Mark continues with Authority of Christ the demons and the casting out with power
Mark 1 Continues with Authority, Demons, and Healing
John a Jew by birth also had the Roman surname of Mark was from Jerusalem where his mother , Mary, who had great wealth, was personally acquainted with the scenes and ministry of Jesus. ( Erdman on Mark). We said as well that Mark had a lapse in his ministry with Paul, after Perga and Cyprus and he turned back much to Paul's disappointment, but he was restored, and was an good friend of Peter the Apostle. Mark has great detail in his Gospel, although shorter and not containing many scenes in the other Gospels. Today's scene I do not find in the Matthew, John but it is in Luke 4 beginning at vs. 31. It seems quite similar to Mark. It seems more vivid to me in Mark however...
Authority, New Teaching and Astonishment are some of the words that the people used in the synagogue about Jesus. They were " astonished at his teaching". Lk. 4:32 His words had authority , gk power out of authority or weight. exousia . We too must look at our own lives and ask, " Who or what is our authority?" If we reflect and find it is Jesus ( as all Christians must ---remember Mark 1:17 " Come after me" & Mk 1:20 " And straightway He called them"), then we should take a look at our thoughts, actions , and plans to see if these match up to Him. It may be a painful process but valuable for us to " be conformed to the image of His Son." Romans 8: 29 Otherwise we will be conformed to something else, look at Romans 12:1 " I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy , acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
" By what authority" is a question they asked of Jesus in the Gospels " do you do these things", and we should also know " by what authority " we do anything at all. The authority is the Son of God , the Word eternal, who is the light of the world, and His Word given through the Holy Spirit is our authority as the teaching is taught, illuminated to us by the Holy Spirit of God. " Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him, because they are spiritually judged." I Corinthians 2: 14
Psalm 119:105 " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path."
Note as well, secondly, the strength of the opposition to Christ. Right in the Service in the synagogue----" And straightway there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Nazarene? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God." This was not mental or physical disease . Jesus rebukes the spirit, saying, " Hold thy peace, and come out of him." 1:25
" ...clearly ... the demons had much knowledge, but entirely lacked love. ...They did not love the righteousness that was in him." Augustine
We too have opposition in our midst. We must fight it with truth and love. Truth alone is not enough without love. Love never fails the Apostle Paul says. The foundation of God's love is truth.
Lastly, Christ calls the unclean spirit out of the man. " A new teaching ! with authority He commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." 1:27 There is hope in our lives when all seems desperate and lost . With Christ all things are well...if He is in the boat in the midst of the storm.
What spirits we deal with in this world, perhaps , not all demonic, but the spirit of the age is against Christ. " Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood..against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Eph 6:12
We take the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God , and put on the whole armor of God, faith shield whereby we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
John a Jew by birth also had the Roman surname of Mark was from Jerusalem where his mother , Mary, who had great wealth, was personally acquainted with the scenes and ministry of Jesus. ( Erdman on Mark). We said as well that Mark had a lapse in his ministry with Paul, after Perga and Cyprus and he turned back much to Paul's disappointment, but he was restored, and was an good friend of Peter the Apostle. Mark has great detail in his Gospel, although shorter and not containing many scenes in the other Gospels. Today's scene I do not find in the Matthew, John but it is in Luke 4 beginning at vs. 31. It seems quite similar to Mark. It seems more vivid to me in Mark however...
Authority, New Teaching and Astonishment are some of the words that the people used in the synagogue about Jesus. They were " astonished at his teaching". Lk. 4:32 His words had authority , gk power out of authority or weight. exousia . We too must look at our own lives and ask, " Who or what is our authority?" If we reflect and find it is Jesus ( as all Christians must ---remember Mark 1:17 " Come after me" & Mk 1:20 " And straightway He called them"), then we should take a look at our thoughts, actions , and plans to see if these match up to Him. It may be a painful process but valuable for us to " be conformed to the image of His Son." Romans 8: 29 Otherwise we will be conformed to something else, look at Romans 12:1 " I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy , acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service. And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
" By what authority" is a question they asked of Jesus in the Gospels " do you do these things", and we should also know " by what authority " we do anything at all. The authority is the Son of God , the Word eternal, who is the light of the world, and His Word given through the Holy Spirit is our authority as the teaching is taught, illuminated to us by the Holy Spirit of God. " Now the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him, because they are spiritually judged." I Corinthians 2: 14
Psalm 119:105 " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and light unto my path."
Note as well, secondly, the strength of the opposition to Christ. Right in the Service in the synagogue----" And straightway there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Nazarene? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God." This was not mental or physical disease . Jesus rebukes the spirit, saying, " Hold thy peace, and come out of him." 1:25
" ...clearly ... the demons had much knowledge, but entirely lacked love. ...They did not love the righteousness that was in him." Augustine
We too have opposition in our midst. We must fight it with truth and love. Truth alone is not enough without love. Love never fails the Apostle Paul says. The foundation of God's love is truth.
Lastly, Christ calls the unclean spirit out of the man. " A new teaching ! with authority He commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him." 1:27 There is hope in our lives when all seems desperate and lost . With Christ all things are well...if He is in the boat in the midst of the storm.
What spirits we deal with in this world, perhaps , not all demonic, but the spirit of the age is against Christ. " Our wrestling is not against flesh and blood..against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." Eph 6:12
We take the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God , and put on the whole armor of God, faith shield whereby we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one.
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