Mark 1:21-34

When I first got to Living Water there was a little baptist church in town that use to go around town and pick up kids for their Wednesday night service in a little blue bus. There was some overlap of kids who attend both church programs. And some of the kids asked me why our church does not give out dollars. I found out that the other church gave a dollar to every child in attendance.

What do you want from Jesus? What are you expecting to get out of your relationship with Him? A dollar bill haha? If you read between the lines it is clear that the first 4 disciples were excited to be following Him but they clearly had expectations about what following Jesus was going to do for them.

As One with Authority

The scene is this Jesus has just called the 4 disciples on that warm beach and they are off to do ministry together.

In verse 21 we are told that they when into Capernaum and He entered a synagogue. How exciting there first religious service together. It is like it is Jesus first Sunday at His new ministry. More like the whole staff is having their first Sunday together.

Jesus was most likely invited by the ruler of the synagogue to teach there. It was customary to have visiting Rabbis teach.

they were astonished at His teaching as they were when at the sermon on the mount.

the Scribes… Joke I would come to church more if you did not always sing the same songs.

the word authority is made up of two Greek word. Ex meaning out of from which we get the word exit or the pope is said to speak ex-cathedra out of his chair.

the other word is ousia meaning property, wealth, or it even caries the idea of substance or capital. It is the word used in the story of the prodigal son when he asks his dad for his share of the estate early and then later when his brother accuses him of squandering his share of the estate on foolish living.

Jesus spoke ex-ousia or out of His property. He spoke of what he already owned and controlled. His preaching was out of substance. Everything He said had substance. There was nothing that Jesus said as filler. You could literately hang on every word because every word had substance.

The scribes would have just read commentaries and given something that they had read. It would have essentially been an old teaching. That is they repeated what others rabbis had written on the matter. Judaism was a ridged text bases religion at this point.

The Pandemic and mental health. The world needs substance. The world need authoritative teaching not another handout.

Mark (1) Teaching in the Synagogue and Exorcising an Evil Spirit (1:21–28)

It was a common practice for visiting teachers to be invited to read the Scripture and/or speak, a custom from which Paul as well as Jesus benefited. That Jesus was invited to speak indicates he had already established a reputation as a teacher and that this was not one of the first events in his ministry. Jesus was recognized as a teacher even by his opponents (cf. 12:19), although there is no evidence that he had received any formal training. Certainly he was not a typical rabbi.

15 other times in the gospel of Mark it is stated that Jesus taught. Jesus is also referred to 12 times as a teacher. Rarely does mark give the contents of Jesus’ teaching. Here Mark gives no details on what Jesus taught. Why?? Because he wants us to see what Jesus did. Mark portrays Jesus as the servant. Mark is about action. Look at what action Jesus does here.

the fact that Mark give this account of Jesus following His teaching by doing a miracle shows us that Jesus was powerful “authoritative” in both word and deed. and that His teaching was backed up not just by His authority but by His service. His service and His teaching were both authoritative.

Mark ((1) Teaching in the Synagogue and Exorcising an Evil Spirit (1:21–28))

The calling of fisherman disciples in Verses 16–20 emphasize the authority of Jesus’ words; the casting out of this demon in vv. 21–28, emphasize the authority of his deeds.

Jesus speaks to the demon like a wise and strong parent speaking to a manipulative child who is trying to get off the hook by changing the subject.

the word here can mean shut up or muzzle.

The casting out of demons only denotes that truly the Kingdom of God is at hand. Satan’s control of the world as the “prince of the power of the air Eph2:2” is being lessened.

Mark (1) Teaching in the Synagogue and Exorcising an Evil Spirit (1:21–28)

In v. 24 the demon acknowledged the true identity of Jesus (cf. v. 34)—something the disciples were slow to do. In fact, only at the crucifixion did a human being confess Jesus as the Son of God, and he was not one of the disciples (15:39).

There is only one other person in all the bible called the holy one of God. Sampson.

Home Base = Peter’s House

“When the sun had set” in verse 32 means that the sabbath is over and people are able to legally bring people to be healed.

The door was the door of Peter’s house where his Mother-in-law had just been healed.

verse 34. the demons knew exactly who Jesus was and what He had come to do but the people even the disciple still did not know the real reason for His coming.

Jesus did not let the demons speak because He wanted humans to figure out His mission and believe in Him on their own.

He was not going to let the enemy announce Him. Satan would not get the pleasure of announcing the Messiah to the world.

The disciples are looking for Jesus

The crowds were looking for Him for the wrong reasons.

Jesus could have achieved his messianic mission at this point in a more attractive, less costly way. He could have taken the crowds and built an army. He could have over thrown Rome. Yet he when to pray.

Why did Jesus go to a deserted place to pray?

this temptation would face Him 2 more times in Marks account. After he feed the 5,000 in 6:46 and when He was in the Garden of Gethsemane 14:32-42. By the way the word for desolate place here is the word used for desert earlier when Jesus was tempted by Satan. There were no deserts around Capernaum.

Prayer kept Jesus on mission! It was a source of encouragement, strength, and communion with His Father.

Mark ((4) The Departure from Capernaum and a Tour of Galilee (1:35–39))

The verb translated “went to look for” usually means to pursue with hostile intent. Of course it reflects Mark’s point of view, not that of the disciples.

Mark (4) The Departure from Capernaum and a Tour of Galilee (1:35–39)

Everywhere else in Mark, however, the Greek verb, which is not the same as in v. 36, translated “looking for” means to seek with evil or inappropriate intention. Mark recognized that the acclaim of the crowd was not good.

Peter, “everyone is looking for you!”.... It is time to start the kingdom of God and overthrow Rome. Jesus, I have come to preach its time to more on to a place where they do not know me.

notice “Peter and the others” are not referred to as a disciples here. It is clear that they have someways to go before they become true disciples.

Jesus fame was flying all over Galilee and soon Jesus would be too…as He went on to the other villages to preach.

To quote the movie O Brother Where Art Thou Jesus is not one timin’ it here He is mass communicating.

Jesus did not come to have a following He came to call followers.

He did not come to cast off the yoke of Rome but to cast off the yoke of the true oppressor Satan and his wicked hold on this earth.

The people were obsessed with His healing power by He came to change their hearts.

He came to preach.

We need to stop focusing on making a following for Jesus start calling followers to Jesus again.

If you win em with Bubble gum you will need a bigger bag next week.

We don’t really know much about any of the following Jesus had in the early days of His ministry. They did not stay with Him. They got what they wanted. They were healed but Peter, and Andrew, and James, and John the ones He called stayed with Him. They had relapses and struggles but even after He ascended in to Heaven they continued with His ministry because the were not apart of the following rather they were called them to follow.

You need to decide are you a part of the following? Or are you called to follow.

post pandemic a lot of the following has kind of fizzled out, it is become less and less cool to be a Christian, now what is left is the called and I am excited to see what God will do with the called.

What do you want from Jesus? What are you expecting to get out of your relationship with Him? Do you want a dollar?

are you following Jesus on your terms or are you following Jesus on His terms. There are all these things that we want Jesus to do for us. But we don’t often realize Jesus is call us to give us not what we want but what we need.

Jesus did not come to have a following He came to call followers.

scripture reading

22 During the night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two slave women, and his eleven sons, and crossed the ford of Jabbok. 23 He took them and sent them across the stream, along with all his possessions.

Jacob Wrestles with God

24 Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not defeat him, he struck Jacob’s hip socket as they wrestled and dislocated his hip. 26 Then he said to Jacob, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”

But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”

27 “What is your name?” the man asked.

“Jacob,” he replied.

28 “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” he said. “It will be Israel[b] because you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed.”

29 Then Jacob asked him, “Please tell me your name.”

But he answered, “Why do you ask my name?” And he blessed him there.

30 Jacob then named the place Peniel,[c] “For I have seen God face to face,” he said, “yet my life has been spared.” 31 The sun shone on him as he passed by Penuel[d]—limping because of his hip.