Series: Miracles

John 21:25 NKJV And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Jesus’s miracle ministry has never ended! What Jesus did, He still does!

I want you to get to know Jesus in a deeper way!

(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube. The study guide may be purchased from renner.org.)

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Jesus Restores Malchus’ Ear and Raises a Boy From the Dead

SCRIPTURES

John 18:1-6 KJV When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. (2) And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. (3) Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. (4) Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? (5) They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. (6) As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.

Exodus 3:14 KJV And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

John 8:58 KJV Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

Luke 22:49 KJV When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?

John 18:10 KJV — The Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.

Mark 14:51, 52 KJV — And there followed him a certain young man, hav­ing a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: and he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.

GREEK WORDS

1. “a band of men” — σπεῖρα (speira): a military cohort; a tenth of a legion; approximately 600 soldiers; well-trained soldiers who were equipped with the finest weaponry of the day
2. “officers” — ὑπηρέτης (huperetes): the “police officers” who worked on the temple grounds
3. “a great multitude of soldiers” — ὄχλος πολὺς (ochlos polus): a huge or massive crowd; a multitude (see Matthew 26:47)
4. “a great multitude” — ὄχλος (ochlos): a massive crowd (see Mark 14:43)
5. “a multitude” — ὄχλος (ochlos): indicating that the band of soldiers who came that night was enormous (see Luke 22:47)
6. “I am” — Ἐγώ εἰμι (Ego eimi): “I AM!”
7. “went backward” — ἀπέρχομαι (aperchomai): depicts the soldiers and temple police staggering and stumbling backward, as if some force had hit them and was pushing them back and down
8. “fell” — πίπτω (pipto): to fall; depicts a person who falls so hard that it appears he has fallen dead or has fallen like a corpse
9. “to the ground” — χαμαί (chamai): depicts falling abruptly and hit­ting the ground hard
10. “smite” — πατάσσω (patasso): to strike with the intention to kill
11. “smote” — παίω (paio): to strike, as a person who viciously strikes someone with a dangerous tool, weapon, or instrument; in this verse, it pictures the force of Peter’s swinging action
12. “cut off” — ἀποκόπτω (apokopto): a downward swing that severs something; also, to castrate
13. “ear” — ὠτίον (otion): refers to the entire outer ear
14. “touched” — ἅπτομαι (haptomai): to firmly grasp or to hold tightly; to aggressively touch
15. “healed” — ἰάομαι (iaomai): to cure, to restore, or to heal
16. “linen cloth” — σινδών (sindon): used in the New Testament only to depict a linen cloth in which individuals were wrapped for burial; thus, it is a burial shroud that was used for covering a dead body in the grave

SYNOPSIS

The Garden of Gethsemane was immense at the time of Jesus, covering nearly the entire slope of the Mount of Olives. In addition to the orchard of olive trees, Gethsemane was also home to a cemetery filled with graves as well as a unique arrangement of caves known as the Grotto of Gethse­mane. It was in this backdrop that the final scenes of Jesus life and min­istry played out — the place where once again His miraculous power was displayed in unprecedented form.

A Multitude of Armed Men Gathered in Gethsemane

Our lesson opens in the garden of Gethsemane the night Jesus was be­trayed. John 18:3 says, “Judas then, having received a band of men and offi­cers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.” In most people’s minds, Judas came to the garden with a handful of soldiers, but that was not the case. The phrase “a band of men” confirms this. It is the Greek word speira, and it describes a military cohort, which is a tenth of a legion or approximately 600 soldiers. These were well-trained soldiers who were equipped with the finest weaponry of the day.

Not only were there 600 soldiers with Judas, but also “officers,” which is the Greek word huperetes, and it describes the “police officers” who worked on the temple grounds and defended them from rebellious uprisings. These soldiers and brutal temple officers were well-trained and well-equipped. In fact, the Scripture says they came that night with “weapons” — the Greek word hoplon, which described the full weaponry of a Roman soldier when he is called into combat. The only reason they would have had their full weaponry is because they anticipated the need to use it.

Make no mistake; there was a multitude of armed men that came to Geth­semane to arrest Jesus. Matthew 26:47 describes it as “a great multitude of soldiers,” which is the Greek words ochlos polus, meaning a huge or massive crowd; a multitude. Mark 14:43 says Judas came with “a great multitude” — the Greek word ochlos, which means a massive crowd. And Luke 22:47 tells us that a “multitude” accompanied Judas. Again, this is the Greek word ochlos, indicating that the band of soldiers who came that night was enormous.

Jesus Identified Himself As ‘I AM!’

As the mob of militia arrived to arrest Jesus, He said to them, “Whom seek ye?” The rest of that passage says, “… They answered him Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he…” (John 18:4,5). The words “I am” are the Greek words Ego eimi, which means “I AM!” These are the exact words God used to describe Himself to Moses in Exodus 3:14. “I AM THAT I AM… Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

This wasn’t the first time Jesus referred to Himself as “I am” — Ego eimi. He did so in John 13:19, and in John 8:58 He said, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I AM.”

When Jesus said, “I am,” it was the equivalent of Him saying, “I am the God of the Old Testament.” John 18:6 says, “As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.” When Jesus uttered those words, a blast of divine power was released, and more than 600 soldiers and officers “went backward, and fell to the ground.”

The words “went backward” is the Greek word aperchomai, and it depicts the soldiers and temple police staggering and stumbling backward, as if some force had hit them and was pushing them back and down. The word “fell” is the Greek word pipto, which means to fall, but it also depicts a person who falls so hard that it appears he has fallen dead or has fallen like a corpse. And the phrase “to the ground” is the Greek word chamai, which depicts falling abruptly and hitting the ground really hard.

Imagine the scene: six hundred Roman soldiers plus temple police officers march up to Jesus to take Him into custody. He spoke two words — “I am” — and they were all flattened to the ground under the power of God!

2 Thessalonians 2:8 NLT (8) Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will kill him with the breath of His mouth and destroy him by the splendor of His coming.

Peter Swung Into Action

As the armed men lay on the ground dazed and dumbfounded by God’s power, Peter recognized one person in particular whom he absolutely de­spised. It was Malchus, the servant of Caiaphas the high priest. Whenever Caiaphas wanted to verbally assassinate people, he would voice his message through Malchus. As the mouthpiece, Malchus had spewed many poison­ous accusations about Jesus and His disciples, and Peter couldn’t stand him. When he saw Malchus lying on the ground, he seized the opportunity to take revenge.

Luke 22:49 says that Peter turned to Jesus and said, “Lord, shall we smite with the sword?” The word “smite” here is the Greek word patasso, and it means to strike with the intention to kill. This lets us know that when Peter swung the sword at Malchus, he intended to kill him.

The apostle John records the event saying, “Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus” (John 18:10). The word “smote” in this verse is the Greek word paio, which means to strike, as a person who viciously strikes someone with a dangerous tool, weapon, or instrument. In this verse, it pictures the force of Peter’s swinging action.

Peter was aiming for Malchus’ head but only managed to “cut off his right ear.” The phrase “cut off ” is the Greek word apokopto, which describes a downward swing that severs something. It is the same Greek word used to describe the process of castration. The word “ear” is the Greek word otion, which refers to the entire outer ear.

Jesus Cleaned Up Peter’s Mess

Peter’s reckless use of the sword really made a mess of things. Although Jesus didn’t need Peter’s help to defend Himself, Peter definitely needed Jesus’ help. He had assaulted a high-profile public official with a deadly weapon. His actions warranted being arrested, placed on trial, locked up in prison, and possibly executed.

As the soldiers and temple offers were still staggering under the power of God and regaining consciousness, the wound to Malchus’ head was now gushing forth with blood. At that point, Luke the physician wrote, “And Jesus answered and said, suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him” (Luke 22:51). Notice the phrase “suffer ye this far.” It is the equivalent of Jesus saying: “Let Me just do one more thing before you take Me!” Then He “touched” Malchus’ ear and “healed” him.

The word “touched” is the Greek word haptomai, and it means to firmly grasp or to hold tightly; to aggressively touch. And the word “healed” is the Greek word iaomai, which means to cure, to restore, or to heal. Whether Jesus reached down and created a new ear for Malchus or He supernaturally knitted his severed ear back onto his head, we don’t know. What we do know is that Jesus aggressively grabbed Malchus’ head and held it firmly in His hands and restored his ear. Again, all this took place in the final hours just before Jesus was scourged and crucified on the Cross.

Who Was the Naked Boy in Gethsemane?

There is one more amazing miracle that took place the night Jesus was arrested in Gethsemane, and it is only recorded in Mark 14:51 and 52. It says, “And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: and he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.”

The key to knowing the true identity of this young man is in understand­ing the original meaning of the words “linen cloth.” It is the Greek word sindon, and it is used in the New Testament only to depict a linen cloth in which individuals were wrapped for burial; thus, it is a burial shroud that was used for covering a dead body in the grave. According to Jewish custom, when someone died, his body was ceremonially cleansed and placed in a grave or tomb with only a “linen cloth” covering his naked body.

As we noted at the opening of this lesson, Gethsemane had a sizable ceme­tery at its base. This means at any given time there were fresh graves with people that had just been buried. Apparently, when Jesus answered the soldiers with the words “I am” — Ego eimi — declaring He was God in the flesh, the lifeless corpse of a young man that had recently been buried in the Gethsemane cemetery was revived by the supernatural blast of power, and he was raised back to life.

Thus, the same power that caused the mob of soldiers and officers to stagger, stumble, and collapse to the ground as dead men also raised a dead man back to life! When the supernatural detonation of energy hit him, he came alive, crawled out of his grave, and stumbled onto the scene of Jesus’ arrest with only his burial shroud to cover him.

When the armed men who were taking Jesus into custody saw this young man with only a burial shroud wrapped around him, they realized a resur­rection had taken place. In an effort to squelch the news of another mirac­ulous resurrection, they frantically reached out to grab hold of him, but he escaped their clutches, leaving behind his burial shroud in their hands.

Clearly, the end of Christ’s ministry was just as miraculous as all that had taken place previously. Even as He was being arrested, He took the time to totally restore Malchus’ ear and clean up Peter’s mess. He released divine power through His words and knocked soldiers flat on their backs, and at the same time, raised a dead boy back to life. That same power is available to you right now! Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever! He was working miracles then, and He is still working miracles now. He stands ready and willing to change you and your situation — all you need to do is believe He will and invite Him in to do it!

The emphasis of this lesson:

Jesus’ miraculous power was legendary. In His final hours, He declared His deity and knocked hundreds of soldiers to the ground; He fully restored the castrated ear of the high priest’s servant, and He raised a dead boy back to life. Wherever Jesus went, His power was manifested.

(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

John 21:25 NKJV And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Jesus’s miracle ministry has never ended!

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

What Jesus did, He still does!

I want you to get to know Jesus in a deeper way!

As we study these miracles of Jesus, I want us to remember that Jesus WANTS to move on our behalf. All He is looking for is FAITH.

(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

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Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead

SCRIPTURES

John 11:1-6 — Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

John 11:11-14 — … After that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

John 11:17 — Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

John 11:19-44 — And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, what­soever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there. Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weep­ing, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled. And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

GREEK WORDS

1. “sick” — ἀσθενέω (astheneo): a word that generally describes a person frail in health; to be so physically weak that one is unable to travel; pictured those who were feeble, fragile, faint, incapacitated, disabled, or simply in such poor health that it would be unthinkable to trans­port them; also pictures shut-ins or those who are homebound
2. “death” — θάνατος (thanatos): physical death
3. “dead” — ἀποθνῄσκω (apothnesko): to wither away; to waste away; to slowly die; to expire
4. “ask” — αἰτέω (aiteo): to request, beseech, petition, or demand; to be adamant in requesting assistance to meet tangible needs, such as food, shelter, money, or other physical needs; firmly requesting that a need be met; asking with full expectation to receive what is being firmly requested
5. “resurrection” — ἀνάστασις (anastasis): a standing or rising again; a rising from the dead; resurrection
6. “weeping” — κλαίω (klaio): mourning, weeping, or grieving
7. “groaned” (v. 33), “groaning” (v. 38) — ἐμβριμάομαι (embrimaomai): to be moved with anger; to be moved with indignation; enraged; also, to snort, like an angry horse
8. “troubled” — ταράσσω (tarasso): to agitate; to deeply anger; to deeply disturb; to stir up
9. “wept” — δακρύω (dakruo): pictures an abrupt release of tears; to burst into tears; to sob
10. “stinketh” — ὄζω (odzo): to offensively stink; pictures the smell of a decaying corpse
11. “cried with a loud voice” — φωνῇ μεγάλῃ ἐκραύγασεν (phone megale ekraugasen): to yell, scream, or cry out with a very loud voice
12. “loose” — λύω (luo): to loose; to set free
13. “let him go” — ὑπάγω (hupago): to go under [Jesus’] authority (v. 44)

SYNOPSIS

Located on the outskirts of Jerusalem is the ancient city of Bethany. It was home to some of Jesus’ most dearly loved friends — Mary and Martha, who were sisters, and their brother Lazarus. Toward the very end of Jesus’ ministry, Lazarus became sick and died. Jesus arrived in Bethany four days after Lazarus had been buried. There Jesus performed one of His greatest miracles. Standing before the entrance to his tomb, Jesus called out to Lazarus with a loud voice and raised him back to life.

Jesus Received News of Lazarus’ Sickness

The story of Lazarus is recorded in John chapter 11, starting in verse 1. “Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was” (John 11:1-6).

In these six verses, the word “sick” is mentioned five times. It is the Greek word astheneo, and it describes a person frail in health; to be so physically weak that one is unable to travel. The word astheneo is a picture of those who were feeble, fragile, faint, incapacitated, disabled, or simply in such poor health that it would be unthinkable to transport them. It also pictures shut-ins or people who are homebound.

When Jesus received news that His friend Lazarus was homebound and incapacitated, He wanted to go to him immediately, but He didn’t. Instead He stayed where He was for two more days. On the surface, His actions didn’t make sense, but we must remember He was being led by the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit knew that Jesus’ enemies had gathered in Bethany, sure He would come to visit His trusted but sick friend. They were waiting for Him to arrive so they could stone Him to death. Two days later, when His en­emies had dropped their stones and gone home, Jesus was released in His spirit to go to Bethany.

Lazarus Was Dead

John 11:11-13 says, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.”

When Jesus said Lazarus was sleeping, the disciples thought He meant Lazarus was resting and on the mend, but that was not the case. Lazarus had indeed died, which is confirmed in verses 13 and 14. The word “death” in verse 13 is the Greek word thanatos, which describes physical death. Jesus was fully aware that Lazarus had physically passed away.

make sure the disciples understood this, He told them plainly in verse 14, “…Lazarus is dead.” The Greek word for “dead” here is apothnesko, which means to wither away; to waste away; to slowly die; to expire. Never­theless, neither sleep nor death mattered to Jesus. He could arouse some­one from death just as easily as He could arouse him from sleep.

Jesus Talked With Martha

John 11:17 says, “. . .When Jesus came, he found that he [Lazarus] had lain in the grave four days already.” The word “grave” in this verse is the Greek word for an ancient tomb. It was not the type of grave you would find in a cemetery today. This was a deep cave with steps that led down to a lower chamber where Lazarus’ body was laid.

As Jesus was making His way toward town, Martha went out and met Him, but Mary stayed at home. “Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee” (John 11:21, 22).

Notice the word “ask” in verse 22. It is the Greek word aiteo, and it means to request, beseech, strongly petition, or demand; to be adamant in requesting assistance to meet tangible needs, such as food, shelter, money, or other physical needs. It indicates firmly requesting that a need be met; asking with full expec­tation to receive what is being firmly requested. Martha had an unshakable confidence in Jesus’ ability because she had seen Him “ask” the Father for certain things on previous occasions, and He received them.

“Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live” (John 11:23-25).

In this passage, Jesus said He is the “resurrection,” which is the Greek word anastasis. It is the compound of two words: ana, which means to do something again, and the word stasis, which means to stand. When these two words are combined to form the word anastasis, it means a standing or rising again; a rising from the dead; resurrection. What Jesus was saying here is, “I am stand-again power. I have the power to put anyone back on their feet — even someone who is dead.”

John 11:26-28 says, “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She [Martha] saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.”

Jesus ‘Groaned’ and Was ‘Troubled’

As soon as Mary made it to where Jesus was, she collapsed at His feet and said, “…Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Je­sus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled” (John 11:32, 33).

There are three very important words in this passage you need to under­stand. The first is “weeping,” which is the Greek word klaio, and it means mourning, weeping, or grieving. When Jesus saw the uncontrollable mourn­ing and grieving of Mary and the Jews that were with her, He “groaned” in His spirit. This word “groaned” in the Greek means to be moved with anger; to be moved with indignation; enraged. It is the same Greek word that describes an angry horse that is snorting and terrifying people.

The third word to take note of in John 11:33 is “troubled.” It is the Greek word tarasso, and it means to agitate; to deeply anger; to deeply disturb; or to stir up. By using the words “groaned” and “troubled,” we know that Jesus was filled with divine anger and indignation deep within. Like an angry horse, He was snorting against the spirit of death and against unbelief. Remember, Martha and Mary had both said, “Lord, if You had been here, this wouldn’t have happened.” They placed a degree of blame at Jesus’ feet for the death of their brother Lazarus, thus demonstrating that unbelief was operating in their lives.

‘Jesus Wept’

Jesus was deeply disturbed and agitated with all that He was seeing and hearing. John 11:34-36 says, “Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!”

The shortest verse in the Bible — “Jesus wept” — is also one of the most misunderstood verses. “Jesus wept” doesn’t mean He was overwhelmed with emotion over the death of Lazarus. The word “wept” is the Greek word dakruo, and it depicts an abrupt release of tears; to burst into tears; or to sob. This is a torrent of emotion released from deep inside.

To understand what Jesus was so intensely emotional about, we have to look back at the verses that precede verse 35. Specifically, we need to review verse 33. Remember, Jesus “groaned” when He saw Mary and the Jews weeping — He was moved with anger and indignation and was enraged over the people’s unbelief. Scripture also says He was “troubled” — the Greek word tarasso, meaning agitated; deeply angered; deeply disturbed. The reason “Jesus wept,” displaying such a torrent of emotions from deep within, was a result of the power of God in Him rising up against the spirit of death and against unbelief.

We see this dynamic continuing to build in verses 37 and 38: “And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.” Here again we see the word “groaning” — the same Greek word, which means to be moved with anger; to be moved with indignation; to be enraged; to snort, like an angry horse.

Jesus Raised Lazarus Back to Life

Now standing at the mouth of the tomb, “Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days” (John 11:39). The word “stinketh” is the Greek word odzo, which means to offensively stink. It pictures the smell of a decaying corpse. After four days of death at work, Lazarus’ body would have emitted a foul odor.

Nevertheless, “Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:40-43).

It’s important to note that Jesus was not standing far away from the tomb; He was directly in front of the entrance to this cave, speaking loudly down into it. Scripture says He “cried with a loud voice,” which is from the Greek phrase phone megale ekraugasen, meaning to yell, scream, or cry out with a very loud voice. When Jesus cried out, “Lazarus, come forth,” the Bible says, “And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:44).

The word “loose” is the Greek term luo, which means to loose; to set free. And the phrase “let him go” is the Greek word hupago — the same word we have seen repeatedly used in the stories of Jesus’ miracles. The word hupago means to go under; to go under my authority. Lazarus was raised back to life by the word of power spoken by Jesus, and under the power and authority of His word, he returned home to live his life.

That is the power of God’s Word. It can raise the dead, and can raise you out of the dead situation you are in and bring you into new life.

The emphasis of this lesson:

For Jesus, rousing someone from death is just as easy as rousing them from sleep. He clearly demonstrated that He is the Resurrection and the Life when He raised Lazarus from the grave. Jesus’ power is stand-again power!

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(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

John 21:25 NKJV And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Jesus’s miracle ministry has never ended!

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

What Jesus did, He still does!

I want you to get to know Jesus in a deeper way!

As we study these miracles of Jesus, I want us to remember that Jesus WANTS to move on our behalf. All He is looking for is FAITH.

(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

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Jesus Heals a Man at the Pool of Bethesda

SCRIPTURES

John 5:1-15 | NKJV After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. (2) Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. (3) In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. (4) For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. (5) Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. (6) When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” (7) The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” (8) Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” (9) And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. (10) The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.” (11) He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ” (12) Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” (13) But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place. (14) Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” (15) The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

GREEK WORDS

1. “pool” — κολυμβήθρα (kolumbethra): a pool; a highly sophisticated, beautiful, developed place
2. “lay” — περίκειμαι (perikeimai): pictures people stacked on top of people
3. “impotent (folk)” — ἀσθένεια (astheneia): an all-encompassing term for all types of sickness, disease, or conditions
4. “long time” — χρόνος (chronos): in context, a long-lasting, chronic condition
5. “whole” — ὑγιής (hugies): whole; healthy; pictures a normal physical condition compared to a sickly condition
6. “impotent man” — ἀσθενέω (astheneo): a word that generally describes a person frail in health; pictures one who is feeble, frag­ile, faint, incapacitated, disabled, or simply in such poor health that it would be unthinkable to transport him; a shut-in or one who is homebound; can also mean to be in financial need
7. “cured” — θεραπεύω (therapeuo): therapy; a healing touch that requires corresponding actions
8. “worse thing” — χείρων (cheiron): worse; in this case, a sickness that is becoming more severe

(John 5:1-2 NKJV) After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. (2) Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches.

• The pool was by the Sheep Gate used for bringing the sheep into the Temple for sacrifice.
• It is no accident that Jesus comes by this Gate.
• Pool of Bethesda was not always named this.
• At one time it was a beautiful place for the rich and educated of the day to go and bathe and have some spa treatment.
• It was usually spring fed either with warm spring water or fresh, natural, and clean spring water.
• It was ornately decorated with marble and frescos – similar to what we see has been excavated in Pompeii, Italy today.
• Over time the spring water must have dried up as we see the water was not moving.
• Because of the five porches surrounding the pool, the wind did not even stir the water and it must have become stagnant.
• Because of this, the wealthy and the educated moved to another pool and the sick people moved in.
• The Scripture says that there was a great multitude of sick people lying there almost on top of each other waiting to be healed.
• The name “Bethesda” means “house of mercy” or “place where mercy was poured out”.
• The sick people waited for the angel to come and stir and agitate the water and then the first one in would get healed.

(John 5:3 NKJV) In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water.

• These are critical, serious physical conditions that are listed. One translation says some were shriveled. They could have been born this way or perhaps were injured.
• They were waiting for the stirring of the water. They had no idea when this might happen and that is why they lived there. They stayed and watched for the moving of the water.
• The people had no idea when the water would be troubled. These people had critical illnesses and were willing to wait a long time if necessary.

(John 5:4 NKJV) For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had.

• The angel was not a healer as Jesus is the Healer. The angel was a carrier of the healing power of God that would show up when the water would be troubled.
• There was not an unlimited amount of healing power because only one would be healed.
• (Testimony of Healing of Mom Hagin receiving a new heart that was brought to her by an angel.)
• Notice that the condition of the person did not matter to the Healing Power of God. There were blind, lame, paralyzed, etc. people that were present at the pool. Their condition did not matter as if they were first in the water, they were healed.
• There was not anything magical about the water. Matter of fact, God did not want the faith of the people to be in the water. Also, this wasn’t some type of cruel joke on the people to only allow the “first” one to be healed. God’s desire is that the faith of all those people gathered on that porch would be ignited to receive what God desired to do for all of them, if they would believe.

(John 5:5-6 NKJV) Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years. (6) When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

Suppositions about the man:

• This man had been in this condition 38 years.
• We can assume that he first went there with faith in his heart that he would get healed, but maybe over time, he had lost hope.
• He had seen many of his friends get healed and yet he was still lying there.
• Jesus received a Word of Knowledge about the length of time of the man’s condition. Yet, Jesus asked him, “Do you want to be made well?”. Why did Jesus ask him that? To see where the man’s faith level was at that moment. The man could be at the right place but not expecting to receive anything from the Lord. He was really asking the man, “What do you believe?”.
• Jesus could see this man’s heart.
• He could see that the man had faith at one time but had lost hope of being healed.
• Jesus asks the man a very unusual question, “Do you want to be made well?”
• This question is very important.
• After a long time of waiting and lying there in the same sick condition, year after year, he had begun to adapt to his circumstances.
• He thought and acted like a sick person.
• All of his friends were sick people that had been lying there with him.
• All of their conversations must have been about their conditions and what they were feeling that day.
• Someone had been providing for him – food, clothing, etc.
• Once he was healed, he would have to begin assuming some responsibility.
• If he is healed, he would have to get a job.
• If he is healed, he might have to get some education.
• If he is healed, he would have to get some new friends and become a healthy member of society.
• Jesus was really asking him, “Do you really want me to radically change your life? Do you want everything in your life to be transformed?
• Receiving healing was not just about feeling better.
• Many people today say they want to change and experience Jesus’ miracle working power in their lives – until they really understand what will be required of them.
• They have grown accustomed to their dysfunction, their sickness, or their financial situation.
• To leave these would be to leave what they understand as normal and that with which they have grown comfortable.

(John 5:7 NKJV) The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.”

• Notice, the man did not answer Jesus’ question. Jesus didn’t ask the man if he wanted to get into the water. He asked the man, “Do you want to be made well?”. This was a yes or no question.
• Jesus found out the man’s focus was on whether he could get into the water and not on God, who actually was behind the stirring up the water. His focus was on his lack of help to get into the water and not on what God desired to do for him.
• The man offered a detailed excuse as to why he was still sick and in the condition that he was.
• Many times, I have seen people do the same thing when asked a similar question.
• “I would be changed but my husband…” or “I would be changed but my wife…” or “My boss…”
• Perhaps we have not received our miracle because we are not through making excuses and being willing to change to the new well condition.
• Jesus then seeing through the man’s excuses gives him a command of faith.

(John 5:8 NKJV) Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.”

• Jesus gave the man something to obey.

(John 5:9-10 NKJV) And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath. (10) The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”

• The man that was healed was stopped by the religious leaders and scolded because he was carrying his bed on the Sabbath. They were not excited in the least that this man had been healed. They were more concerned that he was violating their rules about the Sabbath.
• Jesus did this healing on the Sabbath to make a statement about healing being something worthy of the Sabbath.
• The Greek word for “cured” is the word “therapeuo” which is where we get the word “therapy”. This word means a healing touch that requires corresponding action.
• Think about it, someone gets some kind of surgery such as knee replacement or hip replacement, it usually requires physical therapy to aid in the healing process.
• Jesus did not just release His miracle-working power, the man responded to it with corresponding action to cooperate with and confirm the healing process.
• You do not have to wait 38 years for your situation to change. When the man obeyed Jesus’ instruction the power of God took root in him, and he was completely healed. After 38 years, this man’s time had come. Your time has come too!
• One thing to note is that the religious leaders were blinded and offended at the miracle this man had received.
• Instead of seeing God’s goodness, they saw him violating the rules.
• Not everyone is going to celebrate with you that you have decided to change your situation and receive your miracle.
• Don’t let that stop you from receiving your miracle – make up your mind you will receive what God has for you and transform your life.

(John 5:11-13 NKJV) He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’ ” (12) Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” (13) But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.

• The man must not have ever heard of Jesus because of what he said in verse 13. This means that Jesus ministered to this man out of the mercy and grace of God. Jesus brought this man to a place of simple faith and obedience to pick up his bed and walk.

(John 5:14-15 NKJV) Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” (15) The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well.

• As soon as this man was healed, he was found in the Temple. Jesus is not only concerned with the man being healed but STAYING healed.
• (Ephesians 4:26-27 NKJV) “BE ANGRY, AND DO NOT SIN”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, (27) nor give place to the devil.
• Jesus wants you to be able to keep your healing! You can receive your healing, but if you don’t stay in the Word and in faith, you can lose your healing. (FF Bosworth – the counterattack)
• Jesus is not demanding perfection because the man could not perform in that way. Jesus is referring to a lifestyle of sin. Do not return to your old lifestyle of sin. Jesus said if you do this, something worse can come on you because you open yourself up to it.

(John 5:16-17 NKJV) For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. (17) But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”

Jesus called healing the work of the Father. Jesus did not work independent of His Father. Healing is the Father’s work and it pleases the Father for us to be h

 

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(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

John 21:25 NKJV And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Jesus’s miracle ministry has never ended!

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

What Jesus did, He still does!

I want you to get to know Jesus in a deeper way!

As we study these miracles of Jesus, I want us to remember that Jesus WANTS to move on our behalf. All He is looking for is FAITH.

(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

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Jesus Raises Jairus’ Daughter From Death to Life

SCRIPTURES

Mark 5:21-43 KJV (21) And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. (22) And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, (23) And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. (24) And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. (25) And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, (26) And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, (27) When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. (28) For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. (29) And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. (30) And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? (31) And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? (32) And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. (33) But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. (34) And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. (35) While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further? (36) As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe. (37) And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. (38) And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly. (39) And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth. (40) And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying. (41) And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. (42) And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment. (43) And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

GREEK WORDS

1. “much people” — ὄχλος πολὺς (ochlos polus): a massive mob of people
2. “nigh” — παρὰ (para): alongside, indicating Jesus could not move beyond the edge of the water
3. “rulers of the synagogue” — ἀρχισυνάγωγος (archisunagogos): the chief elder presiding over a local synagogue
4. “fell” — πίπτω (pipto): to fall; to collapse; used often to depict a per­son who falls so hard that it appears he has fallen dead like a corpse; a fall from a high and haughty position
5. “at” — πρὸς (pros): toward [Jesus’ feet]
6. ” — παρακαλέω (parakaleo): to passionately call out to; to plead, to beckon, or to beg; a word of prayer “lieth at the point of death” — ἐσχάτως ἔχει (eschatos echei): in context, she is in the last stage of her illness; she is breathing her last breaths; she doesn’t have much longer to live“healed” — σῴζω (sodzo): a touch of salvation that brings delivering and healing power that results in wholeness
7. “thronged” — συνθλίβω (sunthlibo): to crush, as to crush grapes or even bones; to crush from all sides
8. “dead” — ἀποθνῄσκω (apothnesko): in context, this tense means she has withered and wasted away; her life has expired
9. “troublest” — σκύλλω (skullo): to annoy; to vex; to flay; to skin alive
10. “heard” — παρακούω (parakouo): in context, to overhear what is said to someone else
11. 13.“put them all out” — ἐκβάλλω (ekballo): to forcibly evict; to throw out; to expel; to drive out; to kick out; to cast out
12. “took” — κρατέω (krateo): to seize; to apprehend; pictures a masterful grip

SYNOPSIS

The miraculous healing of the woman with the issue of blood and Jairus’ daughter being raised from the dead are closely interwoven in Scripture, separated in time only by hours if not minutes. Both take place in the renowned city of Capernaum just after Jesus released the two men living among the tombs from hordes of demonic spirits. It is Jairus, the well-known ruler of the synagogue, and the healing of his little girl that we will focus on in this lesson.

Jesus and His disciples arrived back in Capernaum after experiencing a ministry milestone in the country of the Gadarenes. Mark 5:21 says, “And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea.” To get a picture of what was happening here, you need to understand the meaning of some keys words.

“Much people” is the Greek phrase ochlos polus, and it describes a massive mob of people. Some have estimated that the crowd with Jesus at that time may have been the greatest multitude of people following Him up until that point. In fact, the mob was so huge that the Holy Spirit says through Mark that Jesus was “nigh unto the sea.” The word “nigh” here is the Greek word para, and it means alongside. In this particular verse, it indicates that Jesus could not move beyond the edge of the water. When He got out of the boat, He attempted to move further onto land, but the multitude of people were pushing against Him so strongly that He was forced to stay on the edge of the sea.

Jairus Fell at Jesus’ Feet

Mark 5:22 then says, “And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name….” The fact that Jairus, a Jewish leader, was coming to Jesus was amazing. The word “behold” here confirms this. In Greek, it is the equivalent of saying, “And wow! Can you imagine it.” By coming to Jesus for help, Jairus laid aside all religious pride and prestige and recognized the power of God operating in Jesus’ life. He was also vio­lating every religious rule, but he didn’t care. His situation was desperate.

Scripture says Jairus was one of the “rulers of the synagogue.” This phrase in Greek describes the chief presiding elder among the other elders of the syna­gogue. He was the head spiritual leader and was so well-known in Caper­naum that the Bible introduces him as “Jairus by name.” His name was included in the text because he was so well-recognized.

Verse 22 continues saying, “And when he saw him, he fell at his feet.” The word “fell” is the Greek word pipto, which means to fall. In this particular verse, pipto means to collapse. It is often used to depict a person who falls so hard that it appears that he has fallen dead like a corpse. It is a fall from a high and haughty position. The Scripture says Jairus fell “at” Jesus feet. The word “at” is the Greek word pros, which means toward. When Jairus saw Jesus, he collapsed like a dead man, hurling himself toward the feet of Jesus.

Where was Jesus at that time? He was “nigh” unto the sea. That is, He was alongside — on the very edge of the water. As Jairus, the distinguished leader of the synagogue, made his way through the crowd, the people rec­ognized him and made a path for him to get to Jesus. Dressed in his royal robes, he rapidly approached Jesus and collapsed at His feet like a dead man.

Jairus Pleaded His Case Before Christ

There in the wet sand near the seashore, his beautiful clothing likely float­ing on the water, the Scripture says Jairus “besought him [Jesus] greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him” (Mark 5:23).

The word “besought” is the Greek word parakaleo. It is the compound of two words: para, meaning to be alongside, and the word kaleo, which means to call. When the two words are compounded to form the word parakaleo, it means to come alongside someone and passionately call out to them. It can also be translated to plead, to beckon, or to beg; a word of prayer.

Jairus came alongside Jesus, collapsed at His feet, and began begging, pleading, and praying, “Come, oh please come, Jesus, and lay Your hands on my little girl.” With great desperation in his voice, he explained that she “lieth at the point of death.” This phrase in the Greek communicates that she was in the last stage of her illness. She was breathing her last breaths, and she didn’t have much longer to live.

Like the woman’s issue of blood, Jairus’ situation was critical. He wanted to see his daughter “healed,” and he believed Jesus could make that happen. The word “healed” is the Greek word sodzo, which is the same word we saw in our last lesson. It means a touch of salvation that brings delivering and healing power that results in wholeness. The Jews understood that when one receives salvation from God, it was a complete package consisting of phys­ical, spiritual, emotional, mental, and financial restoration. Sodzo describes the power of God that brings wholeness to every area of one’s life. This is the “healing” Jairus was pleading and begging Jesus to impart to his little girl.

An Interruption That Became a Miraculous Intervention

Mark 5:24 says, “And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.” The word “thronged” here is the Greek word sunthlibo, and it means to crush, as to crush grapes or even bones; to crush from all sides. Jesus was certainly willing to go with Jairus, but in order to accompany him, He would have to go against the grain of the crowd. Imagine the mob pushing, shoving, and screaming to get Jesus’ attention and receive His healing touch. That is what Jesus was willing to endure to go with Jairus and heal his little girl.

As Jesus was en route to Jairus’ home, the woman with the issue of blood came up from behind and seized the edge of Christ’s clothing. Instantly, healing virtue — life-transforming power — went forth from Jesus into the broken, bleeding body of the woman, and she was made whole. Being a professional in the knowledge of healing and the anointing on His life, Je­sus recognized that power had gone out of Him and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

Trembling in fear, knowing the dreadful consequences of being unclean and touching others, the woman fell down before Jesus and told Him all she had done. “And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague” (Mark 5:34).

Jesus Told Jairus, ‘Be Not Afraid, Only Believe’

In verse 35, the story quickly refocuses on Jairus and says, “While he [Jesus] yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house cer­tain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?” The word “dead” here is the Greek word apothnesko, and in con­text, the tense means she has withered and wasted away; her life has expired.

The messenger then said, “Why troublest thou the Master any further?” The word “troublest” is the Greek word skullo, which means to annoy; to vex; to flay; to skin alive. The man was saying, “Why annoy or vex the Master anymore?” The messenger wasn’t saying this because of Jairus’ actions. He was saying it because of the crowd’s actions. He was telling Jairus, “Don’t put Jesus through any more of the pain of having to push through this mob to get to your house. Your daughter has breathed her last breath.”

Verse 36 says, “As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.” The word “heard” here is the Greek word parakouo, and in context, it means to overhear what is said to someone else — something that was not intended to be heard. Jesus overheard the conversation between Jairus and the messen­ger, and when He did, He told Jairus, “Be not afraid, only believe.” In the Greek, Jesus literally said, “Stop fearing. Be believing.” This was no time for fear; it was time for faith — the very thing that caused Jairus to seek out Jesus in the first place.

Resurrection Power Is Released When Unbelief Is Removed

Instantly, Jesus moved into the mode of commander and took control of the situation. “And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James. And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly” (Mark 5:37, 38).

Notice the use of the words “tumult,” “wept,” and “wailed greatly.” These words describe emotions out of control that are accompanied by hysteria and loud wailing. In those days, flute players and professional mourners were hired to make a cry of lamentation when people died. The people crying and wailing didn’t know Jairus’ little girl; they were just there to get paid for doing their job.

Jesus turned to the professional mourners and said, “…Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth….” The rest of this passage says, “…And they laughed him to scorn…” (see Mark 5:39, 40). To the mourners, she was gone, but to Jesus, raising someone from the dead was as easy as arousing someone from sleep. He was indirectly declaring His authority over death.

Verse 40 goes on to say, “But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.” The phrase “put them all out” is the Greek word ekballo, and it means to forcibly evict; to throw out; to expel; to drive out; to kick out; to cast out. Jesus forcibly removed all the unbelievers. Those filled with doubt and unbelief had to go, as they would hinder the manifestation of the resurrection power needed. Peter, James, and John likely assisted in the eviction.

What happened next is nothing short of miraculous. Mark 5:41 says, “And he [Jesus] took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.” The word “took” is the Greek word krateo, which means to seize; to apprehend. It describes a masterful grip. Jesus seized the lifeless hand of the little girl and released the power of God into her.

“And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment” (Mark 5:42). The phrase “astonished with a great astonishment” means [they] had their wits completely knocked out of them. They were so overwhelmed that they were unable to intellectually respond.

What Jesus did for Jairus and his family, He is still doing for families today! He is the Miracle Worker, and He is ready and able to release His supernatural power into your situation now.

The emphasis of this lesson:

Jesus will go to any lengths to help those who express faith in Him. He did this for Jairus, raising his daughter back to life, and He’ll do it for you, too, as you sincerely seek His face.

(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

John 21:25 NKJV And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Jesus’s miracle ministry has never ended!

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

What Jesus did, He still does!

I want you to get to know Jesus in a deeper way!

As we study these miracles of Jesus, I want us to remember that Jesus WANTS to move on our behalf. All He is looking for is FAITH.

(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

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Jesus Heals a Woman With an Issue of Blood

SCRIPTURES

Mark 5:21-34 KJV (21) And when Jesus was passed over again by ship unto the other side, much people gathered unto him: and he was nigh unto the sea. (22) And, behold, there cometh one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw him, he fell at his feet, (23) And besought him greatly, saying, My little daughter lieth at the point of death: I pray thee, come and lay thy hands on her, that she may be healed; and she shall live. (24) And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him. (25) And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, (26) And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, (27) When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. (28) For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. (29) And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. (30) And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? (31) And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? (32) And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. (33) But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. (34) And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

GREEK WORDS

1. “issue” — ῥύσις (rhusis): a flowing issue; nonstop bleeding
2. “suffered” — πάσχω (pascho): to suffer; carries the idea of suffering, undergoing hardships, being ill-treated, or experiencing adversity; the tense means continual suffering
3. “many things” — πολλὰ (polla): a lot; an enormous amount
4. “of ” — ὑπὸ (hupo): under the care of
5. “spent” — δαπανάω (dapanao): to incur expense; to waste or squan­der; pictures a wasted expense
6. “all that she had” — τὰ παρ’ αὐτῆς (ta par autes): everything at her side; everything in her possession; everything that was available to her
7. “bettered” — ὠφεληθεῖσα (opheletheisa): bettered; benefited; improved
8. “worse” — χείρων (cheiron): worse; in this case, a sickness that is becoming more severe
9. “of ” — τὰ περὶ (ta peri): things concerning
10. “press” — ὄχλος (ochlus): a crowd, a mob, or a multitude of people “behind” — ὄπισθεν (opisthen): back; behind; from behind
11. “touched” — ἅπτομαι (haptomai): to lay hold of; to fasten onto
12. “said” — ἔλεγεν (elegen): saying repetitiously; in context, “[she] kept on saying and saying” (v. 28)
13. “shall be whole” — σωθήσομαι (sothesomai): the future tense of σῴζω (sodzo): a touch of salvation that brings delivering and healing power that results in wholeness
14. “straightway” — εὐθὺς (euthus): without delay; immediately
15. “fountain” — πηγή (pege): the idea of something that gushes; a spring or fountain
16. “felt” — ἔγνω (egno), a form of γινώσκω (ginosko): to know, perceive, or comprehend
17. “plague” — μάστιγος (mastigos): plague; a word borrowed from the world of torture that denoted the act of recurrently beating a prisoner or victim; once a person’s wounds had mended, the torturers brought him back to the whipping post, where he was struck again and again and again; such beatings were sporadic but constant, and although they were not usually serious enough to kill, they kept a victim in con­stant pain and misery; it was torment and abuse, a scourge that caused great suffering and prolonged anguish; depicts a recurring sickness or physical affliction that keeps a sufferer in a protracted, repeated state of suffering
18. “knowing” — ἐπίγνωσις (epignosis): a well-instructed, intensive, deep knowledge of the facts; pictures one who knows his facts like a profes­sional; someone who is very knowledgeable
19. “virtue” — δύναμις (dunamis): power; carries the idea of explosive, superhuman power that comes with enormous energy and produces phenomenal, extraordinary, and unparalleled results; the source of miraculous power or miraculous manifestations
20. “go” — ὕπαγε (hupage): to go away under someone’s authority

SYNOPSIS

The city of Capernaum, also known as the city of Jesus during the First Century, was a city like no other. It was teeming with the miracles of Jesus. After He had delivered the two men of Gadara from demonic possession, including the man who was under the control of a legion of unclean spirits, He got back into the boat with His disciples and returned to Capernaum. Immediately, He was met by a swarm of people desiring to see Him and receive His healing touch. One of these people was Jairus, the ruler of the local synagogue. We will focus entirely on him in our next lesson. For now we will turn our attention to another desperate soul in the crowd — “a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years” (Mark 5:25).

The Woman’s Condition Was Critical

The Bible says this woman had an “issue” of blood. The word “issue” is the Greek word rhusis, and it describes a flowing issue; nonstop bleeding. What would normally start and stop each month became nonstop bleeding for 12 years. She lived in a state of physical exhaustion, and verse 26 says, “had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.”

The word “suffered” is the Greek word pascho, which means to suffer, and in this verse it carries the idea of suffering, undergoing hardships, being ill-treated, or experiencing adversity. The tense means continual suffering. It says she suffered “many things,” which is the Greek word polla, meaning a lot; an enormous amount. The many hardships she endured were “of ” many physi­cians. This word “of ” in Greek is hupo, and it indicates under the care of, and in this case it was under the care of the doctors.

For years, she went from doctor to doctor, hoping and believing to find relief. It is likely that she was subjected to much experimental treatment — procedures that would be shocking and hideous by today’s standards. It is not that the doctors were maliciously trying to harm her. They did all that they knew to do to try to help her, but their efforts failed.

She Spent All She Had

In the process of being a guinea pig for experimental treatments, this woman “spent all that she had.” The word “spent” is the Greek word dap­anao, which means to incur expense; to waste or squander. Her spending was considered a total waste since it yielded no positive results.

Also notice the phrase “all that she had.” The Greek here indicates every­thing at her side; everything in her possession; everything that was available to her. And when it was all said and done, the Bible says she “was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse.” The word “bettered” is the Greek word opheletheisa, which means bettered; benefited; improved. After spending every last penny, she was not improved but grew “worse” — the Greek word cheiron — which in this case describes a sickness that is becoming more and more severe.

She Lived in Isolation

In addition to the physical and financial pain and strain, she also endured deep emotional trauma. Having a nonstop bleeding issue for 12 years made her a social outcast in the community. According to Levitical law, she was considered unclean as long as she was bleeding (see Leviticus 15:19-27). Consequently, no one was to touch her, and she was to touch no one.

She was banned from sitting on the same chair with anyone or eating at the same table with others. If she was married, she couldn’t touch her hus­band, nor could he touch her. If she had children, she was forbidden to kiss or caress them in anyway or they, too, would become unclean. This woman lived in complete isolation — totally void of the warmth of relationship.

On multiple levels, she experienced a level of misery few can comprehend. Physically and financially she was drained. Socially, she was viewed as and treated as an outcast. Having not been touched for 12 years, she was left with an emotional deficit that is indescribable. It was in this depleted and depressed condition she heard about Jesus.

Then She Heard of Jesus

Mark 5:27 says, “When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.” Somehow on this particular day that Jesus returned to Capernaum, this woman was close enough to see and hear the crowds of people singing His praises and struggling to reach out and touch Him.

Scripture says that she heard “of” Jesus, and this word “of” is important. It is the Greek word ta peri, and it means things concerning. As this woman stood in a distant doorway, she likely heard things like, “I can see! My eyes have been opened!” and, “I can hear! My ears are healed!” and, “I can walk! Jesus restored my legs!” With each proclamation of praise she heard, faith began to arise in her heart.

She began moving forward in faith. This woman didn’t have a theological degree, and she may have never heard of Jesus until that day He had re­turned to Capernaum from the country of the Gadarenes. Nevertheless, as she heard the cries of joy and wonder from those who had received healing, a fire of hope was ignited within. This is confirmed in Mark 5:28, which tells us, “For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.”

The word “said” in verse 28 is the Greek word elegon, which means saying repetitiously. In the context of this verse, she kept on saying and saying and saying, “If I can just get near Him… If I can make my way through this crowd… If I can just get close enough to touch His clothes, I will be made whole and this wretched bleeding will stop.” The more she spoke to herself, the stronger her faith grew. With each step toward Jesus and each state­ment of reliance and trust in His ability to heal, her confidence expanded.

She came from behind and touched Jesus. The Bible says, “She came in the press behind.” The word “press” is the Greek word ochlus, which describes a crowd, a mob, or a multitude of people, and the word “behind” indicates she came from behind or from the back. That is, she waited until the mob of people had passed, then she came up from behind and “touched” His garment.

This word “touched” is the Greek term haptomai, which means to lay hold of; to fasten onto. When she reached out to touch Jesus, she seized His cloth­ing. She was reaching with everything within her for the power of God that was on Jesus, believing that she would be made “whole.”

The phrase “shall be whole” in Mark 5:28 is the future tense of the Greek word sodzo, and it means a touch of salvation that brings delivering and healing power that results in wholeness. In the Jewish mindset, this is what it meant to be saved (sodzo), and this is what the woman with the issue of blood was reaching out to receive from Jesus.

She received her healing. “And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague” (Mark 5:29). The word “straightway” is the Greek word euthus, which means without delay; immediately. The word “fountain” is the Greek word pege, and it carries the idea of something that gushes; a spring or fountain. The use of this term lets us know that the woman’s condition was a gushing, nonstop flow of blood.

The Bible says that the moment she touched Jesus in faith, the gushing flow “dried up,” which in the Greek means it withered away immediately. The Scripture goes on to say, “…And she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.” The word “felt” in Greek is a form of the word ginosko, which means to really know, perceive, or comprehend. She didn’t go to a doctor to have her healing verified. She just knew within herself that she had been made whole.

The plague was gone. The meaning of the word “plague” used in Mark 5:29 is quite eye-opening. It is the Greek word mastigos, and it is a word borrowed from the world of torture that denoted the act of recurrently beat­ing a prisoner or victim. Once a person’s wounds had mended, the torturers brought him back to the whipping post, where he was struck again and again. Such beatings were sporadic but constant. And although they were not usually serious enough to kill, they kept a victim in constant pain and misery. It was torment and abuse, a scourge that caused great suffering and prolonged anguish. In verse 29, this word “plague” (mastigos) depicts a recurring sickness or physical affliction that keeps a sufferer in a protracted, repeated state of suffering.

Any form of sickness that persists in you — any illness or condition that you think is gone and then comes back again and beats you down — would fall into the category of a “plague.” Chronic blood pressure problems, head­aches, allergies, joint issues, and stomach problems are all examples. This woman had a recurring bleeding problem for 12 years, but the moment she seized Jesus’ garment, she was healed.

Jesus Knew Power Went Out of Him

Mark 5:30 says, “And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that vir­tue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?” The word “knowing” is the Greek word epignosis, which describes a well-instructed, intensive, deep knowledge of the facts. It pictures one who knows his facts like a professional; someone who is very knowl­edgeable. This tells us how aware Jesus was of the anointing on His life.

When it came to the anointing, Jesus was a professional. The moment “virtue” went out of Him, He instinctively knew it. The word “virtue” is the Greek word dunamis, and it carries the idea of explosive, superhuman power that comes with enormous energy and produces phenomenal, extraordinary, and unparalleled results. The Greek word translated dunamis is the source of miraculous power or miraculous manifestations.

Jesus said, “Who touched my clothes?” His disciples said to Him, “…Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?…” The rest of this passage says, “…And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth” (Mark 5:30-33).

The woman was “fearing and trembling” as a result of her knowledge of the Levitical law. Her issue of continual bleeding made her unclean, and being unclean meant she couldn’t touch anyone. The fact that she touched Jesus made her guilty of a crime and gave Him the right to stone her to death. But Jesus would have never done that.

Instead, “He said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague” (Mark 5:34). The Greek here liter­ally says, “Your faith has healed you.” The last word to make note of here is the word “go.” It is the Greek word hupage, and it means to go away under someone’s authority. Jesus released this woman to go under the power and authority of His word — and His anointing — and she went home totally cured of her plague.

The emphasis of this lesson:

After 12 years of physical, financial, and emotional suffering, a woman with a nonstop bleeding issue was instantly cured when she touched the hem of Jesus’ clothing. She is an example of what happens when we come into contact with the healing power of Jesus.

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(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

John 21:25 NKJV And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Jesus’s miracle ministry has never ended!

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

What Jesus did, He still does!

As we study these miracles of Jesus, I want us to remember that Jesus WANTS to move on our behalf. All He is looking for is FAITH.

(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

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Jesus Casts a Legion of Demons Out of a Demoniac

SCRIPTURES

Mark 5:1-20 KJV (1) And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. (2) And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, (3) Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: (4) Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. (5) And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. (6) But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, (7) And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. (8) For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. (9) And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. (10) And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. (11) Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. (12) And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. (13) And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. (14) And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. (15) And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. (16) And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. (17) And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. (18) And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. (19) Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. (20) And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

GREEK WORDS

1. “immediately” — εὐθὺς (euthus): without delay; immediately
2. “with an unclean spirit” — ἐν πνεύματι ἀκαθάρτῳ (en pneumati akatharto): in the grip of an unclean spirit; in the control of an unclean spirit
3. “unclean” — ἀκάθαρτος (akathartos): unclean, impure, filthy, lewd, or foul
4. “dwelling” — κατοίκησις (katoikesis): dwelling; habitation; residence; settled down and at home
5. “bind” — δέω (deo): to bind, tie up, restrict, imprison, or put in chains
6. “chains” — ἅλυσις (halusis): chains or handcuffs for the hands or wrists
7. “fetters” — πέδη (pede): shackles on the feet; foot chains
8. “plucked asunder” — διασπάω (diaspao): to tear in half; to sever; to tear to pieces
9. “broken in pieces” — συντρίβω (suntribo): to crush, as in crushing bones or grapes; to smash
10. “tame” — δαμάζω (damadzo): a word that means to domesticate, to subdue, or to bring under control; used to describe animal trainers who were experts at capturing and domesticating the wildest and most ferocious of beasts, such as lions, tigers, and bears; normally, these animals would maul or kill a person, but these skilled trainers were able to take the wildest animals and domesticate them
11. “crying” (v. 5), “cried” (v. 7) — κράζω (kradzo): to scream, yell, exclaim, or cry out at the top of one’s voice; to shriek; pictures an urgent shout; a loud outburst of emotion
12. “cutting” — κατακόπτω (katakopto): to cut downward; to gash down­ward; to mutilate
13. “ran” — τρέχω (trecho): to run swiftly; to run speedily; to run without distraction
14. “worshipped” — προσκυνέω (proskuneo): to fall forward to kiss; to fall upon on one’s knees in intimate adoration
15. “adjure” — ὁρκίζω (horkidzo): to solemnly plead; used in a religious sense to plead to God
16. “torment” — βασανίζω (basanidzo): to torment or torture; the form used in this verse denotes incessant torment and torture
17. “said” — ἔλεγεν (elegen): literally, “He [Jesus] kept saying…”
18. “asked” — ἐπερωτάω (eperotao): to interrogate; the tense depicts an ongoing interrogation
19. “legion” — λεγειών (legion): a military term that denoted at least 6,000 Roman soldiers
20. “many” — πολλοί (polloi): vast multitudes
21. “besought” — παρακαλέω (parakaleo): pictures one who passionately pleads or begs; a word of prayer
22. “much” — πολλὰ (polla): numerous times; over and over
23. “ran violently” — ὁρμάω (hormao): to uncontrollably and wildly rush forward
24. “choked” — πνίγω (pnigo): to choke; to strangle; to wring the neck; to take one by the throat
25. “right mind” — σωφρονοῦντα (sophronounta): from σωφρονέω (sophroneo), pictures a delivered mind or restored intelligence (v. 15)
26. “marvel” — θαυμάζω (thaumadzo): to wonder; to be at a loss for words; to be shocked and amazed; to be bewildered

SYNOPSIS

Located on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee, there stands a monas­tery to commemorate a miraculous deliverance wrought by Jesus during His ministry. It was built in the Fifth Century, and it marks the place where Jesus cast out the legion of demons from the demoniac of Gadara. With persistence and compassion, He evicted thousands of unclean spirits and sent them into a pack of pigs, which ran down the steep hillside and drowned in the sea.

In our last lesson, Jesus and His disciples were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee heading toward the country of the Gadarenes. While en route, a massive windstorm arose and threatened their lives. It was a demonic attack designed to stop Jesus from reaching His destination. With a great display of authority and power, Jesus rebuked the wind and calmed the sea. “And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes” (Mark 5:1).

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John 10:10 NKJV The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

When studying this story from Mark, always remember the end results that the devil is desiring to accomplish and that is, death and destruction. But also remember the end result Jesus desires to accomplish in a person’s life and that is an abundant life.

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A difference in the details: The story of Jesus’ journey to the country of the Gadarenes (sometimes referred to as Gergesenes) is found in Matthew 8, Mark 5, and Luke 8. In Matthew’s account, it says two men were possessed by devils; in Mark’s and Luke’s tellings, only one man is mentioned. This is not a discrepancy in Scripture. There were two men delivered from demons. Mark and Luke chose to focus on the one who was most severely pos­sessed.

The unclean spirit had the man: Mark 5:2 says, “And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit.” The word “immediately” is the Greek word euthus, meaning without delay; immediately. The instant Jesus set foot on land, a man “with an unclean spirit” met Him. The Greek actually says a man “who was in the grip of” or “who was in the control of” an unclean spirit. In other words, the man didn’t have an unclean spirit; the unclean spirit had the man.

The word “unclean” is the Greek word akathartos, and it describes some­thing that is unclean, impure, filthy, lewd, or foul; something sexually vulgar. Interestingly, we are told three times that this man under the control of an unclean spirit was dwelling among the tombs (vv. 2, 3, 5). The word “dwell­ing,” is the Greek word katoikesis, and it describes a dwelling, habitation, or residence. It means to settle down and make oneself at home. This man had settled down and made the graveyard his residence.

The significance of the tombs: The demon spirits living in this man had driven him to the brink of death. In fact, death dominated his thinking. Not only was he living in the dominion of death (among the tombs), he also desperately wanted to die. Again and again, he attempted suicide by cutting himself with stones, but he was unsuccessful at ending his life. At that point he had been living among the tombs the majority of his life.

No man could bind him: Mark 5:3 says, “…And no man could bind him, no, not with chains.” The word “bind” is the Greek word deo, which means to bind, tie up, restrict, imprison, or put in chains. The word deo (bind) describes a completed state, which means people had tried to restrain and chain this man on previous occasions, but they couldn’t keep him bound. The word “chains” here is the Greek word halusis, and it refers to chains or handcuffs for the hands or wrists.

Verse 4 continues saying “that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him.” In addition to chains, we see the word “fetters,” which is the Greek word pede, and it describes shackles on the feet, foot chains.

This man had been handcuffed and chained around the feet many times. However, he had “plucked asunder” the chains on his hands. “Plucked asunder” is the Greek word diaspao, which literally means to tear in half; to sever; to tear to pieces. And the chains on his feet had been “broken in pieces,” which is the Greek word suntribo, meaning to crush, as in crushing bones or grapes; to smash. This man was so energized by demonic powers that he was able to tear his handcuffs in half and beat his legs against each other so forcefully that the chains were crushed.

Neither could any man tame him: The word “tame” in verse 4 is the Greek word damadzo, and it means to domesticate, to subdue, or to bring under control. It was used to describe animal trainers who were experts at capturing and domesticating the wildest and most ferocious of beasts, such as lions, tigers, and bears. Normally, animals like these would maul or kill a person, but these skilled trainers were able to take the wildest animals and domesticate them. That is what the word “tame” means. In other words, not even the most skilled wild-animal trainers could bring this demonically possessed person under control.

He was crying and cutting himself: Mark 5:5 says, “And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.” The word “crying” is the Greek word kradzo, which means to scream, yell, exclaim, or cry out at the top of one’s voice; to shriek. It pictures an urgent shout; a loud outburst of emotion.

The word “cutting” is the Greek word katakopto, and it describes a down­ward cut; a downward gash; or mutilation. The use of these words lets us know that this miserable man was trying to commit suicide. He proba­bly thought that was his only hope of escaping the hellish conditions he was enduring. No one could bind him in chains, and wild-animal tamers couldn’t bring him under control. His condition was beyond desperate.

Then Jesus showed up: Mark 5:6 tells us, “But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him….” Normally, demons don’t run to Jesus; they run from Him. Yet in this case, the demon-possessed man “ran” to Jesus and “worshipped” Him.

The word “ran” is the Greek word trecho, which means to run swiftly; to run speedily; to run without distraction. This desperate man was moving his feet as fast as he could to get to Jesus. When he was in front of Him, the Bible says he “worshipped” Him. The word “worshipped” is the Greek word proskuneo, which means to fall forward to kiss; to fall upon on one’s knees in in­timate adoration. As soon as this man got close to Jesus, he took the posture of worship.

However, when he opened his mouth to ask Jesus for help, the demons seized control of his vocal cords and “…cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not” (v. 7). The word “adjure” is the Greek word horkidzo, and it means to solemnly plead. It is used in a religious sense to plead to God. The demons were literally praying to and petitioning Jesus. They asked Him not to “torment” them. The word “torment” is the Greek word basanidzo, and it describes torment or torture; the form used in this verse denotes incessant torment and torture. How was Jesus tormenting the demons? We discover the answer in verse 8.

Jesus spoke to the demon: “For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit” (Mark 5:8). Notice the word “said” in this verse. It is the Greek word elegen, which literally means, “He [Jesus] kept say­ing….” Again and again, Jesus commanded and demanded the unclean spirit to leave. This is what was tormenting the enemy.

Normally, when Jesus delivered someone of an evil spirit, He did so with a single word. In this case, however, the unclean spirit wouldn’t budge. That is why Jesus kept saying, “Come out of the man.” The more Jesus commanded them come out, the more the demons shrieked aloud. Yet unlike other peo­ple who had unsuccessfully tried to help the man break free of his spiritual condition, Jesus was committed to stay with him until the demons left and he was free.

Amazed at the resistance of the unclean spirit, Jesus asked him, “What is thy name?” Jesus answered, saying, “…My name is Legion: for we are many” (Mark 5:9). The word “legion” is a military term that denoted at least 6,000 Roman soldiers. The unclean spirit in the man was saying, “There are 6,000 of us in here.” This extremely large number of demons is confirmed by the use of the word “many,” which is the Greek word polloi, meaning vast multitudes.

The demons pleaded with Jesus: Mark 5:10-12 says, “And he [the demon] besought him much that he would not send them away out of the coun­try. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.” Initially, one demon acted as a spokesman on behalf of the thousands of demons within. But that one demonic voice quickly gave way to a concert of 6,000 demonic voices, as all the devils “besought” Jesus to send them into the herd of pigs.

The word “besought” is the Greek word parakaleo, and it pictures one who passionately pleads or begs; a word of prayer. Suddenly, all 6,000 demon voices began begging Jesus to give them permission to enter the pigs.

Jesus evicted the unholy horde: “And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea” (Mark 5:13). Here we see that the multitude of unclean spirits were kicked out of this man and “choked” in the sea.

The word “choked” is the Greek word pnigo, which means to strangle; to wring the neck; to take one by the throat; to choke to death. This is a clear pic­ture of the devil’s ultimate goal: to steal, kill, and destroy (see John 10:10). Unlike human beings made in the image of God, pigs don’t have a free will to resist the enemy. Therefore, when the demons entered them, they immediately self-destructed.

The results of Jesus’ intervention: “And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid” (Mark 5:14, 15).

The Bible says the man who had been demon-possessed was now sitting clothed and in his “right mind.” The Greek here depicts a man who now has a mind that had been delivered; his intelligence had been redeemed. It is the picture of complete salvation. These are the results of a life that has been touched and transformed by Jesus.

And all who saw and heard what the Lord had done in this man did “marvel” (see Mark 5:20). The word “marvel” is the Greek word thaumadzo, which means to wonder; to be at a loss of words; to be shocked and amazed; to be bewildered. By delivering this man, the entire region of the decapolis was delivered from terrorizing fear and was opened to the Good News of Jesus.

The emphasis of this lesson:

Once Jesus and His disciples reached the region of Gadara, a man possessed by thousands of demons ran up to Him. Although they stub­bornly attempted to stay in control of the man, Jesus insisted they leave. The enemy’s strength was — and is — no match for Jesus’ power.

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(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

John 21:25 NKJV And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Jesus’s miracle ministry has never ended!

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

What Jesus did, He still does!

As we study these miracles of Jesus, I want us to remember that Jesus WANTS to move on our behalf. All He is looking for is FAITH.

(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

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Jesus Calms a Storm on the Sea of Galilee

SCRIPTURES

Before we can truly appreciate what happened in this miracle, we must look at the story of what happened afterwards. We have that luxury through the Bible.

The Decapolis was a region on the southeastern side of the Sea of Galilee that was made up of ten cities that were mainly made up of people influenced by Roman and Greek culture and very little by Jewish Culture. There was a deep influence of idolatry and paganism there as it was mostly Gentile.

On the other side of the lake was a man that had a legion of demons that had possessed him and it was terrorizing the people and holding them captive.

Mark 5:1-20 KJV (1) And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. (2) And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, (3) Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: (4) Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. (5) And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. (6) But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, (7) And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. (8) For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. (9) And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. (10) And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. (11) Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. (12) And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. (13) And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. (14) And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. (15) And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. (16) And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. (17) And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts. (18) And when he was come into the ship, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed him that he might be with him. (19) Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. (20) And he departed, and began to publish in Decapolis how great things Jesus had done for him: and all men did marvel.

Jesus’ ministry was getting ready to experience another breakthrough in growth and influence through this miracle. As Jesus was on His way to this breakthrough, the devil attacked.

Now let’s go and look at what happened leading up to this miracle.

Mark 4:35-41 KJV (35) And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. (36) And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. (37) And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. (38) And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? (39) And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. (40) And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (41) And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?

Ephesians 6:12 KJV For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

GREEK WORDS

1. “there arose” — γίνομαι (ginomai): to take by surprise; to take off guard; pictures something not anticipated
2. “storm” — λαῖλαψ (lailaps): atmospheric turbulence
3. “waves” — κύματα (kumata): billowing waves; one wave after another; a succession of waves (see Mark 4:37)
4. “beat into” — ἐπιβάλλω (epiballo): to pick up and throw; to throw over; to throw against
5. “awake” — ἐγείρω (egeiro): to rouse; to rise; to awake; to resurrect
6. “perish” — ἀπόλλυμι (apollumi): to undo; to perish; to come to pieces
7. “rebuke” — ἐπιτιμάω (epitimao): in context, to speak dishonorably to someone; to sternly speak against; to chide; to rebuke
8. “peace be still” — φιμόω (phimoo): to muzzle; to silence; to still
9. “obey” — ὑπακούω (hupakouo): to submit and explicitly obey; to fall in line when an order is given

SYNOPSIS

Another day of ministry in the city of Capernaum had just come to a close. “And the same day, when the even was come, he [Jesus] saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships” (Mark 4:35, 36). On the other side of the Sea of Galilee was the country of the Gadarenes, and Jesus had important work to do there.

Mark 5 later tells us that in that region there lived a man possessed with a legion of demons. The entire countryside was terrorized and held captive in fear by the evil forces working through him (see also Matthew 8:28). As Jesus and His disciples were heading to the area to deliver the demoniac from the devil’s grip, the enemy attacked, stirring up a storm of hurricane proportions.

A Great Storm Arose

Mark 4:37 says, “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.” Notice the phrase “there arose.” It is the Greek word ginomai, and it means to take by surprise; to take off guard; it pictures something not anticipated. This verse could be translated, “And suddenly, out of nowhere, there arose a great storm of wind that took us completely off guard; it was totally unexpected, and we had no idea from where it came.”

Keep in mind that many of Jesus’ disciples were seasoned fishermen. They knew the waterways and the weather patterns of the region very well. If a natural storm had been brewing that night, they would certainly have recognized the warning signs and never gone out in their boat. However, when they started out, the skies were clear, and the water was calm.

The Bible says that as they were en route to their destination, a “great” storm of wind arose. The word “great” is the Greek word megas, which indi­cates something enormous. This enormous “storm” was not a rainstorm; it was an enormous “storm” of wind. The word “storm” in the Greek is lailaps, and it describes atmospheric turbulence. Although the effects of the turbulence could be felt, the source of the turbulent force could not be seen.

The Source of the Invisible Force

A closer look at Mark 4:37 reveals that there was nothing natural about the storm that arose. It says, “…And the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.” The word “waves” is the Greek word kumata, and it describes billowing waves; one wave after another; a succession of waves. As one mon­strous wave after another slammed against the ship, it was clear that Jesus and His disciples had become the target of a demonic assault.

Scripture says the waves “beat into” the ship. The words “beat into” are from the Greek word epiballo. It is the compound of two words: epi, meaning over, and ballo, meaning to throw. When the two words are put together to form the word epiballo, it means to throw over or to throw toward. This word is never used to describe the actions of nature. Rather, it is always used to describe the actions of a person or entity.

By using the word epiballo, the Holy Spirit informs us that this was the work of an invisible entity. An unseen force was piling up water and throwing it toward the boat again and again. This was Satan’s attempt to sink the ship and drown Jesus and His disciples. The devil knew that if Jesus reached the other side, he was going to lose control of the demoniac of Gadara as well as his influence in the entire region. So, he fought fiercely against the Lord and His disciples.

Where Was Jesus?

Scripture says that Jesus “…was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow…” (Mark 4:38). While the storm was raging, Jesus was sleeping on a “pillow.” This word “pillow” in the Greek describes a cushion that fit snugly in the corner of the ship. This was where Jesus was sleeping. He was nestled in the peace of God, not worried one bit about making it to the other side. He knew that God had told Him to cross over to the country of the Gadarenes, and nothing could keep Him from getting where God had called Him to be.

Meanwhile, as the storm continued, the disciples began to panic greatly, and the Bible says, “…They awake him.” The word “awake” in Greek is egeiro, which means to rouse; to rise; to awake; to resurrect. Thus, the disciples resurrected Jesus from His sleep. They jerked Him off His pillow and said, “…Master, carest thou not that we perish?” The word “master” is the Greek word epistata, and it means the one on the spot who is totally in charge. They were asking Jesus to get up and exercise His supernatural authority and power over their situation.

Interestingly, the original Greek structure of the phrase “carest thou not that we perish” actually says, “Is there no care in You toward us that we are perishing?” The word “perish” is from the Greek word apollumi, which means to undo or unravel; to perish; to come to pieces or come apart at the seams. This describes how the disciples were feeling — they felt like they were coming apart at the seams in the midst of the raging storm.

How Did Jesus Respond to the Disciples’ Plea?

Mark 4:39 says, “And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” The moment the disciples called to Jesus for help, He responded. You can ex­pect Him to respond to you, too, when you call on Him for help.

The Bible says Jesus “rebuked” the wind. The Greek word for “rebuked” is epitimao, and it means to speak dishonorably to someone; to sternly speak against; to chide; to rebuke. It is the same word that was used in judicial courts when the judgment against a criminal was being verbalized and enacted.

This tells us that when Jesus “rebuked” the wind, He didn’t stand up and say, “I rebuke you, wind!” On the contrary, He stood up and began to ver­bally assassinate the wind.

Jesus Addressed the Source, Not the Symptoms

It is important to note that the disciples thought their problem was the waves. Thus, that is what they focused on and fought against throughout the night. Again and again, they bailed water and wrangled with the waves. Nevertheless, by only dealing with the symptoms of the problem and not the source, the situation stayed the same.

Jesus, on the other hand, looked beyond the symptoms and addressed the source — the unseen evil entity in the atmosphere. He knew that they didn’t have a “wave” problem; they had a spiritual problem. And spiritual problems can only be solved with spiritual solutions. That is why Jesus “rebuked” the demonic force that was stirring up the wind and propelling the waves. He verbally assaulted the enemy with the words of His mouth, humiliating and demeaning it.

(Jesus understood that they weren’t having a wave problem. They were having a problem with something that cannot be seen. He went straight to the source, the root.) That is, He had a conversation with the unseen spiritual force behind the storm, and with His words He assaulted, belit­tled, demeaned, and humiliated it. (He pronounced judgment on the wind.)

Once Jesus was finished rebuking the invisible power causing the storm, He said to the sea, “Peace, be still.” Although this phrase is difficult to translate, “peace, be still” in effect means to muzzle; to silence; or to still. Actually, the very best way to explain it is to say that Jesus muzzled the sea, telling it to “shhh.”

Once the unseen realm was dealt with, the natural realm was easy to deal with.

When He did, the Bible says, “The wind ceased, and there was a great calm” (Mark 4:39). Although the evening began with a great storm, it ended with a great calm. This lets us know that whatever the devil tries to do, Jesus will match it and defeat it. If you have had a great sickness, there is going to be a great healing. If you have had great financial lack, there is going to be great financial blessing.

Once the great calm arrived, Jesus turned to His disciples and said unto them, “…Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?” (Mark 4:40). He was saying, “Hey guys, why did you wake Me up? You could have spoken to the invisible realm and dealt with this yourselves. You really didn’t need Me. Where is your faith?”

Verse 41 goes on to say, “And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” The word “obey” here is a military term, and it means to submit and explicitly obey; to fall in line when an order is given. When Jesus lifted His voice and rebuked the enemy, the wind and the waves fell in line as they were told. The natural realm was filled with peace once the spiritual realm had been dealt with.

Remember, “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principali­ties, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). If you will lift your voice when the enemy attacks, Jesus will speak through you and rebuke him.

Mark 5:1 KJV And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

The devil thought that he could stop Jesus. He cannot stop Jesus from what Jesus’ assignment just as he cannot stop you from your assignment unless you let him.

The emphasis of this lesson:

Just as Jesus had power and authority over the wind and the waves on the Sea of Galilee, He has power and authority over all the storms that arise in your life. If you will call out to Him, He will hear and answer you, delivering you from the devil’s devious attacks.

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(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

John 21:25 NKJV And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Jesus’s miracle ministry has never ended!

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

What Jesus did, He still does!

As we study these miracles of Jesus, I want us to remember that Jesus WANTS to move on our behalf. All He is looking for is FAITH.

(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

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Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man Who Came Through the Roof

SCRIPTURES

Mark 2:1-12 KJV (1) And again he entered into Capernaum after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. (2) And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. (3) And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. (4) And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. (5) When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. (6) But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, (7) Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? (8) And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? (9) Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk? (10) But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) (11) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. (12) And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

GREEK WORDS

1. “many” — πολλοὶ (polloi): a great quantity; something that is huge numerically
2. “no room” — μηκέτι χωρεῖν (meketi chorein): no more space; no more room for receiving or holding something
3. “preached” — ἐλάλει (elalei): to be speaking or talking
4. “the word” — τὸν λόγον (ton logon): with a definite article, it is a reference to the Word of God
5. “bringing” — φέρω (phero): to physically carry
6. “sick of the palsy” — παραλυτικός (paralutikos): pictures one who suffers the effects of a stroke; paralyzed
7. “[could not] come nigh unto” — προσφέρω (prosphero): in context, pictures an inability to draw physically near [to Jesus]
8. “press” — ὄχλος (ochlus): a crowd, a mob, or a multitude
9. “uncovered” — ἀποστεγάζω (apostegadzo): to remove a roof
10. “broken up” — ἐξορύσσω (exorusso): to pluck out the eyes; to gouge out; to dig out; to dig through; to extract and remove
11. “let down” — χαλάω (chalao): to let down from a higher place to a lower place
12. “bed” — κράβαττος (krabattos): a bed, pallet, or mattress for the poor
13. “saw” — ὁράω (horao): to behold; to delightfully view
14. “forgiven” — ἀφίημι (aphiemi): to forgive; to permanently dismiss; to release; to let go; to irretrievably remove
15. “blasphemies” — βλασφημέω (blasphemeo): pictures profane, foul, unclean language; language that is offensive (Mark 2:7)
16. “perceived” — ἐπιγινώσκω (epiginosko): to know; to know a subject inside and out; to know from top to bottom; pictures a thorough and complete knowledge; first-hand knowledge
17. “easier” — εὐκοπώτερον (eukopoteron): to do with nearly no effort; to accomplish effortlessly (Mark 2:9)
18. “go thy way” — ὑπάγω (hupago): to go away under someone’s author­ity
19. “immediately” — εὐθὺς (euthus): in that very instant; immediately
20. “before” — ἔμπροσθεν (emprosthen): in the presence of; before the face; in the eyesight of; publicly
21. “amazed” — ἐξίστημι (existemi): to be knocked out of one’s wits; to be “beside oneself ”; astonished, flabbergasted, overwhelmed, stupe­fied; to be speechless or at a total loss for words

SYNOPSIS

As we have seen in previous lessons, Peter lived in the city of Capernaum, and when Jesus was there, He stayed at Peter’s home. The ancient ruins of this site were noted by historians as early as the Fourth Century. The walls were still standing and the edifice had been converted in to a church, and it can still be seen today. It was in this house that Jesus performed countless miracles, including the healing of a paralyzed man who was brought to Jesus by his four friends.

Jesus Was Preaching the Word at Peter’s House

Mark 2:1 says, “And again he [Jesus] entered into Capernaum af­ter some days; and it was noised that he was in the house.” The news of Jesus arrival was “noised” all around the region. This word “noised” in the Greek refers to a big ruckus. In other words, everyone was talking about the fact that Jesus was in town. Specifically, He was in “the house,” which refers to Peter’s house.

Verse 2 says, “And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.” The word “straightway” in Greek means immediately; without delay. The moment people heard Jesus was at Peter’s house, “many” gathered to see Him. This word “many” is the Greek word polloi, and it describes a great quantity; something that is huge numerically. The crowd that gathered was so large, there was “no room” to fit everyone. The phrase “no room” indicates there was no more space; no more room for receiving or holding something.

Seizing the opportunity, Jesus “preached the word.” The Greek word for “preached” is elalei, which describes speaking or talking, and “the word” refers specifically to the Word of God. The use of a definite article here confirms this. Jesus didn’t yell or scream the Word at them; He simply began conversing with them from His heart about the Scriptures. As He preached the Word, the Holy Spirit confirmed the Word with signs and wonders.

A Paralyzed Man Was Placed Before Him

“And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four” (Mark 2:3). The word “bringing” is the Greek word phero, which means to physically carry. This man was physically carried to Jesus being “sick of the palsy.” The phrase “sick of the palsy” is the Greek word paralu­tikos, and it pictures one who suffers the effects of a stroke or is paralyzed.

The fact that this man was carried by four men implies that he was heavy. Normally, two could have handled such a task, but if he was a larger, heavier man, he would require more help. People who are paralyzed and bedridden usually don’t exercise, so they tend to gain weight from their seden­tary condition, as this man did.

Mark 2:4 says, “And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had bro­ken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.” There are several things to note in this passage, starting with the phrase “could not come nigh unto.” This is the Greek word prosphero, and in context, it pictures an inability to draw physically near to Jesus.

Next, is the word “press” — the Greek word ochlus — and it describes a crowd, a mob, or a multitude. The mob of people that had filled Peter’s house was so great that the friends of the paralyzed man could not get him through the door to see Jesus. To overcome this challenge, “they uncovered the roof where he was.” The word “uncovered” in the Greek literally means they removed the roof.

The Scripture goes on to say, “…and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay.” This phrase “broken it up” tells us how they removed the roof. It is the Greek word exorusso, and it describes a very violent act. It means to pluck out the eyes; to gouge out; to dig out; to dig through; to extract and remove.

The four friends of the paralytic were so desperate to get him in front of Jesus that they dug through the clay and straw roof and made a hole large enough to let him down while he was still on his bed. The word “bed” is the Greek word krabattos, and it describes a bed, pallet, or mattress for the poor. It was the place on which this sick man had been fixated and was living his life.

Jesus Saw and Was Moved by Their Faith

Mark 2:5 says, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” The word “saw” is the Greek word horao, which means to behold or to delightfully view. How did Jesus see their faith? He saw it in their actions. They believed so strongly that Jesus could heal their paralyzed friend that they gouged a hole in the roof and lowered their friend down in front of Him.

The intensity of their faith impressed Jesus and moved Him to say, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” The word “forgiven” is from the Greek word aphiemi, which means to permanently dismiss; to release; to let go; to irretriev­ably remove. Jesus permanently dismissed and removed the sick man’s sins, never to retrieve them again.

“But there were certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts. Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?” (Mark 2:6, 7). The word “blasphemies” here specifically re­fers to religiously foul language. The religious leaders were thinking to them­selves, How dare He say He has the power to forgive! Only God can forgive sins!

Verse 8 says, “And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?” The word “perceived” is the Greek word epiginosko, which means to know a subject inside and out; to know from top to bottom; it pictures a thorough and complete knowledge; firsthand knowledge. The thoughts of the religious leaders were not hidden from Jesus; He was totally aware of them, just as He is totally aware of our thoughts as well.

Jesus Demonstrated His Power and Authority To Heal
and Forgive Sins

Mindful of what they were thinking, Jesus turned to them and said, “Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?” (Mark 2:9). The Greek word for “easier” is eukopoteron, and it means to do something with nearly no effort; to accomplish effortlessly. Thus, Jesus said, “It requires virtu­ally no effort for Me to forgive someone’s sin or to heal someone who is paralyzed. I have the power and authority and am well able to do both.”

Jesus went on to say, “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house” (Mark 2:10, 11). The phrase “go thy way” is the Greek word hupago — a word that regularly appears with the telling of Jesus’ miracles. It means to go away under someone’s authority. Essentially, Jesus said, “I release you from your physical sickness; now go under the power and authority of My word.”

After Jesus uttered these words, Mark 2:12 says, “Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.” The word “immediately” is the Greek word euthus, which means in that very instant; immediately. And the word “before” is the Greek word emprosthen, meaning in the presence of; before the face; in the eyesight of; publicly. When Jesus spoke the word of healing, instantly the paralyzed man was made whole before their very eyes and began to walk.

Scripture says that those who witnessed this miracle were “amazed,” which is the Greek word existemi, and it means to be knocked out of one’s wits; to be “besides oneself ”; to be astonished, flabbergasted, overwhelmed, stupefied, speech­less, or at a total loss for words. The people had never seen anything like this and didn’t know how to respond. All they could do was turn to one another and keep saying again and again, “We have never seen anything like this.”

The emphasis of this lesson:

Four men carried their paralyzed friend to Jesus to be healed. Motivat­ed by faith, they let nothing stand in their way — neither the crowds of people, nor the roof of Peter’s house. When Jesus saw their great faith, He miraculously healed the man and sent him on his way.

• Jesus “saw their faith.” He actually saw their corresponding actions.

James 2:17 AMPC So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).

James 2:17 JB PHILLIPS “…Yet that is exactly what a bare faith without a corresponding life is like—useless and dead. If we only “have faith” a man could easily challenge us by saying, “you say that you have faith and I have merely good actions. Well, all you can do is to show me a faith without corresponding actions, but I can show you by my actions that I have faith as well.”

• The four friends of the paralytic man had strong faith and did everything they could do to get their friend to Jesus. Be honest. How badly do you want God to move in your life? What evidence confirms your answer?
• What are we doing to help people “get to Jesus” so they can receive from Him?
• Jesus gave the paralyzed man His word of authority that he was healed. In obedience, the man acted on it and received his healing. What specific word of authority has the Lord given you regarding your situation? Have you obediently acted on it? If not, what is keeping you from doing so?

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(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

John 21:25 NKJV And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Jesus’s miracle ministry has never ended!

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

What Jesus did, He still does!

As we study these miracles of Jesus, I want us to remember that Jesus WANTS to move on our behalf. All He is looking for is FAITH.

Jesus always sought to move the people He was ministering to, to a place of faith where they could receive from Him what He desired to do.

God will perform a miracle custom designed for you!

He knows what will reach you!

(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

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Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant

SCRIPTURES

Matthew 8:5-13 | KJV — And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

GREEK WORDS

1. “centurion” — ἑκατοντάρχης (hekatontarches): a captain over 100 hundred men; a centurion in the Roman army
2. “beseeching” — παρακαλέω (parakaleo): to plead with someone by appealing to them; the tense means continually beseeching
3. “saying” — λέγων (legon): saying repetitiously
4. “servant” — παῖς (pais): a small child; a little boy
5. “Lord” (vv. 6, 8) — Κύριε (Kurie): Lord; an absolute master or lord
6. “lieth” — βέβληται (bebletai): a form of βάλλω (ballo): to throw; in context, thrown down, hurled down, unable to get up, perhaps even critically ill
7. “sick of the palsy” — παραλυτικός (paralutikos): crippled; paralyzed; as a result, bedfast
8. “grievously” — δεινῶς (deinos): terribly; horribly; from the word δειλός, which notably depicts fear
9. “tormented” — βασανίζω (basanidzo): to torment or torture; the form used in this verse denotes unending torment and torture
10. “heal” — θεραπεύω (therapeuo): therapy; a healing touch that requires corresponding actions
11. “healed” — ἰάομαι (iaomai): to cure; to doctor; pictures a healing power that progressively reverses a condition; mostly denoted healing that came to pass over a period of time; for this reason, the word is often translated as a “treatment,” “cure,” or “remedy”; depicts one who is progressively healed rather than instantaneously healed
12. “marvelled” — θαυμάζω (thaumadzo): to wonder; to be at a loss of words; to be shocked and amazed; to be bewildered
13. “found” — εὑρίσκω (heurisko): to find or to discover; pictures a moment when one makes a surprising discovery; usually points to a discovery made due to an intense investigation, scientific study, or scholarly research
14. “cast out” — ἐκβάλλω (ekballo): to forcibly evict; to throw out; to cast out; to expel; to drive out; to kick out; to cast out; historically used to describe a nation that forcibly removed lawbreakers from its borders
15. “go” — ὕπαγε (hupage): literally, to go under

SYNOPSIS

Capernaum was known as the “city of Jesus.” Once word got out about Jesus’ supernatural power, people began swarming into Capernaum from all across the region to receive His healing touch and hear Him teach God’s Word. Peter’s home is where Christ stayed, and it became His base of op­eration throughout His ministry. Indeed, the people in and around Caper­naum witnessed more signs, wonders, and healings than the people of any other city in Israel. One of these miracles was the healing of the centurion’s servant.

The Centurion Was Stationed in Capernaum

As we discovered in our first lesson, Capernaum was a very affluent and in­fluential border town. It was located on the Via Maris, which was the main highway that ran from Damascus in the north to Egypt in the south. This international community had many tourists and travelers passing through, and as they entered the city, they were required to pay taxes. Thus, there was a tax-collecting office there — the same office where Matthew worked and where Jesus found him when He called him into ministry.

As a result of Capernaum’s international status and high level of wealth, there was also a strong military presence in the city. Many soldiers were stationed there for protection, including one particular centurion. His story begins in Matthew chapter 8: “When Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented” (vv. 5, 6).

First, notice the word “beseeching.” It is the Greek word parakaleo, which is a compound of two words: the word para, meaning to come alongside, and the word kaleo, meaning to call out. When these two words are put together to form parakaleo, it means to plead with someone by appealing to them. The tense here indicates something continual and ongoing.

This powerful centurion — a captain or commander of 100 soldiers — came right alongside Jesus and began to call out and plead with Him to come and heal his servant. This must have been shocking for the people of Capernaum to see — a military man of high status and great clout, coming alongside Jesus and pleading with Him to answer his request.

The word “saying” in verse 6 is the Greek word legon, which means to repe­titiously say. Verse 6 would better be translated, “He kept saying and saying and saying.” This highly dignified officer was spilling his heart out to Jesus. His servant was in trouble, and he was willing to do whatever it took to see him get better.

Also note how the centurion addressed Jesus. Verse 6 says he called Him “Lord,” which is the Greek word Kurie, a form of the word Kurios, and it means absolute master or lord. The centurion recognized Jesus as Master and Lord over him and his situation, which is exactly what we need to do in every situation we face.

It Was His Son, Not His Servant That Was Sick

It is very interesting to note that in the King James Version of Matthew 8:6, it says that the military commander told Jesus, “…my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.” The word “servant” is the Greek term pais, which actually means a small child; a little boy. A literal transla­tion would be, “My small child lieth at home sick….”

This is significant because Roman soldiers were not permitted to be married. When a man enlisted in the Roman army, he was committed to service for 25 years and could not marry until his time was completed. When soldiers were dispatched, they were gone for a very long time. If they had been allowed to marry, they would have been greatly distracted on the battlefield by thoughts of their wife and family back home, which could have proven disastrous.

Another reason soldiers were not allowed to marry was the motivation it created. If a soldier died on the battlefield, he had no children to carry on his lineage. Therefore, he would fight much harder in battle to survive and finish his 25-year commitment so he could return home to marry and raise a family.

Thus, the centurion who sought out Jesus was not married according to Roman law. The fact that he had a small child (pais) and he wasn’t married meant his child was illegitimate. He obviously had an immoral relationship with someone. Yet when he came to Jesus for help, Jesus never rebuked him for it. He never said, “What do you mean, asking Me to heal your illegit­imate child… You’ve been involved in a sinful, immoral relationship.” On the contrary, Jesus listened and was willing to help.

Understanding the Severity of the Child’s Condition

Looking again at Matthew 8:6, the centurion said, “…Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.” The word “lieth” is a form of the Greek word ballo, which means to throw. In context, it means thrown down, hurled down, unable to get up, perhaps even critically ill. In other words, the centurion’s son had been thrown into bed and was unable to get up.

He also said his child was “sick of the palsy,” which in Greek is the word paralutikos, and it means to be crippled or paralyzed. The child had lost his ability to function. Something had happened to his muscles, his nerves, or his sinews that left him paralyzed, and as a result, he was “grievously tor­mented.” The word “grievously” is the Greek word deinos, which means to be terribly, or in this case, horribly, tormented. It is a derivative of the word deilos, which notably depicts fear.

When a person is sick, they are often also plagued with fear. Many times they are afraid that they will never feel normal again or that they will never again live a normal life. This type of fear is “grievous” — it is a horrible, terrible “torment.”

The word “tormented” is the Greek word basanidzo, which means to tor­ment or torture. The form used in this verse denotes unending torment and torture. The word basanidzo is the word commonly used in the gospels to describe people who are grievously vexed by demon spirits.

How Did Jesus Respond?

Matthew 8:7 says, “And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.” Jesus heard that this child was thrown into bed; he was sick, paralyzed, and grievously tormented by fear. Moved with compassion, Jesus immediately said, “I will come and heal him.”

The word “heal” is the Greek word therapeuo, which is the term most frequently used in the gospels to describe the healing ministry of Jesus. It is a healing touch that requires corresponding actions, and it is where we get the word “therapy.”

When Jesus healed a person with a withered hand, He required him to stretch out his hand. If someone was lame and lying on a mat, Jesus would require him to pick up his mat and walk. In the same way a physical thera­pist requires patients to cooperate with the recovery process, Jesus required those who received healing to cooperate with the power of God.

The Centurion’s Faith Was Unprecedented

When Jesus said that He was willing to go and heal the boy, “the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it” (Matthew 8:8, 9).

Notice the word “healed.” It is the Greek word iaomai, and it pictures a healing power that progressively reverses a condition. It mostly denoted heal­ing that came to pass over a period of time. For this reason, the word is often translated as a “treatment,” “cure,” or “remedy.” It depicts one who is progres­sively healed rather than instantaneously healed. The use of this word reveals the centurion’s level of faith. He wasn’t asking for an instantaneous miracle; he was believing for a progressive healing once Jesus spoke the Word.

What is also interesting about the centurion’s faith was his understand­ing of authority. He told Jesus, “You don’t need to come to my house. Just speak the word of healing, and I know it will happen.” Matthew 8:10 says, “When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.”

The word “marvelled” is the Greek word thaumadzo, which means to won­der; to be at a loss of words; to be shocked and amazed; to be bewildered. Jesus was absolutely stunned at the centurion’s level of faith. He said He had not “found” anyone with such great faith out of all the people in Israel.

The word “found” in the Greek is the word heurisko, which means to find or to discover. It pictures a moment when one makes a surprising discovery, usu­ally as a result of an intense investigation, scientific study, or scholarly research. This tells us that Jesus had been studying and looking for a high-quality faith among the Jews, but He didn’t find it. Instead, He found it among the Gentiles — in a pagan Roman soldier.

The Significance of Jesus’ Statement About Outer Darkness

As Jesus marveled at the faith of the centurion, He said, “…Many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8:12).

To understand Jesus’ statement, we need to examine a practice in the ancient world that is mostly unfamiliar. In that day, large cities had very tall protective walls, and often they would dump their garbage and unused food over the top of those walls. During the night, when it was dark, the lions outside of the city would come and pillage through the garbage look­ing for something to eat.

Why is this important? Well, the presence of the lions outside the city was used to help determine whether or not a person was truly innocent. In those days, if a person was tried but could not be proven guilty of a crime it was believed he committed, the city authorities would tie him up and place him outside the city walls for the entire night. They called this “outer darkness.” The officials believed that if someone survived the lions and was alive the next morning, they were not guilty.

However, there was a problem. When they went out to find the suspect the next morning, even if he survived the lions, his teeth were totally ground away. This was the result of being totally stricken with fear at the presence of the prowling lions. These people were put into outer darkness — a place of torment where they literally had weeping and gnashing of teeth.

By using this phrase, Jesus was saying, “There’s going to be a lot of weep­ing and gnashing of teeth when people realize what they could have had but missed out on because they would not believe. This includes people in Israel, people in the Kingdom, and people who should have known how to use their faith but didn’t. They may get through life, but they’re going to miss so much because they never really used their faith.” That’s really what Jesus was teaching here.

What You Believe Is What Will Be Done

Matthew 8:13 goes on to say, “And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.” The word “go” here is the Greek word hupage, and it literally means to go under authority.

Essentially, Jesus said, “I have spoken the word of healing, and your son is taken care of. You have come under My authority, and now I’m sending you away under the power of My word. Go! The healing is released exactly as you have believed.” The centurion left, and when he returned home he discovered that his small child had been healed at the exact same time Jesus had spoken it.

Like the centurion, you must believe and embrace the words of Jesus. Accept and respond to what He has said in His Word and what His Spirit speaks to you in your heart. What you believe and act on is what will take place.

The emphasis of this lesson:

Jesus miraculously healed the child of a centurion who lived in Caper­naum, and He did it without laying a hand on him. He simply word, and the Centurion believed and received the healing for his son. No one in all Israel had exhibited such great faith.

(I want to acknowledge the source of most of the material for these lessons is found in: The Miracles of Jesus Christ by Rick Renner. These video lessons can be found on Renner.org and on YouTube.)

John 21:25 NKJV And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.

Jesus’s miracle ministry has never ended!

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

What Jesus did, He still does!

As we study these miracles of Jesus, I want us to remember that Jesus WANTS to move on our behalf. All He is looking for is FAITH.

Jesus always sought to move the people He was ministering to, to a place of faith where they could receive from Him what He desired to do.

God will perform a miracle custom designed for you!

He knows what will reach you!

Jesus Multiplies the Loaves and Fishes in Galilee

SCRIPTURES

John 6:1-13 KJV After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. (2) And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. (3) And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. (4) And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. (5) When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? (6) And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. (7) Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. (8) One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, (9) There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? (10) And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. (11) And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. (12) When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. (13) Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

GREEK WORDS

1. “great multitude” — πολὺς ὄχλος (polus ochlos): an enormous multi­tude; massive in size
2. “saw”— θεωρέω (theoreo): to watch act by act, like spectators watch­ing a theatrical performance; same word for “theater”
3. “miracles” — σημεῖον (semeion): the verdict of a court; the signature or seal applied to documents that guaranteed their authenticity; a sign that marked key locations in a city; used in the Gospels primarily to depict miracles and supernatural events that were intended to verify and authenticate the Gospel message
4. “did” — ποιέω (poieo): to do; to make; to create; it is same root for the word “poet”
5. “diseased” — ἀσθενέω (astheneo): a word that generally describes a person frail in health; pictures those who were feeble, fragile, faint, incapacitated, disabled; can also mean to be in financial need
6. “saw” — θεάομαι (theaomai): this tense is from the Greek word for “theater”; to gaze upon; to fully see; to contemplate; to view; to look at intently; to fully see in full detail; to behold
7. “great company” — πολὺς ὄχλος (polus ochlos): massive multitude; an enormous mob of people
8. “unto” — πρὸς (pros): toward; directly toward
9. “prove” — πειράζω (peiradzo): pictures a test designed to reveal a deficiency
10. “little” — βραχύς (brachus): little; pictures a small amount; a fragment
11. “lad” — παιδάριον (paidarion): a boy; a very young boy
12. “barley loaves” — ἄρτους κριθίνους (artous krithinous): a fragile and inferior bread; a barley cracker
13. “small fishes” — ὀψάριον (opsarion): a small fish about the size of a sardine or minnow, usually pickled or cooked
14. “given thanks” — εὐχαριστέω (eucharisteo): pictures a free-flowing thankfulness; gratitude
15. “distributed” — διαδίδωμι (diadidomi): to divide among; to distrib­ute among

The emphasis of this lesson:

With five loaves and two fish, He fed thousands of people from a child’s sack lunch, demonstrating His dynamic ability to take what seems insignificant and turn it into something extraordinary.

A Great Multitude Followed Jesus

Jesus had performed many miracles and supernatural signs — especially in and around the city of Capernaum. With each passing day, the crowds that followed Him grew greater and greater.

John 6:1-2 KJV (1) After these things Jesus went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. (2) And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.

Notice it says a “great multitude” followed Him. This is the Greek phrase polus ochlos, and it means a multitude; enormous; massive in size. Up until that moment, this was the largest crowd that had ever “followed” Jesus, and the Greek tense for “followed” indicates that they kept following and following and following Him. Why were they following Him so persistently? Verse 2 says, “…Because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased.”

The word “miracles” is the Greek word semeion, which describes miraculous events, and the word “did” is the Greek word poieo, which means to do; to make; or to create. It is where we get the word “poet,” and it always carries the idea of creativity or creative action.

Jesus wasn’t just doing simple miracles like healing headaches or minor illnesses. The use of the word poieo indicates that He had a creative flair to His healing ministry. That is, He created eyes where there were no eyes, arms where there were no arms, and feet where there were no feet.

He healed those who were “diseased,” which is the Greek word astheneo, and it generally describes a person frail in health. It pictures those who were feeble, fragile, faint, incapacitated, or disabled. This word can also mean that the people were “diseased” financially. Usually people who are diseased, have been affected financially by the disease or sickness. Jesus was supplying creative and supernatural solutions to unbearable situations like these.

He Saw That the People Were Hungry

Like countless other miracles, the miracle of the loaves and fishes happened near the city of Capernaum.

John 6:3-4 KJV (3) And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. (4) And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.

Large crowds of people were traveling with Jesus on the Via Maris — “the way of the sea.” And as they were heading to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, Jesus and His disciples departed from the road and found a place to sit and rest after many days of intense ministry.

John 6:5 KJV (5) When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?

Jesus gazed intently at the people as if He were watching a dramatic presentation. He knew they had to be hungry after the long trip, so He “…saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” Of course, this was a silly question to ask, and Jesus knew it. They were on top of a hill in the middle of nowhere with no markets around for miles.

John 6:6 KJV (6) And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do.

Jesus knew what He was about to do, but He said this to “prove” Philip. The word “prove” is the Greek word peiradzo, which is a test designed to reveal a deficiency.

Think about it. The disciples had seen with their own eyes the mighty miracles of Jesus, including the wonders of Him walking on water, turning water into wine, and casting out devils. What they had not seen up to this point was a miraculous multiplication of food. They had a deficiency in their understanding of Jesus in this area. You would think that in light of all they had seen, they would believe that Jesus would come through just as He had done so many times previously. But they didn’t. Instead of rushing to faith, they rushed to doubt and began to panic.

Sometimes Jesus will “prove” us to point out a deficiency of faith in us.

Five Loaves and Two Fish Were All That Could Be Found

John 6:7 KJV (7) Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.

“Two hundred pennyworth” equals 200 denarii or 200 days’ worth of salary. The common wage in those days was one denarius for one day of work. Philip said, “Even if we could gather 200 days of income in this moment and buy bread, it wouldn’t be enough for everyone to have a little.” The word “little” is the Greek word brachus, which describes something very small; a fragment. Two hundred denarii of bread wouldn’t have given each person a fragment.

John 6:8-9 KJV (8) One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, (9) There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

It’s interesting to note that the word “lad” is the Greek word paidarion, and it describes a very young boy, probably under the age of seven. This boy had brought a lunch of five barley loaves and two small fishes.

Interestingly, the Greek term for “barley loaves” is artous krithinous, and it describes a fragile and inferior bread; a barley cracker. And the phrase “small fishes,” is the Greek word opsarion, and it describes a small fish about the size of a sardine or minnow, usually pickled or cooked. Thus, this little boy had five barely crackers and two minnows. Why? This makes sense because he wouldn’t have needed five large loaves of bread and two regular-sized fish; it would have been too much for him to eat.

There the lad stood — just about ready to reach into his pocket and pull out his little lunch that his mom had probably packed. Suddenly, one of Jesus’ disciples showed up and said, “Wait! Don’t eat that. Jesus needs your food.” Hurriedly, the boy was rushed in front of Jesus, and he placed his five barley crackers and two minnows into His hands.

The Miracle of Multiplication

John 6:10 KJV (10) And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

Luke 9:14-15 KJV (14) For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company. (15) And they did so, and made them all sit down.

Sometimes you have to organize your situation before you can receive your miracle.

Interestingly, the word “men” in the Greek can describe men and women or just men. If the five thousand refers to men and women, there were 5,000 in attendance. However, if it refers to men only — as many scholars suggest — we would need to add to this number the wives, children, and possibly grandparents who would have been traveling to Jerusalem with them. It’s estimated that as many as 40,000 people were gathered with Jesus at that time.

Yet whether it was 5,000 or 40,000, five barley crackers and two minnows weren’t going to feed the crowd — regardless of how small the pieces were cut. Needless to say, the disciples saw lack in this situation, but Jesus saw opportunity — a chance to once again prove His miraculous power to His disciples and all those gathered. Jesus saw grass and a great place for a picnic.

John 6:11 KJV (11) And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

This tells us that Jesus will take anything we place in His hands and use it for His glory. Once the crackers and minnows were in His grasp, it says He had “given thanks.” This is the Greek word eucharisteo, which describes a free-flowing stream of thankfulness; gratitude.

As gratefulness was flowing, Jesus began worshiping the Father as the great Provider. In that moment, something miraculous began to happen in His hands. As He “distributed” the barley crackers and fish, which in the Greek means to divide or sever, the food multiplied in His hands! The disciples kept coming and coming, and Jesus kept giving and giving — worshiping the Father all the while.

John 6:12 KJV (12) When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.

The Greek tense actually means, “When they were double filled.” In other words, they ate until they were completely filled! The people kept eating and eating and eating until they could eat no more.

John 6:13-14 KJV (13) Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. (14) Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.

Can you imagine the range of emotions the disciples experienced? They went from fearful panic in the beginning to shock and utter amazement at the end, having 12 basketfuls left over. How about the little boy? He knew the minuscule amount Jesus had to work with because he had given it to Him. If he had hidden his crackers and fishes or eaten them to satisfy just his own hunger, he would have completely missed out on this amazing miracle at the hands of the Master.

When we face a challenge as the disciples did with the limit of food to feed so many, do we rush to faith or believing somehow God will come through or do we forget what Jesus has done in our lives as the disciples did?

This lesson shows us that when we place something in the hands of Jesus, whether it is time, resources, or our lives, it gets multiplied while in His hands. 

Particularly where there is a steady stream of worship as we remember what the Lord has done for us in the past.