The Healing Power Of Jesus: Triumphing In Spiritual Warfare

The Healing Power of Jesus: Triumphing in Spiritual Warfare

Sermon Text: Mark 1:21-28

1:21 They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and

taught.

1:22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not

as the scribes.

1:23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit,

1:24 and he cried out, "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."

1:25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!"

1:26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.

1:27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, "What is this? A new

teaching--with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."

1:28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Opening Prayer:

Father God please open our hearts and minds, so that we may receive your WORD today, in

Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Introduction:--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once upon a time, there was a substitute teacher who found herself in various classroom

settings. While most of their experiences were positive, there were also a few challenging ones.

However, nothing could have prepared her for the day she encountered an exceptionally difficult class.

Chaos reigned as kids ran wild, tossing paper wads, and filling the room with their screams and shouts.

To make matters worse, one daring student even ventured outside, bringing back mud that stained the

classroom floor. Knowing that she needed backup, she paged the office for the principal.

In what seem like no time, the principal entered the room; instantly silencing the unruly

students. With a stern expression, the principal inquired, "Who are the five biggest troublemakers?"

Although the teacher could have easily singled out ten culprits, she carefully chose only five. The

principal then pointed his thick finger directly at the chosen students and commanded, "Come with

me!" From that moment on, those five troublemakers were never seen again, and miraculously, the

teacher never encountered any further issues with that particular class.

Analysis of Introduction ( ):-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the teacher reflected on the awe-inspiring authority displayed by the principal and how the

students listened to him, my mind immediately draws a parallel to a significant event in the life of Jesus,

as described in Mark 1:21-28. This scripture passage recounts the disciples' amazement at witnessing

Jesus' healing abilities and the exceptional authority with which he spoke.

Just as the principal was able to speak the word and expel the unruly students from the

classroom, Jesus was able to speak the word in our verse of the day and expel the unclean spirits from

the man whom they were tormenting.

What can we learn from this passage as it relates to the authority of God and the spiritual

warfare happening around us? Looking at this story, we can draw a parallel between the lack of respect

shown by certain students towards the substitute teacher and her need to call upon a higher authority,

the principal, with our need to call upon a higher authority, Jesus, to cast out the problems that trouble

and torment us in our own lives.

Permit me to title today's sermon:

The Healing Power of Jesus: Triumphing in Spiritual Warfare

(List sermon points):

As we reflect on this scripture passage, we will take a look at

1. The knowledge of Christ

2. The authority of Christ

3. The power to heal

The knowledge of Christ:-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In our scripture reading for today we continue in the Gospel of Mark where we see Jesus

teaching in the synagogue. Verse 1:21-22 reads “They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came,

he entered the synagogue and taught. (22) They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as

one having authority, and not as the scribes.

At the beginning of this passage we witness Jesus teaching in the synagogue with great

knowledge. The synagogue was a place where the Torah and Holy Scriptures were read and the Rabbi's

or teachers, had a great deal of knowledge. It is important to remember that unlike the times in which

we live in, during the times of Jesus, around 30 A.D., getting knowledge required a lot of time and a lot

of effort. In Jesus' times, receiving knowledge from studying took many years and much hard work.

Now I thought I knew something about hard-work and effort when I entered college. Having to

maintain a 3.6 GPA to keep my scholarships, I found myself studying every night to fill my head with as

much knowledge as I could so I could past the test. I read the textbook and poured in the knowledge