Lessons Learned From A Demon

Lessons Learned from a Demon

Text: Luke 4:33-37: (33) And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, (34) Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. (35) And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not. (36) And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. (37) And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.

1) Context of passage: Luke has previously described: Jesus birth and early life (1:5- 2:52); Jesus’ early ministry (baptism, temptation) (3:1- 4:13). Here, after being rejected in Nazareth, is the beginning of Jesus’ early Galilean ministry (4:31- 6:11). According to Guzik, “The region of Galilee was a fertile, progressive, highly populated region. According to figures from the Jewish historian Josephus, there were some 3 million people populating Galilee, an area smaller than the state of Connecticut.” Ref: Preceptaustin.Org; Guzik, David. David Guziks Commentaries on the Bible. Luke Chapter 4. http://www.studylight.org/com/guz/view.cgi?book=lu&chapter=004. Accessed January 1, 2011.

2) The city of Capernaum (31): Jesus, fresh from his temptation, is confronted by an unclean demon who is working through a possessed man (33). Notice: Capernaum was considered the center in which Jesus performed multiple miraculous wonders. Many believe this was Peter’s home town.

3) Before we look at our study text it must be stressed that we are dealing with an unregenerate man, not a child of God. Stephen Cole states, “Believers are indwelled by the Holy Spirit and thus cannot be possessed by demons, but believers can come under demonic attack (Eph. 6:10-20) and opposition (2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Thess. 2:18).” Ref: Preceptaustin.Org; Cole. Stephen. Jesus, Lord Over All. April 26, 1998. Pg. 5-6. http://www.fcfonline.org/content/1/sermons/042698m.pdf. Accessed January 1, 2011.

I. The Enemies of Jesus- Today, you either CURRENTLY ARE or IN TIMES PAST WERE an enemy of God.

Romans 5:10: “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.”

Colossians 1:21: “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled.”

Reconciled is defined as: “an end [of] the enmity and estrangement that exists between God and humankind. Ref: Ericson, Millard J. Christian Theology (Grand Rapids MI: Baker Academics; 1998) 832.

A. These demons [Enemies]: Acknowledge His True Character – Jesus is the God-man: 100% God, 100% man.

1. “Jesus of Nazareth” [man] and “the Holy One of God” [God] (vs. 34) – Note the references include both: the humanity and divinity of Jesus.

2. It was only because He was human that He could die and it was only because He was God that His death could be effectual for the world. Dr. Daniel R Mitchell

3. The final demise of all Jesus’ enemies:

Matthew 22:44: “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool” (Lk. 20:43; 1 Cor. 15:25; Heb. 10:13)

B. Enemies will question His Mission [vs. 34. Art thou come to destroy us] - Jesus’ mission is one of salvation, not destruction. Jesus defines it in Luke 4:18 as:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.”

1. Many today echo the words of this demon: “Art thou come to destroy us”? (vs. 34)

2. Jesus clarifies: For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Lk. 19:10).

C. Jesus’ enemies try to shun His Presence- The lost try to hide or forget Jesus and His mission

1. “Let us alone . . .what have we to do with thee” (vs.34)

i. The absurdity of this evil demon asking such a moronic question to God?

ii. The absurdity of a lost man, dead in his sins asking the only One able to cure his diseased sin sick soul [Let us alone].

iii. In both cases: belief, acceptance and repentance are what is needed. Jesus is Lord, God in the flesh, Creator of all. He is ABLE!

Colossians 1: 15-18: “Col. 1:15-18 [Jesus] (15) Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: (16) For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: (17) And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.