We All Have Authoritative Guides
Every person has guides who help them navigate life. All of us have authoritative voices that help us decide how to live. For some of us, thought or reason tells us how to live. I live the way I live because I reason. For others of us, feelings guide the way. I live the way I live because my feelings led the way. And some rely on tradition. I live the way I live because this is the way my clan or family or society has chosen to live.
What the disciples of Jesus would quickly begin learning is that Jesus should be our authoritative guide. He should be the one who leads and directs our lives. He is supreme. And in the passage before us, and over the next few weeks, we will see his authority over all invisible forces, over all natural brokenness, and over all spiritual uncleanness.
As we observe each episode we will see a different manifestation of Jesus' power. And as we do, I want you to consider what the original disciples would have felt and thought as they watched Jesus do Jesus stuff. Jesus had just called them to himself, and immediately they began learning that Jesus was the authority above all others.
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. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
City of Capernaum
This episode took place in the city of Capernaum, which was, at the time, a significant city on the North-Western shore of the Sea of Galilee (21). Located a couple of miles west of the Jordan River, it was a fairly prosperous town because of various trade routes connecting it to communities inside and outside of Israel.
Now, Capernaum would become a major hub of Jesus' ministry. He will do much work throughout the Galilean region, but Capernaum became his new hometown (Matthew 4:13, 9:1, Mark 9:33, Luke 4:31). He had grown up and lived as an adult in the city of Nazareth, but by this time they had rejected him because of his claims to have fulfilled Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah (Luke 4:16-30). That event was likely impacted by the timing of Jesus' recruitment of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. His hometown, his previous human connections, had rejected him. He was a human, and it is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). So, after leaving Nazareth, he went down to the Sea of Galilee, recruited his first four disciples, and made their hometown his hometown.
Synagogue
Mark then tells us Jesus immediately on the Sabbath entered the synagogue and was teaching (21). Synagogues were not mentioned in the Law of Moses (or really the Old Testament) but they started right around the time Israel was taken captive to faraway lands. Because they were too far and lacked the freedom to travel to worship in Jerusalem, the synagogues served as places for devoted Israelites to come together for the study of Scripture and the worship of God.
Because the synagogues never tried to replicate the sacrifices and ceremonies of the temple in Jerusalem, they were primarily used as a space for the reading and teaching of the Scriptures. Jews then went on and used them for worship, prayer, and other community gatherings. Over time, they became immensely popular, and a rule was established saying wherever more than ten Jewish males above age thirteen lived, a synagogue should be constructed. In a sense, they are quite analogous to the buildings local churches construct for their congregations to have a space to gather, study, worship, pray, and meet together.
Authority Unlike the Scribes
When Jesus came to the synagogue in Capernaum, he was invited to teach. Visiting rabbis were given this privilege, and by this time Jesus was known enough to have received this honor. The four disciples, men who hailed from Capernaum, might have even vouched for him.
After he spoke, everyone there was astonished at his teaching because it had authority unlike the scribes, likely because their teaching was often a mere regurgitation of traditions, while Jesus said, "I say unto you" (22). They quoted others, but Jesus quoted himself. As God in the flesh, the one who the Old Testament anticipated, Jesus' teaching had an authority like they had never heard. And though I have often wished I could hear it, I can read much of it, especially in places like the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). His teaching was so different.
An Unclean Spirit
In the midst of their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit (23). In the middle of Jesus' sermon, the man cried out, "What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- the Holy One of God" (23-24). A mildly distracting moment.
The Demonic Realm
Now, though Mark told us about Satan's temptation of Jesus in the wilderness, this is the first instance of the unclean spirits in the book of Mark. Another term Mark uses is the word demon. He will use each phrase -- unclean spirits or demons -- about a dozen times each. So this is the first of many mentions of the demonic realm.
There are various theories about the identity of the demonic realm, but the one worth mentioning is the possibility they are angels who rebelled against God and, as a judgment, became disembodied spirits under Satan's leadership. Comparing Scripture with Scripture, it seems some of them were free to roam, and during the time of Christ, did so (2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6).
In 2019, YouGov conducted a survey that showed more than four in ten Americans believe in demons and other supernatural beings. One would expect, in other more superstitious or religious parts of the world, the numbers would be higher.
Of course, modern readers wonder why so many demons were in Israel at that time. Though we cannot know for sure, here are some possibilities. First, Israel had not been walking with God for some time, and with God's light absent, the people likely opened themselves up to dark or mystical practices and that opened them up to an undesirable world. Second, since God had been so clear that his deliverer - the one to crush Satan -would come from Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, and David's line and be born in Bethlehem, it makes sense that Satan would congeal his forces in that region. Third, the presence and power of John and then Jesus likely stirred up the demonic world to prepare for resistance. This seems to be the best answer.
You see, Jesus came to destroy Satan. He would end the cosmic struggle and crush Satan's rebellion. John said it well:
“The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8, ESV)
The Deliverance
It comes as no surprise that Jesus then delivered the man from his demon. And we should note two things. First, notice how Jesus drew on his own authority to banish the demon. He said, "Be silent, and come out of him!" (25). There was no long, drawn-out incantation or ceremony. Just Jesus. He is authoritative.
Second, we should also note this man was not a believer. Nowhere does the Bible describe a demon-possessed Christian. The Spirit's indwelling presence would not allow it.
Over All Invisible Forces
Everyone there, after watching the demon convulse the man, cry out with a loud voice and come out of the man, was amazed (26-27). They said, What is this? He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him" (27). Mark tells us this event caused Jesus' fame spread everywhere throughout the surrounding region of Galilee** (28).
Looking back over the story, it is clear that the theme is authority. Who is in power? The crowds were impressed with Jesus' authoritative teaching. Then a demon disrupts the teaching. Some think he identified Jesus as Jesus of Nazareth and the Holy One of God to try to gain control or authority over Jesus because it was widely believed that magical power over others came through uttering a person's name. But Jesus would have none of that, and just as he had authority when teaching, he had authority over the demonic realm.
Now, as I mentioned earlier, this will hardly be the last time we have an opportunity to talk about the invisible forces of the demonic realm. I will say more in later studies. But, for now, I want to draw your attention to Jesus' authority over that realm. His presence and his command disrupt the demonic agenda.
And though our modern age often deadens people to the reality of spiritual warfare, and though many Christian ministries have given in to errors and excesses on this subject, it seems clear that we are in a spiritual war. One only Jesus can win!
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12, NLT)
Now, I do not want to overstep, and we will have more time in Mark's gospel to talk about all this later, but I think it is important to push back on deadly rationalism that says people's personal problems can always be reduced to purely psychological, social, physiological, or circumstantial factors. When we recognize that there is a spiritual struggle, we seem to come more in line with Jesus and are able to lean more upon him in prayer. We are able to see the transformation we would like to see in the lives of many.
But, for this study, it is obvious that Jesus is authoritative over all invisible forces of evil. He is the name we must confess. He is the one who can deliver us.
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For the entire Mark series, go here. Thank you.
