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INTRODUCTION

I like superhero stories

Marvel is probably most famous with DC comics right behind it

Marvel is probably most famous because of their movies

DC has superman and batman and wonder-woman

Marvel has the avengers — hulk, Captain America, Spider-man

Superhero all have similar plots

A man or woman with superpowers comes to town

At the first sign of trouble — they swoop in and save the day — save the people

Everyone is like, “Who is this?”

And almost all the superheros have a hidden identity

Spider-man = Peter Parker

Superman = Clark Kent

Batman = Bruce Wayne

Most of the stories include a character who is a newspaper reporter or editor

In Spider-man there is JJ Jameson — The Daily Bugle Editor in chief

He hates superheroes — wants to expose the spider-man

Wants pictures of the Spider-man — pictures that cast a shadow over his character

He has headlines like “Spider-man: Hero or Menace?”

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Vigilante out there trying to help people — doing amazing things but don’t trust him — not sure who he is — could be a trap

JJ Jameson likes his headlines because they are sensational and sensationalism compels us to buy magazines — but they rarely satisfy

Mark gives us a Jesus who is sort of a superhero...

We know him to be the Son of God — they Messiah (1:1) — He is the main character — the superhero who has come to save the world

But those in the story — towns people — disciples — teachers — scribes — Pharisees — Romans — everyone — don’t get it — like superman or spider-man who drops onto the public scene — Mark reveals a Jesus who is a mystery — but a mystery worth investigating

Extra! Extra Read All About It: Jesus: hero or menace? Seems to be the headline of the day

Is Jesus a hero or a villain?

Perhaps this is where you are today?

You have heard of Jesus but you don’t really know him — not sure what to think of Him

Maybe you are getting to know him but he is still somewhat of a mystery

Perhaps you’ve known him a long time and you think you know him well — there isn’t much mystery left

Breaking the Magicians code — show from 1997-2002 — Reveal the greatest magicians secrets — honestly it was a disappointing show — probably why it only lasted 3 seasons — it was disappointing because when the trick was a mystery we were amazed — once we knew the secret we weren’t so amazed anymore

Mystery compels us to keep chasing the answers — it creates space in all of us to wonder at all the possibilities of who Jesus is — it is mystery and wonder that keep us focused on Him

Today we are looking at the first truly amazing thing Jesus does — his first action as a superhero…His first miracle in the Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:21–22 ESV

21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

That is his superpower?

Not a very impressive superpower — right? I am Teacher-Man — Educator extraordinaire — Smarter than a 5th grader — able to write a large term papers with ease — faster than a calculator

Notice this: they aren’t so astonished at what he was teaching as how he was teaching it...

Mark does not emphasize the matter of Jesus’ teaching — probably about the Kingdom of God

Mark is more concerned with the manner of Jesus’ teaching — “he taught them as one who had authority”

Exousia = Authority

EX = Out of

Ousia = being

Jesus taught out of his being — not as the scribes — leads to question — how did the scribes teach?

Their authority came from their knowledge and education — they would read the OT text and expound based on the oral traditions — the writings of rabbis — the commentaries others had written on the texts — basically their authority was borrowed from others

Jesus taught independent of scribal traditions — His teaching was powerful because it came out of His being

Mark 1:23 TNIV

23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,

What was this man doing in the synagogue? If people knew he had an unclean spirit they would never had let him in — he was ritually unclean to enter a Jewish synagogue

Perhaps the spirit did its work in the life of the man in secret — not letting those around him know that they were wrecking the man’s life

But now Jesus is teaching — and with authority — He exposed the spirit

The powerful Word — that comes out of Jesus’ being — exposes the lies, the darkness around us and in us

Mark 1:24 TNIV

24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”

Notice the interaction between the spirit and Jesus — “what do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?” — a big clue into the identity and mission of Jesus

So we the reader knows Jesus true identity — John the Baptist knows his true identity — Jesus knows who He is — now the evil spirits know who he is — the realm of darkness that is wrecking God’s creation and the lives of those under its rule

Like in our Marvel and DC stories — there is always a criminal kingpin who has the citizens frightened — they manipulate — lie to — steal from — the people are trapped under their evil heavy handed plans to rob — kill and destroy anything that is good

But someone powerful — a superhero like figure has just walked onto the scene...

Mark 1:25–26 TNIV

25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

Here it is — the first real superhero actions — supernatural action of Jesus — he saves this man from the powers of darkness — the kingpin

I find it interesting that Mark’s first miracle story is Jesus casting out a demon and not…say…turning water into wine — nothing wrong with turning water into wine but Mark comes out swinging for the fences

Mark is revealing a very big clue here as to the “who is this guy” question

And it has a lot to do with Jesus’ teaching and his authority

We see this pattern often in Mark — Jesus is teaching and is interrupted by a more pressing need — usually someone is dying — sick — possessed — gripped by the darkness in need of being set free

Jesus in Mark’s gospel performs miracles in response to a pressing need

Jesus doesn’t set out on a miracle working agenda — it is not part of a program Jesus has

For Mark — Jesus isn’t just a miracle worker — the miracles seem to be footnotes to the real story — the real story is Jesus’ identity as the one who has crashed into our world like a superhero to save the weak and powerless from the powers of darkness — He is the only one with the words (teaching) and authority (power) set us free from the powers of darkness

Mark wants us to see that Jesus rules in the human and in the cosmic realms.

Jesus saves us and restores us — he has the teaching and authority to renew us back to our intended image of our creator

It is trivial to think Jesus simply comes to give us all a ticket to heaven — He is so much more than that

He is the one who delivers us from the powers of darkness

Mark 1:27–28 TNIV

27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

Jesus amazed them — with His authoritative teaching and his ability to command unclean spirits

But — beware — the sensational rarely creates faith in us

They were amazed but they still did not see clearly His true identity —

They missed the deeper message of this event in the synagogue

I don’t want you to miss this today...

APPLICATION

Mark for Everyone Exorcism and Healings (Mark 1:21–34)

Not long ago there was a great disaster at sea. A tourist boat, loaded with cars and holidaymakers, had failed to shut its doors properly; the water began to pour in; the boat began to sink, and panic set in. People were screaming as the happy, relaxed atmosphere of the ship turned in minutes into something worse than a horror movie.

All at once one man—not a member of the crew—took charge. In a clear voice he gave orders, telling people what to do. Relief mixed with the panic as people realized someone at least was in charge, and many managed to reach lifeboats they would otherwise have missed in the dark and the rush. The man himself made his way down to the people trapped in the hold. There he formed a human bridge: holding on with one hand to a ladder and with the other to part of the ship that was nearly submerged, he enabled still more to cross to safety. When the nightmare was over, the man himself was found to have drowned. He had literally given his life in using the authority he had assumed—the authority by which many had been saved.

There is no doubt that Jesus’ miracles and his authority made him famous

But it also threatened the authority of others

I am not sure who you are in the crowd today

Maybe you are JJ Jameson — you love the sensational but really doubt stories — you are out to disprove Jesus — It is a good story but didn’t really happen that way — can he be trusted?

Perhaps you are the like the teachers of the law — the scribes — you are intelligent — educated — let’s just stick to what we know and can explain

Maybe you are one of the disciples in the room — you have been following Jesus but you still don’t know Him fully — you believe but your just aren’t getting who he really is — you are too stuck on your ideas or some fairy tale like story you heard in Sunday School

Or maybe your are the person in the grips of the power of darkness — your life is a wreck — you have been controlled and imprisoned too long — you cannot seem to get yourself free

Who ever you identify in this story — we all have this in common...

We all are in need of someone who has words of life and who has the authority to rule both in the human realm and in the cosmic realm

Jesus has the words (teaching) and the authority (power) to change my life for ever