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The Roman Soldier · Bible in a Year with Jack Graham

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  Speaker 1: When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and
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  Speaker 1: turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him,
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  Speaker 1: I say unto you, I have not found so great faith. No,
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  Speaker 1: not in Israel. Luke 7.9 I stand with full belief, Lord,
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  Speaker 1: as I look to you, to restore health to every
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  Speaker 1: place in my being. I choose to stand on the
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  Speaker 1: truth of your word, and declare that healing is mine
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  Speaker 1: for the taking because of the sacrifice and blood of Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: In the same way the centurion soldier believed in your
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  Speaker 1: spoken word, Jesus, I know that through your holy Bible,
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  Speaker 1: your word is being spoken to me all the time.
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  Speaker 1: And with the same faith, I know that whatever you
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  Speaker 1: command as done is done. Thank you, Lord, for bringing
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  Speaker 1: dead things back to life, like the bones of Ezekiel.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you that even though my dreams seem to be
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  Speaker 1: dead in a coffin, you can resurrect them back to life. So,
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  Speaker 1: in the name of Jesus, I command healing to flood
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  Speaker 1: my life. In the name of Jesus, I command dead
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  Speaker 1: dreams and visions to breathe new life and to arise.
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  Speaker 1: through the activation of great faith. I will do great
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  Speaker 1: things on your behalf, Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen. Thank
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  Speaker 1: you for making prayer a priority in your day. To
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  Speaker 1: learn more about the Bible, stay tuned for today's story.
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  Speaker 1: Brought to you by BibleInAYear.com.
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  Speaker 2: The Roman Soldier In our last story, Jesus called the
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  Speaker 2: twelve disciples. They were not chosen because of their skills
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  Speaker 2: or accomplishments. They were not chosen because of their wisdom
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  Speaker 2: or prowess. No, Jesus chose a ragtag group of misfits
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  Speaker 2: and outcasts.
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  Speaker 1: Through them, the.
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  Speaker 2: Kingdom of God would spread across the entire world. Now
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  Speaker 2: we witness the authority of Jesus over death itself. Jesus
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  Speaker 2: heals in a way that spits in the face of
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  Speaker 2: death People begin to truly understand that Jesus is more
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  Speaker 2: than just a good teacher. He alone holds the power
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  Speaker 2: over life itself, inspired by the Gospels.
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  Speaker 3: I'm so glad you joined us on the Bible in
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  Speaker 3: a Year podcast today. But before we get to today's episode,
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  Speaker 3: I want you to know that I would absolutely love
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  Speaker 3: to send you my daily devotional that will give you
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  Speaker 3: fresh encouragement every single morning and day. From the moment
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  Speaker 3: we wake up to the moment our head finally hits
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  Speaker 3: the pillow, there are thousands of things demanding our attention.
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  Speaker 3: But it's in the midst of all this crush and
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  Speaker 3: hustle and bustle that you and I need peace and
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  Speaker 3: truth in God's Word. That's why I want to help
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  Speaker 3: you spend time each day growing in God's life-giving, life-changing
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  Speaker 3: Word by sending you my free daily email devotional, PowerPoint, today.
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  Speaker 3: So visit JackGraham.org to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional.
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  Speaker 3: That's JackGraham.org. JackGraham.org. In our previous episode, Jesus called his
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  Speaker 3: 12 disciples, an unlikely group of men that, by the
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  Speaker 3: world's standards, showed no great potential. But it would be
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  Speaker 3: through these men that God's plan and purpose and power
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  Speaker 3: would be shown to the whole world, that the gospel
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  Speaker 3: would go to the nations. Today, We'll hear how Jesus'
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  Speaker 3: healing stops at nothing, not even death itself. And we'll
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  Speaker 3: see how his offer of healing and new life does
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  Speaker 3: not stop at the Jewish people, but extends to those
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  Speaker 3: who were seen as the enemy and the outsider. Jesus
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  Speaker 3: was showing himself as much more than a wise teacher.
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  Speaker 3: He was demonstrating God's unrelenting power and compassion for those
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  Speaker 3: who are hurting, broken, and even have died. So, let's
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  Speaker 3: listen now to the reading of the gospel of Christ.
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  Speaker 2: The Roman centurion sat beside his servant's bed. The fever
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  Speaker 2: had completely overtaken him, and there didn't seem to be
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  Speaker 2: much time left. Although the Roman official was high in
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  Speaker 2: the ranks of the greatest army in the world, he
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  Speaker 2: was not above caring for those he cared about. The
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  Speaker 2: servant who had risked his life so many times to
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  Speaker 2: aid him in battle was on the brink of death.
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  Speaker 2: The finest doctors the Roman Empire had to offer could
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  Speaker 2: do nothing. However, the centurion knew there may be one
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  Speaker 2: man who could help. He had heard rumors of a
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  Speaker 2: Jewish teacher going around the land healing people. Upon further investigation,
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  Speaker 2: this man seemed to be the fulfillment of old Hebrew prophecies.
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  Speaker 2: Whoever he was, he was the centurion's last hope to
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  Speaker 2: heal his servant. So he called for his officials and
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  Speaker 2: sent them to go find the man called Jesus. Jesus
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  Speaker 2: was walking about Capernaum, meeting the needs of people around him.
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  Speaker 2: All of the sudden, Jesus was stopped by some Jewish
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  Speaker 2: elders who had been sent by the centurion. Jesus, we
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  Speaker 2: ask humbly that you would come and see this man's servant.
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  Speaker 2: He is not like the other Romans. He cares for
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  Speaker 2: our people and is worthy of your attention, they said.
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  Speaker 2: Very well, Jesus said. And he left with the elders
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  Speaker 2: to go to the centurion's home. When the Roman heard
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  Speaker 2: that Jesus was on his way to his home, he
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  Speaker 2: became nervous. He did not think of himself as worthy
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  Speaker 2: for Jesus to make the trip over to his home.
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  Speaker 2: So he sent a servant to stop Jesus from coming.
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  Speaker 2: With the servant was a message saying, Please, Lord, do
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  Speaker 2: not trouble yourself. I am not worthy to have you
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  Speaker 2: come under my roof. I am a Gentile and represent
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  Speaker 2: the oppression of Rome. I am a man of authority.
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  Speaker 2: When I tell my men to come and go, they
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  Speaker 2: do so without question. I know you are also a
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  Speaker 2: man of great authority. All you need is to speak.
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  Speaker 2: and my servant will be healed. Jesus marveled at the
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  Speaker 2: faith of this centurion. He understood the profound reality that Jesus'
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  Speaker 2: miracles did not come from magic tricks or special rituals.
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  Speaker 2: He held the authority over all things. Jesus turned to
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  Speaker 2: his disciples and said, I have not seen such faith
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  Speaker 2: from anyone in all of Israel. So Jesus departed, and
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  Speaker 2: the messengers returned home to find the centurion's servant healed
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  Speaker 2: and well. Soon afterward, Jesus traveled to the town of Nain.
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  Speaker 2: A large crowd followed Jesus wherever he went. However, when
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  Speaker 2: he arrived at Nain, people were surprised. Nain was a
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  Speaker 2: desolate and ugly town. It was dirty and filled with crime. However,
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  Speaker 2: Jesus walked with purpose behind each step. He went nowhere
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  Speaker 2: on accident. As Jesus entered into the town, a line
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  Speaker 2: of people were exiting. They were all wearing black, and
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  Speaker 2: a man was being carried out of the town to
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  Speaker 2: be buried. He was the only son of his widowed mother.
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  Speaker 2: Now that he had died, she was utterly and completely alone.
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  Speaker 2: Jesus watched as the people walked out of the city.
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  Speaker 2: Then he saw the man's mother. Her eyes were red
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  Speaker 2: from tears. Jesus could feel her pain deep in his stomach.
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  Speaker 2: Watching her mourn over her son was heart-wrenching. Jesus was
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  Speaker 2: filled with compassion. He held the woman in his arms.
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  Speaker 2: She wept bitter tears of sorrow. Jesus' disciples watched as
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  Speaker 2: Jesus comforted this old woman, like a father would his daughter.
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  Speaker 2: Do not cry, Jesus hushed. Then he approached the men
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  Speaker 2: holding up the dead son and stopped them from walking.
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  Speaker 2: Jesus touched the dead man's chest gently. Young man, Jesus whispered,
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  Speaker 2: I say to you, arise. And just as in the
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  Speaker 2: valley of dry bones in Ezekiel, the word of the
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  Speaker 2: Lord caused new life to spring forth in the young man,
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  Speaker 2: His lungs filled with air and he sat up from
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  Speaker 2: his stretcher. A wonderful fear came over them all as
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  Speaker 2: they watched the once dead man walk to his mother.
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  Speaker 2: She crumbled in his arms, sobbing deep tears of joy.
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  Speaker 2: Jesus smiled as he watched the two of them embrace.
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  Speaker 2: Then he gestured for his disciples to follow him out
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  Speaker 2: of Nain. Report of Jesus' act spread like fire fueled
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  Speaker 2: by wind. People from near and far could not help
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  Speaker 2: but travel to get.
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  Speaker 1: A glimpse of Jesus.
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  Speaker 2: The great hero of Scripture was now known. History would
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  Speaker 2: never be the same.
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  Speaker 3: Today's Scripture, the story of Jesus, begins with a powerful
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  Speaker 3: man sitting at the side of his servant's bed, unable
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  Speaker 3: to do anything to bring that man relief or wellness.
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  Speaker 3: No doctor had been able to cure the man of
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  Speaker 3: his fever. The setting itself shows us that this Roman centurion,
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  Speaker 3: a commander of dozens of soldiers, was compassionate and caring.
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  Speaker 3: He was truly seeking the best for this man who
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  Speaker 3: was under his care and command, which is the mark
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  Speaker 3: of a true leader. Though many Roman soldiers were hard
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  Speaker 3: and callous men, cruel men really, here we see a
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  Speaker 3: compassionate Roman soldier. He had heard that a man by
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  Speaker 3: the name of Jesus was healing people among the Jews. So,
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  Speaker 3: He sent for Jesus to be called to his home,
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  Speaker 3: hoping that the Lord could heal his beloved servant. Those
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  Speaker 3: who went to Jesus vouched for the centurion, saying that
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  Speaker 3: he had been kind to Israel, even helping them build
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  Speaker 3: a synagogue. In their minds, this man deserved the grace
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  Speaker 3: that he requested. So Jesus went to the man's home,
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  Speaker 3: and this is where it really gets interesting. You see,
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  Speaker 3: before the man even arrived, the centurion sent word to Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: saying in Luke 7, 6 and 7, Lord, don't trouble yourself,
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  Speaker 3: for I do not deserve to have you come under
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  Speaker 3: my roof. Notice that while others pleaded for this man
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  Speaker 3: based on his merit, his deeds, claiming he deserved to
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  Speaker 3: have Jesus heal his servant, this man lived under no
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  Speaker 3: such illusion. He knew he was not worthy. He didn't
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  Speaker 3: even consider himself worthy to be in the presence of Jesus.
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  Speaker 3: Once again, as we see so many times in Scripture,
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  Speaker 3: It is an outsider, a non-Jewish person in this case,
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  Speaker 3: who seems to really get it. This wasn't about merit
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  Speaker 3: or behavior, trying to earn God's favor. This is a
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  Speaker 3: man who knew he needed to humble himself before Jesus,
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  Speaker 3: as we all must do. But the man didn't stop there.
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  Speaker 3: He exhibited amazing faith, saying that he knew that with
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  Speaker 3: just a word, Jesus could heal his servant. I love that.
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  Speaker 3: Just say the word and my servant will be healed.
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  Speaker 3: This was not an experiential faith. Jesus had not yet
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  Speaker 3: healed his servant. He had not healed this man or
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  Speaker 3: anyone that he knew before. He believed based on what
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  Speaker 3: he had heard about Jesus. Faith comes by hearing according
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  Speaker 3: to the scripture and hearing by the word of God.
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  Speaker 3: And by God's word that was spreading, this centurion had faith.
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  Speaker 3: It was a faith greater than any Jesus had seen
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  Speaker 3: in all of Israel. Those words would surely have stung
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  Speaker 3: the Pharisees and any who considered themselves to be faith-filled people.
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  Speaker 3: How could this foreign oppressor, a Roman, have greater faith
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  Speaker 3: than they? But just as the man had said he could,
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  Speaker 3: Jesus spoke the word. He said he would. And when
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  Speaker 3: they returned to the centurion, the servant was fully healed. Amazing.
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  Speaker 3: Truly amazing. There is power in the name of Jesus.
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  Speaker 3: There is power in the word of Jesus. Speak the
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  Speaker 3: name of Jesus and watch what he can do in
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  Speaker 3: your life. Jesus then went to a town called Nain.
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  Speaker 3: There we see the compassionate heart of Jesus once again.
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  Speaker 3: As the disciples and the Lord are entering the city,
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  Speaker 3: they see a funeral procession. A widow has lost her
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  Speaker 3: only son, a grown man who would have been this
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  Speaker 3: woman's only provider and hope for stability and provision. This time,
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  Speaker 3: nobody sought Jesus out, but rather he sought the woman out.
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  Speaker 3: He saw her, and we're told that his heart reached
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  Speaker 3: out to her. What a beautiful picture of how God
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  Speaker 3: sees us, you and me, in our need. He knows
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  Speaker 3: our name. He knows our need. He sees our desperate,
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  Speaker 3: hopeless state, that we are walking and living in darkness,
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  Speaker 3: in spiritual death, and his heart goes out to us.
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  Speaker 3: So Jesus went to the woman. He calmed her and
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  Speaker 3: comforted her. telling her not to cry. He then commanded
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  Speaker 3: the man to rise to life, that life would re-enter
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  Speaker 3: his body, and this man who was dead walked into
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  Speaker 3: his mother's arms. All who saw this were mesmerized by
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  Speaker 3: the miracle, and they glorified God, saying that the Lord
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  Speaker 3: had surely come to his people through Jesus. They spoke
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  Speaker 3: a truth that day, the depth of which they did
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  Speaker 3: not yet fully understand. But God had indeed come to
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  Speaker 3: save his people, to bring the dead back to life,
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  Speaker 3: and to restore his children into his loving arms. Dear God,
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  Speaker 3: how thankful we are once again to praise your name
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  Speaker 3: for the hope and the healing that you give us.
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  Speaker 3: You give us the promise of eternal life through Jesus
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  Speaker 3: our Lord. Thank you that you can raise the dead,
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  Speaker 3: that you have raised us to a new life in
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  Speaker 3: Christ that we will live with you now and forever.
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  Speaker 3: Thank you for your love, your grace, your salvation, the
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  Speaker 3: healing and the hope that is ours because of what
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  Speaker 3: you have done. In Jesus' name, amen. Thank you for
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  Speaker 3: listening to today's Bible in a Year podcast. I'm Jack
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  Speaker 3: Graham from Dallas, Texas. And before we go, I want
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  Speaker 3: you to know that I would love to send you
• 14:29
  Speaker 3: my daily devotional to give you fresh encouragement every single day.
• 14:35
  Speaker 3: So visit jackgraham.org to sign up for your PowerPoint Today devotional.
• 14:40
  Speaker 3: That's jackgram.org.