In the will of God, Jesus was to have a special ministry among the gentiles on the east side of the Sea of Galilee, so He and His disciples entered into a little ship and started to glide across the lake. He was so exhausted that during the relaxing ride He fell asleep. And then there was a storm, during which the Lord proved His sovereignty over the wind. After that Christ arrived in Gadara, where He was met by the two demon-possessed men. And at least one of the afflicted was delivered and was apparently converted to Christ. There was rejoicing and worship but then sadly there came the rejection of Christ by the local unbelievers. All of this is fascinating, interesting, confusing and glorifying to God. We can only imagine what became of that cured and converted man. He slipped into historical oblivion. But human history and recognition is not nearly as important as what is known of that man in heaven. Maybe he became a successful Gentile evangelist. Maybe later there were churches in the land of Gadarenes through his witness.
What I would like us to consider this afternoon is not what took place on the east side of the lake. I am more interested in what happened on Jesus’ return and with the words of Luke 8:40. After Gadara, Christ and His disciples re-crossed the lake and pulled their boat ashore at Capernaum. The Jewish Galileans were a little more receptive than those on the other side. Perhaps that was nothing more than a desire for more free miracles. But some of the people of Galilee really had tasted of the Water of Life. They had found it to be exceptionally sweet and healthful. Furthermore, thousands had been fed from the hand of the Lord. Multitudes had listened to the deep and glorious words of the Saviour. He had taught them “as one having the authority of Heaven.” He had spoken about things of which the Levites and priests could only speculate. Some of those Galileans hungered and thirsted for more of such things, even if they didn’t understand or hold title-deeds to any of it. But at least to some degree, nothing could satisfy them but more of Christ. Nothing would do but to once again to have the literal presence of Messiah among them. For whatever reasons – good or bad – the expectation and desire of the people was commendable. “And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people GLADLY received him; for they were all waiting for him.”
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have the Lord Jesus stepped ashore this evening? What if tonight, precisely at 8:00, the Lord broke through the clouds and said: “Come up hither?” If we saw His boat coming across the lake would we be down at the beach to welcome Him? If we heard the sound of the trumpets announcing His arrival would we drop everything and run out to meet Him? Or is our life so filled with non-essentials – and sins – that we’d be sorry to have Him come tonight? Christ IS coming soon – to lift his saints from off this earth and to pour out His wrath upon the wicked.
But right now the Lord is temporarily away on business.
He’s across the lake meeting the needs of a desperate soul in a bleak cemetery. Right now Christ is displaying the power of His deity before a race and culture which doesn’t want it. At this moment, as we speak, Christ Jesus, the Son of God, is across the sea on divine business. Let the sceptics howl and laugh, but Jesus of Nazareth is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. And He is doing the work that only Deity can perform. He is sustaining and maintaining His creation, which couldn’t exists without His constant care. Whether or not the world is aware, it is by Him that we “live and move and have our being.”
Honest Bible students cannot read the gospels without seeing Jesus’ deity jumping off every page at them. We see it in His authority over storms, diseases, food production and even over death. “Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, Preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. “There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one.”
Today while physically away from us, the Saviour is still battling the legions of Satan. Of course, Christ Jesus has but to speak the word and the demons of Hell become forced to obey. If He says, “Legion, I want you to fill the swine,” or “touch not mine anointed,” those demons ask which swine they are to fill, and who exactly are the Lord’s anointed. As Christians, like Job, we may comfort ourselves with the fact that the Lord Jesus can dictate to Satan the extent to which he can touch us. This is the reason why no temptation has taken us above that which we are able. The Lord guarantees that there is a way to escape, that we may be able bear it. Jesus has absolute dominion over all things, including the current problems in the Middle East, and Ukraine, and even Washington DC. The outcome of every battle is guaranteed under the Name of Christ. “All things work together for good to them that love God to them who are the called according to His purpose.”
What Christ is doing today is saving a few imbecilic madmen from their sins. People crazed with drugs, lusts, wealth and glamour are being given new hearts and new hopes. From every corner of the globe there are sinners being drawn by His GRACE to His FACE. A few from India, a multitude from Brazil, a handful from Peru. And even a few from Idaho and Washington State. “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” Go unto Christ, all ye that are heavy leaden, and He will give you rest.
Where is Christ Jesus today? He is representing his Saints, as their Mediator. “He ever liveth to make intercession us” – He is our eternal care-giver. And He is preparing a place for us on the other side of death. “Let not your heart be troubled, ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my father’s house are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you unto myself that where I am there ye may be also.”
Coupled to this promised home in Heaven is the added promise of the LORD’S RETURN.
Now, in our scripture for this afternoon there was no promise of Jesus’ return to Capernaum. And herein, perhaps, is a great rebuke to us: Those people in Galilee were expecting the Lord Jesus even though they didn’t have an actual promise. But most of the people of our generation, including many Christians, are not looking for the Lord. Very few, even in the best of churches are actually expecting Christ to interrupt their church service. Intellectually and theologically, we know that is a possibility, but are we actually expecting it?
This is one of the great and faithful PROMISES given to us by the One who has never lied. This is the HOPE given to us by the One who cannot lie. “If ye believe in God, believe in me – AND believe me, in what I tell you.” “If I go, I shall come again that where I am there may ye be also.” I John 3:1-3 – “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” We are told to look for Christ Jesus – not tomorrow or the next day – but now. “For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.” The exhortation of I John 2:28 to abide in Christ isn’t as powerful if it didn’t contain the word “NOW.” “Now, little children abide in Him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” And the exhortation to find comfort in thoughts about Jesus’ return is meaningless if we are required to look for persecution and the Tribulation first. We are told – we are commanded – to be looking for the coming and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus has a love for His people upon this earth. He is somewhat like an ambassador with a home in two countries. And Christ, our High Priest, has identified Himself with his chosen people. He knows what it is when we are in pain, or lonely, or heart-sick. There is a sense in which His heart is here among His people. The Word of God says that the Lord’s inheritance is His people; it is us. Proverbs 8:31 says that “his delights are with the sons of men.”
And He has left a token of His return in the hearts of every one of his people. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise. The Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance. The Holy Spirit is our comforter, until the time that we are with Christ and the need for comfort will never be the same.
It should be the work of every true Galilean to keep his eyes on the horizon across the lake, looking for the top-sail of the master’s ship.
When He comes He shall be heartily welcomed – or at least He SHOULD be.
Now that you’ve been saved for twenty, thirty or fifty years, have you ever contemplated what your life would have become without the Lord? What sort of sinner would you be if it was not for the Spirit of the Lord? I’d probably be a gambler, or perhaps a drunkard because that has run in my family. Mostly likely I’d be a reasonably good guy, but not religious and certainly not spiritual. And what about you? Where would you be if Christ had not first crossed the lake to meet with you?
If the Lord forsook us for even a moment – the sun, moon and stars would explode into nothing; life would cease to exist; creation would cease to be. “Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from heaven, the father of lights.” Jesus once asked his disciples, “Are you going to forsake me like all these others?” To which they replied, “To whom shall we go. Thou hast the words of life.” Life without God in Christ could be perfectly described in one word: “Hell.” The people of Capernaum may have worried that Jesus was never going to return. It is apparent that there were many more sick who needed to be healed. There were thousands more who were hopeless and in need of a Saviour.
Some of those people might have been anxious because they had grown to love the Lord. Those were the few days of Jesus’ popularity. They gladly received His return. But there is something else hidden in these words: The Greek is correctly translated “gladly received,” but the word is referring to acceptance of something “with the highest respect.” These people were receiving the Lord with love and a regard bordering on worship itself. And rightly so – because soon, “at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.”
Why should we wait expectantly for the return of the Lord and Saviour? Because at His coming, we who are alive and remain shall receive the finalization of our redemption. Every believer can have assurance that his salvation and eternal life is a present possession. “The Lord hath saved us and called us with His holy calling.” And in addition He has given us the earnest and seal of our salvation. But there is infinitely more to come for the child of God. At his coming we will experience a translation. We currently live in mortal, corrupt, weak, sickly bodies. But at the next appearance of the Lord “this corruptible shall put on incorruption.” And just prior to the translation of the saints, we shall have our final bout with sin. Soon will come the judgment seat of Christ and the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Just prior to His ascension, during the last of the few days that Jesus spent on earth after his resurrection, Het took a few of his disciples into a mountain and talked with them. “And when he had spoken, while they beheld, he was take up; And a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, Behold, two men stood by them in while apparel which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is take up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him to into heaven.”
Can you honestly say that you are looking forward to the return of the Savior? Can you say that you have no regrets if He returned later this afternoon?
If someone is not excited about the return of the Lord, it is usually due to one of three reasons. He might be suffering from ignorance about the promise and the fact. He might simply be unaware of the hope of the Saint. Or he might be a Christian with unrepented and unconfessed sin in his life. He knows that he is unfit to stand before Him, and he is worried. Or that man may not be a Christian at all, and he knows that with Christ’s coming will come judgment and eventually the Lake of Fire.
We should be thoroughly excited about the soon return of our Saviour. We should expect that He will come in 2025. We should be excited about Christ’s imminent return.