Jesus’s Authority over the Spiritual Realm | Mark 1:23–27

“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 that 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.”

Mark’s Gospel is shorter, but it doesn’t lack in supernatural accounts.  This section demonstrates the truth we highlighted yesterday—Jesus is authoritative, and Mark records Jesus's first miracle as authority over demonic forces.  The Romans knew of demonism, and Jesus wields command over the spiritual realm. 

Before going any further, it’s worth noting that this exorcism occurs on the Sabbath day (v. 21).  He works on the Sabbath, and He says in John 5:17, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”  We see Him hard at work on the days of rest, demonstrating that He is the Lord of the Sabbath.

The demon first meets the Lord with some sass—“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” (v. 24).  Any doubts as to who Jesus was were laid to rest when “a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’ ”  But this “unclean spirit” shrinks back from “the Holy One of God.”

What can we learn from this encounter?  First, while the demon was correct, Jesus seeks no press from a Satanic source and commands silence from it.  The evil forces might be willing to share some truth with those who would seek it, but they’d twist it to their own purposes.  Sadly, Christians foolishly engage in spiritual warfare ministries and ask demons questions.  We should trust the Lord to reveal truth in His own time.

Second, Jesus commands spirits with but a word.  There were exorcists among the Jews.  The Qumran community, for instance, had written enchantments for casting out demons.  The sons of Sceva in Acts 19:11–20 fail to use Jesus’s name as an incantation.  However, Jesus didn’t need to say anything more than “come out of him.”  Our faith isn’t in formulas, but in Christ.


Third, and most importantly, Jesus Christ is Lord.  He teaches with ultimate authority.  He works these miracles on the Sabbath.  He “disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Col 2:15).  Worship and serve Him as Lord today.

Popular posts from this blog

RE: "Pastor Dayna Muldoon EXPOSED"

Image
It enough to make your heart ache.  "Pastor" Dayna Muldoon  has been pitching her tent in Florida, and like Todd Bentley before , false claims to miracles, healing, and prophecies litter her campsites. This video of a Calvary Chapel pastor exposing her as a false prophet has been appearing in various places, and its been uploaded to YouTube multiple times.  Even Todd Friel got animated about this , and nothing gets him hyper. Here's the deal: Muldoon set up her tent-meetings right down the road from Calvary Chapel St. Petersburg , peeking the interests of many attending the church.  When they listened to the message she presented, however, they found it not to be the Gospel, but instead the typical narcissistic message of health and blessings from God. This is coming from a Calvary Chapel crew, folks that are typically non-cessationists themselves.  Many churches, including this particular Calvary Chapel , host after-glow services where one expects similar claims
Click to read more...

Was Rebekah a child when she married Isaac?

Did Isaac marry a three-year-old?  If you've never pondered this question, it's because nothing in the straightforward reading of the text would suggest that Rebekah was a toddler or that their marriage was arranged. Even so, a couple of verses out of context could be used by skeptics to prove anything.  While perusing the web for a related topic, however, I found a thread stating that the Bible isn't against the raping of children .  The cited evidence was this issue, the claim being that Isaac engaged in pedophilia. The question comes from the fact that Genesis 22:23 announces the birth of Rebekah after the binding of Isaac.  Tradition states that Isaac was then thirty-seven, and Scripture says that the two wed when Isaac was forty (Gn 25:20).  Hence, Isaac robbed the cradle. The whole theory is fraught with assumptions, the primary being that Scripture never records a age marker for Rebekah.  Further complicating the matter, however, is Jewish tradition, which spe
Click to read more...

MacArthur: Calvinism in a Nutshell

Image
From YouTube: Calvinism (Also know by Doctrines of Grace or Reformed theology) John MacArthur use Romans 8:28-30 as main text. The five points of calvinism are Total depravity (total inability), Unconditional election, Limited atonement (Also called particular redemption or definite atonement), Irresistible grace (also called efficacious grace), and Perseverance of the saints. Full sermon http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/90-427 Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren. And these whom He predestined, He also called. And these whom He called, He also justified. And these whom He justified, He also glorified."
Click to read more...