January 15, 2017
Servant King – Week 2 – Jesus establishes His Authority
Servant King – Week 2 – Jesus establishes His Authority
Authority is a tricky thing. In today’s society it seems as if a respect and submission to authority is constantly under attack. We look at the situation with young people today and many of them don’t respect any authority. Parents, police, government, teachers, military, adults in general. It is rampant. “You can’t tell me what to do.”Ok now before we go too far. Where do we think that comes from? Let’s all be honest with ourselves, We all have authority issues. No one like to be told what to do. None of us likes it when our boss tells us we are not doing the right thing.
Maybe we need to start a new recovery group. AIA – Authority Issues Annonomous. Hi, I’m Rod and I have authority issues.
Today we are going to continue in our study of the book of Mark and we are going to be challenged to recognize Jesus’ authority in our lives. The question is how will we respond?
Mark 1:21 – 2:12
21 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.
Mark is careful to contrast the authority of Jesus with the scribes’ lack thereof (vv. 22,27). The scribes derived their authority from the “tradition of men” (see 7:8-13). By quoting the fathers of Judaism, they rested on the famous and respected teachers who had preceded them. Not so with Jesus. Like the prophets His authority came directly from God.
Jesus displayed His authority in His teaching first. This is why it is so important for our preaching to be from the Word of God. I do not have any authority to tell you how you should live. The authority I have ONLY comes from the word of God.
23 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!”
This is an interesting scene. How long had this man been coming to the synagogue? I think it is important to note that not everyone who is in a church service has it all together. There will be times that some may come to our church and are being tormented by evil forces it is only by the Authority of Jesus and the word of God that we can successfully minister to them.
Notice the pronoun changes? One demon is speaking but there are more than one in this encounter. They recognize Jesus’ authority and call Him the Holy One of God. The anointed, set apart one.
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.
Knowing that the demon recognizes Him, Jesus issues a direct command. “Be quiet.” It is an imperative, an unqualified rebuke, as though Jesus were saying, “Shut up; muzzle it!” This word that is used here gives the idea of a threat. We will see this word used again shortly. Again He commands, “Come out!” It only takes a few direct words from an absolute authority! No spell or incantation is necessary. He says the word and they obey.
Jesus shows he has authority over demons and evil forces. One misnomer some think is that Satan and his demons are somehow in this eternal struggle with God. That there is this balance of light and dark, Yin and Yang. But what this tells us is there is not even a competition Jesus wins hands down.
27 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.”
Here we must ask ourselves? How do I respond to the command of Jesus? Ask yourself, do demons obey Jesus better than I do? What does that say about me?
We could stop right there and do an invitation, but let’s keep going Jesus is not done yet establishing His authority.
28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
This small verse is crucial to see what happens coming up.
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
83 ft down down a narrow ally and we come to Peter’s house. There we meet Peter’s Mother-in-law. That means Peter is married, and he has chosen to take in His wife mom. Normally if her husband died she would go to live with her son. but for some reason we see that she lives with Peter and his wife. When they arrive at home they find out she is running a high fever. In our day and time that is not a big deal. We have antibiotics but in Jesus’ day this would have been a major concern. Jesus hearing she is sick goes and doesn’t say a word but just heals her. In response to Jesus healing her she begins to serve Him.
Jesus not only shows he has authority in his teaching and over demons but he shows he has authority over sickness and diseases. Remember how the news spread quickly. This leads to an all nighter of Jesus serving people by healing them and casting out demons.
32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
Jesus even exercises his authority over the demons to speak. He keeps them from revealing His identity because He know this will lead to more attention for the wrong reasons and ill distract form His ability to do what God has called Him to do.
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
Jesus undoubtedly dealing with the pressure of all the people wanting more and more from Him, retreats to where He can spend time with His heavenly father. This is so different from what i tend to do. When the pressure is ratcheted up I retreat to self not to God. Finally Peter and the other track Him down and tell Him the “Everyone is looking of Him” This no doubt was exactly why Jesus responds the way he does. You see the more Jesus heals and cures the people the more they want Him to perform and fulfill their desires, but they don’t want to follow Him.
38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
Jesus tell us that His purpose was not simple to come and heal people of their Physical issues but also to heal their deepest problem. Their spiritual sickness.
40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
41 Jesus was indignant. (Moved with compassion) He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
Mark makes the jump once again and thrusts us into the next time shows His authority over something that no one has ever done. This man risks it all, and comes begging on His knees. e can almost imagine the scene. This man would have been required to wear certain clothes, keep themselves a certain distance from people, wear special bells, and they had to cry “unclean unclean” if someone was too close (Lev 13:45). But he risks it all to beg Jesus to heal Him. Jesus responses with compassion, Literally “He is moved in in his guts” Then Jesus does the unthinkable. HE reaches out and touches a leper. The first time in history the miraculous happens instead of the “unclean” infecting the “clean”. The authority of Jesus reverses the flow. And immediately the man is healed. But as fast as he is healed, it seems Jesus turns on him.
43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
The words “strong warning” here is the same word used when Jesus “threatened” the demon. It is almost as if Jesus, knowing how this man will respond tries everything He can do to have this man stay quite about Jesus healing Him. So that Jesus’ ministry would not be hindered. But none of that made any difference. In fact he did the exact opposite of what Jesus told him to do.
45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
This greatly hindered Jesus’ ability to preach the message to everyone so Jesus had to “hide out” for several days just to not be mobbed.
2:1 A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. 2 They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them.
Jesus returns to Peter’s home and begins to try and preach the message of the Good News of the Kingdom.
3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.
This is one of the most strange scenes we see in Jesus’ ministry. The crowds are so packed in, Jesus is finally preaching and the next thing you know the roof is caving i, because some vandals are tearing up Peter’s house. But instead of Jesus, (or Peter for that matter) throwing a fit. Jesus is moved with compassion once again and pronounces forgiveness for sin.
This is the only time we see Jesus heal someone by forgiving their sins. And it brings us to realize that Jesus saw the deeper need in this man’s life was forgiveness not physical healing. And He does this not because of the mans faith but instead because of the faith of His friends.
5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
Now this does not sit well with the religious people of the day. You see to them only God has the power to forgive sins and it is only after the sinner has engaged in rigorous acts of repentance and ritual observance. Forgiveness doesn’t come that easy.
6 Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, 7 “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
8 Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? 9 Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’?
Jesus switches into Rabbi mode here. He uses a question to reveal what they are thinking. Which is easier This phrase was first attributed to one of the great Jewish leaders of Jesus day, Hillel. It is actually possible that Hillel may have been one of the teachers of the Law that heard Jesus reason through the scriptures as a 12 year old boy in the temple of Jerusalem.
Jesus asks the impossible question, what is easier forgive sin, or heal a paralyzed man? The answer s the same both are impossible, unless you are God.
10 But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, 11 “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 12 He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Jesus displays that he has authority over everything even sin itself. This is amazing news for us today. You see Jesus is the one who has all authority and he desires to use it in your life and my life today. But here is the where the question becomes soberingly real for us today.
Jesus show authority in (1)His teaching, (2) Over Demons, (3) Over Sickness, (4) Over Disease and finally (6) Over Sin Itself. But there is one area that Jesus does not exercise His authority over. IT is our free will. As we saw last week His command is to follow, We are commanded by the one with all authority to follow Him. That call is not a suggestion, it is a command. to be followed or disobeyed. The one thing that Jesus does not exercise authority over is our choices. That is our responsibility and our choice. Will we give Him authority over our lives? Will we surrender our will to His? Will we follow Him? Will we make Him King in our lives today? Jesus will not force Himself on you. He could but he won’t. What will be your answer? Let’s pray!
For more from this series you can CLICK HERE.
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