The Authority of the Servant
THE AUTHORITY OF THE SERVANT
Mark 1:16-2:12
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1:1-13 The Servant is identified as the Son of God
He fulfilled OT prophesies concerning the coming of the Lord.
John the Baptist identified of Him
God the Father and the Holy Spirit testify of Him at His
baptism.
Angels ministered to Him after His victory in the wilderness
over Satan’s temptations.
In our passage this morning we find Jesus’ early ministry in the
region of Galilee
Map of Israel in Jesus’ time
Pictures of Sea of Galilee
14-15 Jesus came into the region of Galilee preaching the gospel
of God which included repentance and faith.
He was calling them to repent of their materialism, to cease
from their immorality, to stop their gossip, to renounce their
drunkenness, and to turn from their corruption and dishonesty.
He was calling on them to repent of their sins and believe the
gospel. (salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ
alone.)
1. Jesus’ Teachings Have The Power To Change People’s
Lives. 1:16-20 cf John 1:29-42; Luke 5:1-11;
16-17 Jesus is calling them to a ministry of evangelism.
Jesus cares about the lost. cf Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8
18-20 This is not the first time Simon, Andrew, James and
John had seen Jesus
John 1:29-42- John the Baptist had already pointed them
to Jesus and Jesus had spoken with them.
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Luke 5:1-11 gives us more details on what happened on
this occasion.
They had seen, heard, repented and believed in Jesus.
Now Jesus is calling them to a life of commitment and
service.
He is calling them to become His permanent
disciples
Their response reveals their faith and commitment
Luke 14:33 "So then, none of you can be My disciple
who does not give up all his own possessions.
Their choice radically changed their lives.
Kent Hughes “The horizon of these fishermen’s lives was
bound by the margins of Galilee. . . by and large they knew
little more than the deck of their boat, the currents of the
lake, and the trade talk, local gossip, family affairs, and
Galilean politics. . . (After choosing to follow Christ) Their
hearts were enlarged to take in the whole world. Their
minds, one circumscribed and committed to the smallest
interests, now overflowed with deep thoughts. They
became theologians, thinkers, sociologists, psychologists,
and strategists- all because of the gospel.”
Jesus came and radically changed their lives.
John became Bishop of Ephesus, Peter went to Rome, and
Andrew went as far as the borders of Russia carrying the
message of Christ!
Jesus is calling you and me to the same kind of faith and
commitment to Him.
God wants to radically change your life and mine from being
consumed by that which is small and inconsequential to that
which is eternally significant.
2. Jesus Has Authority Over Unclean Spirits 1:21-28
21 Jesus went into the synagogue in Capernaum to preach and
teach
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PICTURES
LOCATION OF CAPERNAUM
RUINS OF CAPERNAUM
SECOND CENTURY SYNAGOGUE
22 The people were amazed at His teaching
23 Opposition to Jesus comes from a demon-possessed man in
the synagogue
Unclean spirit refers here and other places to demons
This demon is basically saying, “You have no business
with me yet! Go away!”
24 The demons know Jesus “the Holy One of God,” but they
are living in rebellion.
25 Why does Jesus tell them to be quiet? Cf v. 34
He apparently didn’t want testimony from the demonic
realm to fuel charges that He was in league with Satan.
27 The people in the synagogue were amazed at:
His new teaching with authority
His authority over the unclean spirits
As Christians we need not fear unclean spirits- Jesus still
has authority over them.
Hebrews 2:14-15 Therefore, since the children share in
flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the
same, that through death He might render powerless him
who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might
free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery
all their lives.
James 4:7 Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he
will flee from you.
Ephesians 6:10-11 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the
strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so
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that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of
the devil.
3. Jesus Has Power Over Disease 1:29-39
29-31 He healed Simon Peter’s mother-in-law
PICTURE OF PETER’S HOUSE
32-34 He healed many others that evening
Unfortunately, most of the people who came to Jesus at
Capernaum only wanted what they could get from Him.
They didn’t want to follow Him or receive Him as their
Lord and Savior.
They cared little for His teaching or the spiritual
implications of what He said.
This is true of many people today.
Matthew 11:23 "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted
to heaven, will you? You will descend to Hades; for if the
miracles had occurred in Sodom which occurred in you, it
would have remained to this day.
35 Jesus made prayer a priority
It was a time of fellowship with God the Father
We must also remember the fact that though Jesus was
God, He limited the independent use of His divine
attributes while here on earth. (Philippians 2:6-8)
He lived as a man, in dependence upon God the
Father just as we do.
John 5:19 Therefore Jesus answered and was
saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son
can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something
He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father
does, these things the Son also does in like manner.
John 14:10 "Do you not believe that I am in the
Father, and the Father is in Me? The words that I
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say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but
the Father abiding in Me does His works.
Prayer is a great necessity for our spiritual lives.
We need to pray daily.
36-39 Jesus didn’t come primarily to heal people’s bodies. He
came that He might save their souls.
40-45 He healed a leper
40 Leprosy was one of the most dreaded diseases of
ancient times.
It destroys the bodies ability to feel pain.
Lepers lived in isolated huts and were not to come
within 150 feet of people upwind and 6 feet of those
down wind.
They were to cry out, “Unclean, unclean” wherever
they went.
Think about how you would feel shouting out
“unclean, unclean” as you entered a grocery store or
mall.
41 Jesus was moved with compassion- He cared for this
man
There was no need for Jesus to touch the leper.
No rabbi would have touched the man.
No family member would have touched him in a long
time.
But Jesus touched him.
In this touch we see His heart for people.
Jesus wanted to show him that He cared.
42 Immediately the ulcers were gone, his hair and
eyelashes grew back, his fingers and toes were restored.
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44 Jesus didn’t want people coming to Him merely to
receive physical benefits.
45 The man’s disobedience hindered Jesus’ ability to
minister in that area.
4. Jesus Has The Authority To Forgive Sin 2:1-12
1-4 We must admire several qualities of these men.
They are deeply concerned for their friend.
They believed that Jesus could help him and they did all
they could to bring their friend to Christ.
They realized that Jesus his only source of hope.
These ought to be marks of all “fishers of men.”
We should realize that Jesus is the only hope for
eternal life. We should do all we can to bring our
friends, relatives, neighbors, and co-workers to
Him.
5-9 Jesus told the man that his sins were forgiven.
5 Why did Jesus say this? At first glance it seems almost
cruel.
Certainly, the man’s greatest need by far was the
forgiveness of sin.
Newly restored limbs will one day grow old and
whither, but forgiveness and eternal life are forever.
6-7 Jesus claim offended the religious leaders.
Jesus is asserting a prerogative of God, who alone can
forgive sins. Jesus is claiming to be God.
They refused to recognize Jesus’ power as coming from
God, much less that He Himself was God.
10a Jesus proved Himself to be God by healing the man.
By doing this He also verified His authority to forgive sins.
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10b Jesus also affirmed His deity by calling Himself the “Son
of Man”
It is a Messianic title found in Daniel 7:13-14
Jesus used this title for Himself 80 times in the gospels.
Jesus proved that He was indeed God, the Son by the showing
that He had the power and authority to do what only God can
do.
The people were amazed. 1:22, 27; 2:12
They had never seen anything like it.
Jesus is God the Son as He claimed to be
Jesus has authority and power over demons, disease, and destinies.
Most important, Jesus has the authority to forgive your sins if you
will repent and turn to Him as your Lord and Savior.
Though Jesus was moved with compassion for suffering
people, His primary purpose was to save to forgive their sins
and save their souls.
Mark 10:45 "For even the Son of Man did not come to be
served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for
many."
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise, as
some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not
wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 This is good and acceptable in the sight of
God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to
come to the knowledge of the truth.
John 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth,
and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.