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READ: Mark 1:21
CHALLENGE: Stand on the Authority of God’s Truth
- GOD WORKS IN COMMUNITY (vv21-22)
Vv21-22 – They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
Something great happened in the meeting of them all.
- Be Consistent
They went to Capernaum which Jesus considered his home base of ministry. Jesus did more ministry there than anywhere else. And the Sabbath came along and Jesus went into the synagogue. Now this is about 80 miles from Jerusalem where the temple is. Obviously, you’re not walking 80 miles to church. Most people do not drive 80 miles to church either. So they went to the synagogue.
A synagogue is a place of worship for the Jewish people. When the temple was destroyed around 586BC and the Jewish people were exiled into Babylon, they started synagogues. They didn’t have a temple and they were in a foreign country, so they would gather there to learn, pray, and worship. It was a place to come together in community.
In old American towns, they would have a church in the middle of them because faith and the Bible were central to the community. Think about how unifying it would be for everyone to have similar beliefs. We ALL have similar struggles with temptation and life but to have a common faith and fellowship to strengthen us in the journey is important.
This was a regular part of their lives. Coming to the synagogue was a regular part of Christ’s life. Luke 4:16 – He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read. I want you to pick up on “as was his custom”. Now when he was in Nazareth, he told them the truth and they tried to throw him off a cliff! But he was in the habit of going. How can a Christ follower not be in the habit of gathering when Christ was in the habit of gathering?
I read a story about the early history of the Western Reserve. It came time for Sunday worship and a man was sick and unable to attend church. His horse went without him because it was so used to going to church every Sunday morning. Church was a regular and consistent part of life. Wouldn’t it be great to see a revival of that in our nation?
I grew up in a family that went to church every Sunday so that was a normal part of life when I was young. We also sat in the second pew on the left side. Always. Should we visit as adults, we all knew exactly where we were sitting.
- Be in Community
Is it our pattern to be in church consistently? And why is it important? It’s a great source of community and friendships. It’s a place where we learn. It’s a place where we support each other, help each other, sharpen each other. It’s a place where we can make a difference in the lives of others. And God’s work was happening there that day in powerful fashion.
In today’s world, people are more and more isolated out on the fringe. I often wonder with these murders, how alone are the killers? No one to check or challenge bad thinking? No others to love? No connection to make life worth living? No appreciation of the gift of life? I assume you could become hateful. I believe that disconnect is huge and we should be aware of the fact that we’re not built to go it alone. The less light, the more room for darkness.
But can you imagine Jesus being the speaker? What a privilege! And they were about to see something incredible. But the only way to be impacted would be to be there. People might not realize what they’re missing when they’re not in “fellowship” at church. Never worshiping and returning praise to God? Never being challenged by the truth? Community is important to growth and accountability and joy. So make it a regular part of your life to be here.
- Be Learning Truth
And what’s he doing? He’s teaching. He’s not just relying on the Holy Spirit to guide. He’s giving concrete biblical information so that the people know the truth and stay on the path.
Do we need teaching? Meaning a better understanding of the Bible? By what little I saw at the fair booth, I would say yes. You’re missing out on a lot when you don’t know the Bible. Temptation is always there. Christianity doesn’t mean you won’t be tempted but you do know the truth and that acts as a guard rail.
Jesus Christ is teaching Scripture. If the Bible was important then, it’s still important now. Please never abandon it or think that it’s irrelevant.
- GOD’S WORD IS OUR AUTHORITY
Jesus taught with authority. What does it mean to teach with authority? Point the finger at you? Yell at you? No. Authority is defined as freedom or right. Power and ability. Authority and warrant to do what you decide. These concepts are closely intertwined – freedom is the power to choose and the right to choose your own path. You have some authority and autonomy over your own life. You have say / so.
But just as we possess authority and enjoy having freedom of say as to our own decisions, we also realize that there are other times when someone else’s authority trumps our own personal authority. A pecking order if you will.
The person with authority is the person with the ultimate say. If I’m a player, then the coach has the ultimate say unless he’s handed over some decision making to a player. A parent has authority over a child. A grandparent has authority over a grandchild. And there’s some gray area there lol! But if I want you to stop something, I’m the one who has say so because I can pitch you into the dreaded crib in about 10 seconds or less. And then I’ll hear the word “sorry” which is akin to acknowledging who actually has the say.
Jesus taught with authority. He taught with power. There was no waffling. He was led by the Spirit and the Spirit empowered the words as well. Isn’t this a God thing because God is the ultimate authority or power. How do we know? Because He’s the potter and we are the clay and He can mold us and shape our lives as he pleases. What He says goes!
When Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount he would say, “You have heard that it was said, but I say”. He was the higher authority! Jesus taught like he was the one who has the say because he did. And he explained what they really needed to know.
(trans.) Let’s ponder this “authority” even more deeply.
- Authority Is for the Good of the People
The people were amazed at his teaching. The word amazed means to “be astonished, to be struck out of your senses by some strong feeling such as fear, wonder, or even joy”. They were stunned by what they were hearing. It was wow stuff! I’ve heard lots of great preachers, but no one would have been as great as Jesus! Truly gifted and powerful!
His “authority” was for the benefit of the people. That’s a good lesson. If I have authority, I should use that to do what’s best for all. If I make it all about me then I’m the wrong person to have that position. If you have the say so – say so for the betterment of others. Jesus taught for others. Lived for others. Served for others. Prayed for others. Died for others.
He had say so over his own life and he went to the cross because mankind was in desperate need of forgiveness and cleaning up.
Jesus was teaching things not to make him look good. Jesus was teaching for benefit the people who were listening. His motives were pure. Parents, you have authority but are we using that for our pride or the best interests of our family? Jesus wasn’t trying to have his own way – he came as a servant.
If you have authority over people, make sure that your motives are pure. Like Jesus said, don’t be like the Gentiles who Lord it over others. Be a servant! Use the power you have for the good of others.
I really don’t know many people, if any, that are just about themselves. Not here anyway. But when I hear someone who is in love with themselves, that’s not gaining my respect. When I read of self-anointed spiritual leaders talking about how God’s work isn’t about the spotlight while they simultaneously put themselves front and center, I’m puzzled to say the least. It seems a bit me-centric which can make you really eccentric.
I respect people who are here for other people and not just about themselves.
- Authority Comes From God
Authority is from God. And we find it in the word of God and because it comes from the Maker of heaven and earth, it has say so in my life. As long as what I’m saying is from the Bible, that has authority. My ideas are just that, my ideas.
The 10 Commandments for instance are not 10 suggestions. It’s the law. It has authority and we need to be serious about it. So the Bible does carry weight.
2 Peter 1:19 – We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
You would do well to pay attention to it. When making life decisions, consider the Bible and make sure that it’s consistent with God’s Word. We say of the Bible that it’s the guidebook for our lives. Let’s live it.
Authority as deposited in the Word. Authority at times vested in people.
- Authority is Recognized
The people listening to Jesus attribute “authority” to him. We should recognize authority and give respect to those that it’s due. Civic leaders, police officers, parents, coaches, bosses, etc. Recognize the position that God has placed them in.
They recognize in Jesus, a certain God-given authority. They also contrast this with the teachers of the law. They did not believe that the teachers of the law taught with authority. This is quite the statement. The teachers did not have the same respect from the people as Jesus did. This seems like an indictment and it begs the question, why does Jesus have authority but the teachers of the law don’t have it? They are the experts after all.
- Jesus had more expertise
Some have authority because of their expert knowledge in a field. They are the “authority on the subject”. You tend to listen to those people. They know more and because they know more they speak with more authority than a lay person. You would think the teachers of the law, in their official capacity, would be given credence as the expert.
Apparently, the Jewish people did not give them credence and Jesus was winning in comparison to the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus actually taught it better.
Jesus clarified misnomers and misinformation. For one thing, Jesus came to relieve the yoke of man made rules and restore the true teaching of God’s word. Those people would love a friend and hate an enemy, Jesus said to love our enemies. They would never murder but they would be angry and mean. They would not commit adultery but lust wasn’t a problem for them even though it breaks the 10th commandment. They would tell the truth depending on what they were swearing by. Kind of like us, I’ll tell the truth as long as my fingers aren’t crossed behind my back. Jesus said to let your yes be yes and your no be no.
The kind of things these people focused on was pure silliness. Jesus’ teaching was enlightening and refreshing. Jesus gave true sinners a chance to get it right.
- Jesus had credibility of character
Another reason that someone might not have authority is because of a lack of credibility. In other words, your character does not match what you say you believe so people are not inclined to take your word as gospel truth.
If someone had children who were far from God, I might not listen to their advice on parenting. If your yard is a disaster, I might not listen to how I should fixing mine. If your finances are a train wreck, I might not heed your money advice. You need credibility via your character.
As Jesus said of the Pharisees, you make people twice as much of a son of hell as you are. He called them white washed tombs and perhaps that wasn’t lost on the people. If your character is not stellar you will certainly lose credibility and your chance to influence others. Character matters.
- Jesus wasn’t talking nonsense
The Jewish people made so many rules that it got to be ridiculous. I’ve heard teachings that are nonsense. When I hear crazy talk, you’re losing me. As the Bible says, avoid all extremes. AW Tozer said that over emphasizing certain things leads to heresy. You’re not balanced.
Let’s never boil every problem down to one thing. You’re having sleep issues, obviously you have a demon of sleeplessness. No, not everything is demonic or bondage or spiritual warfare. You can over emphasize judgment or the doctrine of the end times or the mark of the beast. And you can get so far out there that no one can relate.
I know some famous people with inaccurate spins on the Bible. Obviously, I hear it and realize that they are not experts on that topic. When I hear people talk the Bible and get it wrong, that certainly hurts their credibility. I’ve read books and the opening pages are full of mistakes, I don’t need to read farther.
I recently met a woman who gave no credence to the Bible or church. Why? Because Christians like to argue about things and that caused confusion. She said, “One church said this and another said something different so I don’t believe the Bible any longer”. We need to make sure that we are addressing the things that make sense.
And it could very well be that they were hobby horsing something minor and trying to make it everything. The Pharisees would talk about about all kinds of things that had no bearing on the lives of the people. Dress and tithing spices etc. Jesus spoke on pertinent topics.
Stick to the Bible
- GOD WINS OVER EVIL IN AMAZING FASHION
Vv23-25 – Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 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!” 25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
This is God’s work on display. Jesus is teaching but the work of God is not just words, someone’s life is profoundly changing. We don’t want to fill up on information but never see or encounter the power of God.
Let’s note how wild this story truly is. A demon possessed man is in a synagogue when Jesus is there. Ooops. Bad timing for the evil spirit! But it’s interesting that pure evil can be comfortable setting where songs are being sung and truth is being taught. Evil is coexisting in a spiritual and holy place. Masking perhaps. But Jesus’ teaching is taking masks off and the truth is coming out.
When you’re communicating truth, that’s a mighty light and darkness hates the light!
As the Word of God is having a chance to do its work, a demon shrieks out. What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us. I’d love to know the passage that Jesus is reciting. Is he teaching the end of time when God wins out over all evil?
It mentions Nazareth where Jesus was just rejected. Perhaps it’s hoping for a similar response here. You’re from Nazareth. They hate you there! Obviously the demon recognizes Christ’s authority because it asks Jesus if has has come to destroy him. Now, who has the upper hand? Jesus was strong enough to destroy them. They would be like a child in strength and Jesus would be Chuck Norris! There’s no way they are strong enough.
Do we find some comfort in this truth? Jesus, you’re more powerful than evil in that man’s life. You’re greater than the devil. As John said, greater is the one in us than the one who is in the world. God is greater. He is more powerful.
As you read the book of Revelation, you see that God wins out in the end.
Vv27-28 – The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
Are we scared yet? Humbled by it all? That would be awesome if we were. We need to have a bit more reverence for the great things of God.
What is this? Why that question? Because they’ve never ever seen anything like it. This is amazing as in shocking. The word about Jesus spread quickly. And this is what we want. We don’t want the world marveling at us. Point them to Jesus.
Let’s be praying that God will have authority over the evil that may roost in our lives and be able to drive it out completely. If there is evil in your life, God is stronger. The Word has power, so stick with it. And use your say so to help others!