11.09.07
Christ’s Authority Over Demons (Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37)
Christ’s Authority Over Demons (Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37)
Here we find Christ going into the synagogue in Capernaum, as was His custom. Later we will learn that Jairus was the chief ruler of this synagogue. What was the Jewish customer in a synagogue? Any qualified man could read and interpret the Scriptures – however this ministry was normally reserved for the Rabbis.
The consensus from those at the synagogue was amazement. Why? For one reason, they were amazed at the content of what Jesus taught. He was able to unfold the Scriptures in an understandable way and to bring forth truth that no other teacher revealed. But that wasn’t all, they were also amazed because of the authority with which He taught. The scribal method of teaching was to quote the ancient Rabbis and compare teacher with teacher. Christ didn’t depend on what others had said or imagined, instead he rested on His own authority as He taught.
The people noticed the difference in the way He taught immediately. He taught with a startling independence and originality of a teacher who was only concerned with spiritual truth. This was new, exhilarating, and fresh to them. This wasn’t rote religion or ceremonialism. I heard a comment while on vacation from a parent of one of the youth that participated in the lackey mission work. They said they didn’t want to come back to church with them, it was not fun. And, as I recall, I have experienced this a time or 2 myself. You may have as well. When we leave the comfort of what we know and experience something powerful and meaningful, we’re willing to leave the comfort – there is no comparison in the experience!
As usual, some of the hearers must have asked – in their minds – the question of Christ having the authority to teach as He was doing. And, to answer that question comes the first recorded instance of Christ exercising authority over a demon.
We have a man possessed by a demon in the synagogue. This was not an uncommon occurrence in Israel. The evidence here was the mind, will, etc. of the demon was evident through the person they inhabited. Some Jews were recognized as exorcists, and incantation was how exorcism was performed.
Note here the demon recognized the person of Christ and His authority. He calls Him out as ‘Holy One of God’ (messiah) and asks ‘have you come to destroy us’ (Christ’s authority). Jesus firsts commands the demon to be quiet. Jesus wasn’t going to accept the ‘proof’ of who He was through the word of a demon. And His authority rested on His person, not on the testimony of demons.
What happened next was a command from Christ to leave this man, and the resistance of the demon to this command. You see this through the loud shriek and the violent convulsions. However, the demon couldn’t resist…. The deliverance from the demon was an authentication of Christ’s teaching and an evidence of His great authority. Remember, miracles were designed to authenticate both the messenger and His message. And the folks responded to this show of authority. The natural thing for these folks to do was to tell others…and they did.
What about you? Have you seen interesting things at church? Heard the interesting stories from missionaries? What do you think? How do you respond?
