Christian Quest
Study 13
Miracles according to Luke
Execution of John the Baptist

Reading:
Luke 8:22-56 and 9:1-11
Then:
Matthew 14:1-12
Mark 6:14-31

In this study we consider Luke's accounts of Jesus quieting the storm on the Sea of Galilee, demons cast into the herd of swine, the woman healed of hemorrhaging, and raising from the dead the daughter of the synagogue official, already covered in previous studies of Matthew and Mark. Then, the account of all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) of the execution of John the Baptist.

The Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee is really a large lake, not a sea. It is fresh water, not salt water, and it is fed from the north by the Jordan River which headwaters from the snowy peaks of Mount Herman near the borders of Libia and Syria. The lake is 13 miles long and 7 miles wide, and 130-157 feet deep. It is also known as the Tiberias Lake or the Kinneret which comes from the Hebrew word for harp, since the lake is somewhat shaped like a harp. It is abundant with various species of fish. In Jesus' day, the Galilee was a crossroads in many directions. The communications, lush fertility of the valley, beauty of the landscape and the hot springs of Tiberias drew a large population as well as being on the main route for commercial trade between the world powers to the north and southwest.

The lake can periodically experience sudden and violent storms which rise in a moment of time without warning and can be quite trecherous for smaller boats if they are caught in out in the deep. Such was the case when the apostles with Jesus crossed the lake after he preached from Peter's boat to the crowd gathered by the shore. The picture on the right shows a view of the lake near where they would have sailed across to the pagan Greek community of the Gerasenes on the eastern side, where Jesus calmed a storm before they arrived, and where he cast the demons out of a man into a herd of swine.

The Bay of the Parables

Until not too many years ago, there were questions as to how a large crowd of people could hear Jesus, as the Bible says, when he spoke to thousands along the seashore teaching them his parables. While the exact place where he preached cannot be known with certainty, it has been found that a distinctive bay inlet from the lake near Capernaum, where the terrain slopes down around it, provides amazing fine acoustics like that of a Roman amphitheater. The marvel of this natural formation with incredible natural acoustics has been scientifically investigated by Israeli researchers.

They declare that Jesus' voice could have carried quite effortlessly from his floating pulpit to a multitude of several thousand people on the shore from the above vantage. It might have been here that Jesus told the first parable of a sower sowing seeds which some "fell along the path, some fell on rocky places or fell among thorns and still other seed fell on good soil" (Mk 4:4-8) Had his listeners been sitting here, it would surely have provided vivid imagery for the story, for it is rocky with patches of thorns and thistles, and the black soil from disintegrated lava (basalt) is particularly fertile. So the bay has been named "The Bay of the Parables" and is the traditional site visited by tourists as a likely place where Jesus taught the people from Peter's fishing boat..

Synopsis

Luke 8:22-25 Jesus calm's the storm. (Compare with Matt. 8:23-27 and Mark 4:35-41)
After Jesus' sermon to the crowd on the shore, he proposed to the apostles that they cross the lake to the eastern side. The question might be asked why Jesus would do this knowing full well that it was the northern-most part of the Decapolis inhabited by Greek pagans. Pompey came from Syria in 63 B.C. and conferred pagan-Hellenistic city rights on the Decapolis.

As far as the record shows, Jesus never told his apostles or claimed to anyone that he was the Messiah. In fact, it would be against Roman law to make such a claim, as it would be viewed as dissidence against the authority of Caesar and of Herod. So it was that Jesus let the apostles find out for themselves who he was by observing his marvelous works. It is evident that they still did not fully realize who Jesus was when he calmed the storm in crossing the lake, for when they observed it, for it was with trepidation they asked one another: "Who then is this, that He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him?" (Luke 8:25 NAS)

Luke 8:26-39 Jesus casts out demons from a Gerasene (Gadarene in Matthew) man into a herd of swine (Also Matt. 8:28-34 and Mark 5:1-20)
When Jesus and the apostles came to the shore of the Gerasenes, opposite of the region of the Galilee, they encountered a wildman possessed of demons who spoke to Jesus and acknowledged he was "Son of the God Most High". The apostles of course saw and heard all of this. Now it could not be said that Roman law was violated by demons from a crazy man calling Jesus the Son of God. His demonstration of superior power over the "legion" of demons must have been most enlightening for His disciples--exorcising them into swine which no doubt were raised for food and sacrifice to idols. The Canaanites had sacrificed pigs to the demons. Archaeologists have found altars erected for that purpose. In the Canaanite period all slaughtering of animals was in a way a sacrifice, as it was for the Jews as well. So the relationship between swine and demons is understandable. For example, the emblem of one of the most famous legions, the Decima Fretensis, was that of a wild boar. Therefore it may have been Jesus' purpose in this mission to demonstrate by deed and action who He was, the Son of God Most High, for the benefit of his most intimate followers. Yet never breaking the law by claiming to be the King and Messiah of the Jews. Also, if this action was a defiance against their pagan gods, that might explain why the general Gerasene townfolk were fearful and wanted Jesus to leave their country. Quite a different reception than what the people around Capernaum exhibited for his deeds.

A scripture text in Ezekiel, verse 39:11, reads:
On that day I will give Gog a burial place in Israel, in the valley of those passing by on the east of the Sea. It will block the way of the travelers, because Gog and all his hordes will be buried there. So it will be called the Valley of Hamon God."

Luke 8:41-48 Jesus' garment is touched by a woman afflicted with hemorrhaging and is healed
(Also Matt. 9:18-22 and Mark 5:21-34)
In Jewish law, it was considered unclean to touch a leper, a gentile, a corpse, or a woman menstruating. For example, one could not enter the temple in Jerusalem for seven days after such incident. So one can only imagine the lonely existence of this woman who had been bleeding for 12 years. She knew the importance of ritual cleanliness to Jews, yet she risked moving through the crowd following Jesus in order to come up behind him and touch his garment in hopes of being healed. Jesus sensed what had happened, but did not rebuke her. Rather, he blessed her for her faith.

Luke 8:49-56 Jarius's daughter is awakened from death (Compare Matt. 9:23-26 and Mark 5:35-43)
The episode of Jesus' venture across the Sea of Galilee and return concluded when he raised from death the daughter of a synagogue official in the presence of her parents, Peter, James and John. Again, he instructed them to tell no one what had happened. It is interesting that he gave the opposite instruction to the Gerasene man whom he cured of demon possession, to whom he had instructed to go an tell everyone what he had seen.

Luke 9:6 Jesus imparts power to the apostles and commissions them to preach (Also Matt. 10:1-14; Mark 6:7-16)
With this, Jesus determined it was time to commission the apostles to preach the Kingdom and impart to them the power to heal and expell demons. He charged instructed them of how to minister the Kingdom message. And Jesus continued to go among the villages and preach and heal.

Luke 9:7-11, Matthew 10:14:1-12 and Mark 6:14-31:
Execution of John the Baptist by Herod
When John the Baptist was arrested and being held in prison for criticizing Herod's marriage to his brother's wife, even he had began to wonder who Jesus really was. As we have read, he sent some of his own disciples to inquire of Jesus whether he was the expected one. Rumours were going around among the Jews that Jesus was Elijah or a new prophet. He had not violated the law by announcing who he was.

For his birthday, Herod's niece and step-daughter, danced at a banquet party which he hosted for his officers and influencial citizens of Galilee. In his delight he offered to grant her anything she desired up to half of his kingdom. When the daughter asked her mother what she should ask for, the mother instructed her to ask for the head of John the Baptist on a platter. How she must have hated John to choose that over half of Herod's kingdom for her daughter! Herod was grieved, but he honored his oath to the girl in the presence of all at the party and had John beheaded immediately in prison.

Afterward when Herod heard of the miracles and preaching and baptizing of Jesus, he had a twinge of conscience and feared that Jesus was John the Baptist come back to life. Following news of this tragic event, Jesus and the apostles withdrew for some solitude.

Optional research:

Review questions:

Optional discussion: Why might Jesus have waited until after these events to commission his apostles for preaching the Gospel and empower them to heal? Also, why might Jesus have instructed the Gerasene man to tell all in the pagan community about the miracles he had experienced and seen, but would instruct Jews not to tell anyone about miracles they saw him perform in Galilee?