The Authority of King Jesus
Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
If you have your Bibles let me invite you to open with me to the book of Mark chapter 1.
We have made it through what is really the introduction to Jesus and his ministry in the gospel of Mark .
In verse 1, Mark introduces Jesus as the Son of God
In verses 2-8, John the Baptist introduces Jesus as the mighty one who will immerse people in the Holy Spirit of God.
In verses 9-11, the Heavens tear open and the voice of God the Father declares, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.”
In verse 12-13, We find Jesus immediately at war with Satan himself, being tempted, yet overcoming in the wilderness.
In verses 14-20, We hear Jesus’ words for the first time in the book.
Last week we looked at Jesus’ first words in his gospel and his first action of ministry.
We learned that:
The gospel of God that Jesus preached was an invitation into a new Kingdom.
We live in the kingdom of darkness, where humanity is in constant conflict for the throne over their own lives.
But as the prophets promised, Jesus is the King who has come to usher in new kingdom where God alone sits as the uncontested king .
We also learned that
The gospel of God is an invitation to follow a new king.
In verses 16-20 , Jesus calls his first disciples with the words, “follow me”
Without hesitation, Simon, Andrew, James and John, drop everything to follow this Jesus.
And in verse 21, Mark is already referring to them as a cohesive group traveling together, following Jesus.
All of this has been somewhat introductory.
Mark has laid the ground work for interpreting what follows.
We know already that Jesus is the divine Son of God,
and that he is the promised King of an eternal Kingdom that God has promised.
And we are to interpret the following events through the lens of who Jesus has been revealed to be.
So lets turn our attention now to verse 21.
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 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.
Lets Pray
21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.
The synagogue was the religious gathering place for Jews every Saturday.
It was not uncommon for traveling teachers called Rabbis to be asked to stand and read from a scroll and give commentary on that scroll.
The Gospels record Jesus being asked to do this several times in his travels.
Apparently Jesus’ preaching ministry had earned him an invitation to share some of his teaching in the synagogue....
Now I want to pause right there because I think this is significant.
Thus far, we have seen Jesus perform no miracle…
We have seen Jesus only perform the ministry of teaching.
He has proclaimed the gospel of God.
He has said, “The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
He has commanded Andrew, Simon, James, and John, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
He has been busy with “word ministry.”
Jesus was concerned with people hearing, understanding, and believing a true message about what God was doing in the world.
He came to confront falsehood with truth,
and to reveal what had been hidden,
and to draw people to God by what they hear and believe....
Jesus was very much a teacher of truth....
Now....,
Imagine with me that you were one of those in the synagogue on that day...
It was a week like any other week, gathering together with your family and others to hear a reading from God’s word....but this week was not exactly like any other week...
There was a buzz in the air about a new traveling teacher.
Maybe you caught wind of one of John the Baptist’s messages about him.
Or maybe you heard about something strange happening at his baptism in the wilderness,
or maybe you have just heard that hes been proclaiming a message about the kingdom of God... but never the less your excited for the change and to hear a new voice at Saturday’s service...
and then Jesus stands up and he begins to speak....
22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.
Truth #1 Jesus Came to Teach with Authority
Truth #1 Jesus Came to Teach with Authority
The minute Jesus opens his mouth… everyone knows that there is something different about this man and this teaching...
His words capture you...
He spoke in a way that “astonished” the listener
That word for astonished could be translated: amazed, to be in awe, or even to strike with panic.
It represents a whole host of emotions that were being experienced by those listening....
Most encounters with God have this effect on people. You are struck with joy, amazement, awe, and fear and panic all at the same time.
Perhaps you have heard a lot of different Scribes in your life.....
Scribes were highly literate Jewish men who gave their time and attention to studying and explaining . They were the experts in the law and they worked on their craft of communication....
but this was different.
He spoke with Authority...
If you look up the word authority you will find this definition - Authority is the power or right to control, judge, or prohibit the actions of others.... authority is the legitimate power that person or a group possess and practices over a group of people.
I got stopped yesterday on Saint Rose Avenue because my brake tag is expired.
The police officer had the authority to write me a ticket or give me a warning.... and praise God he gave me grace with just a warning.
But what does it mean for Jesus to teach with authority?
Well when Jesus spoke, he did not appeal to the commentaries of other Scribes, or teachers from the past.
He did not entertain debates of the age, or offer commentary on the recent political happenings,
He did not need to impress with his rhetoric....
When this man spoke, he spoke as if he himself had the authority to declare what was true and what was false....
It was as if he was the one with the authority to command how to live
and what to believe.
He spoke as if there was no one outside himself to quote.
He spoke as if he himself had the authority to hold his listeners accountable for what they were hearing....
He spoke this way, because it is this way…
In fact, this is what it means for Jesus to be King.
God is the designer and definer of truth because he is the creator of all things.
And Jesus is the eternal Son of God, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
When Jesus declares the kingdom of God is at hand, he does so because he is the King of the Kingdom....
The call of Christianity is, therefore, a call of surrender to the absolute, unmatched, uncontested, authority of Jesus over our lives
We learned last week that following Jesus meant surrendering all things under his authoritative leadership.
He leads and we follow...
He teaches and we are astonished....
The nature of our sin is our desire to take authority from God.
We fall into sin when we write our own rules,
set our own standard, and go our own way..
Our Job as the creature is to listen to and submit ourselves under the one true authority over all the universe - Creator God himself.
We don’t get to tell God how he should act,
who he should be like,
or what worshipping him should involve.
He is the authority… not us.
We in our culture and in our sin, tend to view authority as a bad thing...
When we think of authority, we think of oppression, injustice, and the sin of those in authority...
But all authority is not bad.... in fact it is a good gift.
I may be frustrated by the authority of the police officer, when he stops me for my brake tag…, but I am thankful for his authority when upon my call he stops the criminal from breaking into my home.
There is an old testament passage that demonstrates this well...
Speaking of good kings, who wield their authority justly, Samuel writes,
3 The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me: When one rules justly over men, ruling in the fear of God,
4 he dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes grass to sprout from the earth.
Jesus came to be the good king...
he has authority over all of truth and life to command and demand...
but he wields it for our good.
His teaching is for our good.
His commands are for our good.
His authority is for our good.
Let me just pause there briefly and ask… do you live your life this way?
Do you live your life as if Jesus has the authority, the right, to determine how your life should be lived?
When you are confronted with his authoritative teaching, do you submit to his will, or do you go your own way?
Truth #1 Jesus Came to Teach with Authority
Truth #1 Jesus Came to Teach with Authority
Now imagine with me that you are listening to this Jesus… your hanging on every word… when all of a sudden someone in the congregation abruptly begins to scream…
I thought about planting someone in the service this morning who would be willing to without warning let loose a blood curdling scream at this point in the sermon, ( I am sure Alexander would have been willing)
but I was a little fearful that some of you would be jolted awake so severely that you would never recover.
So just imagine with me, if something like that were to happen in our own church.
That is what is described in verse 23.
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.”
Truth #2 Jesus Came to Overcome Evil
Truth #2 Jesus Came to Overcome Evil
Now there is a lot to talk about here…,
Perhaps your thrown off by just the concept of an unclean spirit, or demon possession.
Maybe you are so influenced by the secularism of the day that you have a hard time believing in anything that you cannot observe with your eyes or experience through your senses.
I remember doing team Bible studies when I played soccer in college.
It was an interesting room because of the several nationalities represented.
The Europeans argued that there was no God, and that only what could be observed was real....
But the guys from places like Haiti, Trinidad, and Peru all claimed there had to be a spiritual realm because they had experienced demonic activity in their home towns.
If their are evil spiritual beings, then there must be some good spiritual being.
Perhaps your hear this morning, and you have your own experiences with what can only be explained as the spiritual presence of evil…
I have on more than one occasion, been in the presence of someone whose actions and words, can only be explained by the presence of demonic activity.
In my experience, demonic activity manifests itself rarely, but often when on the cusp of some great kingdom advancement…
Regardless of your experience or lack of experience with demons, the Bible is clear that there is in fact a spiritual realm of which we know only very little.
We even right now are in the midst of a war between good and evil...
We know from the beginning of the Bible that there is a spiritual being who is in rebellion against God.
That spiritual being took on the form of a serpent in Genesis 3 and tempted Adam and Eve to join the rebellion…
God promised that one day that that evil one would have his head crushed in by a future seed of the woman.
For the remainder of the Old Testament, not much is said about demonic activity…,
We do see Satan accusing Job when given the freedom, attacking Job in an attempt to destroy him and to cause him to be unfaithful.
After that, very little is said of demonic activity.
but when Jesus shows up on the scene… the spiritual war happening behind the scenes becomes visible and undeniable.
Throughout the ministry and teaching of Jesus, demons are constantly making themselves known and The New Testament authors then provide commentary on this spiritual war we find ourselves in.
We learn that Demons are seeking our destruction
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
We learn that Demons are seeking our deception
4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
15 So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
It seems that the evil spirits of this world have it as their goal to attack, deceive, and destroy God’s people
and we would do well to be aware and prepared for the spiritual war we find ourselves in.
The demon-possessed guy in this case in Mark is presented as just having been present for that day’s teaching in the synagogue.
It doesn’t say he burst into the synagogue.
It says he was in the synagogue.
This guy may have been a regular attender for all we know....
Perhaps you’ve met some church goers in your day that you think may have fit in this category…… I’ve known stories of church deacons, who very well may have fit in this category.
I believe that most demonic work happens beneath the surface, and behind the scenes, so as not to send us turning to God for help.
but in this moment… in the middle of Jesus’ teaching… the spiritual war within and around becomes manifest.
Its almost as if the demon within this man can no longer contain his vexation at what he was hearing from Jesus.
The evil spirit within this man cries out in what appears to be intense fear.
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.”
Truth #2 Jesus Came to Overcome Evil
Truth #2 Jesus Came to Overcome Evil
Apparently Jesus’ presence, his teaching, his pure holiness, his very being, made it to where this demon knew Jesus’ true identity before anyone else in the room did.
He knew exactly who Jesus was and exactly what Jesus was coming to do.
“What have you to do with us?” he shrieks as if speaking on behalf of all the evil forces in the world....
“Have you come to destroy us?”
It seems that even the demons knew that they are on the losing side of an inevitable end.
They know time is running out… and the coming of the Kingdom of God means the end of the kingdom of evil.
Revelation says that Satan himself will be thrown into the lake of fire on the last day.
By asking, “Have you come to destroy us?” the demon is asking Jesus…, “Is this the end?”
Is this the moment where God’s Kingdom on earth will be fully and finally established?
The demons have good reason to fear… because the Holy One of God has arrived.
Whatever power the demons have…, it is interesting to note that they are always presented as trembling before the authority and the presence of Jesus.
Now if you are in the congregation at this point, you are freaked out to say the least....
You are probably a combination of confused and terrified…, and everyone’s looking around like “who is going to do something about this?”..... “dude has lost his mind… he is making a scene”
and then you turn your eyes to Jesus, to see how this teacher is going to handle this...
Is he going to defer to the leaders of the synagogue?
Is he fearful?
Is he at a loss for words?
But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 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.” And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
I can just imagine the change in Jesus' countenance when this happens.
He goes from gentle, compassionate, authoritative teacher… to now a serious, stern rebuke..... “Be silent, and come out of him!”
Jesus doesn’t ask…
He doesn’t do some sort of ritual hocus pocus trying to convince or coerce the evil spirits to cooperate.
This is not witchcraft.... this is the wielding of true authority.
These are the kind of words that have the power to accomplish what they have commanded.
This demon has no option but to yield to the power of the word spoken by the holy one of God.
He cries out with a loud voice as if to show case his reluctance to obey such a command but his inability to resist what the King has spoken.
Much of Jesus’ ministry is a pulling back the curtain to what will be when the Kingdom of God is fully and finally established on Earth....
Jesus’ ministry on earth provides us with a foretaste of what we have been promised as citizens of a new Kingdom to come...
What Jesus is doing in his ministry on earth in part… will one day be accomplished across the whole created order in full...
That future day is the day that the demon was fearing, but it's apparent that the demon did not fully understand what Jesus came to accomplish…
The first enemies to be overcome were sin and death…
And Jesus was going to overcome this evil, by first subjecting himself to the consequences of evil in the place of humanity…
He was going to overcome sin, death, evil, and Satan himself…
by first enduring, all that humanity deserved to endure including death itself…
and then rising from the dead victorious over it all…
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
Jesus came to die and rise again on behalf of sinful people, that they might be transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light.
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
We are living in the last days of the spiritual war....
Where God is collecting for himself people from every tribe, tongue, and nation to worship him as King...
the next step in the redemptive plan… is for Jesus to return in all of his might to bring about the day that the demons fear...
Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
I love this description of the Kingdom of God that we look forward to..
No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.
Truth #1 Jesus Came to Teach With Authority
Truth #2 Jesus Came to Overcome Evil
Now, what are we to learn about this scene?
What are we to take away from all this?
3 Takeaways:
Submit to Jesus’ Authoritative Word
God’s words are not nice suggestions.
Nor are they oppressive instructions designed to steal our joy.
They are authoritative instructions designed to lead us into the promises of the Kingdom.
We find God’s word preserved for us in writing in this book...
Do you read this book daily?
Do you read this book and submit to the instruction that you find in it?
Many of the people in that synagogue were astonished at the authority with which Jesus spoke, but as we will find throughout this gospel… being amazed by Jesus’ authority and actually submitting to that authority are very different things.
Many people were amazed..
Many people enjoyed the miracles…
but few followed Jesus as King.
3 Takeaways:
Submit to Jesus’ Authoritative Word
Make War Against the Evil In You and Around You
We all are at war with evil every day.
We suffer trials, tribulation, temptations, accusations, sickness, and sorrow.
We suffer spiritual warfare without even recognizing that it is spiritual warfare.
Too often we ignore the eternal spiritual realities that are happening all around us assuming that events are just neutral happenstance.
The apostle Paul urges you to recognize the war that you are in and to fight with all that you got until the coming day when the fighting is over.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,
Jesus warned that life in this would be a warfare but he follows that warning with a promise...
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
3 Takeaways:
Submit to Jesus’ Authoritative Word
Make War Against the Evil In You and Around You
Find Hope in the Day that the Demons Fear
We fight battles in this life with confidence that the war is already won.
We know the final score.
We fight from a place of victory already accomplished.
Every bit of progress in our sanctification is simply a becoming what we will always be when Christ returns.
We are going to close our time this moring by singing a song and I just want to read these lyrics to you before we pray and let them encourage you.
Though the dark is overwhelming
And the brightest lights grow dim
Though the Word of God
Is trampled on by foolish men
Though the wicked never stumble
And abound in every place
We will all be humbled
When we see Your face
And the demons we've been fighting
Those without and those within
Will be underneath our feet
To never rise again
All our sins will be behind us
Through the blood of Christ erased
And we'll taste Your kindness
When we see Your face
Lets pray, and let's rejoice over these realities.