December 06, 2011

Jesus, Our Great God and Savior

Mark 4:35-5:20

They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Mark 4:41

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As the apostle Paul says, Jesus is “our great God and Savior” (Titus 2:13). He rules over all the nations of the world; he directs the course of history. He has power in heaven, on earth, and over hell.

Mark provides several examples of this truth when he relates in rapid succession four miracles that Jesus, our great God and Savior, performed.

Jesus calmed the sea, demonstrating his power over nature. He freed a man who was possessed by a legion of demons, showing his authority over the forces of evil. Jesus healed a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, revealing his power over sickness. Then he brought a twelve-year-old girl back to life, showing his power over death. (See Mark 4:35-5:43.)

Jesus has power over creation, over the realms of darkness, over illness, and over death. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” he said (Matthew 28:18).

For Jesus, every problem has a solution. If you are desperate and in the grip of problems that are greater than your strength, give them to Jesus right now.

He is mighty to forgive, save, comfort, and console. You can trust him. He is our great God and Savior!

Almighty Lord, please take in your mighty hands every weight that has caused pain and suffering in my life. Strengthen me to trust you, for all power and authority are in you. In your name, Amen.

About the author — Hernandes Lopes

Rev. Hernandes Dias Lopes grew up in a Christian home in Brazil. Following his 1981 graduation from Seminário Presbiteriano do Sul in Campinas, Brazil, he served two congregations of the Presbyterian Church in Brazil. In 2000, he earned a doctor of ministry degree from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi. Rev. Lopes has been the voice of the television program Verdade e Vida (“Truth and Life”) since 2006. In 2010 he was appointed Portuguese ministry leader for Back to God Ministries International. Rev. Lopes and his wife, Tinha, have two college-age children.

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