Mark 1:21-28- Jesus is stronger

Mark 1:21-28

Mark 3:22-30

                                Jesus is stronger

I went to an all-boys school growing up.And in our school it was all about who was the toughest, the strongest, the biggest.

There would often be a fight arranged in our outdoor squash courts….don’t ask!

Boys would often puff out their chests and talk a good talk.

It was all about who you knew and who had your back.

And the tougher, stronger and taller you were, the more you were challenged to a fight in the outdoor squash court- and why?

Because everyone, or most people wanted to be top dog, and so to be the top dog, you had to take down the top dog.

By the way, I didn’t go a “gangs of new York” type of school, I went to a great school, we wore suits and ties- our fights were pretty tame really.

This strategy of taking out the top dog is a strategy that has been used in wars and is still used today. The theory is, that victory is had, when the head of the opposition is destroyed.

If you take out the leader, the followers will soon crumble.

It makes sense right?

If you cut the head off, then the rest of the body will find it hard to survive.

We all know that a shovel to the head of the snake is the way to kill the whole snake.

Once you destroy the head, the rest of the body can easily be plundered.

History has shown us that once a leader is gone, the rest of the body collapses pretty quickly.

For example:

The Viking age ended in Britain when the king of Norway- Harald Hardrada was killed in battle at Stamford bridge in 1066. It was the leaders Sadam Hussein and Osama Bin laden, who the enemy hunted down and killed, in the hope that the collapse of their regimes would follow. During world wars 1 and 2, there were many attempts to cut off the head and assassinate, Adolf Hitler, with the hope that once the head was destroyed, the rest would follow.

Today, as we look at this next little passage from the gospel of Mark, we can see that Jesus’ mission to this earth, was not only to save us from our sins, not only to bring us back to relationship with our creator, but……….a vital part of that mission, was to crush the serpents head, to destroy the evil one.

Jesus’ mission to save us from our sins, meant that he had to bind Satan in order to set his people free.

Interestingly, Jesus began his destruction of Satan by simply teaching……yes teaching……..nothing too spectacular……just simple teaching about the kingdom of God.

Now, it must be noted that the teaching of Jesus was like no other, but it was teaching none the less- a very ordinary activity.

Jesus had just called a couple of ordinary brothers, Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow him on his mission, and now he was doing something that also appeared very ordinary: going to the synagogues, reading the words of the Torah (the OT) and teaching.

However, it wasn’t just any old teaching, but it was teaching with power and authority.

Jesus’ teaching, wasn’t like the teaching of the scribes.

The scribes would quote one scribe after another, and root their teaching authority from the traditions of the elders. The scribes would read the Torah, give their own interpretation on the Torah (the Old Testament) and then claim that their interpretation was the right one, since it is what they had always practiced.

The scribes were not only people who copied God’s word meticulously, but they taught God’s word, they interpreted God’s word and they explained to others how they should live by God’s word. Scribes were considered the experts, they had seats on the Jewish council, they were the people that people, turned to for moral guidance.

The scribes were highly respected amongst the Jewish people. They would have the best seats at the table, and people would also bow in humble submission when they saw them in the streets.

And yet, these scribes rooted their authority in their own traditions, their forefathers, their committee of scribes.

Whereas, Jesus on the other hand, taught with authority that came from himself.

Jesus didn’t need to quote any expert, Jesus didn’t need to reference his teaching, he simply said on many occasions…..”this is what I say”

Jesus would teach from the Torah and not quote scribe after scribe or even prophet after prophet, but he would teach with the words, and…..I say…….and I say…… You have seen it written, but I say…..you have heard it said, but I say………

Jesus had the authority to teach by using the words I Say, because he is and was the Son of the living God, He is God in the flesh, He is the author of the bible.

Just as God was able to speak to Moses and say, “this is what I say”, Jesus had that same authority and taught by using the words….”This is what I say”

Preachers, pastors, today, we don’t have the authority to say, this is what I say…..No, we constantly are preaching and teaching, this is what Jesus said, this is what the word of God says. Any authority that comes from the pastor’s mouth today, must come from the words of scripture, otherwise, it carries no authority at all.

And so Jesus’ teaching was one with total authority from himself, and yet he still taught and he still taught in the synagogues.

In this passage from Mark, we read that Jesus went to Capernaum, entered a synagogue on the sabbath, as any other Jew would have done, and started teaching, as many other Jews would have done, and as Jesus taught about God’s kingdom that day, in the synagogue, the forces of evil were confronted.

A man who was demon possessed, and was sitting in that synagogue that day, who had an unclean spirit in him, who didn’t have the Holy Spirit in his heart, was confronted, and challenged by the teaching of Jesus and he cried out,

Look at what he cried from verse 24.

“What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy one of God”

This man who had this unclean spirit, this demon, knew exactly who Jesus was and he knew exactly what he came to do. This demon who spoke on behalf of all demons,

He knew He was the Holy one of God,

and he knew he had come to destroy the evil one.

Now as remarkable as all that is, what I find more remarkable is that Jesus started his destruction of the evil one, not in brothels, not in the tax booths, not on the streets, but in the synagogues.

He started to clean out the unclean spirts, which resided in the spaces which were supposed to be clean, the synagogues.

Friends, God in his mercy starts judgement with his own people, he starts with those who sit under the banner of Jesus. He cleans his own house first.  

Why?

Because, God will not be mocked.

If we claim Jesus as Lord and saviour and yet we are doing the work of the devil, Jesus will bring down judgement upon us.

He will clean his own house first.

We are not told why that man who was demon possessed was in that synagogue that day, but we do know that he was sitting amongst the people of God and yet he wasn’t on the side of Jesus.

You can see this throughout all four of the gospels, that Jesus continually confronted the leaders of his own people- the scribes, the pharisees, the teachers of the law, and yet often welcomed the tax collector, the gentile, the sinner.

The Jewish leaders, were the ones who were flying under the banner of God’s name, the ones who were teaching and interpreting the scriptures, but were the ones who were in fact doing the work of the devil, as they plotted to kill and destroy the giver of life- Jesus.

Friends, whenever a bible is opened today, preached, taught, exposited, proclaimed, a confrontation occurs between good and evil. The word of God which is the sword of the spirit (according to Ephesians 6:18) is wielded and evil is confronted.

What may seem quite ordinary to us today, the preaching of God’s word, is an extra ordinary tool that God uses to destroy the works of the devil.

The same weapon which Jesus used in the synagogue in Capernaum, is the same weapon we wield today.

It is a tragedy when the bible isn’t preached in a church, the sword of the spirit isn’t wielded, evil is not confronted and instead evil continues to masquerade in good works, morality, entertainment or a false sense of unity and love.

You will notice throughout the gospels, that Jesus often went to the synagogue to teach about the kingdom of God, first, and then, often: after he taught or healed, or cast out a demon in the synagogue, he would be kicked out of that “sacred” place, and then he would go to the non-Jewish people, the gentiles, and begin to teach, and heal them.

This pattern of first going to the synagogues and then going to the gentiles, was a pattern that was also followed by the apostles, particularly Paul, as you can read through the book of Acts.

Romans 1:16 tells us: the that the gospel which is the power of God for salvation is first for the Jew and then for the gentile.

Jesus went to his own people first, to show them, that their promised Messiah who was prophesied about throughout the scriptures had finally arrived.

But when his own people rejected him, he spread the good news to the non-Jews too- to us gentiles-praise God. The gospel became available for all people- both Jews and gentiles.

Now, as Jesus taught in the synagogue and the demon confronted Jesus, just look at the total authority that Jesus had over this demon.

Look at Jesus’ response in verse 25

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him”

These two words that Jesus said to the demon- “Be silent” are the same two words, Jesus used to calm the storm, to the wind and the waves he said “Be still”.

Friends, with just a word, Jesus was able to bring peace to chaos.

With just a word, Jesus was able to advance his kingdom.

With just a word, Jesus was able to restore and heal hearts.

There was no shouting to the heavens and splitting the wrists as the worshippers of Baal did, just a simple, calm word.

Friends, when Jesus spoke: the demons did exactly what he said, they were quiet and they came out of the man.

Friends, whatever evil you may be facing in your life today, remember this truth: Jesus is stronger.

If you look at the evil in this world and become overwhelmed, just remember- Jesus is stronger.

The battle between good and evil is not an even contest.

Jesus is far more powerful, far more superior than the devil.

The devil is a created being- Jesus isn’t

The devil was once a created angel who rebelled against God

Jesus is not a created being.

Jesus is the creator.

And so brothers and sisters, we must remember, as we wield the sword of the spirit, as we preach and teach the word of God, we must remember that Jesus has already crushed the head of satan.

Jesus has already defeated satan.

This is what it tells us in Colossians 2:13-15

Just look at those verses with me:

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Friends just let these verses sink into our hearts.

Once we were dead in our sins.

That means, once before Jesus came to this earth, lived, died and rose again, our sins condemned us to death. This is God’s holy punishment for our sins- the wages of sin is death- and so we were dead in our sins…and yet praise be to God………

God made us alive with Christ….and how did God do that?

It says it right there….

When Christ died on the cross, he took all the records of our sins, that long list of sins, and nailed them to the cross and stamped across that list of sins, written in blood,

ALL PAID FOR.

DEBT CANCELLED.

And as he paid for all of our sins, he disarmed the rulers and heavenly authorities, he stamped on satan’s head, he triumphed over them.

Satan can no longer accuse us, our sins have been paid for- all of them.

Yes, God still, allows the devil to roam this earth for his purposes for a set amount of time which God has determined, but one day when Jesus returns, the devil will be completely destroyed in the lake of fire.

So how does that effect how we live now?

Well 2 applications:

1.        We don’t fight against flesh and blood but we fight a spiritual battle

This means that we must remember that all people, all people are made in the image of God. No-one is beyond redemption, no one is beyond God’s grace and so we should always pray for the salvation of our enemy- this is what Jesus commanded- pray for those who persecute you and to love your enemies, and so the way we love our enemies is to pray for their salvation.

2.        Put on the full armour of God, wield the sword of the spirit which is the word of God.

The only way to fight against evil is to wield the sword of the spirit which is the word of God. Which means we must know our bibles, because as we read his word and ask his word to sink into our hearts, and then as we speak his word, we know as it says in Hebrews 4:12 that the word of God is the living and active, it is sharper than any two edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Friends, God’s word is more powerful than any nuclear warhead.

God’s word not only brings judgement, but it brings peace, it brings transformation, it brings life.

You see friends, unlike many war strategies of war today, which destroy the leader in order to destroy the regime…..Jesus flipped that strategy on its head.

As our leader, Jesus allowed himself to be sacrificed so that God’s kingdom would continue to grow in the hearts of his people.

As the gospel is preached, as hearts are transformed, as the forces of evil continued to be silenced.

And unlike all human leaders who stayed dead, Jesus didn’t stay dead, he came back to life, the evil forces couldn’t destroy him- Jesus is simply stronger.

Let us pray