In Jesus Holy Name September 12, 2021
Text: Luke 9:14-32 Text: James 2:19 Redeemer
“Monsters in our World”
Today’s message is not about “the way to heaven”. The text before is about our “walk with Jesus” and how we must confront evil in our world. We have arrived at chapter 9 in the Gospel of Mark. In Mark chapter One, I asked the question: ‘What is Mark trying to tell his reader?” The answer: Jesus is the visible presence of the invisible God. Mark is asking the reader to make a decision for one’s eternal destination hangs on one’s connection to Jesus.
In order to make his point, Mark has told us stories when Jesus caused a storm to run out of breath. He walked on the water. He healed people with various diseases. He fed 5000 with a few loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus constantly confronted the Pharisees in regards to their belief that their good works could earn them peace with God. Neither will our good deeds earn peace with God. Only faith in Jesus, Paul’s point in Romans 6.
For Mark the true mission of Jesus was played out in an ongoing “cosmic war” between God and Satan over the control of the God’s creation, both the earth and the human body. John writes in Revelation 12: “The dragon, Satan, makes war against those who obey God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” That’s us. (Rev. 12:17-13:1)
In chapter one when Jesus was in the synagogue in Capernaum: (read the event) Mk 1:23-25) Now in chapter 9 Mark confirms the power of Jesus over demons. Leonard Sweet in his book titled “Jesus” notes: “By healing the sick and casting out demons, Jesus was effectively saying: “this is what happens when God is running the world. This is what it is like when God is King of the earth.” (p. 169)
One Jewish scholar as stated that the ancient Jews regarded the following three miracles to be proof that the Messiah has arrived.
1. The cleansing of lepers.
2. The casting our of demons that caused muteness.
3. The healing of blindness.
This is why Mark tells this story. His point to every reader. God is present in the person of Jesus.
In the “Cosmic war” Satan’s goal was to destroy God’s plan of salvation by killing the infant Jesus. Failing, Satan tried to get God’s Redeemer to break a commandment. It failed as well.
Satan with his demonic henchmen, are dedicated to the task of making sure you are eternally, spiritually dead. To that end they have developed the tools and the skills to make sure that when you breathe your last, you will be a goner for all eternity. If you're spiritually dead and by that I mean, if Jesus is not your Savior, then Satan and his legends are happy. And, if you're not dead, they stand eager and ready to nudge you along toward the direction of doubt and disbelief.
In complete contrast to the devil's attempts to cause you and me to break the Ten Commandments is the Triune God of Christianity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He has shown that He is willing to pay the price required to remove our sins. (Colossians 2:14) to make sure that when you die, you will bypass hell and begin an eternity of joy and happiness in heaven.
In Mark 9 the demon thought that this child’s body and soul belonged to him. This is the ongoing battle and confrontation with evil. This cosmic war is a religious war. It is a battle between the forces of evil controlled by Satan and God over the human life and soul. The final battle happens on the cross and at the empty tomb of Jesus with His resurrection. This cosmic conflict is not only visible in the ministry of Jesus, but in our lives as well. Look Around. 9/11 was an act of evil.
Satan’s work is made visible with the arrest of child sex traffickers throughout the country. Our own congregation supports “Breaking the Chains” which helps free women from the bondage of prostitution. In recent elections, in some states, that have decriminalized heron. Even without the decriminalization of heron we see people living in tents, camped along our highways, in city parks, enslaved to drugs of every kind. There are AA groups that meet every night in our facility that testify to the bondage of people enslaved to the drug alcohol.
The problem is this: many people, when they think of the clash between good and evil - if they think of that contest at all - consider it to be nothing more than a joke, a cartoon, a story conceived for the entertainment and edification of children. Many people never consider that the competition for our souls is something which ought to be taken seriously by a sophisticated, modern-day adult.
Holy Scripture warns, "The devil is walking around like a roaring lion, looking for souls to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
Satan is the “David Kupelian in his book “How Evil Works” writes: “We don’t understand evil…what it is, how it works, and why it so routinely and effortlessly ruins our lives.” In our culture we are witnessing the war on fathers and police authority, who were created by God to protect the family and our communities. As a nation we have not corrected the “war on Poverty” which destroyed the male leadership in the American black family. The beast of Revelation gives his power to various political leaders to whom he has given power who in turn seek ultimate power and worship for themselves.
Kupelian went on to write: “Have you ever wondered why most governments no matter were on earth you look tend toward being tyrannical? Why are so many suffering under openly brutal dictatorships? Why do people surrender their freedom in exchange for a promise by a government for “cradle to grave” security, when we know they often fail to keep their promises.” To many are convinced there is a pot of Gold at the end of the rainbow.
In the book of James we find these words: “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that and shudder.” James 2:19 James goes on to give advice to each of us. When the angel appears on one shoulder and the little horned red devil appears on your other shoulder… His advice is clear for the Christian in this visible and invisible spiritual war.
Step 1: “Submit yourselves to God.” Jesus said if you love me obey my commandments.
Step 2 “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
Step 3 “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” (James 4:7-8)
Through out the Gospel, Mark is telling the reader: “The Son of God was revealed in order to destroy the evil works of the devil. “With nails in his hands, a crown of thorns causing His head to bled…..Satan through the voices of the Pharisees offered Jesus a chance to come down off the cross. He refused because His death would satisfy God’s demand for a perfect sacrifice and His resurrection would destroy Satan’s grip of fear. Our deepest human fear is the fear of death without hope. (read Hebrews 2:14) Jesus will destroy Satan’s grip of fear. The destruction of sin and Satan, death and hell will to happen at the cross and empty tomb in Jerusalem.
Satan has manipulated millions into believing the salvation story of the Savior is a myth, that the Triune God’s plan of redemption is interchangeable with the false beliefs of the world’s other religions. He has managed to convince people that they….and not God… are in control and that they will never experience the Day of Judgment.
No one should be surprised that the same powerful Word of God that brought this world into being, managed to bring the devil out of a man. The same omnipotence which had defeated the chariots of Egypt; which had shut the mouths of the lions to protect Daniel; which had guided the stone of the shepherd-king David to bring down Goliath; now ripped the convulsing and crying demon from the breast of that man and sent him screaming back to the pit of hell. The Savior's word released that man from the bondage which had held him. There was rejoicing in his freedom.
On January 12, 1888, it was unseasonably warm in South Dakota. Children went to school without coats, hats, or mittens. By the end of the day the temperature had dropped and snow began to fall and blow. One farmer went to the school house to pick up his three children aged 9, 11, and 17. He had just gotten them situated in the wagon and was ready to get in himself when the horses, reacting to the blizzard, bolted and got away.
Hours later, miles further, the farmer found his children. The older girl stood by the frozen bodies of her brother and sister. Heartbroken, she collapsed into her father's arms. Later, when she was composed, she told her father how she had tried to take her big, heavy coat and wrap it around all of them. Then, with sadness, she whispered, "But the coat wasn't big enough."
My dear friends, in this world there are a lot of things which aren't big enough. No matter how big a government might get, it will never be big enough to cover our sins, to bring salvation and bestow contentment upon all its citizens. Human governments may be able to control the lives of its citizens through fear but it can never bring peace to a human soul.
The Savior's love which resisted the devil's temptations; which endured unfair accusations; which suffered physical abuse; which kept Him on His cross and brought resurrection strength, is big enough to remove our sins and cover this world. Today Jesus' love sends the Holy Spirit into the world. The Holy Spirit is the invisible presence of Jesus in our lives. Listen to His voice, which will keep your life on the narrow path of righteousness.
