For With Authority
Notes
Transcript
And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.
And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.
And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her.
And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils.
And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.
Introduction
Introduction
In our passage this morning, we see Jesus winning a spiritual battle. Often we forget that there is a struggle for the souls of men in this fallen world. We will see the authority of Jesus is the key to victory still today.
Mark was likely the first Gospel written. Under the inspiration of God, he writes with an intent to point his readers toward the Cross and the Empty Tomb. Those who read are faced with a question: who is this Jesus?
As we grow in our walk with God this year, we want to be Following in the Life of Faith. That means that we must begin with the correct Person to put our faith in. Mark gives us the message of Jesus to all people.
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Will you commit each day to believe God and His promises? Will you confess your sins and choose to grow in relationship to Him? If you have not yet, will you believe in Him for salvation? Let’s Follow in the Life of Faith this year and see God do what He says He will!
There is a clear battle in the pages of Scripture between the forces of Satan, the deceiver, and the power of God. Some throughout history have erroneously seen this a duality of powers that are evenly matched. This is heresy. God is all powerful. He created Lucifer perfect in heaven. Satan chose to rebel against God because he wanted to be greater than God. We can see this thought process in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. Along with other angels, Satan walked into sin and are now unable to worship God because of their choice. There is no redemption for them. Together, they work against God and His plan of redemption of mankind.
This is the spiritual battle that we face each and every day. We may not see the physical evidence of this but we can see the evidence of sin in the hearts and actions of men. There is a spiritual battle today. We saw in our study of Ephesians that as believers, we are commanded to stand firm against the “wiles of the devil” and pray. Prayer is bringing a report of our spiritual battle into the throne room of God. He has already won the victory on Calvary and out of the Empty Tomb. God has won and we call to Him to win the battles that face us.
There are times in history that something changed the course of battles.
The victory of the Allied army at Waterloo is one example. Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, led a combined force of British, Dutch, and some German troops against Napoleon and his French army. Wellington had won fame for his victories in Portugal and Spain previously. However, he had never fought Napoleon directly. The arrival of the German army, later in the day, provided the strength needed to win the victory. Together, they were able to bring about the defeat of one of the greatest generals of history.
We have the same need of help today. However, in our spiritual battle, it is not the combined forces of equals that will bring victory. It is only the authority of Jesus and His victory on the Cross. He has won the battle. This morning, let’s see the power of the authority of Jesus Christ.
Declaration
Declaration
Jesus' authority is what the Christian life is based upon for truth. Jesus showed forth His authority in teaching, casting out demons and healing. Today, we need to bring our concerns to Him so that we can see His authority over each circumstance.
1. Seek His Authority for Truth
1. Seek His Authority for Truth
And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.
As Jesus and His four disciples come away from the Sea of Galilee, they enter the city of Capernaum. This city will be the central location of much of Jesus’ ministry in the north of Israel. Jesus follows the pattern of gathering for worship in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The men of the city, here, Seek His Authority for Truth as He teaches the word.
This is the first time we see a synagogue in this Gospel. The synagogue was both a religious and cultural center for the Jewish population in a city. Outside of Palestine, they would come here for meeting and fellowship as well as worship on the Sabbath. Here in Capernaum, the elders of the synagogue asked Jesus, a traveling teacher, to bring the sermon this morning.
Verse 22 tells us that they were “astonished at his doctrine.” Doctrine and teaching are the same in the Bible. When we speak of “Bible Doctrines”, we are looking at what the Bible teaches us. Truth is found in looking to the what the Bible says. Solomon, describing the method that he had followed in his book of Ecclesiastes, describes as well the job of the preacher or teacher of Scripture.
And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs. The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
The Bible is the source of Truth. In today’s world, people look for truth in the news. They look up a topic on Wikipedia. They ask their friends what they have heard. None of these sources are by definition wrong. Instead, they ought to be filtered through the truth of the Word of God. Jesus taught with authority because He is God.
I am small and despised: Yet do not I forget thy precepts. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And thy law is the truth.
In verses 22 and 27, we find the word “authority.” The Greek word translated “authority” is directly connected to someone who has the right to tell another a command. This is the position and power that Jesus has as Creator of the world. Only God has the authority to command all creatures. He exercises this authority in teaching the truth in the place of worship. The preacher today does the same. I, as a preacher of the Gospel, speak only with the Authority of Jesus through His Word. What I say must always be filtered through the Scripture and not be my opinion but His Truth.
I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
In contrast to the teaching of Jesus, the scribes taught with a recitation of previous established beliefs. The oral law, passed down from at least the time of the return from Exile, was what they would repeat and use to explain passages of Scripture. They spoke with the authority of another. Jesus spoke with His own authority as God. Today, we need to be careful of someone who tells us something that does not match the truth of the Bible. No matter their credentials, we have the authority of God Himself in His Word!
We see in verse 22, that the people in the synagogue react with amazement to the clear teaching of the truth. Jesus’ teaching and preaching was outlined in verses 14-15. Mark doesn’t always give examples of what was taught or which topic was addressed. However, we know that the teaching of Jesus was always bringing out new and true meanings from Scripture passages.
Where are you looking for the truth? The Authority of Jesus was seen in His teaching of the truth. The Gospel of the Kingdom is found in the sixty-six books of the Bible. Today, look for truth in His Word!
2. Seek Authority for Victory
2. Seek Authority for Victory
And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.
As Jesus is teaching in the synagogue, the forces of the enemy fight to keep Jesus from spreading the good news. As one writer observes,
it is in the synagogue that the first battle between demonic forces and the Holy One of God takes place (Mk. 1:23ff.).
Today, as then, we must Seek Authority for Victory. The spiritual battle begins here in the place of worship. Jesus will win the battle.
A man “with an unclean spirit” is there in the synagogue on the Sabbath. He speaks to Jesus in fear and rebellion. Jesus’ preaching is always pointed toward sin and the corruption of the goodness of God. Man is sinful. Demons are hopelessly sinful. This man needed the power of Jesus to win the spiritual battle that he was facing. We have the same need in our sinful lives. We are corrupt because of our sin and we need a Perfect Sacrifice in our place.
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
The being that inhabited the man’s body is called “an unclean spirit.” The word “unclean” is connected with both the quality of the spirit to be evil as well as the sin that was done by this spirit. Demons are angels who chose to follow Satan into rebellion against God. As such, they are unable to worship God because of their sin which cannot enter into the Presence of a Holy God. This is the ritual significance of “unclean.” A person who had touched a dead body or come in contact with something that was “unclean” in the Old Testament could not come into the Tabernacle to worship God. This is one meaning of this description. Demons are also evil in that they continue to influence mankind to sin. Satan in the garden was the first. Here, we see a demon has come into the body of a man and is speaking with the voice of the man.
The demon attempts to name Jesus and gain power over Him. Instead, Jesus is going to silence the demon. The authority of Jesus is seen in the victory of the truth over the deceit that this demon and man believed.
The action of Jesus to the demon is that He “rebuked him.” This is the proper working of God, the Greater, with His creation. Jesus, the Son of God, is God. He has the authority to command all creatures, even the evil ones. Later, Jesus will remind His disciples.
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
The words “Hold thy peace” are the same that Jesus would later use when calming the storm on the sea. Jesus command the demon to be quiet. He casts out the demon by His Authority.
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
Jesus has come into the world! The world is described in the Bible as the realm of Satan’s power. Jesus, the always victorious king is now coming to bring defeat and destruction to the realm of Satan.
The people are amazed at the teaching first and the casting out of the demon second. This is important as they realize that Jesus is more than just a teacher. Only God could cast out the demon from this man.
Are we seeking His Authority in the spiritual battles of our lives? We face evil in all forms. There is a corrupt society that ever invents new ways to distort the truth and the intention of God. The Preparation of Jesus in His victory over Satan at the Temptation is now seen again as He wins another spiritual battle. We must seek to be prepared by Him and His authority to fight the spiritual battles of our lives. One preacher tells us,
Preaching through the Bible: Mark-John Chapter 1:9–45: Spiritual Reparation
Fulness of spiritual life is the guarantee of fulness of spiritual power.
3. Seek His Authority for Healing
3. Seek His Authority for Healing
And forthwith, when they were come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick of a fever, and anon they tell him of her. And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.
After Jesus wins the victory in the spiritual battle in the synagogue, He leaves to fight another battle in the home of two of His disciples. They have the right understanding of His Authority. In verse 30, they Seek His Authority for Healing. It should be always remembered that Jesus does not guarantee healing. Healing by anyone other than Jesus ceased at the end of Acts when the sign gifts were closed. See 1 Cor 12-13. Though we seek Jesus for healing of sickness in our lives, He has the authority to grant grace in prolonged struggle or to take a person on to heaven as well. But the proper action is to take all of our concerns, including sickness, to Him.
Verses 29-30 tell us that these five men enter the house of Peter and Andrew. Peter is married, though we do not know more than that about his family. His mother-in-law is sick with a fever and they tell Jesus about this in verse 30. The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law is significant in the influence that evil and sin has on sickness. There is some belief among scholars (TDNT) that this healing was also a removal of demonic influence as can be seen in Luke’s account of the healing.
And he arose out of the synagogue, and entered into Simon’s house. And Simon’s wife’s mother was taken with a great fever; and they besought him for her. And he stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her: and immediately she arose and ministered unto them.
Sometimes sickness in the result of evil forces. Sometimes sickness is the result of disobedience. Sometimes sickness is part of the curse that is all around us because of man’s sin. In all these areas, Jesus is the source of healing. For the spiritual sickness of sin and the physical sickness as well, Jesus is the Great Physician.
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Jesus heals her with a touch. He lifts her up and immediately, the fever is gone. This is the Authority of Jesus for healing! He always wins the victory in the battles of life.
Verses 32-34 tells us that others heard of what Jesus had done and came from all over to get help. Jesus continues to cast out the demons and heal the sicknesses because He is the authority. Mark is showing to the reader who Jesus is. The works of Jesus show us that He is God and He has the authority in the Kingdom of God.
The power of Jesus to heal is was not the reason that He came to earth. The teaching of Jesus was wonderful but that was not his primary purpose. The Cross alone saves. This is the leading indicator of who Jesus is and would stand before these people and the world as a witness to Jesus’ identity.
Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Where are you taking your concerns about the sicknesses of your life? Whether the sickness of sin or the fever of flu, Jesus must be our answer. He is the Great Physician. He is the authority for healing today.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Jesus' authority is what the Christian life is based upon for truth. Jesus showed forth His authority in teaching, casting out demons and healing. Today, we need to bring our concerns to Him so that we can see His authority over each circumstance.
Mark gives us this morning a practical look at who Jesus is. He is not just Someone who lives in Heaven. He came to earth to die for mankind. He cares about our physical needs. He has won the victory!
We live in a spiritual battle each day. We can choose to give ground to the forces of darkness or the forces of light. Victory is found in the authority of Jesus. Are we looking to Him today? He gives us the Truth, the Victory, and the healing that only He as the Creator of the world can give.
Believer, where are you looking today for authority? Are you looking for it in this sinful world or in Jesus? Today, we need to lift our eyes to Him!
Unbeliever, you need spiritual healing from your sin. All of us are sinners but Jesus has removed our sin by taking it on Him on the cross. He is the authority that gives His righteousness to those who believe in Him. Look to Him today!
Mark is clear that Jesus is the authority. We do not need to fear defeat because He will win the battle if we yield to Him. Listen to the words of Paul,
Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Win the battle by His Authority today!
