The Authority of Jesus Christ

The Authority of Jesus Christ
Mark 1:21-39
November 29, 2020

Introduction

ILLUS – Who can we trust?

Isaiah 9:6-7, For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.

Tonight, we are going to study verses from Mark 1 which will affirm that Jesus Christ is the Authority above all authorities and that He is worthy of our undying loyalty and trust.

Mark 1:21-39

Context
1. Mark 1:21-39 parallels Luke 4:31-44.

2. After the people from the synagogue in Nazareth attempted to throw Jesus off a cliff for declaring He is the Messiah, the One who will usher in an eternal Year of Jubilee, He left for Capernaum, about 20 miles away. (21)

3. Capernaum was a town located on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
a. Capernaum was a strategic location because it was a major trade and economic center in the North Galilean region.
b. Capernaum became the hub for Jesus’ ministry in Galilee.

4. As Jesus “was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen.” (16)

5. Jesus invited Simon, Andrew, and the sons of Zebedee, James and John, to leave their fishing businesses to follow Him and “become fishers of men” which they did immediately. (17-20)

6. Together, they went to the synagogue on the Sabbath.

7. What happened that Sabbath day, both inside and outside of the synagogue, was nothing short of awe-inspiring and filled with important insights into the Person and Authority of Jesus Christ.

Transition – The first insight we learn about Jesus Christ is:

I. Jesus has Authority Over the Forces of Evil

• Similar to the synagogue in Nazareth, the synagogue official invited Jesus Christ to teach.
• Unlike Luke, Mark did not record Jesus’ teaching.
• But like Luke, Mark notes that the words of our Savior left the synagogue members in awe.
• Jesus Christ spoke in a manner that was and is unprecedented, unparalleled, and unrivaled.
• Mark notes that the people were “amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (22)
o The Greek word for amazed literally means “to be astounded, struck out of their senses, overwhelmed.”
o Mark contrasts Jesus’ teaching with the Jewish scribes who were schooled in the Mosaic Law along with the traditions and regulations of the Jews.
o If one were to describe the teachings of the scribes, words like academic, pompous, and boring would likely come to mind.
o The scribes liked to recite long quotes from other rabbis, using the authority of others as a basis for their own authority.
• When contrasted to Jesus’ teaching, it has been rightly observed that, “The scribes spoke from authorities but that Jesus spoke with authority.”
• Jesus Christ’s message was the Gospel of the kingdom of God.
o Jesus was not talking about a political revolution, though some took it that way.
o Jesus was talking about His kingdom reigning in the lives of His people, a spiritual transformation, not a political institution.
o The only way to enter His kingdom is by placing your faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sin and the gift of eternal life; to be born again. (John 3:1-7)
o There is only one Gospel and it focuses solely on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
o The Apostle Paul calls it the “gospel of the grace of God” in Acts 20:24 because we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not on the basis of any “good works.”

Ephesians 2:8-9, For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

• But it is important to note that Jesus not only spoke with authority, His presence revealed and communicated His authority as God’s Son.
• Suddenly, a Jewish man from the synagogue, interrupted Jesus and then confronted Jesus as to why He was in Capernaum. (23)

• Transition – From this exchange between Jesus Christ and this man, we discover that. . .

A. There is a spiritual battle for our souls

1. The Jewish man was likely a citizen of Capernaum and a member of the synagogue.
a. Everyone knew him, he was not a stranger.
b. He had been to synagogue before and probably without incident.

2. But this time it was different because the Holy One of God was there, Jesus of Nazareth.

3. The authoritative presence of Jesus Christ revealed the sinister presence of an “unclean spirit”, meaning a demon. (23)

4. This means a demon had possessed a citizen of Capernaum and a member of the Capernaum synagogue, though no one suspected it.

APPL – This is sobering. There is a spiritual battle for the souls of men, women, and children.
• Sometimes, demonic possession is obvious, like with the Gadarenes demoniacs.

Matthew 8:28-29, When He came to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, two men who were demon-possessed met Him as they were coming out of the tombs. They were so extremely violent that no one could pass by that way. And they cried out, saying, “What business do we have with each other, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

• But here in Mark 1, we find a different scenario, which I believe is more insidious because it is camouflaged so well.
• Jesus taught a parable in Matthew 13:24-30, which spoke of this very thing happening in the Church.
o The enemy sowed tares among the wheat to ruin the wheat harvest.
o The tares are people who pose as Christians but are not.
• Now, some believe that what is described in the Gospels does not happen today but the Bible speaks of demonic influence in the last days.
o Over non-Christians. . .

2 Corinthians 4:4, … in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

o And over those who profess to be Christians. . .

1 Timothy 4:1, But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons.

• The good news is the tares are exposed by the authoritative presence of Jesus Christ.
• In the presence of Jesus Christ, posers are revealed.
• When the Light of Jesus Christ enters the room, the darkness flees.

B. Jesus delivers all who believe in Him

1. The demon had subjugated the personality of the man in such a way as to disguise the demonic possession.

2. Jesus Christ knew the demon was there.

3. Unmoved and unphased, Jesus Christ spoke with authority, His divine presence filled the synagogue in such a way that the demon could not remain concealed a second longer.

4. The demoniac cried out, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” (24)

5. Literally, the demon was saying, “What to us and to you?” meaning, “We have nothing to do with one another, so why bother us?”
a. Today, might say, “Leave me alone!”
b. Or “Back off. It’s none of your business.”

6. But it is important to note the following from the demon’s words:
a. First, the demon correctly recognized the Person of Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, when he said, “Jesus of Nazareth” is the “Holy One of God.”
b. Second, the demon recognized the difference between their missions when he asked, “What business do we have with each other. . .?”
c. Third, the demon knew he was accountable to Jesus for his rebellion with Satan when he asked, “Have you come to destroy us?”

7. Without hesitation, Jesus Christ rebuked the demon and commanded him to literally “be muzzled” and “come out” of the man. (25)

8. The demon immediately complied with the order because he could not resist the divine authority of the Holy One of God.

9. The man convulsed and screamed as the demon departed but no further harm was done to him; he was delivered at last by Jesus Christ, our Deliverer. (26)

APPL – I wish to ask two questions based on this passage.

• First Question: “What is the purpose of an exorcism?”
o Answer: To prepare a soul to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Luke 11:24-26, When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and not finding any, it says, “I will return to my house from which I came.” And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they go in and live there; and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.

o When a person is delivered from demonic possession, their soul is swept clean and put in order, prepared for a holy, divine, benevolent Helper, the Holy Spirit.
o But if a delivered person does not receive Jesus Christ as their Savior, the house remains empty and vulnerable to another demonic possession.
• Second Question: “Can a Christian be demon-possessed?
o Answer: No. A Christian can be oppressed by spiritual warfare but not possessed by a demon because they are filled with the Holy Spirit the moment they confess Jesus Christ as their Savior.

1 Corinthians 3:16, Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

o In fact, there is no biblical evidence to support the claim that a Christian can be demonically possessed.
o Jesus explained why in Luke 11:21-22. . .

Luke 11:21-22, When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed. But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder.

o This is the principle by which Jesus Christ overpowers Satan and removes demons from those who are possessed.
o Then, once a person asks Jesus to be their Savior, He becomes the strongest strongman in that person’s life.

Transition – I would like to share one more important principle before moving on to the remainder of this study.

APPL – It is not enough to “believe that” Jesus is the Christ.
• Even the demons “believe that” God is one but it does not change their eternal judgment.

James 2:19, You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

• We must “believe in” Jesus Christ to be saved.

Romans 11:9, if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved

APPL – Jesus delivers all who believe in Him because He has authority over the forces of evil.

Transition – The second insight we learn about Jesus Christ is. . .

II. Jesus has Authority to Heal All Sickness

• On the Sabbath, in the synagogue, Jesus Christ delivered a demoniac.
• All were “amazed” but their amazement became a debate about the authority of Jesus Christ’s teaching and His authority over the “unclean spirits.” (27)
• “Immediately the news” about Jesus “spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee.” (28)
• But Jesus did not linger while the debate about Him raged on.
• He followed Simon Peter and Andrew to their home, a place you can visit today to see the archeological excavation of what is believed to be their home, near the shore of the Sea of Galilee. (29)
• Perhaps Simon Peter and Andrew were embarrassed when they arrived at home to discover that no meal had been prepared.
• They immediately told Jesus that Peter’s mother-in-law was “lying sick with a fever,” literally “a burning fever.” (30)

Transition – What would Jesus do? He delivered a demoniac, what about a burning fever? From this passage we glean insight into the heart of our Savior.

A. Jesus is willing and able to heal us

1. Without being asked, Jesus, filled with compassion, walked over to Peter’s mother-in-law and “raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.” (31)

2. No word was spoken nor was any command given.

3. The healing was immediate and unlike a typical recovery, where you still feel weak though the fever has broken, Peter’s mother-in-law not only had a temperature of 98.6, she also had the strength and stamina to prepare a meal from scratch and serve five grown men.

4. This was truly a Sabbath to remember.
a. A demoniac delivered.
b. A mother-in-law healed.

5. And at sundown, when the Sabbath had ended, the whole city gathered at the door of Simon’s home and “He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.” (32-34)

APPL – Jesus is willing and able to heal us.

• Jesus Christ is Our Deliverer and Our Healer because He is not only the “Lord of the Sabbath,” He is Lord of all. (Matthew 12:8)
• These miracles were signs which confirmed His Person and His Authority, that Jesus is the Christ.
• When John the Baptist was imprisoned and days away from execution, he sent his disciples to ask Jesus if He is the Messiah.
• Jesus’ told them to go back to John and tell him. . .

Luke 7:22-23, the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.

• And Jesus Christ still healing lives today.

ILLUS – The healing of Dr. David Geisler’s one-year-old son of an incurable immune deficiency disease.

Transition – So, what should be our response to Jesus Christ?

B. Invite Christ’s authority over your life

1. Come under the mantle of Jesus’ authority.

2. Then remain under the mantle of Christ’s authority.

3. Never drift from under the covering of Christ’s authority because the safest place to be is under the authority of Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 18:10, The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.

Conclusion

APPL – Have you come under the authority of Jesus Christ?

• Has the Lord become your strong tower, your refuge and place of security?
• I would like to invite you to trust in Jesus.
• He will forgive your sin and give you eternal life.
• He will deliver you from the evil one and heal the brokenness of your life.
• Please trust the Lord Jesus Christ and invite Him to be the Savior of your soul and the Lord of your heart.
• He is worthy of our trust.

Psalm 146:3, 5-7, Do not trust in princes, in mortal man, in whom there is no salvation. . . How blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; Who keeps faith forever; Who executes justice for the oppressed;
Who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free.