Does your life reflect the teaching and authority of Jesus? Let’s look at Mark 1:21-28
1. Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach and the people were amazed ‘because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law,’ verse 22.
If you or I are in positions where we teach others in Sunday school, kids’ clubs, bible study or church situations, does our teaching have the authority of Jesus behind it? It should do, if we are doing it in His strength, being faithful to God’s word and enabled by the Holy Spirit. People can tell the difference.
2. This man, possessed by the evil spirit, came from within the synagogue, verse 23.
Today there are still those in our churches who are under Satan’s power and dominion rather than God’s.
3. Even the evil spirit recognized and witnessed to the divinity of Jesus, verse 24.
How much more should his followers witness of Him as the Holy One of God?
4. Jesus commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man and the evil spirit obeyed the voice of authority.
Christians need to be alert to the evil powers of this world. We are warned that our ‘enemy, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour,’ 1 Peter 5:8. Looking for someone like the poor man in this story in Mark’s gospel or like us. Christians are urged to ‘resist the enemy,’ I Peter 5:9. ‘Resist the devil and he will flee from you,’ James 4:7.
The way to do this is by not letting him get a foothold in our lives, Ephesians 4:27. Is there some area of your life where you have allowed the devil to get a foothold? Bring it now in repentance to Jesus and allow him to deal with it as he did the evil spirit in this man.
5. Obviously the people were amazed by the authority of Jesus in teaching and his power and authority over the evil spirit, verse 27. Yet, they chose not to submit themselves to His authority.
How often to do we listen to a sermon or read God’s word and apply the words to someone else, saying ‘my husband, neighbor etc really needs to hear this,’ rather than taking God’s Words to heart ourselves?
6. News about Jesus spread quickly through the region of Galilee, verse 28.
What about where you live? What are you doing to spread the good news of Jesus in your family, street, neighborhood and country?
7. The key verse in this passage is verse 27. The key character is Jesus and His teaching and authority.
Are people amazed by the authority of Jesus and the changes He is making in your life and mine? Or can’t they see any difference between us and our non Christian neighbors?
All bible references are from the NIV.
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