Scripture: Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:18-19
Title: Now, That’s Some Preaching!
Sermon focuses on what happened the day Jesus preached at the synagogue. Distinctive authority and power. Confronted Evil. Freed Humanity. Lessons for us today.
INTRO:
Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
What do Joe Friday1 (Dragnet), Steve Jobs (Apple) and Robert Gaskins2 (Power Point) all have in common with John Mark, our Gospel writer?
Well, you could say that all of them primarily focused on:
+Just the facts +Just the data +Just the bullet points
You get that idea the more you read the Gospel of Mark.
However, it does come as a surprise today that our passage takes up a whole eight verses. So, let’s take some time to look at what Mark wanted to share with his readers this morning.
It all starts with Jesus, Peter, Andrew, James and John going to the synagogue in Capernaum. That wasn’t an unusual thing given the fact that the four-fisherman lived either in Capernaum or near Capernaum. What was rather unusual was what happened at the service.
Now, the service no doubt started like all synagogue services started in the time of Jesus.
1. First, there was the Skeliack Tsibbur or " messenger of the congregation," who oversaw the reading of all the different prayers.
2. Then there would be the Readers of the Law (Torah) – this usually involved as many as seven people – who would read from the Torah.
3. After they were finished would come the Reader of the prophets.
4. At times there would be those who did not understand the Hebrew that was being read and so there would be an interpreter who would translate all of it for them into Aramaic.
5. After all the readings and prayers were done it was time for the selected speaker to come forward and share some teaching on either the Law or the Prophets.
6. After he spoke there would be more prayers and then the benediction.
And it appears that up until Jesus spoke things pretty much went the way they normally did. But then as Jesus began speaking people noticed something unusual.
I. Jesus spoke with a definitive authority and anointing.
Normally, the chosen speaker would get up and share their knowledge about Moses or one of the prophets. They would quote some words from Moses and then try their best to help people not only understand them but how they were to be applied in their everyday lives.
Or they would take one of the writings from the Prophet that was read that day and speak about what they were saying and how what they were saying was to apply to people’s everyday life.
If the speaker was good, he would also throw in a couple of key quotes from this rabbi or that rabbi. At the time of Jesus, the two rabbis that were quoted most were Hillel and Shammai (Šamma?y).
Hillel was known for saying things like this: "That which is hateful to you, do not do unto your fellow. That is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn."
Shammai was known for being stricter when it came to everything. One day someone asked both rabbis how they should handle the appearance of a bride. Should one tell an ugly bride that she is beautiful. Rabbi Shammai said it was wrong to lie, and Rabbi Hillel said that all brides are beautiful on their wedding day.
It appears that Jesus didn’t speak that way. He didn’t speak like the normal scribe or guest speaker would have spoken that day.
Instead, he spoke like Moses, like Elijah, Isaiah and Jeremiah.
Jesus didn’t speak about God; He spoke for God. He was God’s mouthpiece for God’s People to hear God’s Words for them.
He didn’t give a lesson on God. Instead, Jesus shared words that His Heavenly Father had given Him to say to His People.
Jesus spoke with an anointing given to Him by the Holy Spirit. He spoke God’s Word from His inner core.
There was a power in Jesus words. A power that was convicting and uplifting. A power that revealed, cleansed and healed all at the same time. A power that St. Luke describes this way in Luke chapter 4:18-19
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”
II. Secondly, we see Jesus Confronting Evil
I don’t know about you but when that man stood up and the demon started speaking through him, I wonder how many people wanted to find a door and get out of that synagogue.
Talk about having an unusual service.
I am sure the leader of the synagogue thought what in the world is going on here this morning.
Jesus’ words not only had a definitive authority, but his presence also caused quite a stir.
Evil stood up and identified Jesus –
Jesus of Nazareth – the carpenter from Nazareth – the son of Mary and Joseph.
The Holy One of God – the Messiah, the Anointed One – the Son of God
Now, that had to get some people’s attention.
Sure, they knew about Jesus being the man from Nazareth. And they knew about the carpenter part and even his parents. But what about this Holy One of God part? What about this part that would identify Jesus as the Messiah, the Anointed One.
And just on the side – wasn’t it rather strange for a demon to be in synagogue worship in the first place?
Demons visiting worship? Demons sitting down and spending time with people who have come to pray and worship God?
Mark doesn’t focus on that – what he does focus on is what I think we should get out of this passage.
1. Jesus confronts the evil but not the man
Jesus does not in any way shame the man or ask that the man be removed.
Jesus is aware that the man has a demon controlling him, enslaving him and causing him problems. Jesus doesn’t reject the man, nor does he try to humiliate the man.
If this scene happened in a lot of our churches today, there would be instantly some people that would do their best to remove the man or make him be quiet.
“This shouldn’t happen in church.”
“We don’t allow such behavior and we certainly don’t put up with this kind of person in our church.”
“Grab him and let’s take him outside.”
Jesus didn’t look at it that way.
In fact, I think Jesus welcomed the man into the synagogue.
After all, where else could he find help?
The problem was not so much the man but the demon controlling the man.
Yes, perhaps at some time the man had been involved with some type of behavior that had welcomed such an evil force but at the same time we read in other passages where demons were bothering innocent people and even children.
Evil doesn’t care. It doesn’t care about people. All it cares about is controlling people, enslaving people and making sure that it does not yet have to face judgement.
That’s what this demon was really concerned about. Was it Judgement time – Jesus of Nazareth – Holy One of God?
Have you come to send us to the abyss. Have you come to remove us from Your Presence into that place where love does not exist, where kindness does not exist and where peace does not exist. Have you come to destroy us?
Now, who is the us?
Was the man filled with many demons or was the demon saying that because he had entered this man that the only way to free the man was to cause both of them to be destroyed?
That leads us to a second truth that I believe Mark wants us to understand:
2. Jesus freed the man and cast out the demon
The demon’s fate was already sealed. It had already decided that it would never serve God again. That it would do its very best to enslave and destroy God’s plan for humans. That it would take God’s masterpieces and do what it could to enslave them, mistreat them and cause them in the end to take their own existence.
Jesus tells the demon to be quiet and leave.
Jesus sent a shock wave that day in that synagogue.
Evil had never been nor will it ever be in the driving seat.
Jesus started doing that day what He would do completely on the Cross of Calvary. He came to free mankind from both the penalty of sin and the power of sin.
Jesus didn’t want to put the man out of the synagogue.
Instead, Jesus wanted to free the man so that he could completely enjoy being in the synagogue. He wanted him to enjoy being in the presence of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.
This is the message to the Church and the message of the Church.
+To speak with an authority – a definitive authority that has been given with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.
To speak not just about God but to be able to speak the very word of God.
To not be timid or ashamed, woke or politically correct. But to allow the Holy Spirit to use our hearts, our minds, our spirits with our voices to proclaim the truth of the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY.
+To be a place of freedom for those who need it most.
The work of the Church of Jesus Christ is to proclaim the message of salvation, to help people grow in their faith walk and to be a door of deliverance for those who are in trouble.
This was the genius of John Wesley and George Whitfield.
During their time the Church of England was more worried about politics than it was its own spiritual condition. It had become lukewarm and indifferent about the sufferings of most of the common people in England. As long as its financial picture was on the upswing, it didn’t care much about how the common man was being enslaved by the Industrial Revolution or how many homes were being broken by greed, violence, drugs and sexual immorality.
John and George didn’t just tell people about God, they were God’s mouthpieces. They were men anointed by the Holy Spirit who God could use to speak to everyone. They told people that God loved them and wanted to free them from the ravages of sin. They told them that God had made a way for them to live an abundant life here and now.
They confronted evil but they did not want to destroy humanity. They helped pick up family after family in the gutter. They helped those who had been enslaved by greed, violence, drugs and sexual immorality. They helped heal families that had been torn apart.
It’s important that we fully understand what John Mark shares with us in this passage.
Jesus is different. He wasn’t like the normal rabbis and scribes. He didn’t just talk about God, He talked for God.
He didn’t just share what was right and wrong, He helped people become free from their sins and be able to live the abundant life.
That man, that man that came that day either possessed or oppressed with a demon found victory. He left a different man.
That’s what Jesus can do and that is what Jesus wants to do through all of us.
We need to let people know that in this place – in this place of worship that we open our hearts, our minds and our souls to the anointing presence of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
We need to let people know that no matter what they are going through – no matter the degree of evil, pain, suffering, depression, oppression or even possession that Our Lord Jesus can bring freedom, New Life and the ability to radically change their lives.
Church worship is more than just songs and some nice words.
Church worship is pulling back the curtain and allowing Heaven and Earth to come together.
Church worship is allowing God’s Anointing to pour out so that all people no matter what they are going through can find freedom, peace, joy and love.
This morning who do we know that needs some of Jesus’ healing?
This morning who do we know that needs some of Jesus’ peace?
This morning let’s pray for them and perhaps for ourselves that God will do His work through us – free us from somethings that hold us back and down.
This is the Word of God for us today!
Let us pray.
1 “all we want are the facts, ma’am.” Friday first spoke the words in the season 2 episode “The Big Lease.”
2along with Dennis Austin
