What Is This?

What Is This?

Mark 1: 21 - 28

Intro: Out of necessity, I live in a world of words. Every week, I am expected to produce a string of words from other words that I have read in the Bible and other resources. I wonder sometimes, do you really hear the words? For example: A New York columnist set out to prove that no one really listens to what anyone says at a party. On one such occasion he arrived late. When greeted by the hostess he explained his tardiness by saying, “I had to murder my mistress and it took looker than I expected. Without blinking an eye, the hostess responded, “I understand perfectly.” I am sure every person here this morning hangs on my every word.

I During my academic life, I had teachers and professors who AMAZED me for one reason or another. Dr. Bruce, one of my professors, shared something I have remembered to this day. She said, “The lecture is the process whereby information passes from the professor’s notes to the students’ notebooks without going through the minds of either.”

A Let’s look for a moment at VS 22 – “And they were AMAZED at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had AUTHORITY, not as the scribes.”

B Two words stand out to me in this verse: The first is AMAZED (explésso – e?p??ss?) to strike with astonishment / amaze / astonish. This is a compound word / one carries the idea of flatness or being flat / the other has the idea of pounding something flat like a blacksmith.

C Literally speaking, the people were ‘POUNDED FLAT” by his teachings. They were amazed by the words of Jesus; but they were not transformed by the word. I believe being amazed is a good thing; but, it is enough?

II Why were the people amazed? That brings us to the 2nd word: AUTHORITY

A AUTHORITY (exousia – e???s?a) force / capacity, competency, mastery, power, strength.

B The term “authority” can be understood in the strong sense of the “divine power.” Here this is especially true because of the reference to the scribes.

C The cause of the amazement of those in the synagogue is His authority. But, not everyone present was amazed!

III Look at the rest of the story. VS. 24 “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!”

A The sad part of this story is this: The demons seem to have a better understanding of who Jesus is.

B COMPARE VS. 24 WITH VS 27. “The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, ‘What is this? A new teaching --- and with authaoarity! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him’”

C In contemporary society people still recognize authority based on things like professional status, talent, personal charisma, success, beauty, and perhaps moral and religious integrity. DO YOU ACCEPT THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST JESUS AND IF SO, WHY?

Concl: When you accept Christ Jesus as Lord / Lord of your life, / Lord of your job, / Lord of your business / Lord of your home, / Lord of your family / there is no longer the need to ask, WHAT IS THIS? Because you will know!!