"a Typical Day In The Life Of Our Lord" Series

Mark 1:21-34 presents a series of events in the life of the Lord Jesus that occurred on one particular Sabbath day. On this day of rest, He would teach the Scriptures as no one else had ever done, show that He had power and authority over the demons, and bring healing to the sick. He demonstrates His mercy, love, and grace. If Jesus is guilty of anything, it is His love for us, and gives us more reasons to glorify and praise God, the Almighty Father by doing so.

Jesus shows His authority through three specific events. The first is the testimony from the people and how He taught the Scriptures to them. As a rabbi, He was given the honor of reading the Holy Word and teach what the verses meant through exposition. He concentrated solely on the Word, not relying on or referring to any previous rabbinical interpretations, as if He were to glean divine wisdom from the equivalent of a set of commentaries. He did what any righteous preacher should do. He preached the Word and its message of redemption. He is, after all, the Author of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 4:2; 1 Peter 1:19-21). He taught with a genuine love and compassion for the Scriptures that the scribes and religious officials could not touch. It is the Word of God and nothing else that is to be proclaimed from the pulpits of the church. Heed the lesson.

In the midst of the message there appeared a man who had "an unclean spirit" (1:23-24) dwelling within him. This poor soul was possessed by a demon, a fallen angel who, with a third of the other angelic beings, rebelled against God led by the egomaniacal archangel Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-15; Revelation 12:7-12). Because of this rebellion, they were to be cast into hell at the end of days (Matthew 25:41) as punishment for their evil, unrepentant actions. These wicked, malevolent creatures feared no man or empty ritual designed to cast them away. However, when the unclean spirit encountered the Lord Jesus, he did so with fear and terror. He was Lord over them as well as the devil. He had the authority to throw the whole lot of them into the eternal fire if He so desired, and they knew it.

The demon shrieked at Jesus, calling Him the "Holy One of God" (v.24), in both fear and a vain attempt to disrupt Him. A simple but firm rebuke from Jesus drove the evil spirit out of the man. No demon stayed in any place when the Lord told them to leave. They are deviant, malicious, powerful beings to be sure, but compared to the Divine power, majesty, glory, and authority that Jesus has, these beings are really nothing more than loudmouth school yard bullies who talk and threaten but cower in His presence when cornered. The people in the synagogue were understandably amazed. Not only did Jesus teach with the Divine Authority that was His as God in the flesh but had proven His authority over the evil forces of the world. He is both the victor and conqueror Who has all things under His control (John 1:1-4; Philippians 2:9-11; Colossians 1:16-18) and operate within His will and direction, and for that we should rejoice and give thanks.

However, when we read about these wondrous works and powerful teaching from our Lord, do we tend to see them as if they were part of a great work of literature with which we may have become too comfortable? Do we study our Lord's life and work as a mere collection of historical and theological events? Do we stop to think about the supernatural wonder and life-altering situations and really see that God is indeed with us, and that He is not a far away, ethereal figure that we sometimes worship as if we are going through a collection of exercises? We say the proper words, sing the appropriate hymns, and preach a message that is doctrinally sound but often lack the heart and soul behind what our Lord has said and done. What we claim as "devotion" to Him ends up as a means to an end and the centerpiece of a religious epic. Let us repent of such thinking and return to what the Word says about Him.

We are reading the account of men and women who had been touched by the hand of God Incarnate, who heard Him, walked with Him, loved Him, followed Him, and embraced Him as Messiah and Master, and with their final breath declared Him Lord and Savior. Some died the deaths of martyrs, assured that they were disciples not of a mere sage, but Almighty God who came to dwell with us, and Whom we will see one day. This should thrill us, convict us, and draw us closer to Him, and make us see our sins as repugnant, filthy, and unbecoming of a child of God, and to live in the light as He is in the light (1John 1:7). Every page of this Sacred volume is the testimony of people like you and I who tell us, "Wow! You have got to know this great God whom we serve! I've got to tell you what He has done for me and for you if you will but kneel before Him as Lord and Savior." Have you lost that sense of wonder and joy that men such as Paul wrote about, and to know Christ and His presence even in the confines of a prison or anywhere else comfortable or confining. The last verses of this message centered on the Lord Jesus compassionately healing the mother-in-law of Peter. This is Almighty God stooping to place His hands on His fallen creation, healing her in love and grace. This shows that God cares for us and is concerned with our plights and struggles. That gives me comfort and a reason to rejoice and confirms a promise made by Him about the reality of the new heaven and earth where all sickness and pain will be gone forever as Scripture declares.