Mark 3:23-30

Mark 3:23–30 (NKJV): 23 So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. 27 No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.

28 “Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; 29 but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”—30 because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

So yesterday I spoke about how illogical it was for the Scribe's to accuse Jesus the way they did. Look here at Jesus' answer to them, simple logic. It would be utterly futile for Satan's plan to flourish if he is working against himself. If a burglar doesn't first tie up the strongman of the home, he cannot expect to be successful in his endeavor. This is the logic of Jesus: sensible and practical. But after this lesson He delivers a stern warning, and one that has unfortunately been misinterpreted by many in the church, the unpardonable sin. All sins will be forgiven except the sin of blaspheme against the Holy Spirit. So much speculation has been offered up by pastors and well intentioned church people, but that is all it is, speculation. The context here makes it easy to see what Jesus was saying. The blaspheme against the Holy Spirit Jesus is referring to is the Scribe's associating Jesus' casting out demons by Beelzebub. In other words if they (the Scribes) fail to associate the miracles of Jesus to the power of the Holy Spirit, and associate it to demons, then they cannot understand who Jesus is and if they Cannot comprehend that, they cannot be saved. And so as long as they take that position they never will. May we always see the power of God in the work of our Lord.

Mark 3:22

Mark 3:22 (NKJV): 22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.”

His family said He was out of His mind in the previous section, but the Pharisees claim He has Beelzebub, and by this, ruler of demons, He casts out demons. I will speak on Jesus' response tomorrow, but for now let's just ponder this accusation. If He casts out demons by the ruler of demons then He himself must have a demon, even the ruler of demons, by the Scribe's estimation. This illogical assumption has no theological basis but draws from the superstitious practices and beliefs of the times. These Scribes hated Him so much, they would even risk making ridiculous accusations.

I don't know if you've ever been on the receiving end of false accusations, but it is never a pleasant experience. You can be doing everything right and from a pure heart and still be lambasted by evil doers motivated by jealousy. This phenomenon is most prevalent in the ministry. Imagine accusing a pastor of being motivated by money? This actually happened to a friend of mine. A man working in a profession known to be the poorest paid and most overworked. With the average education of ministers, most can pretty much choose any profession that pays more, unless of course that's not why they stay in the ministry? Which makes these types of accusations baseless. But whether you are a pastor, a CEO of a company or home maker, people will always accuse you. But remember, you are in the best company, because that is what they did to Jesus.

Mark 3:20-21

Mark 3:20–21 (NKJV): Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. 21 But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.”

So Jesus and His twelve had just entered into a house to rest and eat, and once again we see the result of the crowds that were pressing upon Him. So insistent that They could get to Jesus that neither He nor they could even eat! When we see Jesus' family trying to intercede, we cannot blame them at all for such a rash move, they were trying to protect Him. But the Son of God needs no one to protect Him, or those who are with Him.

Currently, we are witnessing a barrage of assaults on our faith. I am not speaking of the government or the sin of our immoral society, but the self appointed prophets who are all over social media bringing in damnable heresies, teaching that certain cataclysmic events are about to befall our nation and the godless. None of these prophets are legit! None of them has been told by God that the end is coming! For two thousand years, the Christian church has understood that end time events were already addressed by Jesus in the gospels and in His Revelation (I will not go into details at this time). We do not need these so called prophets, spreading fear and judgment in the church of Christ. We have the Savior, the Lord of glory, and all who trust in Him are safe in Him, because this world is not our home, for we look for a better kingdom. If your hope is in this world, you will be concerned about events that might rock your world. But if your hope is in Christ, you are already blessed and nothing this world experiences will shipwreck that faith.

Mark 3:13-19

Mark 3:13–19 (NKJV): 13 And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. 14 Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, 15 and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: 16 Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; 19 and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house.

Can we just sit on the peripheral for a moment. Notice what Jesus does in choosing His disciples and sending them out? As was Jesus’ mission to preach, He commands His own disciples to do the same, and then gave them power to heal and cast out demons. It is more than obvious then that He is commanding us to follow Him even in the specifics of the mission.

It is in the seventeenth chapter of John’s gospel that we find Jesus saying to the Father “if those that you have given me, I have lost none”. We know therefore that the Father is the one who gave these disciples to Jesus, but here in Mark it tells us that “He called to Himself those He Himself wanted”. I suppose there may be those who believe that Jesus the Son of God was some sort of puppet for the Father’s use. After all, He does say that His food is to do the will of Him who sent Him (John 4:34). But to think that Jesus was somehow deficient in divinity and incapable of choosing His own disciples would be an error. In His process of choosing the twelve, He had already accumulated many and even though He would send out another seventy later, He is here prayerfully choosing the close twelve that He would personally disciple for three and a half years. You also know that some didn’t make the cut, so to speak, but that would have nothing to do with their ability, potential, or charisma. They were simply not chosen for that role. How much better would the church be today if men would wait on the Lord and not force themselves into roles they were never called to, and not be jealous over their brothers call?

Mark 3:7-12

Mark 3:7–12 (NKJV): 7 But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. 9 So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. 10 For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. 11 And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known.

We should be amazed at how rapidly the reputation of Jesus was increasing. When we consider the areas mentioned where people were coming from, it is quite convincing, especially when we consider Tyre and Sidon are coastal ports about fifty miles away. Nothing by car, but try walking it. Jesus was beginning to attract great crowds, and so much so that He was pressed at times to retreat with His disciples to remote places where He could recover and recuperate. This time, He retreats to the sea and when He gets there, plans to have a small boat kept at hand because the crowds are immense. Again, we must remember that Jesus’ purpose was to preach. Healing was a byproduct of His preaching and teaching ministry. So why do so many place the emphasis on healing today? Great question and one that deserves investigation, because the heart of people even among the faithful usually seems to be attracted to the sensational. The word and preaching in such places always seems to take a back seat to the more exciting things, but Jesus always focused first on the mission and then He healed. Isn’t He our example?

Mark 3:1-6

Mark 3:1–6 (NKJV): And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. 2 So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. 3 And He said to the man who had the withered hand,  “Step forward.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. 5 And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Mark keys in on an important fact about the Pharisees in the region - they hated Jesus. It made no difference what He did, how many people He healed, how wonderful the words He spoke were, they liked what they had, and they were not about to let anyone take that away, even one who might be the Messiah. This may seem to be an harsh analysis of these men, but the scripture passage clearly leaves room for it. Notice they watched Him closely. Psalm 37:32 says, “the wicked watches the righteous, and seeks to slay him.” How true of the Pharisees. And as they watched Him, they didn’t need to wait long to find something to sink their fangs into, a man with a withered hand. Ah, they knew that the Son of glory could not resist doing good, and they took complete advantage of it. Even when Jesus knew their thoughts and wickedness, He asked them a question to possibly break through the hardness of their hearts, but the scripture says, “they kept silent.” Why is it that man can be so wicked and ignore every good thing for his own lusts? How can anyone then even think that there is something good in the flesh? For these men are not unlike everyone who is motivated by their own desires, just to a different degree. The end result is the same regardless, they have all sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). But even knowing full well that they would use this good deed against Him, Jesus heals the man. The icing on this proverbial cake is the last part that says “they went out immediately and plotted with the Herodians against Him.” How appropriate that they would form a confederacy with the Herodians, for these illegitimate ascenders to the throne loved their status. They are the Herods that went back to the first century BC, descendants of Idumea, the region of Edom. They were Hellenist Greeks converted to Judaism, that were appointed to the kingship over Israel, not the legitimate line of Judah. These Herodians wanted their control and favor by Caesar and bribed and conspired with anyone that would help them keep it. So, in walk the Pharisees. The politics of that time are like today. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes, and Jesus became their target because His acts were righteous. Let us not as the scripture says, “grow weary in well doing”, for we were called to this ministry of reconciliation for the hearts and souls of people that need the healing touch of Jesus.

Mark 2:23-28

Mark 2:23–28 (NKJV): 23 Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”

25 But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: 26 how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”

27 And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 28 Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”

As the Pharisees would continue to struggle with Jesus and His perceived lawless ways, we will see many examples of their disdain for Him as He continues to push the limits of their prejudices.

Back when we began our first church in the city of Worcester (1994), there was a family who b gab attending our services at the YMCA at Indian lake. They were an Italian family that lived in the Tatnuck Square area of the city. For those who may not know, Tatnuck square is the central zone for the city’s Jewish population. Some of the major temples are located there and since Jewish people walk to temple on the Sabbath, it is imperative that they live in close proximity to it. Our Italian friends lived in a street surrounded by many Orthodox Jews. I remember my friend telling me of the many encounters where he was asked to come over to one of his Jewish neighbors home to shut off their front porch light, because it was not permissible for them to do so on the Sabbath. When we see the Jews in the Bible berating Jesus for small infractions of the Sabbath, perhaps we can have a better idea of their state of mind. So important to them was an exact keeping of those traditions that they saw Jesus tearing apart the very fabric of their society. It is also no mistake that Jesus uses the example of David entering the House of God and eating the show bread, because David’s throne was the perceived throne that Messiah would sit upon when He came in His glory (Isaiah 9:7; Luke 1:32). Then Jesus tells them that “the Son of man”( His title as the Messianic representative according to Daniel 7:3), is Lord of the Sabbath. Now note this, that in the other synoptic gospels as here, there is no answer from the Pharisees. That in itself is worth pondering.

Mark 2:18-22

Mark 2:18–22 (NKJV): 18 The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”

19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. 20 But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. 21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.”

Traditions are good, but some complicate our faith and accomplish nothing but distract us from true worship. If we remember that at the well in Samaria, Jesus told the woman that those who worship God must do so in truth and spirit (John 4:23). If the traditions become simple rote exercises that take up time, they are useless. In the case of Jesus’ disciples, fasting would have taken away from the precious time they had to spend with Him (the bride must be with the bride groom). Yes, Jesus told them to fast and pray if they would cast out demons (Mark 9:39), but when He was with them interacting and teaching, it would have been anti productive to their training to have them follow some ritual of fasting. There would be plenty of time for that later (not the ritual but meaningful fasting). Such is always the problem with rituals and the Jews had many. I also believe much of the discipleship of the Scribes and Pharisees centered around this. Jesus on the other hand was introducing a new form of discipleship - mimicking God! Yet, as we see even still today, there are many that do not understand. They have their traditions, there rituals, and unless everyone is doing it their way, they oppose them. But why would people not see that Jesus’ way was better? The answer lies in the last sentence of Luke’s corresponding passage that the other synoptic writers leave out. “And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’ ” How masterfully Jesus hits the proverbial nail on the head. We don’t immediately desire that which is new, which is why some of us never shed the old ritualistic traditions.

Mark 2:13-17

Mark 2:13–17 (NKJV): 13 Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. 14 As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him,  “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him.

15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. 16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?”

17 When Jesus heard it, He said to them,  “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”

It never ceases to amaze me how the religious people of Jesus’ time always judged those who were following Jesus. Nothing has changed! It’s the same today. People who think they are better because of an exterior façade of morality, look down on those who are perceptively deficient in morals. But the truth is far from this commonly accepted position. For those without Christ in this world, morality adds nothing to one’s spiritual condition, for the moralist and the non-moralist are categorically both sinners by birth. Depravity knows no moral bounds, “for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). For those in Christ in this world, morality is a virtue of obedience to the law of Christ. It is measured by God and not man, for the person in Christ (who walks by faith not by sight), is growing in the grace of God through his relationship in Christ. But when any person begins judging his brother because of perceptive lack of morality, he boasts of his own stand in Christ which he himself never attained. This boasting is sin and morally deficient, and he that does so, becomes a religious person as were the scribes and Pharisees. We should rather come along side those that are following Jesus and help hold them up when the burdens of this world weigh them down (Gal. 6:2). We should also seek to restore those that go astray, considering ourselves lest we be tempted (temptation to boast and lord over another as I take this to mean) (Gal 6:1). If we could simply see people the way Jesus does, sick and in need of the great physician, we would have compassion on them and not judge them as the moralist still do.

Mark 2:1-12

Mark 2:1–12 (NKJV):  And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. 2 Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. 3 Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. 4 And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying.

5 When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.”

6 And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

8 But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, 11 “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” 12 Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

As He is once again found in Capernaum, Jesus is committed to preaching the word. As I mentioned previously, this was His mission, and yet even after the cross, the resurrection, and the ascension, the mission is the same. But does our mission today resemble the mission of Jesus? He told us to follow Him, He empowered us, gave us an example, and yet we have short changed those that come to hear. How? Why? One would say. Because we preach a powerless word. We talk about the Holy Spirit power but preach a Spiritless message. Please don’t misinterpret what I’m saying here. We may preach good sound Biblical messages, but some people that come, come because they are hurting and suffering, and we do nothing to alleviate their pain. Just look at our text: they brought a man to Jesus to be healed and Jesus healed him during His preaching service. “But I’m not Jesus!” Some would say. No you are not, but you have the power and authority of Jesus to heal through prayer. Did not Jesus say to us, that greater works than His we shall do? (John 14:2). Did He not bestow that authority and power upon us when He commissioned us to go make disciples? (Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). Our church has witnessed many miracles in people’s lives, from spiritual healing to distinctive physical healings. Are these to be categorized as the exceptions, or are these to be expected as the norm? I suppose the answer lies in our faith. We have entered into the body of Christ that we may serve in the mission of Christ. Some today limit the mission of Christ to a simple didactic teaching of the scriptures, ministering solely to the mind. This abstract understanding of the mission of Christ leaves people incomplete when we think about God’s healing balm of wholeness. He gave people an example to follow in His earthly ministry and He asks us to join Him in it still today. I’m afraid we are too academic and anemic in our ministries today. What we need is a return to the supernatural expectations of the Holy Spirit in the lives of those we minister, which will never happen as long as we limit the Spirit by our narrow thinking. 

Mark 1:40-45

Mark 1:40–45 (NKJV) — 40Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”41Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” 42As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 43And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, 44and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”45However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction.

I’ve often thought that these verses were somewhat overlooked by Christians because most pay no attention to the fact that the leper failed to obey what Jesus told him. After all, many came to Him in the deserted place. But why would Jesus tell the man not to say anything to anyone, and strictly warn him? I believe the answer is what we saw yesterday. He needed to preach in the other towns. Now He could no longer do what He desired to do, and the gospel was hindered because of the disobedience of one man supernaturally healed of leprosy.

Mark 1:35-39

Mark 1:35–39 (NKJV) — 35Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed. 36And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. 37When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.”38But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.”39And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons.

We come now to the following morning after a night of ecstatic praise over the multitudes that were healed. Jesus is not sleeping in, but out in a solitary place away from the crowd. He is as usual, in prayer. when His disciples find Him they are a bit flabbergasted, because they wonder why He doesn't realize that everyone is looking for Him. Afterall, everything is going so well, and the crowds on this day will be even larger than the night before. But Jesus didn't come to just heal, but to preach, as He tells His disciples, and the neighboring towns also needed to hear the message. As I think about our work in the town of Templeton, it amazes me at times what we are seeing and reception that we are receiving from the community, but I can't help but think about the towns around us that don't have a gospel witness. Is it not our job to bring the message of hope there as well? Are we all not evangelist in a sense commissioned to make disciples in every place? We work, play, and shop in many other towns, are we preaching there, or are we just enjoying the excitement of what's happening in our own backyard?

Mark 1:32-34

Mark 1:32–34 (NKJV) — 32At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. 33And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.

The "doctrine" (As we saw in the preceding verses of this chapter, casting out demons was called His doctrine, because it accompanied His teaching), of Jesus was undeniable. When the church of Jesus Christ, through the Spirit of God, begins to practice the "doctrine" of Jesus Christ, the world takes notice. Far too many in the faith are fixated on the sensational today that they cannot see the spiritual healings that usually accompany this "doctrine", and some even dismiss the actual miracles that happen right before their eyes. But, as we see in this passage, the people cannot resist this "doctrine" and will even bring their loved ones and friends that one touch of the Master may set them free. The other fascinating thing we find here, is that Jesus is never a glory hog! Yes, His time has not yet come, but I believe it goes a bit deeper than that. Mortal man nor devils of hell, could stop the cross of Christ. He never intentionally drew attention to Himself, but came to do the Father's work. What if God's servants today would strive to never bring attention to themselves, but to point people to the man from Galilee who can set them free? So what does this say about all those out there today who glorify themselves by drawing attention to the miracles they perform?

Mark 1:30-31

Mark 1:30–31 (NKJV) — 30But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. 31So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them.

Some today would call Jesus a misogynist, based on this verse. I can hear their accusations: "How dare he heal her simply to benefit his own needs". The Spirit however gives us a proper example of what is important here. You know we have a warped idea of service in this country? We are among those that see service as an intrusion upon our freedom and time. When we hear the word in church, we think to ourselves, "don't they know that my time is precious?" We must keep in mind that our time is not ours but God's. We must keep in mind that we are not our own but belong to God, because we were bought with a price. We are stewards of everything that God has given us, and they are all to be used for His service. Perhaps many of us are on a journey to discovery in this department. We must surrender everything to the Lord: Our time, money, talents, lives, family, etc. For Jesus to heal Simon and Andrew's mother, was surely a blessing and miracle, because most people in the first century with fevers did not recover, as it was usually caused by a bacterial infection. Simon and Andrew's mother was so grateful for her new health that she got up and served them. Does this also not parallel the spiritual healing of an unbeliever? For when they come to faith and follow Jesus, they are also ready to serve. What is your perspective on this?

Mark 1:29

Mark 1:29 (NKJV) — 29Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen. (John 21:25). Sometimes we are too nearsighted when reading the scriptures, and miss some of the most blessed expressions of love and unity. Our passage today is one such place. After the wonderful and miraculous events in the Capernaum synagogue, Jesus and His new disciples spend time together in Simon and Andrew's home. I can't stress enough the importance of this act which underscores our Lord's ministry. I also cannot adequately convey the feeling of such a thing as this homey type of fellowship, which changes the way we view our world and each other in the faith.

Up until the earthquake that shook the city of Porte-Au-Prince Haiti in 2010 that killed around two hundred thousand people, I had made no less than a dozen trips to the country of Haiti doing missions work. What drew me to that third world country was not only their poverty and need of compassion, but their need of Jesus! What I found there was a people receptive to the gospel as well as many churches and Christians in need of help and love. The singleness of every one of those trips, which focused on the mission and void of the daily distractions of media and such, which steals away our hearts and time, had such a profound effect on me that every time I came back to the states, I found apathy in our church. There was something about the daily work of the gospel with no other distractions, praying desperately when we were in danger, seeing God's hand of power and the sweet fellowship of sharing meals and evenings together with team mates and Haitian brothers and sisters, that melded our hearts and lives together. I must also confess that I have never experienced that kind of fellowship here in America, except when our missions teams would spend months together in preparation for our trip. Meeting together every Sunday night to pray for our trip and to rehearse our parts for the dramas we would use to minister, excursions to pack food that we would bring to the orphanages, working together on our fund raising, and dinners together to tell stories of past trips. That kind of fellowship transcends our lives from complacency to real mission. But, lest you think you need to go on a mission trip to a third world country to experience this kind of transforming power, we can and must do mission together right now right here. We have everything we need to make it happen, and we can start by gathering in homes around meals and the word of God.

Mark 1:23-28 (P3)

Mark 1:23–28 (NKJV): 23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying,  “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28 And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

Just when it hit them, that this man they worshipped with was demon possessed we do not know, but one thing we do know, the fact that he was and no one knew it, is undeniable. This brings up something we must all face, that even in the church there are those who have an unclean spirit. They may say the right things, they may act spiritual, they may even teach the word, but they are as Jesus called them, wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matt 7:15). But what can we do about them, and how can we know who they are? Jesus said, you will know them by their fruits (Matt. 7:16). And the apostle Paul said, “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph. 5:11).

Here is something to consider and take note of. Regardless of the spiritual warfare we find ourselves in and the oppression of evil around us, Jesus is more powerful and we have nothing to fear. But, we cannot do anything in our own power! It is He that dispels the forces of evil, He alone that has the power. And when we are in fellowship with Him and are walking in the Spirit, we also have the power of Christ abiding in us. That's why the apostle Paul says in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". 

Mark 1:23-28 (P2)

Mark 1:23–28 (NKJV): 23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying,  “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28 And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

Today, I would like to focus on the demon’s questions: Let us alone! What have we to do with you…? and, did you come to destroy us?

“What have we to do with you?” “Have you come to destroy us?” There is no doubt that the people were somewhat apprehensive of Jesus’ doctrine and power. These questions by the demon reflect that sentiment perfectly, and why wouldn’t they? After all this demon is seeking to blend in and influence the congregation for evil. Many see these statements of the demon as a bold stand that gives away his supernatural essence, but this is not his M.O. he is using these statements to sway the people toward fearing Jesus so that he can further deceive them. Also notice that he uses two titles: the first, Jesus of Nazareth, and the second, the Holy One of God (the second a reference to Psalm 16:10). He first refers to His homeland and where He was from, and the second being prophetic. At first these two seem to be incongruous, but once we understand what he is doing, it all makes perfect sense. Jesus of Nazareth demonstrates His humanity and the Holy One His deity. The demon was not lying about who Jesus is, but rather trying to use the truth to weaponize the people against Him, which is all very obvious when Jesus tells him to shut his mouth. It seems that every time a demon speaks to Jesus they try to give away who He is, why? They know the word of God and why Jesus was on earth. They will do everything to stop Him and subvert His ministry. The same is true today. Demonic oppression is everywhere and those ministers of death are poised always to introduce just enough truth to sway people away from God’s plan of salvation. The devil’s deception is not blatant but subtle, just as it was in the garden of Eden.

Mark 1:23-28 (P1)

Mark 1:23–28 (NKJV): 23 Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying,  “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. 27 Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” 28 And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

There is much in this passage that needs individual attention, and so, I will devote several days to it. Now the first thing we find is that there in the synagogue is a man with an unclean spirit (demonically possessed). I don’t know about you, but I would think the last place you would find a demonically possessed person would be in an holy synagogue. Yet, we know from verse twenty one, that this synagogue is in Capernaum, which is located on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. So perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised, because this area of the country was replete with demonic activity. In fact, Luke chapter eight tells us that the demoniac of the country of the Gadarenes, who Jesus cast out a legion of demons into a herd of swine was just on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Incidentally, the geographical center of Jesus’ teaching and healing ministry, centered around the Sea of Galilee. Jesus always went to the places that were most in need of the gospel. Now, when we think that a man in the synagogue, a place of worship where the scriptures are discussed and prayer is lifted up, is participating unbeknownst to the congregation, how do we reconcile such a thing? Do we just write these Jews off as unspiritual? Do we think that this could never happen today in our churches? When we think of people possessed with an unclean spirit, we think of the obvious like the man in the country of the Gadarenes, but let us not forget that Satan appears as an angle of light and his demons as ministers of righteousness (2 Cor. 11:15). If there is any place Satan’s ambassadors would be found today, it would be in the church! I have witnessed for myself many times over the years, people who were obviously never saved who also displayed all the characteristics of one possessed with an unclean spirit. Just because they made a profession of faith and were baptized, everyone was fooled. Just like the Jews in the Capernaum synagogue, this guy was probably someone of influence. Let us take note that the devil and his unrighteous ministers are all around. May we never give them an opportunity to do their work in our fellowship.

Mark 1:21-22

Mark 1:21–22 (NKJV): 21 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. 22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Jesus taught as one having authority. The Greek EXOUSION for authority is used to demonstrate power over something. It is interesting that the scribes did not possess this and the people knew the difference. I cannot pass this over because the analogy to the body of Christ today is quite telling. Why did Jesus have this authority or power? Because obviously He in the flesh was the divine Son of God. Why did the scribes not have this authority or power? Because they were mere mortal men. Now fast forward to our modern times. We have many false teachers who mislead many, and if we were more discerning, we would see that they teach the word of God with no power. Why? Because they have not the Spirit of God. But then there are those who teach the word with authority and power, and we recognize it. Why? Because they have the Spirit of God and are walking in the Spirit. Now, you might think that I’m referring to pastors and leaders in the church, and you would be partially correct, but if that were all, we would be doing a disservice to the rest of the body of Christ, because all are called to preach and teach His word. If we have the Spirit ( for if we have not the Spirit of Christ, we are not His, Rom. 8:9), we have the authority or power, to preach and teach, and those who hear will sense the difference. We are His ambassadors and are called and equipped (authority) to bring His word to the world with conviction and power, because we are in Him and He in us.

Mark 1:19-20

Mark 1:19–20 (NKJV): 19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20 And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

As we saw in the preceding verses, two men are called to follow Jesus. A similar situation exists with these two as Andrew and Simon (not simply hearing Him for the first time and dropping everything, but heard Him preach on several occasions). But the passage before us today reveals something else which many times causes consternation with those who are called to follow Jesus - they left their family. I believe the modern church has overlooked some very heartfelt questions when responding to the gospel (when people are called to follow Jesus). Most Christians today have never had to make any kind of sacrifice when they “trusted” Christ, that definition alone is a loaded one, for if someone is trusting Christ, are they not trusting Him with their very lives? But people every day in American churches go through the motions of “the faith”, but later on when trouble comes they will apart. Jesus spoke about this in Matt. 13:22 in the parable of the sower. If there is to be any real manifestation of the supernatural church in our times, people need to consider what they are surrendering to when they follow Jesus. The apostle says we are not our own, but we are bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:19-20). It does not surprise me that these men followed Jesus, it also does not surprise me that they left their old lives and their family, for Christ is the pearl of great price that when a man finds, goes and sells everything he has to buy that field (Matt. 13:46).