Restoration Part 3

 

    Jesus had his 12 apostles in which he poured his time and energy into, so that they could teach the good news to the world.  What most people don't seem to realize is that he also had a women's ministry that followed and worked for him.  These women experienced and saw things from the background, so they had a lot to bring to the table.  The inner circle of women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Suzanna, and a few others.  They had all suffered and he restored them giving them something they would never of had without him: purpose, hope, and pure love.

    One of the main things that Jesus taught was restoration.  The seed is God's Word.  You need it to be able to grow.  It teaches us all about restoration.  Once we are restored, then we need to help others get restored.   We are not to kill ourselves to do so.  We share God's Word and let God do the rest.  Not all that see or hear will understand, but Jesus is the secret to Heaven.  Jesus used parables to reveal truths.  If you are a true follower of Jesus, then you have nothing to conceal.  Those that can't accept that can move on.

    Jesus and his apostles were crossing the sea at night when a squall came.  Everyone was freaking out, but Jesus slept.  They could not understand this, so they awoke him.  He rose and rebuked the wind and raging water.  The storm subsided immediately.    Jesus was actually rebuking his apostles for not having the faith to subside the storm themselves.  When you are restored to Christ you have the power to be able to subside storms of all kinds.  You just have to have the faith and prayer life to know if it is God's will or not.

    When the group reached shore, Jesus was confronted by a demon possessed man that was naked.  The man lived among the tombs.  He had a legion of demons within him that did not want to go into the abyss. They were afraid that he would torment them.  Jesus only removed them from the man and placed them into a herd of pigs.  The demons drove the pigs insane and they chose to run off the cliff into the sea.  All the pigs drowned, so the demons went to the abyss.  Jesus did not force that to happen, but it was ultimately best for everyone.  

    There were roughly 6,000 demons and they were powerful.  Jesus broke their power over people(possession).  This kind of power scares people.  He had cost them income, but they were afraid of what he may do to them if they made him mad, so they ardently asked him to leave.  Jesus complied because there is no point in staying where you are not welcome and where people are not willing to listen to the truth.  The restored man wanted to go with Jesus, but Jesus sent him home to restore his relationship with his family.  Jesus probably understood that he needed that more at that point than to become a disciple.  We have to restore some relationships before we can move forward.  Other relationships we just need to find forgiveness and healing, but that restores you.

    A man named Jairus came to Jesus because his 12 year old daughter was dying.  He needed Jesus to save her.  It is touching because some fathers would only do that for sons, not daughters.  His faith restored his daughter.  She did die while Jesus was on the way to her, but she came back to life.  That is true restoration.  We however seek eternal restoration, so it is our soul that comes back to life if we have faith.

    While Jesus was going to Jairus's daughter, a woman that had been suffering from a constant bleed for 12 years touched his cloak.  She just knew that if she touched him that she would be healed.  Her faith restored her body.  Jesus felt his power go into her and stopped.  I am sure there is some connection in the 12, but I am unsure of what that is.  

Luke 8