Real Authority
Mark 1:21-28
Message #4
Can I just ask you a question right up front this morning? Where does the authority of Jesus Christ rank in your life? And I’m not asking you intellectually or hypothetically – as in where should the authority of Jesus Christ rank in your life?
I’m asking you to honestly consider where does the real authority of Jesus Christ rank in your choices, in your actions, in your decisions, and in the direction of your life?
Last week we looked at Jesus calling his first disciples in “Answer the Call,” and in the end, we said if we will put our full faith in Jesus and commit to follow him always, that he would make us into his masterpiece, make us a new creation and he would enable us to do the good things he created us to do.
And then immediately after that, Mark puts on display the radical authority of Jesus. And Mark doesn’t connect things randomly, and so, it seems to me, Mark wants us to see the connection between answering the call to become disciples and coming to grips with the radical, real authority of Jesus Christ. It starts off simple enough.
Mark 1:21 (NLT)
21 Jesus and his companions (Disciples) went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach.
At the very beginning of his public ministry, Jesus made Capernaum his home town. We know that because when we go to Capernaum, there’s a sign there that says, “The Home Town of Jesus.” Actually, there are a number of great reasons Jesus made Capernaum his home town, and if you come to Israel with us someday, I’ll tell you about them.
But there are the ruins of a synagogue there that we love to go into. The walls were built in the 4th century (the Byzantine church time). But it was built right on top of and exactly matching the footprint of the original synagogue that Jesus is teaching in here.
So, verse 21 says Jesus and his disciples move into Capernaum, and when the Sabbath comes, Jesus goes into the synagogue and begins to teach. And then immediately, in the next verse, we read,
Mark 1:22 (NLT)
22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
As soon as this “new Teacher” begins teaching, the people were amazed because he taught with real authority! Verse 22 says Quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
It’s because Jesus spoke not like a teacher expounding God’s Word. Jesus spoke like the Author of God’s Word. Jesus didn’t teach about the Word of God; Jesus was the Word of God. He had real authority, and the people were really amazed.
The Scribes and the Pharisees would almost always teach by quoting other authorities and experts on religious things, much like we see today in some preachers who base their authority on their degrees and on what the books of their particular denomination say. Jesus did none of that. Jesus taught on his own authority, and Jesus taught with the authority of God.
In Luke Chapter 4, Luke is describing this same scene, and here’s how one expanded translation describes it.
LUKE 4:32 (WUESTNT)
32 . . . And [Jesus] was teaching them on the sabbath. And they were struck with astonishment to the point of a mental imbalance by reason of His teaching, because His discourse was characterized by authority.
Just think with me for a minute – is that how the church today receives the teaching of Jesus? One commentator calls this being thunder-struck. The people were thunder-struck by the authority of Jesus.
Tell me this… have you ever said to another Christian, “You know, the Word of God actually commands us to do this in this situation.” And have you had that person start defending their actions or explaining why they are going to do what they want to do in direct contradiction to God’s Word? That is not being thunder-struck by the authority of the Word of God.
Or, have you ever read a scripture to a Christian and had them say, “Yeah, I know that’s what the Word of God says, but here’s what I think…”? That is not being thunder-struck by the authority of the Word of God.
Listen to me, please. I know we live in an “everyone gets to do whatever they want” world. But my question to you today is: Should we acknowledge the real authority of Jesus Christ (and the Word of God) over our lives? Should we recognize the Word of God as the final authority in our lives – not just when we agree with it, but especially when we don’t agree with it?
Just two more questions here, and then I’ll let you up for air.
#1) As Christ-followers, should we be thunder-struck by the real authority of God’s Word?
#2) What would change today, in our lives, if we were truly thunder-struck by the real authority of God’s Word?
Listen, guys, this text is about to go to the authority of Jesus over the demonic world. Then (next week), we’ll see the authority of Jesus over sickness. But don’t you think the authority of Jesus over our lives – comes before those things? What I mean is… can we really ignore the authority of Jesus over our lives and then expect him to exercise his authority on our behalf over the battles and struggles of our lives?
Okay, moving on to the real authority of Jesus over the entire demonic realm. So, Jesus is there, teaching in the Synagogue and blowing people’s minds with his authority, and Mark 21:23 says,
Mark 1:23 (NLT)
23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,
So, first, let me re-phrase that verse so that you can see the implication to us today.
Suddenly, a man in the [church] who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,
The word “Synagogue” means a place of assembly. And the Jews welcomed everyone into the Synagogue, and so the Synagogues were a lot like our churches today.
So, I don’t want to freak you out, and I don’t want you to start “inching away” from the person sitting next to you. But… can I tell you, please – there are times when there are people in this building who are under the influence of a power other than the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to freak out about it but we do have to recognize it and not be surprised by it.
Have you ever heard someone say (besides me) “How can a person act that way in church?” The answer is, “Because they are being influenced by a power other than the Holy Spirit.” Fortunately, most of the time, that “other-power” is just that person’s flesh on full display. But sometimes it is actually the power of the demonic realm.
Guys, to the demonic realm, we are the enemy, and we are all gathered in one place every week. I know that’s hard to hear, but that is the reality of spiritual warfare.
And, so, this man who was in the (church) was possessed by an evil spirit, and he cries out and in Mark 1:24 the demon says,
Mark 1:24 (NLT)
24 “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
There is a lot to learn from the response of the demonic realm when they have to face Jesus, and here it seems the idea really is Have you come to destroy us – ALREADY. There is no surprise from this demon that Jesus has come to destroy then, but it kind of seems the demon is surprised at the timing.
And then the demon tries to unmask who Jesus really is by stating his true identity for everyone to hear. I know who you are—the Holy One of God! Isn’t it interesting that the demons have a very strong belief in exactly who Jesus Christ is? They fully believe what he’s done, and they fully believe what he is going to do. But they are not saved and they are not going to heaven. What does that have to do with us? Well, James 2:19 says,
James 2:19 (NLT)
19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
So, if we believe and the demons believe, what separates our belief from the belief of the demons? And here it is. We put our full faith and trust in Jesus. We entrust our lives by faith to him. We trust him not only as our Savior but also our Lord. And James goes on to say that us putting our faith in the real authority of Jesus Christ in our lives changes who we are, and it changes how we live.
The demons believe that Jesus is who he says he is, but their only response is to tremble in terror. Jesus faced the demonic realm many, many times, and every single time Jesus showed his absolute authority and his absolute victory over the demonic realm. And that absolute authority and victory of Jesus Christ over the demonic realm is just as real today as it was that day in the Synagogue in Capernaum. And so, with real authority, we read in Mark 1:25,
Mark 1:25 (NLT)
25 But Jesus reprimanded him (the demon). “Be quiet!
(Literally, it’s - Be Muzzled) Come out of the man,” he ordered.
I love that. Jesus reprimanded him. Shut your trap and come out of that man.
And then Mark 1:26 says,
Mark 1:26 (NLT)
26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.
And certainly, that man was freed from that demonic hold in that instant. And again, the audience in the Synagogue is rocked by the authority of Jesus.
Mark 1:27 (NLT)
27 Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!”
And this is actually what begins the frenzy of the people chasing after Jesus – mostly for all the wrong reasons. They were amazed – they were excited, and they started telling people about this new unorthodox Teacher who had real authority even over the demonic realm. And so, Mark 1:28 says,
Mark 1:28 (NLT)
28 The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.
And it’s on now! Jesus comes on the scene with real authority in his teaching over the demonic realm and (we’ll see next week) over sickness, and it brings people out in droves – though often not for the right reasons.
And guys, this definitely isn’t all the real authority Jesus has. The Bible says Jesus taught with authority, and he has authority over demonic spirits (we saw those here).
But the Bible also says Jesus has authority over sickness and disease. He has authority over death and the grave. He has authority to judge. He has authority to forgive sins, and he has authority to grant eternal life and Jesus has authority over the coming Kingdom of God. And – he has all authority in heaven and on earth – just to name a few things that Jesus has full authority over.
And so, what does all that mean to you, that Jesus Christ has this real and full authority?
If you have not yet given your life to Jesus Christ, this means that Jesus has the authority to forgive your sins and grant you eternal life. If you have given your life to Jesus Christ today, it means you have to wrestle with where the real authority of Jesus ranks in your life.
Because (listen to me please), Jesus never offers to be Lord of just the “heaven after you die” part of your life. With salvation comes the call to follow Jesus, and if we will follow him, he will give us the greatest abundant life now and the greatest eternal life in heaven.
But, following Jesus means we put our full faith and trust in his real authority over our lives.
I’m asking you to honestly consider where does the real authority of Jesus Christ rank in your choices, in your actions, in your decisions, and in the direction of your life?
Last week we looked at Jesus calling his first disciples in “Answer the Call,” and in the end, we said if we will put our full faith in Jesus and commit to follow him always, that he would make us into his masterpiece, make us a new creation and he would enable us to do the good things he created us to do.
And then immediately after that, Mark puts on display the radical authority of Jesus. And Mark doesn’t connect things randomly, and so, it seems to me, Mark wants us to see the connection between answering the call to become disciples and coming to grips with the radical, real authority of Jesus Christ. It starts off simple enough.
Mark 1:21 (NLT)
21 Jesus and his companions (Disciples) went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach.
At the very beginning of his public ministry, Jesus made Capernaum his home town. We know that because when we go to Capernaum, there’s a sign there that says, “The Home Town of Jesus.” Actually, there are a number of great reasons Jesus made Capernaum his home town, and if you come to Israel with us someday, I’ll tell you about them.
But there are the ruins of a synagogue there that we love to go into. The walls were built in the 4th century (the Byzantine church time). But it was built right on top of and exactly matching the footprint of the original synagogue that Jesus is teaching in here.
So, verse 21 says Jesus and his disciples move into Capernaum, and when the Sabbath comes, Jesus goes into the synagogue and begins to teach. And then immediately, in the next verse, we read,
Mark 1:22 (NLT)
22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
As soon as this “new Teacher” begins teaching, the people were amazed because he taught with real authority! Verse 22 says Quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
It’s because Jesus spoke not like a teacher expounding God’s Word. Jesus spoke like the Author of God’s Word. Jesus didn’t teach about the Word of God; Jesus was the Word of God. He had real authority, and the people were really amazed.
The Scribes and the Pharisees would almost always teach by quoting other authorities and experts on religious things, much like we see today in some preachers who base their authority on their degrees and on what the books of their particular denomination say. Jesus did none of that. Jesus taught on his own authority, and Jesus taught with the authority of God.
In Luke Chapter 4, Luke is describing this same scene, and here’s how one expanded translation describes it.
LUKE 4:32 (WUESTNT)
32 . . . And [Jesus] was teaching them on the sabbath. And they were struck with astonishment to the point of a mental imbalance by reason of His teaching, because His discourse was characterized by authority.
Just think with me for a minute – is that how the church today receives the teaching of Jesus? One commentator calls this being thunder-struck. The people were thunder-struck by the authority of Jesus.
Tell me this… have you ever said to another Christian, “You know, the Word of God actually commands us to do this in this situation.” And have you had that person start defending their actions or explaining why they are going to do what they want to do in direct contradiction to God’s Word? That is not being thunder-struck by the authority of the Word of God.
Or, have you ever read a scripture to a Christian and had them say, “Yeah, I know that’s what the Word of God says, but here’s what I think…”? That is not being thunder-struck by the authority of the Word of God.
Listen to me, please. I know we live in an “everyone gets to do whatever they want” world. But my question to you today is: Should we acknowledge the real authority of Jesus Christ (and the Word of God) over our lives? Should we recognize the Word of God as the final authority in our lives – not just when we agree with it, but especially when we don’t agree with it?
Just two more questions here, and then I’ll let you up for air.
#1) As Christ-followers, should we be thunder-struck by the real authority of God’s Word?
#2) What would change today, in our lives, if we were truly thunder-struck by the real authority of God’s Word?
Listen, guys, this text is about to go to the authority of Jesus over the demonic world. Then (next week), we’ll see the authority of Jesus over sickness. But don’t you think the authority of Jesus over our lives – comes before those things? What I mean is… can we really ignore the authority of Jesus over our lives and then expect him to exercise his authority on our behalf over the battles and struggles of our lives?
Okay, moving on to the real authority of Jesus over the entire demonic realm. So, Jesus is there, teaching in the Synagogue and blowing people’s minds with his authority, and Mark 21:23 says,
Mark 1:23 (NLT)
23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,
So, first, let me re-phrase that verse so that you can see the implication to us today.
Suddenly, a man in the [church] who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,
The word “Synagogue” means a place of assembly. And the Jews welcomed everyone into the Synagogue, and so the Synagogues were a lot like our churches today.
So, I don’t want to freak you out, and I don’t want you to start “inching away” from the person sitting next to you. But… can I tell you, please – there are times when there are people in this building who are under the influence of a power other than the Holy Spirit. We don’t have to freak out about it but we do have to recognize it and not be surprised by it.
Have you ever heard someone say (besides me) “How can a person act that way in church?” The answer is, “Because they are being influenced by a power other than the Holy Spirit.” Fortunately, most of the time, that “other-power” is just that person’s flesh on full display. But sometimes it is actually the power of the demonic realm.
Guys, to the demonic realm, we are the enemy, and we are all gathered in one place every week. I know that’s hard to hear, but that is the reality of spiritual warfare.
And, so, this man who was in the (church) was possessed by an evil spirit, and he cries out and in Mark 1:24 the demon says,
Mark 1:24 (NLT)
24 “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
There is a lot to learn from the response of the demonic realm when they have to face Jesus, and here it seems the idea really is Have you come to destroy us – ALREADY. There is no surprise from this demon that Jesus has come to destroy then, but it kind of seems the demon is surprised at the timing.
And then the demon tries to unmask who Jesus really is by stating his true identity for everyone to hear. I know who you are—the Holy One of God! Isn’t it interesting that the demons have a very strong belief in exactly who Jesus Christ is? They fully believe what he’s done, and they fully believe what he is going to do. But they are not saved and they are not going to heaven. What does that have to do with us? Well, James 2:19 says,
James 2:19 (NLT)
19 You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
So, if we believe and the demons believe, what separates our belief from the belief of the demons? And here it is. We put our full faith and trust in Jesus. We entrust our lives by faith to him. We trust him not only as our Savior but also our Lord. And James goes on to say that us putting our faith in the real authority of Jesus Christ in our lives changes who we are, and it changes how we live.
The demons believe that Jesus is who he says he is, but their only response is to tremble in terror. Jesus faced the demonic realm many, many times, and every single time Jesus showed his absolute authority and his absolute victory over the demonic realm. And that absolute authority and victory of Jesus Christ over the demonic realm is just as real today as it was that day in the Synagogue in Capernaum. And so, with real authority, we read in Mark 1:25,
Mark 1:25 (NLT)
25 But Jesus reprimanded him (the demon). “Be quiet!
(Literally, it’s - Be Muzzled) Come out of the man,” he ordered.
I love that. Jesus reprimanded him. Shut your trap and come out of that man.
And then Mark 1:26 says,
Mark 1:26 (NLT)
26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.
And certainly, that man was freed from that demonic hold in that instant. And again, the audience in the Synagogue is rocked by the authority of Jesus.
Mark 1:27 (NLT)
27 Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!”
And this is actually what begins the frenzy of the people chasing after Jesus – mostly for all the wrong reasons. They were amazed – they were excited, and they started telling people about this new unorthodox Teacher who had real authority even over the demonic realm. And so, Mark 1:28 says,
Mark 1:28 (NLT)
28 The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.
And it’s on now! Jesus comes on the scene with real authority in his teaching over the demonic realm and (we’ll see next week) over sickness, and it brings people out in droves – though often not for the right reasons.
And guys, this definitely isn’t all the real authority Jesus has. The Bible says Jesus taught with authority, and he has authority over demonic spirits (we saw those here).
But the Bible also says Jesus has authority over sickness and disease. He has authority over death and the grave. He has authority to judge. He has authority to forgive sins, and he has authority to grant eternal life and Jesus has authority over the coming Kingdom of God. And – he has all authority in heaven and on earth – just to name a few things that Jesus has full authority over.
And so, what does all that mean to you, that Jesus Christ has this real and full authority?
If you have not yet given your life to Jesus Christ, this means that Jesus has the authority to forgive your sins and grant you eternal life. If you have given your life to Jesus Christ today, it means you have to wrestle with where the real authority of Jesus ranks in your life.
Because (listen to me please), Jesus never offers to be Lord of just the “heaven after you die” part of your life. With salvation comes the call to follow Jesus, and if we will follow him, he will give us the greatest abundant life now and the greatest eternal life in heaven.
But, following Jesus means we put our full faith and trust in his real authority over our lives.