The Amazing Son Of God Series

GOSPEL OF MARK: GOD’S SERVANT IN ACTION

THE AMAZING SON OF GOD

A. Mark 1:22 (READ and COMMENT)

1. Over the years I have sat in the AUDIENCE and have LISTENED to some GREAT PREACHERS

proclaim the Word of God.

ILLUSTRATION:

At a PROMISE KEEPERS conference for PASTORS in Atlanta, Georgia several years ago, I heard Charles Swindoll, Max Lucado, Tony Evans, Philip Yancy, Charles Stanley, and a preacher I had never heard of before named Bob Russell all speak on the same STAGE. These PREACHERS

were GREAT!

There were thousands of PASTORS and PREACHERS in that AUDIENCE who APPLAUDED, LAUGHED, CRIED, and some even fell to their KNEES in REPENTANCE. It was such a WONDERFUL experience that I will never FORGET.

2. However, despite how great the PREACHING was, I don’t think I would have used the words

AMAZED or ASTONISHED to described what I experienced when I heard those men SPEAK that day.

a. Yet, these were the very words used by Mark to describe how the people responded when they heard

Jesus PREACH for the FIRST time.

b. In fact, Mark uses the word often to describe how the people and even the disciples reacted toward

Christ.

-Mark 1:21- “The people were amazed at His teaching…”

-Mark 1:27- “The people were all so amazed…”

-Mark 2:12- “This amazed everyone…”

-Mark 5:20- “And all the people were amazed…”

-Mark 6:2- “…and many who heard Him were amazed.”

-Mark 6:51- “…They were completely amazed.”

-Mark 7:27- “The people were overwhelmed with amazement…”

-Mark 10:26- “The disciples were even more amazed…”

-Mark 10:32- “The disciples were astonished…”

-Mark 11:18- “…the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.”

3. The word that Mark uses most often for “AMAZED” means “to strike out with one’s senses, to strike

with panic or shock.”

a. As one authors puts it: “THE PEOPLE WERE DUMBFOUNDED BY THE INCREDIBLE.”

b. We might say something like, “THAT BLOWS MY MIND!”

c. The people had never witnessed ANYONE or ANYTHING like Jesus before.

B. So, what was so AMAZING about this man named “JESUS”?

1. I cannot possibly LIST all of the AMAZING things about Jesus, the Son of God.

2. But for the rest of this CHAPTER, Mark lists THREE AMAZING things about Jesus.

MESSAGE:

I. HIS AUTHORITY- Mark 1:21-28 (READ)

A. Jesus TAUGHT with AUTHORITY.

1. We see here Jesus and His disciples, the FISHERMEN—Peter, Andrew, James and John—headed

to their hometown of Capernaum, a fishing community on the Northwest side of the Sea of Galilee.

a. Jesus takes at least two of the disciples, James and John, and heads for the SYNAGOGUE.

b. It’s the Sabbath, and Jesus knew WORSHIPPERS would be gathering there.

COMMENT:

Although there was only one Jewish Temple located in Jerusalem, SYNAGOGUES were placed in Jewish communities all over Judea and the Middle East. They were places where Jews

would gather for PRAYER and to hear God’s Law and the Prophets explained.

There would be several TEACHERS, many of whom would be regulars, and some would be invited. But they would also allow GUEST TEACHERS to speak from time-to-time.

2. Jesus moves to the front, sits down and begins to TEACH, and he “BLOWS everybody’s MIND.”

a. Mark- “…they were AMAZED because he taught them as one who had authority, and not like

the teachers of the law.”

COMMENT:

I’m sure that most of these people came to this SYNAGOGUE every SABBATH—every Saturday. They have heard from many TEACHERS—EXPERTS in the Law of Moses. Still yet, they have never heard anyone who taught with such “AUTHORITY”. Jesus wasn’t merely TEACHING God’s Word, but He was calling people to ACTION.

b. Mark tells us that Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the Good News: “The time has come,”

Jesus said. “The Kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news”- Mark 1:15.

COMMENT:

Jesus’ message was URGENT: “The Kingdom of God is near.” His message was BOLD

and DEMANDING: “Repent—turn away from your sins—and believe the GOOD NEWS.”

c. Sitting before the WORSHIPPERS proclaiming the Word of God is GOD’S SON, Himself.

COMMENT:

He was COMMISSIONED by God, sent from HEAVEN, filled with the Holy Spirit, and specially ANOINTED for this TASK. He had AUTHORITY like no one else. He was the Eternal Son of God who had entered our world as a HUMAN BEING proclaiming the TRUTH of God’s Word, and not just some Rabbi’s INTERPRETATION. No wonder the people were AMAZED.

B. Jesus commanded DEMONS with AUTHORITY.

1. Right in the middle of Jesus’ SERMON a man possessed by an EVIL SPIRIT cries out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the

Holy One of God!”- vv. 23-24.

ILLUSTRATION:

Can you imagine what that would be like? I never had anyone YELL OUT like that while I was PREACHING, although I had a former elder who, one time, WALKED up to the PODIUM