I am yet to have been interrupted so abruptly like Jesus was when teaching here in Mark 1:21-29, and I hope I never will be! But in this passage a man with an unclean spirit disrupts the service in the synagogue with a loud cry and shouts,
“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!” (Mark 1:24)
The Confession
Aside from what might have been a rude and surprising interruption, as it would be in any setting such as this, this was a particularly telling event in the early ministry of Jesus. The religious leaders and the crowds are amazed by Jesus but haven’t quite worked out who he is. This unclean spirit, however, knows exactly who he is dealing with. It names Jesus’ hometown. It names Jesus’ identity. There is no confusion in the spiritual realm about who Jesus is or the extent of his authority.
Immediately Jesus shuts this down. He says, “Be quiet! Come out of him.” And it does. This is not because of embarrassment but more for the sake of keeping things quiet until his time to announce his full self reaches its proper time.
This isn’t the last time in Mark’s gospel that Jesus encounters and casts out an impure or demonic spirit; there are five instances in Mark alone. What it tells us is that King Jesus rules and reigns over all that is spiritual. There is no power in the heavenly or earthly realms that is outside his authority.
The Reality of Spiritual Warfare
I don’t take the view that behind every illness or every struggle with sin there’s a demon lurking. You might know people who see evil under every rock, or every challenging circumstance needs to be exorcised. That’s not the picture Mark is painting. But Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians recognises the reality of the spiritual realm when he says, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world.” (Ephesians 6:12)
Satan is real. The evil one’s fingerprints are visible in the brokenness of our world, in the pull of temptation, and in the pattern of suffering and deception that run through our human experience. The New Testament is honest about the measure of power he holds and it is the reality of our earthly existence.
However, as we read in the first chapter of Ephesians, the battle has been won!
“God exerted his power when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked.” (Ephesians 1:20-21)
This battle is not won because evil doesn’t still push and prod, but because through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the enemy has been decisively defeated. The prince of this world will be driven out (John 12:31). The cross is God’s power on full display.
As 1 Corinthians 1:18 puts it: “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
Authority You Can Trust
The power of God is clearly here at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. It’s on display in our world, as the Lord calls people to himself, and those whose hearts are drawn to the light. And, it is on display through the cross on which he died.
Be assured of the authority of Jesus in your life and in our world, no matter the chaos.
King Jesus: A Series in Mark’s Gospel
Part 1: King Jesus: The Beginning of The Good News
Part 2: King Jesus: The Messenger
Part 3: King Jesus: The Love of God the Father
Part 4: King Jesus: The Kingdom of God
Part 5: King Jesus: The Calling of The Ordinary
Part 6: King Jesus: Place and Purpose
Part 7: King Jesus: The Authority Behind The Words
Part 8: King Jesus: The Power of Jesus
