Luke 9:10-17 contains an account of one of Jesus’ most famous and astounding miracles. It is a miracle of creative power viewed in a vast public display. It served as the climactic moment in Jesus’ Galilean ministry and set the stage for a probing question he posed to his disciples, “Who do you say that I am?”

In the ninth chapter of Luke, Jesus’ Galilean ministry began to draw to a close. In a climactic act, Jesus sent out his disciples as an extension of his own ministry, charging them to proclaim his message of the Kingdom and empowering them to confirm the message through miraculous deeds.

Luke 8:26-39 records an encounter Jesus had with a man possessed and abused by demonic forces. Several important themes are woven throughout the story. The demoniac serves as living parable of the tragic human condition. The story also points us to Jesus who alone wields power sufficient to overcome evil. Particularly instructive is the response of those involved. The man delivered and transformed wanted to follow Jesus, but nearby residents, finding the man “clothed and in his right mind,” asked Jesus to leave their region. Why? They cared more about their present possessions than about the eternal salvation of a soul. Luke subtly weaves one other important theme throughout the story: the universal nature of the message of Jesus.

The sermon text for this Lord’s Day (Luke 8:22-25) records a miracle through which Jesus displays his authority over the created order. The disciples are left trembling at the display of unimaginable power and asking “Who is this?!”

The sermon text for this Lord’s Day contains a startling account of Jesus’s interaction with his own family (Luke 8:19-21). He declared, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” The unmistakable point of the paragraph is that a relationship with Jesus is the most important relationship that you can have.”

The theme of light runs through the sermon text for this Lord’s Day (Luke 8:16-18). Light is a metaphor for truth. The truth mentioned in our text has God as its source and Jesus as both its messenger and subject. Jesus called his hearers to listen carefully to his message because it brings both hope and threat; as light, it illuminates and exposes.

People often suggest that Jesus told parables to illustrate the truths he taught. But Jesus, himself, explains in the sermon text for this Lord’s Day that he did not intend for his parables to illumine truth; rather, they concealed the truth. Only those whom the Lord calls into Jesus’ Kingdom will understand it and embrace it. Luke 8:1-15 contains a famous parable and Jesus’ explanation of it. It shows that the gospel “takes root” and grows only in the hearts of those who hold fast the truth of the word of God.

Luke 7:36-50 tells the story of a woman who put her love for Jesus on public display. She received from him the forgiveness of sins that comes through faith. Consequently, her great love for him overflowed like an artesian well.

The sermon text for this Lord’s Day (Luke 7:18-35), Jesus responds to questions about his identity. He contrasts those who refuse to trust him with those who do. The conclusion of the passage displays this great truth: Jesus is God’s promised Messiah; those who trust him are wise.