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Firm Foundations

Creation to Christ

Lesson 38 - Jesus Calmed the Storm and Delivered the

Demon-possessed Man of Gadara

Questions for the LFC Firm Foundations Coordinator may be emailed to firmfoundations@lenoxchurch.org

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REVIEW QUESTIONS:

1. Why did Jesus have the authority to forgive the paralyzed man’s sins? Because Jesus is God.

2. Why could Jesus heal the sick? Because Jesus is God.

3. What was Levi’s other name? Matthew.

4. What was Matthew’s work when Jesus called him? He was collecting taxes from the Jews for the Romans.

5. Whom did Jesus come to call and save? Those who agree with God that they are sinners and admit that they can only be saved by the mercy of God.

6. Will those who trust in their own goodness go to Heaven? No, God will never accept anyone because of his own good works.

7. Why did the scribes and Pharisees closely watch Jesus? Because they hated Him and they wanted to find some reason for which they could accuse Him and have Him killed.

8. Why did they hate Him so much?

a. Because Jesus claimed to be the Son of God and the promised Deliverer.

b. Because Jesus told them how evil they were and revealed their hypocrisy before the people.

c. Because they were jealous that the crowds followed Jesus.

9. Why did Jesus tell the demons to be quiet and not tell the people who He was? Because Jesus did not want Satan and his demon spirits giving evidence of the truth on His behalf.

10. Although Jesus had many disciples, how many did He choose to be His constant companions? Twelve men.

11. Were these twelve men well-educated or wealthy? No, the majority of them were neither well-educated nor wealthy.

12. Sometimes people can deceive each other, but no one can deceive God. Why? God knows everything, even what is going on in our minds and hearts.

When was the last time you realized you were in a situation you couldn’t handle on your own? Where do you go for help when you can’t handle the problem? What about the Lord? How strong is the Lord? Is anything too hard for Him?

Having told the crowds to go home because it was now evening, Jesus and His twelve disciples got into a boat and started for the other side of the lake (the Sea of Galilee).

LOCATE THE SEA OF GALILEE ON MAP BELOW.

Read to what happened.

This was a bad storm. The winds were howling, and huge waves were crashing over the boat so that it was filling up with water.

- Consider:

Have you ever been out in a boat when a storm came up? If you have, you can probably identify with the way the disciples must have felt.

Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat.

- Even though Jesus was God, He was also a real man.

- He got tired and wanted to sleep, just as we do.

The disciples couldn’t understand how Jesus could continue sleeping and not be worried, so they woke Jesus.

- The disciples should never have asked Jesus if He cared what was happening to them.

- They should have known that Jesus cared about their safety.

- Consider:

What do you think Jesus could do about their problem? Jesus had healed the sick and cast out demons, but what could He do about the howling winds and the roaring sea?

Jesus is also God.

- He created the sea and the wind.

- Recall:

In the beginning, who told the water to move back so there would be dry land on the earth? Who opened up the Red Sea so the Israelites were able to escape from the Egyptians? It was God. All things, including all oceans and seas, are under God’s control because He is the Maker of all things. Jesus Christ is God the Son.

- Colossians 1:16 says that “…by him all things were created.”

- Consider:

The things you make are yours, and you can do what you want with them. The sea on which Jesus and His disciples were sailing rightfully belonged to Jesus. He made all things in the beginning. Jesus created the sea and the wind and the lightning and the clouds.

The storm had to stop when Jesus commanded it to stop because He is the maker and rightful owner of all things.

Jesus asked the disciples why they didn’t trust Him and His Father, God. The disciples had forgotten that God sees everything, at all times, whether good or bad.

They had seen Jesus heal diseases and cast out demons, but they had never seen Him do anything like this.

This man could not release himself from the power and control of these evil spirits. People had tried to restrain him, but the demons in him were so strong that they even broke iron chains. The man was living in caves which were used as tombs.

- He was helpless.

- There was no hope for him.

- Consider:

We may feel sorry for a person like this and think it is good that we are not like him, but every person born into this world is under Satan’s control and is just as hopeless and helpless as this man was. Satan doesn’t often make people do the things that this man did, but Satan holds all people under his control until Jesus sets them free.

Satan and his demons only want to destroy people. Even when Satan and his demons treat people seemingly well, they are still only waiting for an opportunity to destroy them. But look what they did to this man.

Satan and his demons had so tormented this man that he was continually trying to take his own life.

- Consider:

Many people today try to take their own lives. Satan and his demons put this thought into their minds. Satan tricks them into thinking that their only choice is to kill themselves. This is a lie. Remember? Satan is a liar and a murderer. He hates God, and he hates people. Satan makes people feel that they are condemned to continue doing the very thing that is ruining their bodies and their lives.

Many people are hopelessly enslaved to drugs and alcohol and other addictions. They want to stop their addictive behavior, but Satan won’t let them. They may have tried many avenues of help without finding any lasting relief. Some people are very much like the man of Gadara—they can no longer function in society, and society has no answers for them. Are these really hopeless cases? Satan would like them and the rest of the world to think so.

Satan, the liar, is intent on drawing people into eternal separation from God. He will do whatever he can to keep them from believing God’s truth. Why? Because God’s truth is the good news of everlasting life.

God wants to give new life—a new birth from above, just like Jesus explained to Nicodemus.

- Consider:

You may say, “Well, that’s okay for Nicodemus; but what about a man like this fellow from Gadara or an addict today? Aren’t they still hopeless?” If they are trying to help themselves or if they are looking to men to help them, the answer is, “Yes, they are hopeless.”

Men cannot deliver themselves from the control of Satan. Jesus can. Let’s read what He did.

The demons knew that Jesus was their Creator, the Son of God. The demons feared that Jesus might punish them immediately by sending them to the Lake of Fire. God is the supreme ruler over Satan and all of the spirits.

- He can do with them whatever He pleases.

- He will throw them all into the Lake of Fire when the time comes which He has planned.

There are many, many spirits, or demons, in the world. Satan is their master.

The demons knew that they could not stand against Jesus who is God and their Creator.

- Jesus has all power over Satan and his demons.

- Satan and all of his demons cannot stand against Jesus.

- They know that one day they will finally be brought under His authority.

- Consider:

How foolish then if any of us think that we can stand against God and His right to rule our lives! How foolish it is for any of us to remain under Satan’s control when we know that he and his followers will one day be thrown into the Lake of Fire! All authority and power in the world belongs to God

The pigs drowned, but the demons did not, because they don’t have bodies as people or animals do. Jesus did not send these evil spirits into everlasting punishment at that time.

- He gave them permission to go into the pigs.

- It wasn’t God’s time to finally punish them for their rebellion and sin.

- Nevertheless, God has set a future time when Satan and all of the evil spirits will be finally dealt with.

This man was set free from the control of Satan and his demons by the power of the Lord Jesus.

- He no longer had to do the things that the demons told him to do.

- He was now under the authority of God.

These people were very foolish.

- Jesus, the Son of God and the Savior, had come to teach them.

- They did not want Him to stay.

Why did they want Jesus to leave?

- They were more concerned about the loss of their pigs than they were about coming to know the truth and being liberated from Satan, sin, and the power of death.

- Consider:

There are still people like this in the world. They refuse to listen to God’s words because they are more interested in the things of this world. They are not interested in what will happen to them after death. They live only for the present. But the things of this life are only for a short time. They will all soon be gone. When we die, we cannot take any of our things with us. The things that God teaches us in the Bible, however, will teach us the way to receive everlasting life.

- Consider:

Imagine! This is the same man who had been uncontrollable, naked, and self-destructive. He had been unable to live at home or to do any work. He had been an outcast; he had been out of his mind; even chains could not hold him. Now this same man was dressed and in his right mind, able to go home and be useful. He had something worth living for! He had a wonderful true story to tell others. Jesus wanted him to go home and tell his family what had happened. They would see, more than anyone else, the change in his life. Can you imagine how they must have felt when they saw him? Nothing is too hard for God. He is still the same today.

- Consider:

Everyone is born under Satan’s control, though few people are controlled by spirits like this man. I, too, used to be under Satan’s ruler-ship—on my way to everlasting punishment. But then I heard the words of God and agreed with Him. I knew I was a sinner because I had disobeyed His laws. God taught me from the Bible that I could not make myself acceptable to Him and that I could not escape punishment. I learned that God sent Jesus, His Son, to be the Deliverer of sinners. I trusted in Jesus Christ as my Savior.

Nothing is too hard for God. He set free the man of Gadara; He can set anyone free.

QUESTIONS:

1. Why did Jesus get tired, hungry, and experience all the other things we do?

2. Who was watching over the disciples during the storm?

3. Why could Jesus command that the sea and wind be quiet?

4. Could the demon-possessed man deliver himself from the power of the demons, or could any other ordinary person deliver him?

5. Can you deliver yourself or can any ordinary person deliver you from the power of Satan?

6. From this story, how can we tell that demons hate people?

7. Who controls all of the spirits who live here on earth?

8. Who is greater than Satan and his demons?

9. Did the demons drown in the sea?

10. Who completely changed this man’s life?

11. Who is the only one who can deliver all people from the power of Satan, sin, and death?

Suggested Daily Bible Readings:

Day 186: Luke, Chapters 1 and 2

Day 187: Luke, Chapters 3 and 4

Day 188: Luke, Chapters 5 and 6

Day 189: Luke, Chapters 7 and 8

Day 190: Luke, Chapters 9 and 10