Mark 1:21-28
²¹They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach.
²²They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
²³Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, ²⁴saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are-the Holy One of God!”
²⁵And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”
²⁶Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him.
²⁷They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”
²⁸Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee.
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Jesus will immediately make clear to his disciples how to catch people.
He in first instance came for the lost sheep of Israel (Matthew 15:24, Acts 3:26) and therefore goes to the synagogue. It becomes clear there that the most important instruments in fishing are the holy scriptures and their oral explanations. (Romans 10:17, 2 Timothy 3: 14-17).
When Jesus opens the Old Testament, people are especially amazed at the way He teaches (Mark 1:22).
The words of the scribes are based on the authority of tradition: “Rabbi A. said this, Rabbi B. said so, and so on.” But Jesus received authority from God. He preaches the Kingdom of God.
Then He is interrupted by a man with an unclean spirit, but Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit and orders him to leave. The unclean can do nothing but leave the man with a struggle. The man becomes man again through Jesus’ actions (Compare Romans 5:17).
There is also an explanation based on the first words of the possessed “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth?” That Satan foresaw that people might come permanently under Jesus’ sphere of influence and therefore now appeals to the local sentiment of the inhabitants of Capernaum by emphasizing that Jesus is from Nazareth and that He actually had nothing to do in their city (Mark 1:24). And that he was hoping that the public would turn against Jesus.
While this explanation is a nice find, the following sentence “Have You come to destroy us?” shows us clearly that this explanation cannot stand.
The unclean spirit knows Who Jesus is (Mark 1:24).
Once again, people have been touched by the authority with which Jesus acts (Mark 1:27). But they do not accept the new teaching. Their reaction is limited to astonishment.
This is a great lesson for Jesus’ disciples:
▪︎ These fish don’t bite easily.
▪︎ But also: what a tremendously powerful Master we have!
A mirror is presented to you here.
How do you respond to the Gospel?
Do you bow to Jesus’ authority?
Is He the Boss over your life?
Prayer suggestion:
▪ Ask God if He will open you by His Spirit to His Word and to its preaching.
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