4 Perspectives for 4 Days: The Father of the Boy
Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 9:14-29; Luke 9:37-43

Jesus is on the way to the Passion, Gethsemane and the Cross.  He takes His ‘inner circle’, Peter, James and John up on a mountain, leaving the other disciples to tend the proverbial store.  While they are on the mountain, Jesus meets with a heavenly committee composed of His Father, Moses and Elijah.  We have no idea what was discussed during the Transfiguration, but you would have to think that the upcoming Passion was on the agenda, if not the agenda for the day.  The glory fades as Father tells Peter, James and John ‘This is My Son, whom I love.  Listen to Him!’ (Mark 9:7) and Jesus heads down the mountain, back into the world and the final phase of His ministry and life.

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4 Perspectives for 4 Days: The Father of the Boy
Matthew 17:14-18; Mark 9:14-27; Luke 9:37-43

I am a common man, nothing of note or special about me.  I live in Galilee and make my living among the fishermen and businesses centered on the Lake.  I have a son who is possessed by a spirit that keeps him from speaking and which seizes him, throwing him on the ground with great violence, causing him to foam at the mouth and grind his teeth and become rigid all over.  When we are at home, this spirit often seizes him and throws him into the fire or when we are out fishing, the same spirit throws him into the lake.  It is destroying my son.  My wife and I watch him constantly, fearing that sooner or later, this spirit will seize him when we are not able to do anything for him.

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In this week’s episode, Jeff Baker shares the story of Jesus healing a demon-possessed boy and discusses the power of God over evil in the world today.

 

 Evil Is Powerless [38:36m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

4 Perspectives for 4 Days: Two Millenia Later
John 5:1-15

The sick man at Bethesda; we don’t know how old he was, how long he had been lying by the pool or how long he had been unable to walk.  We don’t know if he had any friends or family; if he did, they were nowhere in evidence on that Sabbath.  We do know that he had been sick for 38 years.  We know that he had seen others make it to the pool before him and walk away with their healing and we know that in spite of all the apparently impossible challenges facing him, he never gave up in the quest for his healing.  We also know that if he had given up, he wouldn’t have been at the pool the day Jesus showed up.

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4 Perspectives for 4 Days: The Jews
John 5:8-47

It is the Sabbath in Jerusalem during a festival of the Jews.  Jesus goes down to the Pool of Bethesda and heals a man who had been sick for 38 years and unable to walk, telling the man ‘Pick up your mat and walk!’ (5:8), and that is where we pick up the story.

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4 Perspectives for 4 Days: The Sick Man
John 5:1-14

A crippled man is waiting for the healing water at the Pool of Bethesda.  He cannot walk and has been sick for at least 38 years.  We didn’t know exactly how he has come to be like this, but some of his misery could be attributed to his past sins (John 5:14).

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In this week’s episode, Bart Wilkins, teaches about the subject of healing and its role in God’s greater plan. God’s purpose for our lives calls for both suffering and healing.

 

 You Have a Purpose [35:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

4 Perspectives for 4 Days: Jesus
John 5:1-14

Jesus is on a journey, a journey of living in obedience to the Holy Spirit, a journey of learning to listen and obey.  That journey began on the River Jordan when He submitted to the baptism of John the Baptist and was in turn baptized with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22).  Some days later He is in Cana, at a wedding with Mary, His mother (John 2:1-11).  A crisis arises in that the wedding has run out of wine.  Mary asks, as only a mother can ask, for Jesus to do something.  Jesus initially sees nothing that involves Him, but then after a pregnant pause, takes that first active step on His journey with the Holy Spirit by turning water into wine.  Later on, once again in Cana (John 4:46-54), Jesus is confronted by a man who has a very sick son and again He hesitates to involve Himself, and again, He speaks the word of healing and the boy lives.  Twice Jesus has been confronted by demands to intervene supernaturally in situations and twice He has heard the voice of the Spirit leading Him and responded in obedience.

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