Why We Need Resurrection Power Today

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Greg Beale
Lord, we ask that all that we think and say and do this session will be honoring to you and that we would learn your word more deeply. And that we will learn how to glorify you more increasingly in Christ’s name, Amen. Of his breakouts session is sponsored by reformed Theological Seminary. We’re grateful for the generous support to help make this session possible. You can learn more about RTS by visiting their booth in the exhibit hall or online at the rts.edu. I’m Greg Beal. I’m a professor at Westminster Theological Seminary until June one, and then I’ll join reformed Theological Seminary at their branch in Dallas. Our topic for today is biblical theology in eschatology, and biblical theology, rightly defined according to Gearheart, as DeVos is nothing else than the exhibition of the organic progress of supernatural revelation. And its historic continuity and multi deformity that’s sort of a full definition, but exhibition of the organic progress. What that means is that as Revelation progresses in his different biblical books, record that revelation, they are not recording something that is contradicting to the earlier revelation. It’s organic, it’s like an apple tree. It comes from an apple seed. And so biblical revelation is like that growing seed, and however different that tree may look to the seed, and it does look different, doesn’t it? It’s still organic. And so when we get to the New Testament, some would say, Oh, these fulfillments look much different than what the Old Testament must have foreseen. But once you look more deeply, you can begin to see how they are organic outgrowth on into the New Testament. So it’s the organic progress of supernatural revelation. And it’s in history, and its historic continuity and multi formative, that means that you can see how things are continuously developing. And yet, there are some things that look different. Nevertheless, they’re still part of that organic revelation that biblical eschatology is crucial to understanding biblical theology. And by the way, according to this definition of biblical theology, if you’re going to interpret a particular text in Scripture in a biblical theological manner, what you want to do is first give the interpretation in light of the literary context, and then of the redemptive, historical context. And then you want to look and see, how does it relate to the epics preceding and to the epics following? So biblical eschatology, which is the second part of our title today, is crucial to understand biblical theology. Why? Because it’s, if not the main way, it’s one of the main ways that the Old Testament is related to the New Testament. The Old Testament speaks of eschatological prophecies, and the New Testament fulfills them. For example, actually, eschatology begins in the garden. Adam was priest king, and he was to faithfully obey God and conquer the satanic opponent. If he had done that, he would have been ushered into an escalated period, for eternity of security, full arrest spiritually and physically, and he would not have experienced any bodily corruption, nor would the Earth have experienced such corruption. Of course, he did not faithfully obey God, he himself instead of conquering the serpent was conquered by the serpent. But what we’re saying here, then, is and we can state it this way is that eschatology precedes soteriology. That is, the doctrine of the end, actually precedes this notion of the need for salvation. Because of Adam had been faithful, He would have been ushered into an eternal eschatological state, but because he wasn’t, then there is now the need for salvation. And of course, we do get Genesis 315, that looks forward to a time when one would do what Adam should have done to defeat the serpent.

Greg Beale
So the notion of the latter days in the Old Testament and the and the New Testament is crucial if you just get a concordance. And this was one thing that completely altered my mind. I got a concordance. And I looked up the latter days, and the old and the new. And I looked up synonyms, like last hour, consummation of the ages, so on and so on. And and it completely altered my thinking. Because I had always looked at eschatology as a futurology, something that was to take place in the future. And in fact, when you look at the Old Testament, I’ve given a handout. Unfortunately, I thought 100 would be enough, but apparently it’s not. But I’ve just given some highlights not all the passages that deal with the latter days in the Old Testament. But all of them without exception, are about the future. And that fit right in with my own view of eschatology very comfortably. It’s all about the future. And so in Genesis 49 one, it says, Jacob summoned to sons said, Assemble yourselves, and they tell you what shall befall you in the days to come. And we have these passages just listed, I don’t have them quoted for you on the handout. But that latter day prophecy that he speaks up has its zenith point in Genesis 49, nine through 10, where a messianic leader from the tribe of Judah to send to be a lion, and he will come and the obedience of the peoples will be to Him. And numbers 24 likewise as a messianic prophecy that uses this phrase, latter days, but again, it’s about the future. Now behold, I’m going to my people coming out advise you what this people will do to your people. In the latter days. Now your handout says days to come. It’s not a good translation by the New American Standard. But it’s actually in the latter days. And then numbers 2417 to 19, right after that speaks of a messianic figure who will come and defeat the Gentile enemy. Hosea three, four again about the future afterward, the sons of Israel will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king, and they will come trembling to the Lord and His goodness, in the last day. So there you get the restoration of Israel, a messianic king, who said to be Davidic, Isaiah two two describes a huge temple that’s going to occur in the latter days, it will come about in the last days, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains, it’ll be raised above the hills and all the nations will string to it. So you get this, this mountain temple that’s growing and growing and growing. And so what we find then, again, this is future. There are a number of other passages, I’m only looking at the highlights here, Daniel 228, there’s a God in heaven, who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar, what will take place in the latter days, this was your dream the visions in your mind while on your bed? Well, that that vision about the latter days, climaxes in the defeat of all Gentile opponents of God’s people, and an eternal Kingdom is established. And then Daniel 817 to 19 refers to the end. And there it’s talking about a tribulation in which there will be persecution of God’s people. And there’ll be deception and false teaching. And Daniel 10, for listen to the wording I’ve come to give you an understanding Daniel, of what will happen to your people in the latter days for the vision pertains to the days the future, it is future, it’s all future that was fitting comfortably in my paradigm. And a number of other passages here, one more, and Daniel 1114, some of those who have insight will fall in order to refine, purge and make them pure until the end time. So they’ll there’ll be this persecution in the in time again, all of this is still future. Now, if we were to look at all the passages, and we’ve only looked at a few highlights, but if we were to look at all the passages with scatological language, and that were conceptually about the latter days, then you would you would find about roughly 10 things that the latter days are about upcoming tribulation of false teaching persecution and deception. After which

Greg Beale
Israel would be restored, they would be delivered, their enemies judge, they’ll be a messianic leader, actually, Hosea three calls him a Davidic king, and he would establish a king, a kingdom. There’ll be a huge temple, and there’ll be the pouring out of the Spirit, according to Joe, to 28. And following, there’ll be a new covenant, a new creation and resurrection of the righteous. And so it’s these ideas that form the core of the in time expectation expectation that is about the future. Now let’s come back to my paradigm change. I come to the New Testament, still with my concordance and I’m looking at Bre x 217. And it’ll be in the last days God says I’ll pour forth of My Spirit upon all mankind, your sons and your daughters will prophesy your young man shall see visions your old man shall dream dreams. And I that just didn’t fit because he’s saying the pouring Out of the spirit of Pentecost was the beginning of the last days. While I kept going, I thought, well, let’s just probably an anomaly of First Corinthians 1011. These things happen to the Israelites in the wilderness as an example, they were written for our instruction upon home, the ends of the ages have come about, well, here it is again. And then Hebrews one one to two God, after he spoke long ago to the fathers and the prophets, in many portions, in many ways, in these last days, has spoken to us in his son whom he appointed heir of all things. there that is a reference back to Psalm two which speaks to the son who will inherit the earth. That’s a messianic king, again, who will inherit the earth and dominate the nations, Hebrews 926, which says that, at the consummation of the ages, Christ put away sin by sacrificing himself. And so you get again, at the ends of the ages, is this deliverance, actually through death, of course, among other pastures, Isaiah 53 is one of those prophecies First Peter 120, crisis for known before the foundation of the world. But as appeared in these last times, for the sake of you. And the preceding Verse talks again, about a sacrificial death, the following verse about His resurrection. And of course, resurrection is one of the great prophecies about the future. In the Old Testament, first, John to 18 children, it’s the last hour, and just you heard that Antichrist was coming even now many antichrists have arisen. From this, we know it is the last hour. So this last hour, is the time he’s saying that Antichrist has actually begun to come. Not just many antichrist, he goes on to say, the Antichrist and the following verses. This is really amazing, because what he’s saying is when you have antichrist, you got the final Great Tribulation that blew my mind, how could the Great Tribulation have begun? In the first century, John says it dead. Now, it’s gonna get worse and more universal. But it did begin. Second Corinthians 517. That doesn’t use latter days, but it does use new creation, where it says, If anyone is in Christ, a new creation, old things are passed away, behold, new things have come. And yet, as I read in my concordance, I did see Yep, there’s still some future references about the latter days in the New Testament. So what we find in the New Testament is a classic. Many of you have heard it already. And not yet. In fact, much of what I’m saying in this lecture is really biblical theology one on one. So Matthew 1340, and following, just as the tears are gathered and burned with fire, so it’ll be at the end of the age, the Son of Man will send forth his angels will gather.

Greg Beale
They will gather out of His kingdom, all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness will cast them into the furnace of fire in that place. They’ll be weeping and gnashing of teeth. So it will be at the end of the age, the angels shall come forth, and take out the wicked for among the righteous. So here’s a clear reference to the future. So we clearly have what we call an already, Latter Days have begun. But they’re not completed, John 640, Christ keeps saying, they’re in the following verses, I will raise him up on the last day. He does that and chapter 11, and verse 24, of John. And then in verse 25, he says, Those who believe in Me will live even though they die. So and he goes on and says, I am the resurrection. And in the life, the resurrection is inaugurated the great resurrection, prophesied and Daniel 12, one and two, where it says that many will sleep in the dust of the earth, and some will awake to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. So, so we get a number of other passages about the future, as well. So the notions as you look at the Old Testament of a king and a kingdom, ruling over the nations, as you look at this throughout the Old Testament, intriguingly, we don’t have time to develop it, but it is developed in light of Genesis 128. Remember where God’s blessed Adam, and he said, multiply and bear fruit and crease fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over all the creatures of the earth. That passage is used again and again and again and again with the patriarchs and later picked I know of about three doctoral dissertations that have been done on how that passage is used in the Old Testament and there could be more. But the point is, there’s the expectation of one to come. To fulfill what the first Adam did that fulfill He did not rule over the earth, He did not produce sons in the image of God reflecting the image of God to fill the earth. So, all these prophecies from the Old Testament, they take place every prophecy. I tell my students sometime give me one prophecy that didn’t begin to take place with Christ. And then I quote Second Corinthians 120, for as many as maybe the promises of God and the Old Testament, they are yes, in him. So the apostles understood, eschatology not merely then as futurology is the Old Testament. But as something that they understood was happening in their midst. It was a redemptive historical psychology. The latter days were beginning to be fulfilled, every aspect of their salvation was to be conceived as as eschatological in nature. To put another way, I would say and I’m writing a part two to my New Testament biblical theology that every and it’s a radical claim. But I would say every major doctrine in the New Testament has an eschatological tinge to it, and eschatological color to it. Just as when you put green sunglasses on, everything is green, Christ put his pedological sunglasses on the apostles, and everything they saw rightly, was as Kid illogical in nature, this means the doctrine of eschatology is not just one among many doctrines. In the New Testament biblical theology textbook, it shouldn’t be shouldn’t be put at the end, it should be sprinkled throughout. And likewise, I would suggest, even and this may sound extreme, but systematic theologies should pay more attention to inaugurated eschatology and their explanation of New Testament doctrine. So understanding most of the traditional doctrines, in my opinion, is not so much changed. But what I’m saying now, in other words, if people don’t understand eschatology and your church, does that mean, they just can’t understand Christology or they can’t understand Pneumatology your whatever, no, but understanding eschatology putting those lenses on helps us to see more richly, what the New Testament is saying. And actually, what I’m arguing in this short paper today is really expanded on in my New Testament biblical theology. And, of course, I have on New Testament biblical theology on the online course site of a gospel coalition. But in light of what I’ve said, I would put it this way that the storyline of the New Testament is that Christ’s life especially death, and resurrection, and sending of the Spirit launched, the new creational reign.

Greg Beale
And that propelled worldwide mission, resulting in blessing and judgment, all for God’s glory, but the major stepping stones in that storyline. I’m not saying it’s one center, by the way, but in the storyline, the major stepping stones are Christ’s death, resurrection, ascending the spirit, launch, this new creation will reign. And I would contend that basically, as you look at all the different doctrines, major doctrines of the New Testament that they become facets of a diamond, picture diamond with facets. So he put sanctification on one facet Pneumatology on the other image of God on another ecclesiology on another. And what is the diamond? The diamond is the resurrected Christ, who is the beginning of the new creation, so that every doctrine is a facet of who Christ. So when we come into union with Christ, these things about him are attributed to us. So he’s sanctified, wouldn’t he, when he rose from the dead, sanctified, set apart from the earth, when we come into union with Him were sanctified and set apart from the old world and from sin. When we come into union with Him, we begin to participate in him being the image of God. And then, of course, that’s consummated at the end, all these things are consummated at the end. So that really, when you think about it, some would say, Well, you know, Bill, new creation, that phrase is not used very much. Galatians 615, Second Corinthians 517, essentially Colossians 118, Revelation 314. That’s really about it. But once you understand that resurrection, is new creation, how are you and I going to become a part of the final new creation through resurrection? So that now our spiritual resurrection is the beginning of the fulfillment of those new creational resurrection? prophesy. So even though you don’t find the phrase new creation, much resurrections all over the place, and Paul is the grand goal in the gospels, and of course, found often elsewhere. So Second Corinthians again 517, if anyone is in Christ, their new creation, old things have passed away, beholding things have come. And verses 15 to 16 relate that to the resurrection. It says in the love of Christ controls us evaluating this, that one died for all there for all died and he died in order the ones living should live not for themselves, but for the one having died and been raised on their behalf. So they’re identified with his resurrection, there as a new creation, as 517 says, so when you think about it, and I would say at this point, that not taking seriously as a preaching pastor, not taking, taking seriously the resurrection, language and reality applied to the Christians present experience, to designate real resurrection existence to to downplay that. Just because it’s only a beginning spiritual thing as resurrection, unintentionally eviscerates, the ethical power of church teaching and preaching, since Christians need to know the resurrection power that they have. So when Daniel prophesied that those who sleep in the dust of the earth will arise and some to everlasting life, he wasn’t thinking just of a physical resurrection. He was thinking of a resurrection of the whole being spiritual as well.

Greg Beale
What he didn’t see so clearly is that for us, that would be a spirit, that spiritual fulfillment of the resurrection prophecy first and then physical, just as I’m sure that Daniel would not have seen clearly that Christ would rise first, physically, and then his people later at the end of the age. So some think that, you know, when Paul speaks of resurrection that we’ve been raised with Christ, that’s metaphorical. It’s figurative, we haven’t really man, I would contend, Paul means we really are resurrected beings in fulfillment of the resurrection prophecy. And if we really are not gonna say it’s a literal resurrection, I’m gonna say it’s a real resurrection. If we really are, that’s going to affect the way we live. Now, of course, there are ups and downs in the Christian life, Christians can be confident that they will progressively conquer the remaining sin in their lives. Because you can’t reverse the resurrection reality that they become a part of, you can’t reverse that. It will eventually be consummated in full resurrection, where body and spirit meet together. It’s like an incomplete puzzle. All of us have done jigsaw puzzles, I’m sure. And you can piece part of it together, but not everything. I regenerate, core has begun. And some of the other pieces are falling into place. But we’ll never put all all of it together until God puts it together at the final resurrection. So this is why I think that Paul again and again, and other New Testament writers will talk about our resurrection identity in the midst of commands. Now some think that the commands mean, we have the ability to obey them. Now, if you really look in the midst of those commands is our resurrection identity with Christ. Why? Because Paul knows, the only way we can obey those commands is if we have the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. Philippians 213 says it’s a god. It’s God who is at work in you both to will and to work for His good pleasure through the resurrection power of Christ. It’s especially important that pastors make clear to their congregations, the eschatological resurrection power that they possess, that their congregation present possesses true believers. Because awareness of this power enables believers to realize they have the ability to carry out God’s commands as First John five three says, if that’s the case, if we’re identified with the resurrected Christ, God’s commands are not burdensome they are if we don’t have that power. Now, making people aware of this summons I feel I’m supposed to talk about eschatology and my sermons. I mean, that sounds a little abstract. As you preach expository over years, be sensitive to the resurrection language that’s there. You don’t even have to use the word eschatology. Just say this is the entire resurrection existence, in our identity with the resurrected Christ. And as you begin to speak of that again and again, as it appears in the text, slowly, Perez. But surely this will sink into our people. So they know the power that we have, in order to please God and to obey his commands. So, some Christians say, Well, if that’s the case of God’s gonna do it all just sit back and do nothing. Well, I would say this to that. And it’s an illustration. When I lived in Wheaton, Illinois, I had a neighbor. And when it started snowing, he get out with a snowblower. After just one inch of snow, he had all the desire and motivation in the world to do that. He had this big, beautiful new snowblower. Maybe his wife gave it to him, I don’t know. But he had all the motivation in the world. After six inches had fallen, my wife would say, with an implicit command, Greg, when are you going to get out and shovel the snow? I had no motivation at all, why I had an old rusty shovel and a gravel driveway that made it more complicated. And so I had no desire, what’s the difference between me and my neighbor, he had the power to do it. And so he’s motivated. And not only that, if his wife gave him that, that he does it out of gratitude, a desire to please God, out of gratitude. So the authentic Christian who is a true New Creation is one who has the resurrection power of Christ. In the light of such texts we’ve seen this afternoon,

Greg Beale
we can understand St. Augustine statement, quote, Grant what you command and command what you will. It’s only when we see that God does it all that we give Him all the glory.

Benjamin Gladd
I’m Ben Gladd. I’m associate professor of New Testament at reformed Theological Seminary, in Jackson, Mississippi. As Professor Beal has demonstrated, the end of the ages has indeed broken into history. Christ is the perfect atom in true Israel who has come to achieve what all those before him have failed to achieve. So what we’re going to do is we’re going to turn to Mark five everybody in here, turn to Mark five, click to mark five, whatever you got to do, Mark five, one through 20. The goal just very briefly, is to focus on Jesus actions in exercising the demons from the garrison demoniac in Mark five one through 20. And how Mark’s depiction of this event serves as a paradigm for understanding the Old Testament and for sound preaching and teaching in our contemporary context. According to Mark five, this demoniac embodies the nations who are bound by demonic forces in cannot save themselves. The true tyrant in the first century is Satan and his demons, not the Canaanites, not the Assyrians, not the Babylonians, nor the Romans. The first four chapters of Mark’s gospel, they highlight the liberation of the Jews, Jewish people from Satan’s grip, but its focus is in Galilee. Here his grip is in Decapolis. So what we have here in chapter five is Jesus is moving eastward, he’s liberated, the Jewish people in Galilee and he’s now going to liberate the people on the eastern side of the lake, the nations. So let’s read very quickly, Mark five one through 20. Jesus and the disciples went across the lake to the region of the gara ziens. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet, no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills, he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice. What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God, in God’s name, Don’t torture me for Jesus had said to him come out of this man, you impure spirit. Then Jesus asked him, What is your name? My name is Legion. He replied, for we are many. And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. A large herd of pigs was feeding on a nearby hillside the demons begged Jesus send us among the pigs allow us to go into them. He gave them permission in the impure spirits came out, and went into the pigs the herd about 2000 and number rushed down the steep bank and into the lake and were drowned. Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons sitting there, dressed and in his right mind. And they were afraid, those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon possessed man, and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon possessed, begged to go with him. But Jesus did not let him but said, Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has on mercy and how he has had mercy on you. So this man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him at all the people were amazed.

Benjamin Gladd
There’s a strong connection between what Jesus does here and what he has done previously, in the stilling of the storm in the previous section, in 435, through 41. In both scenarios in this scenario, and in the previous scenario, with the stilling of the storm, the way that I read the stilling of the storm, is that Jesus is exercising demons from the sea. It’s fascinating if you do a word study of land and sea, what do you get? It’s the tower to the totality of creation. So Jesus is systematically reclaiming the land, reclaiming not just location, but he’s also reclaiming people. The spirits not only infest the land, they defile the land, but they have infested the Jewish people in the Gentiles. And so here he’s moving eastward. He’s essentially taking over this entire territory. In fact, when he commands the storm in verse 39, for 39 says Be quiet ISIS quiet be still this is precisely what he says in the exorcism in Capernaum, in 125, when he tells the demon to what, be quiet, further and in this vein, the exorcism This is critical the exorcism in the synagogue, the first one in the synagogue in Capernaum, in 121, through 28, is very similar to the exorcism we get here in chapter five. The first exorcism takes place in the Jewish house of worship the synagogue, and they’re in unclean spirit has infested that place. In this scenario, we have 6000 demons, they are now dwelling in a land, pagan idolatry, uncleanness tombs among the nations. But the goal of both this is important the goal of both both exorcisms is that there’s a purpose for the cleansing, Jesus simply doesn’t cleanse people and then moves on. He cleanses people He cleanses the area for the ultimate purpose of God dwelling with them. Jesus must read the environment and people of all uncleanness This is why in five to notice it says when Jesus got out of a boat, a man with an M, pure or unclean spirit came from the tombs to meet him. In verses three through five, this is very interesting in the narrative. This is the longest description we have of an individual in all of Mark’s gospel, is that fascinating. He devotes three entire verses to describing how bad this man is off. This man lives in the tombs and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been chained hand and foot but he tore the chains apart, and he broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills, he would cry out in cut himself with stones. We learned two things here, this demoniac is unable to be subdued, no one can bind him. Number two, this demoniac dwells in a place that reeks of defilement, tombs, pigs, Gentiles. It’s all here. Notice this though, so this is a very powerful demon. He is a named Legion. 6000 soldiers, what does he do in verse six? When he saw Jesus from a distance he ran and what? fell on his knees, he recognizes that he is inferior. See that? He read he bows in submission to Jesus. Think about that. Nobody could do what Jesus is about to do. And Jesus says, did you have to do anything? Immediately the demon realizes he is outranked.

Benjamin Gladd
Verse seven. What do you want with me Jesus, Son of the Most High God, filled with irony. In verse 41 of chapter four, immediately following the stilling of the storm, the disciples cry out, they were terrified and asked, Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him? It ends on a question. Do you notice that ends on a question? What do we get? Later on in chapter five? The demon answers the question that the disciples pose. The demon has more insight into Jesus identity than the 12. Those closest to him don’t recognize it. Yet those who are hostile to him immediately acknowledge it. Their issue is not Christology. They have good doctrine. James says that even the demons believe, and they tremble. This title, the Son of the Most High God, it’s used a few times in the Old Testament, Genesis 14, Psalm 78. It’s reserved exclusively for God. There is no doubt that Legion recognizes that Jesus is the God man. He recognizes that immediately. What this means is that Jesus is not simply the Messiah. He is the sovereign ruler of the cosmos. As the ruler of the universe, Jesus, what does he do? He’s now going to turn the tables. Because in exorcisms it’s it’s you invoke a person’s name to attempt to wrest control of them. So Legion comes up and he by summoning Jesus name some of the most high it is an attempt to save some control of Jesus. But what does Jesus do? He flips it around. What we have here then, is all the trappings of a battle. I want you to envision this, this is a battle. Notice how the disciples are off the scene there with Jesus. It says that, at the end at the beginning, but the disciples they’re not named at all. It’s just Jesus. In Legion. Even that term Legion is a military term. This is an End Time remember Dr. Beal said, but eschatology. That’s this right now we’re seeing Jesus do what he’s supposed to do. This is an in Time War between the God man Yawei, in the perfect atom in one person is that fascinating to nature’s Yahweh, in the perfect Adam and true Israel and now united in one man against the forces of evil. Jesus has ushered in the latter days, the very end of history. And here he is bringing a battle he’s waging this war. Now Mark records that some 2000 Pigs rushed into the Sea of Galilee where they drowned, you see that in 513. But keep in mind that we’re also on the heels of the stilling of the storm. Now, that’s important, because in the stilling of the storm, Jesus is reclaiming the sea. Symbolically, he’s simply because he had been casting out demons throughout Galilee, reclaiming the land. Here, he moves into the sea and the stilling of the storm, and he’s basically saying it is mine. This is my territory, so that the demons they wish to get into the pigs to possess these pigs to go into the sea, but it’s really interesting is that Jesus has already judged the sea. He’s already claimed it and named it as a word. So when the demon possessed pigs crashed into the lake here and 513 Mark concludes that these demons have joined their compatriots in judgment. They have admitted defeat, in other words, in fact, this is fascinating in 510. The major concern of Legion is what? Don’t send us into another area. Notice that Have you ever wondered why? It’s because this is their home? We’ve infested the capitalists, we’ve enslaved these nations. There are still send us into another place because you’ve reclaimed that property. But Jesus is going no, you are basically reclaiming the cosmos, Galilee, the sea, and now that the capitalists the devil and his minions have the Decapolis in a vise grip. This is their territory. But Jesus now remember Jesus name. Do you know what name that is? It’s Joshua. Right? Joshua is known for the conquest.

Benjamin Gladd
Jesus or Joshua is reclaiming the territory, in filling it with God fearing image bears, Adam, he should have cast out the serpent out of the garden, Israel should have exterminated the idolatrous Canaanites. Here it is, for the first time in the history of humanity. The forces of evil are decisively subdued. Jesus did this. Jesus precisely did that in the wilderness temptation Chapter One of Mark in here, he’s continuing that process. He’s now working it out here in chapter five. If we think big picture here, what Jesus is doing in chapter five as well. I think a careful reader would notice how striking this event how strikingly similar this event is, with the drowning of Pharaoh’s army. Have you thought about that? And Exodus 14 and 15. Here you have the Egyptian army mounted against the Israelites. But do you notice Yawei is this divine warrior? Here, Legion is mounting an attack upon the people of God, namely, Christ. So you have both situations you have military in play? And how are the Egyptians defeated? How are they defeated? by drowning in the sea? How is this enemy defeated by drowning in the sea? In Exodus 15, it’s Yawei, the warrior who judges Pharaoh’s army, who is it here? Jesus, the Lord, Yahweh, in the flesh. judgment of the Egyptians, if you keep reading in chapter 14 judgment of the Egyptians results in what? God receiving the glory, great things he has done. What do we get here? In 520, judgment of Legion results in Jesus receiving the glory as well. Do you see that? So the man went away and began to tell him that a capitalist how much Jesus had done for him, do you see? He’s proclaiming Jesus? And then in Exodus 1514, the nation’s admit to God’s unrivaled power inherent 520 Again, if I, if I’m reading this rightly, the people of the Decapolis and MIT to Jesus unmatched power. So what are some reflections here are three of them very briefly. Number one, when we do this sort of thing, I think this is a great case study of biblical theology old and the new. Already not yet. Number one, use your cross references. If you don’t have a Bible, sell your kidney and get one I don’t know what to tell you. You can get a lot of good Bibles for that.

Benjamin Gladd
Please use the terrific reference by Professor Beal and Carson, the commentary on the New Testament use of the old that will help you with there as well also, when I’m also advocating is this idea of learning the patterns of the Old Testament and this is what this is work. You have to learn you have to read the scriptures over and over notice patterns right? Once you understand the patterns, then you can really see what Jesus is doing. For example, the stilling of the storm and mark for recalls the Israelites emerging through the waters of chaos. The Exorcism here at the Giza in the garrison. demoniac alludes to Israel’s conquest, the feeding of the 5000 and Mark six looks back to Yahweh feeding his people in the wilderness. Do you see that like these are patterns in Jesus career? The more we understand the Old Testament, the more we understand the patterns, the greater the person of Christ is. Let me pray. Father, we’re so thankful for your word. We’re thankful for these patterns. We’re thankful that You defeated Satan decisively. And we look forward to the day when you will do so completely and it’s in his name we pray, Amen.