Self-Portraits of God

Studies in the Life and Work of Jesus

Lesson 4: Historical Portraits; Jesus the Person in the New Testament

Jesus daily life—the Acts, #2

With the storm over, they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gadarenes—safe at last!

And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him two demon-possessed men, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass that way. These men had their dwellings among the tombs, and no one could bind them, not even with chains.

Because they had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been pulled apart, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame them.

And always, night and day, they were in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting themselves with stones.

These men wore no clothes, and were driven by the demons into the wilderness. When they saw Jesus from afar they ran and worshipped Him.

When Jesus saw these men He commanded the unclean spirits to come out of them. (For the unclean spirits often seized them.)

And suddenly they cried out, saying, what have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?

Then He asked them, what is your name? And they answered, saying, my name is legion, for we are many.

And they begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country.

(Now a good way off from them there was a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain; there were about two thousand of them.)
So all the demons begged Him, saying, If You cast us out, permit us to go into the herd of swine. And He said to them Go! Then the demons went out of the men and entered the swine.

And suddenly the whole herd of swine ran violently down the steep place into the sea and drowned in the sea.

When those who fed them saw what had happened they fled, and told in the city and in the country everything, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.

And behold, the whole city came out to see what it was that had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the men from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in their right mind.

And they were afraid.

And those who saw it told them how it happened to them who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine.

Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them for they were seized with a great fear.

And when He got into the boat, the men who had been demon-possessed begged Him that they might be with Him. But Jesus sent them away saying, Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.

And they went their way and proclaimed throughout the whole city, and in Decapolis, all that Jesus had done for them; and all marveled.

So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him. (See Matthew 8: 28-34; Mark 5: 1-20; and Luke 8: 26-40, for this story.)

The Portrait

In this story is a time exposure: Demon-possessed men doing a fade, coalescing into the likeness of God; dark spots on a black film becoming points of light. A displayed potential—anyone can be a helper for Jesus.

Then they also brought infants to Him that He might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them.
But Jesus called them to Him and said,

Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Luke 18:15, 16.

Everyone was welcome in the presence of Jesus. He was available to all.

One more account of daily activity from the life of Jesus;

(the One of whom John the apostle wrote, the whole world could not hold all the books that would be written if all the life and works of Jesus were to be recorded! See John 21:25.)

Jesus’ daily life—the Acts, cont.

Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, Sir, we wish to see Jesus.

Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

But Jesus answered them, saying, The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.

He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, Him My Father will honor….

(See John 12:20-36).

The immediately noticeable part of this account, which we have reviewed only in part, is the fact that the requested interview with Jesus, made by the Greeks to the apostles, is not said to have occurred. Verse 36 of this passage says Jesus was hidden from them.

The work of Jesus is left incomplete; the request to see Jesus, made to the followers of Jesus, is to be fulfilled by the followers of Jesus. The revealing of the Father, plus the added dimension of the telling of the love of Jesus, was being turned over to others. Jesus’ life and work on earth were closing.