Salvation from the devil

Jack Stileman - One day you will die. Most of us avoid thinking about it because it’s terrifying. And most of us carry a penny-sized impression of Jesus: a spiritual teacher, a religious leader, someone to take or leave. Someone who can’t help us here. But in Luke 8:40-56, a desperate father and a bleeding woman discover how small that view is. Jesus is the unprecedented Saviour who rescues us from death and sin. So do not fear; only believe.

Aneirin Glyn - As those caught up in a world marked by death, can we trust Jesus to deliver? In this passage we see Jesus’ astonishing power and also his compassion for those in need. Jesus can give to us life with God forever, through his death and resurrection.

William Taylor - As people of the so-called ‘free world’ we like to think that we are enlightened and liberated. Jesus disagrees – and his logic is alarmingly relentless.

William Taylor - As people of the so-called ‘free world’ we like to think that we are enlightened and liberated. Jesus disagrees – and his logic is alarmingly relentless.

Jack Stileman - On the far side of the lake, Jesus meets a man whose life has been torn apart. He lives among the tombs, cut off from his town and controlled by a host of demons. Luke shows us plainly that the devil’s work is to destroy. Yet with a single word Jesus sets the man free, and we find him clothed, in his right mind and sitting at Jesus’ feet. Who do you want to be Lord of your life?

Aneirin Glyn - Are there no-go areas for God’s kingdom? Here we see Jesus entering enemy territory, to crush those who oppose him and to rescue the oppressed. And yet, some push him away. Those who welcome the king speak of what he has done for them.

William Taylor - One of the most disturbing features of the teaching of Jesus is the way that it exposes us in our human limitations and failures. Jesus’ claim to be the light of the world suggests that he, and he alone, can provide true enlightenment. At the same time, it implies that any who refuse to recognise him remain – in the dark.

William Taylor - One of the most disturbing features of the teaching of Jesus is the way that it exposes us in our human limitations and failures. Jesus’ claim to be the light of the world suggests that he, and he alone, can provide true enlightenment. At the same time, it implies that any who refuse to recognise him remain – in the dark.

George Diwakar - In a broken world filled with uncertainty, disaster and fear, where can we find lasting hope? In Luke 8:22–25, Jesus calms a raging storm, revealing his divine authority over creation and his power to save. See why, even when live feels stormy, we can face the future without fear when we trust in the one who promises to rescue us and bring us home to a perfect new creation.

Aneirin Glyn - What does Jesus calming the raging storm with a word reveal to us? Here is the Creator himself at work controlling the elements. Even more, with Psalm 107 in mind, we see that this action reveals God is bringing to fulfilment his great plan to gather people to himself.