Discovering Jesus: Undeniable Authority

Psalm 111 NIV

Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate. He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. They are established for ever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness. He provided redemption for his people; he ordained his covenant forever— holy and awesome is his name. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

Deuteronomy 18:15–20 NIV

The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.” The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.”

1 Corinthians 8:1–13 NIV

Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know. But whoever loves God is known by God. So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.” For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols? So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

Discovering Jesus: Undeniable Authority

Introduction:

Authority is not something that is always respected these days. Authority can be something people have by right, but unless you have the power to back it up, it sometimes doesn’t get you very far.

There is a world war II story I like that was later turned into a song. It is the story of a battleship who found themselves on a collision course with another ship. The captain sent forth a message for the other ship to change course. The other gave reply that he must change course.

The captain identified himself as the captain and demanded the other ship make a course change. The response is someone of lesser rank that insists the captain change course.

Irate at this point and with a sense of desperation, the captain identifies his ship as a battleship and demands once again that the other change course, to which comes the reply, “this is the lighthouse.”

Nothing more needed to be said. The captain quickly adjusted course to save his ship. He may have had a higher rank but in that case the lighthouse was the higher authority.

The Random House Dictionary of the English Language speaks of authority as “a power or right to direct the actions or thoughts of others. Authority is a power or right, usually because of rank or office, to issue commands and to punish for violations.” Again the root idea seems to be control or direction of the actions of others.

There is no higher authority than God. He has both the rank and the power to back it up. In today’s event, we discover who Jesus is by evidence of His authority. Stand with me as we look at today’s passage found in Mark 1:21.

Mark 1:21–28 NIV

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “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!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. 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 impure spirits and they obey him.” News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

The Word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God!

Pray

Sermon:

Today’s event takes place after Jesus called Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow Him. They leave their boats and Jesus leads them into the town of Capernaum where they probably spend their time talking. They are getting acquainted and Jesus is teaching them. When the Sabbath arrives, they all go to the local synagogue.

Jesus is often found around Galilee teaching in the local synagogues. To better understand today’s event as well as other events in scripture that take place in the synagogue, I believe it would be helpful to understand the synagogue, its purpose and practices.

It might surprise you to know that many church practices today are based on the synagogue customs that Jesus followed. Understanding the synagogue and its place in Jesus' life and teaching is an important step in hearing his message in the cultural context in which God placed it. So, today I am going to spend some time on the subject of the synagogue.

THE ORIGIN

There are many theories of the origin of a gathering place called the synagogue. The Greek word means "assembly" and is used in place of the Hebrew word meaning "congregation" or "community of Israel." Originally, it probably referred to the gathered people and over time came to refer to the place of assembly as well. It is never used to refer to the Temple, which was God's dwelling place and not primarily a place of assembly for the community. No one but Levites and priests could enter the Temple. All members of a Jewish community could participate in the community life of the synagogue.

Some Jewish traditions hold that there were places of assembly for the study of Torah during the time of the Temple of Solomon. At the most, the Old Testament indicates that the practice of prayer, with or without sacrifice, which was to be so central to the synagogue, had already begun (Ps. 116:17; Isa. 1:11,15; 1 Sam. 1:10ff). The beginning of the assembly of people for the purpose of study and prayer (the Jewish way of describing worship) appears to be the Babylonian exile after the destruction of the first Temple. Jewish scholars believe Ezekiel's reassuring promise that God would provide a "sanctuary" (11:16) for his people is a reference to the small groups that gathered in their homes during the exile to recall God's covenant, his law, and especially the redemptive promises of the prophets. It is likely that these godly people, having learned a hard lesson about the importance of obedience to God, assembled regularly to study his Torah to prevent the sins of their ancestors from being repeated. A group of experts in the law and its interpretation, taught and studied in small associations at humble locations called "houses of study." These places of study, and the reflection on the need to be obedient, are the roots of the synagogue, a sanctuary to inspire obedience to God.

In spite of the later emphasis on prayer and study in the place of assembly, it is likely the main focus of the early gatherings of Jewish people was simply the need to maintain their identity as a people living in a foreign and pagan country. That the synagogue began as the center of the Jewish social life is confirmed by the fact that it was the community center in the first century as well. The synagogue was school, meeting place, courtroom, and place of prayer. In some towns, the synagogue may even have provided lodging for travelers. It was the place where small groups of Jewish students assembled for Scripture reading and discussion of the Torah and oral tradition. This meant that worship and study, friendship and community celebration, and even the governing of the community were all done by the same people in the same place. Sounds a lot like our churches today, does it not?

It appears that the early church patterned itself after the synagogue and continued the same practice of living and worshiping together as a community, often in private homes (Acts 2:42?47). The modern "assembly" of Jesus' followers would do well to remember that the roots of the church are in a community living and worshiping together. Worship (prayer) was a natural extension of the life of the community.

In our Corinthian passage today, we see Paul addressing this idea of community. There is a freedom in Christianity that they did not have in Judaism, however, some took that freedom too far and in so doing, were offensive to the body of believers as a whole. We are never meant to live as individuals living a life all and unto ourselves. We are meant to live in community with others and in all we do and say, be loving and respective to the whole. That is the blessing of the church when it is lived out correctly. That was the way it was to be then, that is the way it is to be now. We seek not to live for our own desires, but for the best interest of a family we love. That being our family in Christ.

SYNAGOGUES OF JESUS' TIME

By the first century (Jesus day), a synagogue was found in most of the towns and villages of Galilee. The Gospels specifically mention those of Nazareth (Matt.13:54) and Capernaum (Mark 1:21). Typically, they were built on the highest point in town or on a raised platform. As long as the Temple stood in Jerusalem, synagogues apparently did not face Jerusalem.

In some cases, the front facade had three doors. Inside there were benches on three sides of the room. There was a small platform where the speakers or readers would stand, and it is possible that a small menorah (a seven-branched candlestick), like the one in the Temple, stood on that platform. The floor was usually dirt or flagstones, and common people probably sat on mats on the floor, while the important people sat on the stone benches (Matt. 23:6).

There was a seat for the reader of the Torah called the Moses Seat (or the Seat of Honor), because the Torah recorded the words of Moses so the reader was taking Moses place (Matt. 23:2). The Torah scrolls and the writings of the prophets were either kept in a portable chest and brought to the synagogue for worship or were kept in the Synagogue itself in a permanent Torah cabinet (called the holy ark). Outside was a Mikveh (ritual bath) for the symbolic cleansing required for entrance into the synagogue.

Local elders governed the synagogue in a democratic style. While all adult members of the community could belong to the synagogue, only adult males age 13 or older could be elders. (In the Nazarene church, we still allow children age 14 to take part in church government). A local caretaker (unfortunately sometimes called "ruler" in the English Bible), called the hazzan, was responsible for maintaining the building and organizing the prayer services (Mark 5:22, 35?36, 38; Luke 8:41-49, 13:14). The hazzan was sometimes the teacher of the synagogue school, especially in smaller villages. He would announce the coming Sabbath with blasts on the shofar (ram's horn). Although the hazzan was in charge of worship services, the prayer leader, readers, and even the one who delivered the short sermon could be any adult member of the community. All were recognized as being able to share the meaning of God's Word as God had taught them in their daily walk with him. In this way, the community encouraged even its youngest members to be active participants in its religious life. (Jesus' encounter with the wise teachers in the Temple courts was unusual not so much because of his age, but because of the wise questions he asked, see Luke 2:41-47.) The hazzan also cared for the Torah scrolls and other sacred writings and brought them out at the appropriate times (Luke 4:1- 20). Priests and Levites were welcome to participate in synagogue life, including worship, but they had no special role except that only priests could offer the blessing of Aaron from the Torah (Num. 6:24? 27) at the end of the service.

SYNAGOGUE AND SABBATH

While the synagogue building functioned as a community center, school, court, and place of study during the week, on the Sabbath it served as the place where the assembly met for prayer (1). When the first three stars could be seen on Friday evening, the hazzan blew the shofar to announce that the Sabbath had begun. The people gathered at twilight to eat the Sabbath meal in their homes. All the food was already prepared because no work was permitted during this time in most traditions.

The following morning, the community gathered in the synagogue building. The service began with several blessings offered to God. The congregation recited the Shema: "Hear, 0 Israel: The LORD our God, the Lord is one"(Deut. 6:4). The Torah scrolls would be brought out by the hazzan and would be read in several portions, sometimes as many as seven. Different people were scheduled to read a portion each week. The readings were determined according to a set schedule, so the reader would have no choice of the passage read.

Following the Torah portion, a section from the prophets (called the Haphtarah) would be read by the same or another reader. After all readings, a short sermon would be offered, often by the reader of the Torah or Haftarah. Any adult member of the community was eligible to speak the sermon called the derashah. The sermon was frequently quite short (Jesus spoke only a few words, Luke 4:21). The service ended with a benediction using the Aaronic blessing found in the Torah (Num. 6:24-26), if a priest was present to offer it.

Jesus spent much time in synagogues (Matt. 4:23). He taught in them (Matt. 13:54), healed in them (Luke 4:33-35; Mark 3:1-5), and debated the interpretation of Torah in them (John 6:28-59). Clearly, he belonged to the community of the synagogue, because when he visited Nazareth, he was scheduled to read the Haphtarah (Luke 4:16-30) and may have read the Torah as well as he concludes with a provocative derashah (sermon by Rabbi). This is a remarkable example of God's preparation, as the passage Jesus read was exactly the passage that he used to explain his ministry.

The early Christians continued to attend synagogues, though with a new interpretation of the Torah, now that Jesus had been revealed as Messiah (Acts 13:14). The new community of Jesus was born out of the synagogue. Believers were to become assemblies, not single individuals seeking God alone. We address God as "our Father" because we are his assembly. We are one body because we are made that way through Jesus (1 Cor. 12:12-13). In our fractured, broken world, with all its self-preoccupation, the model of the synagogue, the picture of the community of God, presents an alluring message. We would do well to understand the synagogue of Galilee.

Now with that understanding, let us look at today’s event in Jesus life. When Peter, Andrew, James and John left their boats to follow Jesus, he led them into Capernaum where he began teaching them. Come the time for Sabbath service, they go together to the synagogue and we find Jesus teaching there. How He came to be teaching is hard to say. Perhaps they asked Him to do so. If word has begun to circulate about Him, they are probably curious to hear what He has to say. Or perhaps in the discussion time, He has found opportunity to give comment and they turn to Him for more. However, we find it is Jesus intention to use this time to begin His teaching ministry around Galilee.

Now, here is where it gets really interesting. You see, there is something different about Him. He does not teach like the others teach. So, what is different about Him? It has to do with authority. Others all teach with the opinion of their teachers. Well, so and so states it this way. Well, I heard so and so and they felt it meant this. It is opinion and supposition. However, Jesus does not speak as of one conveying the thoughts or opinions of others. He speaks with the authority of one who knows the truth of it all. Of course, we know the full story they do not. This is God’s Son! He in fact, is God.

John 1:1–3 NIV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

John 1:14 NIV

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Jesus had the authority and understanding because Jesus was the originator. Unfortunately, as is often the case, people took what God communicated and over the centuries have twisted and misinterpreted it. Part of Jesus job while here on earth was to fix what man had turned upside down.

God had given the people a law in the beginning and God had a purpose for those laws. However, men had added to it and applied untrue meaning to the purpose of the laws. Jesus was here to fix it and make it right.

His understanding and mastering of the Word was spell-bounding as it was like nothing they had experienced before. I mentioned earlier that it was not a shock that Jesus was in the temple at age 12. It was normal for children to be tutored, however, up to age 12, they were just instructed to memorize scripture. It was the age of 13-15 where they began tutoring them to understand what the scriptures meant, yet Jesus at age 12 had an understanding that was totally unexplained. How would a 12 year old, with only instruction in memorization be able to have such understanding? What they could not know at that time was Jesus was the originator of the Law. No one ever teaches a subject as well as one who originates what they are teaching about.

Now it is at this point, while people are rapt up in amazement at His understanding that we find a demon speaks out from one of them. This demon has lived undetected in this man for who knows how long. His presence in the synagogue has given him opportunity to speak up and misdirect their learning and understanding of scripture, but this demon knows he will be recognized and stopped by Jesus, so he takes an aggressive role to try to detract from Jesus teaching by identifying who Jesus is.

Mark 1:24 NIV

“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!”

You are probably wondering why Jesus identity needs to be kept secret at this point. After all, those following Jesus are doing so with the idea that he is possibly the one. They are not necessarily being quiet about it. Well the truth is the people suspect Jesus to be the Messiah, but they are not fully convinced enough yet to do something drastic.” But there is the key, if they do believe this to be the Messiah, they may do something drastic based on what they expect from the Messiah. Jesus does not want it fully revealed until He has a chance to lay the proper foundation of what the true purpose of the Messiah is. It would cut Jesus ministry short if people grabbed Him up and declared Him king starting an all out revolt against Rome. It may also cause others to take action to kill Him prematurely. Jesus needs time to teach and prepare the people for the true purpose of the Messiah, not the purpose they have deluded themselves into believing.

However, Jesus action here gives even more authority to all He has spoken.

Mark 1:25 NIV

“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”

Jesus doesn’t have to yell this. He just speaks sternly and the demon knows He has the authority to do so, so there is no recourse but to obey. Can you see it? Jesus is teaching when He is interrupted by a demon who is speaking through a man they all know as one of their own. He is probably someone who attends every Sabbath and participates in the discussions. They have no idea that a demon dwells within the man, using the man to feed doubt or seed wrong ideas to the crowd. Then on this day, he speaks in a rude fashion and Jesus says, “Come out of him!” Suddenly the man convulses violently, there is a loud unearthly shriek and the man falls to the ground. I bet you could have heard a pin drop on that flagstone floor in that moment. I doubt much else took place that day. The people would be too keyed up to listen. In my mind, I see Jesus moving forward in the silence and taking the man by the hand to give him a hand up, at which point they were probably encircled by a crowd full of questions.

So, why did the people not declare Jesus Messiah that day? Well, there is still a bit of mystery surrounding Jesus. He has not proclaimed Himself the Messiah. For all they know, He may just be another prophet, of which they have not seen in a long time aside from John the Baptist. They will be cautious not to move too fast, too much is riding on it. However, there is a possibility. Enough so that people are talking and the word spreads all over the region of Galilee.

You know how it goes. Hey, did you hear about that guy over in Capernaum last Sabbath? Well, I hear tell He… Word of mouth. It is amazing how in regions the word can get around pretty fast if it is exciting enough.

Conclusion:

The truth is, there was enough evidence there that day. The people were just reluctant to recognize it. Partly because He was not quite what they expected.

So the question is, what do you expect? Are you willing to accept the evidence that is there? If so, you need to take action on it. You see, if you believe He is the Christ, the Son of God, then you have to believe all He said and that requires we make a choice to follow Him or not follow Him. To believe Him changes all we know and understand about our world. To believe Him means that we are not just making a choice for this world, but for the world to come. It is the most important decision you will ever make.

We also see God’s love demonstrated for us. God has the authority to treat us like that demon. However, God does not want robots, he was a loving family. So He allows us the choice.

The choice to follow holds a promise of a better life, but also requires work on my part. I have to take time to read the Word, pray, and seek what it means to have a relationship with God. The alternative? Stay the course you are on. It may be easier in one sense, yet it has no promise of anything better. In fact, it only leads to death.

If you choose to follow, He has made all the arrangements. All you have to do is say, “yes.”

Yes, I believe Jesus is the Son of God.

Yes, I believe that He died to save me from my sins.

Yes, I accept His gift of salvation on my behalf and choose to follow Him.

Once you do that, you begin a new journey. His Holy Spirit takes up residence within you and begins to lead you. It is a bit of a learning curve at first, but you would be surprised at how fast you notice a difference and begin to recognize His leading.

Please bow your heads. If this sermon spoke to your heart this morning, I want to allow you time to respond. You can do it from your seat, however, it shows more determination if you do it by publically coming forward. The altar has always been a special place of prayer. It is like kneeling before the throne of God. However, unlike the mythological gods that were so often pompous and proud, our God is a loving Father who steps down from His throne to come and put His loving arms around us.

As Pam plays, we will take time to be quiet giving anyone who wishes to respond, time to do so.

(Altar time)

Pray

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for loving us so much, that you sent your Son to die for our sins so we could be reunited with You. We acknowledge that Yours is the final authority in all things. We appreciate that even though you have the authority, You do not force us to follow You. Instead, You leave the choice up to us.

However, the scriptures give witness to Your faithfulness to all those who follow you and many of us can attest to that faithfulness. We have witnessed it first hand. I for one, thank you for the many ways you have healed and provided in my life.

Thank you Jesus, for dying for me and for Your Holy Spirit that has lead and directed me faithfully since. May Your Spirit be with every person here this morning and every person watching this video as we move on each day.

In Jesus name I pray. Amen.