacs.  But so powerful was sin’s hold on them that  instead of believing in Jesus, all the people of the country of the Gerasenes and the surrounding district asked Him to leave them.  Their hearts were like the hardpacked roadside soil in the parable of the sowers (cf. chap. 20 of this volume), which the seed of the gospel cannot penetrate.

            “Like reiterates that the  reason the people wanted Jesus to leave was that they were gripped with great fear.  Knowing that they were in the presence of God, loving their sin (John 3:19) and blinded by Satan (2 Cor. 4:4), they wanted only to be rid of the one whose presence intimidated and terrified them.  There was not a word of thanks for delivering them from the danger the man had poses; astonishing they saw Jesus as an even greater threat to their sinful lifestyle.”  

(John 3:19)

“19  And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.”

(2 Cor. 4:4)

“4  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

“Thus they preferred a maniac to the Son of God; to be terrified by Satan rather than offer reverence to God; to endure te presence of demonic danger rather than the Lord of life.  David Gooding writes,

What a sad comment on man’s fallen and unregenerate state it is, tat man should feel more at home with demons, than with Christ who has power to cast out demons.

Yet is is often so, Men who would try to help a criminal or a drunkard, or, if they should prove incorrigible, would want the one imprisoned and the other put into hospital, find it embarrassing and somewhat frightening if the criminal is saved by Christ and turned into a sane, wholesome, regenerate disciple (According to Luke [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987],146)

“In a  tragic reflection of their missed opportunity, Jesus got into a boat and returned to Capernaum.  There is no record that He ever returned to their region.

            “But the story, mercifully, does not end there.  The man from whom the demons had gone out was begging Jesus that he might accompany Him.  His willingness to forsake all and follow Christ shows that he had been delivered from his sin as well as from the demons.  Jesus was his Lord, Savior, and deliverer, and he naturally wanted to go with Him and learn from Him.  But Jesus had a different plan and sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your house and describe what great things God has done for you.’  Since he knew enough to be saved, he knew enough to be a missionary.  The priority for him was not further training, since he was the lone witness to the gospel in that region.  Here is an example of God’s grace in the face of man’s rejection.  Though they had rejected Him, Jesus had not totally rejected them.  In obedience to the Lord’s command, the man went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.  Jesus had commanded him to tell others what God had don, and he told them what Jesus had done, since Jesus is God.  As a result of his testimony to Jesus’ power, everyone who heard him was amazed (Mark 5:20).”

(Mark 5:20)

“20  And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.”

            “This remarkable story teaches several important truths.  First and foremost, it reveals Christ’s absolute authority over the demonic realm.  It also illustrates the truth that the good news of the gospel is for Gentiles, as well as Jews (cf. Matt. 12:18, 21).”

(cf. Matt. 12:18, 21)

“18  "Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles.”

“21  and in his name the Gentiles will hope."

“The passage also demonstrates that God graciously reaches out to those who reject Him.  Finally, the story of the maniac who became a missionary illustrates that it is the responsibility of all Christians to tell others of how Jesus delivered them from the power of sin (Matt. 28:19-20).”

(Matt. 28:19-20)

“19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

9/29/2026 9:48 AM

 

PT-2 “The Delivering Power of Jesus” (Luke 8:29a, 30-35)

 

EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/28/2026 7:52 PM

My Worship Time                                         Focus:  PT-2 “The Delivering Power of Jesus”

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                          Reference:  Luke 8:29a, 30-35

            Message of the verses:  “For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man…³⁰ And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. ³¹ They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.

³² Now there was a herd of many swine feeding there on the mountain; and the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine. And He gave them permission. ³³ And the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.

³⁴ When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country. ³⁵ The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened.”

            I continue to quote from John MacArthur’s commentary:  “After the demons implored Him to permit them to enter the swine, Jesus gave them permission.  Here is further confirmation of Jesus’ divine power over the demons; they could do nothing that He did not allow them to do.  In an amazing scene the demons came out of the man and entered the swine; and the herd, acting with the same maniacal, self-destructive frenzy that had characterized the demon-possessed man, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned.  This shocking development offered vivid, unmistakable proof that the demons had left the man.  It also demonstrated Jesus’ absolute authority over them, since they had no choice but to do so.  Their destruction of the pigs also displayed the demons’ evil propensity to kill and destroy.

            “After they recovered from their shock, the herdsmen who saw what had happened ran away and reported it in the city and out in the country.  In response to their excited report, the people went out to see what had happened.  Matthew notes that the entire city turned out (Matt. 8:34) to investigate.  Having heard the eyewitness account of the herdsmen, they came  looking for Jesus.”

(Matt. 8:34)

“34  And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.”

            “Some have argued that the people were upset at the loss of the pigs, and came to Jesus to hold Him accountable for their deaths and the economic loss.  But the owners of the pigs are never mentioned in the gospel accounts, nor are the pigs the issue.  The focus is on the sensational transformation of the formerly demon-possessed man and above all on Jesus, who transformed him.  When the crowd arrived, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind.  His radical change was complete, undeniable, and inexplicable from a human perspective.  The man was clothed, not naked; seated at the feet of Jesus, not wandering aimlessly; away from the tombs, the realm of the dead, and in the presence of the Lord of life; quite, not shrieking; calm and peaceful, not out of control and deadly; confronted, not tormented; in short, manifesting God-given sanity, not demon-inspired insanity.  This is a magnificent picture of salvation transformation.  No doubt Jesus explained the gospel to him, telling him that He had come to save lost sinners (Luke 19:10), and the man had repented and been forgiven.”

(Luke 19:10)

“10  For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost."

            “One would have expected the people to rejoice with the man over his deliverance, or at least to be relieved that he no longer posed any threat, but instead they became frightened.  Frightened translates a form of the Greek word phobeo, which refers to extreme fear or terror (the related noun phobeo, is the root of the English word ‘phobia’).  They realized that they were sinners in the presence of the holy God (cf. Luke 8:25).”

(cf. Luke 8:25)

“25  He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

9/28/2026 8:15 PM