Authority Over the Spirits 2/11/24
Notes
Transcript
Context
Context
authority over disease
authority over disciples
authority over nature
reaches the other side of the sea; we encounter a display of His authority over the demonic/spiritual realm
What are we to gather from all of this? He is Lord! The right recognition of Jesus is that He is Lord. WE do not make Him Lord over anything, He is.
vv.28-29
All 3 synoptics (Matthew, Mark, Luke) record that as soon as Jesus stepped out the boat the men/man with the demons react dramatically - out of terror
These men instill terror in others - naked, breaking chains, living among the dead, cutting themselves, screaming
Jesus illicits such a response that we are told (Mark, Luke) they fall down before Him upon seeing Him
Recognition of Authority
Recognition of Authority
in all synoptic accounts the demon(s) beg for Jesus not to torment them, or cause them unbearable pain and agony. Why?
19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!
they have a theology of God and His authority that even we do not have. They understand what is coming for them and from who.
6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
They know that. This plus 2 peter 2:4 could also be referring to the grievious sin of angel in Gen. 6, if you interpret those sons of God as fallen angels. In either case, they know the judgment of God and desire for that to be delayed as long as possible
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment;
in other words, Jesus represents judgment and torment to them
for them, as it should be and will be for all creation, they cannot deny His deity and authority
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
It is possible, like the demons, to be factually accurate in our theology and yet not accept that theology or respond accordingly to it.
“The whines of a legion of devils admits His sovereignty.” - C.H. Spurgeon
Response to Authority
Response to Authority
the demons beg to continue on in tormenting
They cannot torment or inhabit apart from His sovereign authority, they recognize that desperately
Matthew only records Jesus speaking 1 word in this scene to further demonstrate all He needs to do to exercise power of the spiritual realm. Mark and Luke record that He asks the man/demon what his name is. Revealing there are many spirits present. This is how the herd of pigs, numbering 2000, are able to be possessed.
He gives permission, why?
pigs were still seen as unclean, and therefore unlawful for Jews to keep anyways. Possibly making a dishonest living by disobeying the commands of God.
demonstrates that His permission given to these devils is a form of judgment - Judges 2:11–15 “11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger. 13 They abandoned the Lord and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. 14 So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. 15 Whenever they marched out, the hand of the Lord was against them for harm, as the Lord had warned, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were in terrible distress.”
The subsequent report from those present reveal that they are most concerned with what happened to the swine, never mind the men who were tormented
The begging of the city, whole city, is the same act as those demons. They want Jesus to leave because His presence in power, authority is too disruptive to their way of life. A whole city is not in favor of the Lord being present.
Can we recognize when Jesus removes wickedness and be glad of His presence with us? Or are we so distraught over losing our “life” that we will fail to gain it, in Him?
Is He Lord?
Is He Lord?
1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God.
3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.
what hope is there?
Ephesians 2:1–10 “1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”
“O Lord, I thank thee that thou didst not go away from me, when I, in my unregenerate condition, wished thee to let me alone!” - C.H. Spurgeon