WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.580 Good morning. It's good to see you all here. Thanks for joining us for worship. 00:00:12.380 --> 00:00:20.559 The sociologist Max Weber wrote in the 1950s an essay called Three Types of Legitimate Rule, 00:00:20.900 --> 00:00:26.660 talking about different kinds of authority in the world. He talked about charismatic authority, 00:00:26.660 --> 00:00:33.480 charisma, strength, and charm of an individual's personality. He noted that people who follow a 00:00:33.480 --> 00:00:39.620 charismatic leader don't do so necessarily based on virtue, tradition, or statute, but because they 00:00:39.620 --> 00:00:47.379 believe in this person. He then goes on, he says, a second kind of authority is traditional authority. 00:00:48.200 --> 00:00:53.439 Legitimacy of traditional authority comes from traditions and customs. The authority of the 00:00:53.439 --> 00:01:00.379 eternal yesterday is what he called it. The third kind of authority he identified is legal 00:01:00.379 --> 00:01:06.500 authority. A rational legal authority or bureaucratic authority. With this type of authority, an individual 00:01:06.500 --> 00:01:13.680 ruling group exerts power based on legal office. Once the person in power leaves their official 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:20.019 position, their authority is lost. Those who govern have a legal right to do so, and subordinates 00:01:20.019 --> 00:01:30.359 accept their legal authority. Regardless of where you come from, authority is something that we often 00:01:30.359 --> 00:01:39.500 have mixed reactions to. Some of us admire authorities. Some of us fear them. Some of us have an instinct 00:01:39.500 --> 00:01:52.439 to resist any authority. Some of us find comfort in having an authority over us. When we come to the Bible, we are 00:01:52.439 --> 00:02:03.920 confronted with an authority of a different sort. How do we respond to that authority? This brings us to our passage 00:02:03.920 --> 00:02:11.640 this morning. We're in a series in the Gospel of Mark. If you want to turn there in the Pew Bibles, it's page 785. 00:02:12.460 --> 00:02:18.680 And in the Gospel of Mark, we're looking at it from the very beginning, this portrait of a person, Jesus. 00:02:20.020 --> 00:02:27.680 And as we've learned in the first two weeks, Mark is laying out a picture. And the way he does so is often with 00:02:27.680 --> 00:02:35.420 narratives that move quickly and don't always explain expansively the point that he's making. So we need to 00:02:35.420 --> 00:02:40.260 learn how to read the narrative in order to understand what it is he's telling us about who 00:02:40.260 --> 00:02:47.060 Jesus is. And as we look at this passage this morning, we're going to ask our question, what kind of 00:02:47.060 --> 00:02:55.100 authority did Jesus bring when he came to the world? And I think we will find it as one that surprised 00:02:55.099 --> 00:03:03.039 both the world that he came to and probably surprises us as well. So we're going to go ahead 00:03:03.039 --> 00:03:12.299 and read. We're in Mark chapter 1, starting in verse 21. We'll go 21 through 34. Nope, through 39. 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:18.799 Through 39. So let's look at this passage. Let's read it together, and then we'll pray for God's help 00:03:18.800 --> 00:03:26.160 as we look at it this morning. And they went into Capernaum. And immediately on the Sabbath, 00:03:26.340 --> 00:03:32.060 he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught 00:03:32.060 --> 00:03:38.740 them as one who had authority and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue 00:03:38.740 --> 00:03:44.860 a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? 00:03:44.860 --> 00:03:52.780 Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God. But Jesus rebuked him, 00:03:53.340 --> 00:03:59.800 saying, Be silent and come out of him. And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out 00:03:59.800 --> 00:04:07.160 with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, 00:04:07.300 --> 00:04:14.520 saying, What is this? A new teaching with authority. He commands even the unclean spirits, 00:04:14.520 --> 00:04:20.420 and they obey him. And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region 00:04:20.420 --> 00:04:25.699 of Galilee. And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew with 00:04:25.699 --> 00:04:32.160 James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about 00:04:32.160 --> 00:04:39.720 her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. And the fever left her, and she began 00:04:39.720 --> 00:04:46.120 to serve them. That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 00:04:46.620 --> 00:04:52.800 And the whole city was gathered together at the door, and he healed many who were sick with various 00:04:52.800 --> 00:05:00.120 diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 00:05:01.180 --> 00:05:06.720 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:13.680 place. And there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him. And they found him 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:21.760 and said to him, Everyone is looking for you. And he said to them, Let us go on to the next towns, 00:05:21.760 --> 00:05:30.440 that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out. And he went throughout all Galilee, 00:05:30.439 --> 00:05:38.579 preaching in their synagogues, and casting out demons. Let's pray together. Lord Jesus, we, 00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:45.160 as we come to your word this morning, we acknowledge that we need your help. Lord, in and of ourselves, 00:05:45.399 --> 00:05:51.060 Lord, we would misunderstand your revelation over and over again. But by your Spirit, 00:05:51.060 --> 00:05:59.920 Lord, you were able to open the eyes of our hearts and our minds to know and to understand your word. 00:06:00.060 --> 00:06:06.100 So, Lord, we ask for your help this morning. Lord, give us hearts to receive your word. Give me, 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:12.060 Lord, your help to speak as I ought. And Lord, together may we sit under your word this morning. 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:15.920 We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:22.340 Amen. So, today, we're going to look at the surprising authority of Jesus. There are lots 00:06:22.340 --> 00:06:26.620 of threads in this story. And as you can tell, it's actually three different stories. So, 00:06:26.660 --> 00:06:30.259 we're going to see how they fit together. But what holds them together, I believe, 00:06:30.340 --> 00:06:36.280 is two themes. Two things about Jesus we're going to see. One is that he came with authority to restore 00:06:36.280 --> 00:06:45.080 a broken world. And secondly, that he came with an authority to rule by his word. So, we're going to 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:50.539 look at those two themes this morning. That's your outline if you're taking notes. So, first, 00:06:50.659 --> 00:06:58.620 let's look at how he has authority to restore a broken world. This is really obvious, and this 00:06:58.620 --> 00:07:03.879 jumps out at us as we read this story. Jesus is casting out demons and healing. And we're going to 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:08.839 look at those things for a minute because both of them are a little surprising to us. Casting out demons, 00:07:09.360 --> 00:07:14.879 Jesus shows an authority over evil spiritual powers. Now, we need to stop for a minute, 00:07:14.879 --> 00:07:21.459 because we don't live in a world that talks about demons and spiritual powers very much. In fact, 00:07:21.560 --> 00:07:27.040 most of us probably, if you really pushed us, aren't sure we believe that demons are real. 00:07:27.519 --> 00:07:33.319 We live in a scientific and materialistic worldview that tends to discount the reality of a spiritual 00:07:33.319 --> 00:07:41.379 world. There are some cultures in this world that know far better than we do the reality that the 00:07:41.379 --> 00:07:48.639 world has a spiritual component to it. And the Bible testifies to this over and over and again. 00:07:49.540 --> 00:07:55.759 Not only is everything endowed with a spiritual reality because God has created it to relate to 00:07:55.759 --> 00:08:02.800 Him who is spirit and is a spiritual being, but we also know throughout the sweep of Scripture that 00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:08.420 there are angels and demons, that they are real, that human beings are not merely animals with a greater 00:08:08.420 --> 00:08:15.000 intellect, but they are spiritual beings meant to relate to God. And this is what the Bible testifies to. 00:08:15.379 --> 00:08:21.680 And it testifies to the fact that just like all of the rest of the world, the spiritual world was corrupted by sin. 00:08:23.060 --> 00:08:29.560 And that there are forces in the spiritual world that set themselves up against God and His rule and reign in the world. 00:08:29.560 --> 00:08:36.600 We see this at the very beginning in the Garden of Eden when Satan comes to tempt Adam and Eve and to draw them away 00:08:36.600 --> 00:08:43.659 from trust and faith in God. And we see it all the way through to Revelation where the overthrow of these 00:08:43.659 --> 00:08:50.000 spiritual powers is one of the great hopes that the book of Revelation puts forward for us. 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:59.159 And though we can talk about, not only does the Bible testify this, but I myself have experienced some of this, 00:08:59.259 --> 00:09:07.200 just a little bit, not a lot. I've never experienced demon possession, but I have had significant experiences 00:09:07.200 --> 00:09:16.220 where I felt a sense of spiritual oppression that was so unique that it was surprising. 00:09:16.220 --> 00:09:24.660 I felt it in a Hindu temple in Asia. I felt it in an inner city ghetto in America. And I felt it in Ithaca, New York. 00:09:25.180 --> 00:09:29.379 And I don't pick on Ithaca, just the Christians that I know there talk about it all the time. 00:09:29.639 --> 00:09:37.259 There's a reality of the spiritual warfare there that is palpable. So I want to say that to say it's not just in some 00:09:37.259 --> 00:09:41.920 places and not others, but it's actually throughout the world that this is true. 00:09:41.919 --> 00:09:49.620 And so, Mark comes in and he doesn't explain it. He just assumes this is true because in the first century, 00:09:50.000 --> 00:09:57.019 people had a greater view that this is true. So in verse 23, we see Jesus in the temple teaching and 00:09:57.019 --> 00:10:02.559 suddenly there's a man. And this man is possessed with an evil spirit. And the spirit sees Jesus. 00:10:02.959 --> 00:10:08.719 And he knows who Jesus is. And he knows that Jesus, from the very start, that Jesus has authority 00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:16.120 to cast him out and to destroy him. So he speaks in fear. He knows that this one who has come into the 00:10:16.120 --> 00:10:21.899 synagogue in the presence of the spirit is the one who has the authority to destroy him and overcome him. 00:10:22.300 --> 00:10:30.220 So he speaks, have you come to destroy us? And Jesus says, I have come with all authority to command 00:10:30.220 --> 00:10:38.700 and control you. And so he casts him out. He speaks to him. But he also says, he also says, be silent. 00:10:41.580 --> 00:10:48.080 Why does Jesus do this? We see it also in verse 34, that Jesus does this over and over again. 00:10:48.340 --> 00:10:54.399 Why does he tell the demons to be silent? Because the demons spoke truth about who Jesus was. 00:10:54.399 --> 00:11:01.000 He knew that Jesus was the Holy One of God. He was the one sent to be the Messiah. All the titles that 00:11:01.000 --> 00:11:06.120 we've seen at the very beginning of Mark, the spirit knew this right from the very beginning, 00:11:06.240 --> 00:11:12.819 this evil spirit. Why does Jesus silence him? There are a number of good reasons, I think, 00:11:12.919 --> 00:11:21.079 that we can postulate. One is that although Jesus knows that the spirit is speaking truth, 00:11:21.080 --> 00:11:28.160 he is not willing to let this evil spirit be the one who testifies to his identity to the world. 00:11:29.780 --> 00:11:36.320 He wants that to be his place in this moment in time. He wants to testify to himself, 00:11:36.540 --> 00:11:42.400 and then he wants to see human beings ultimately testify to him, like the Roman centurion at the 00:11:42.400 --> 00:11:47.300 end of the book who says, surely this was the Son of God as Jesus hung on the cross. 00:11:47.299 --> 00:11:56.599 But the other reason why I think Jesus says, be silent, is because Jesus knows that if people 00:11:56.599 --> 00:12:03.139 hear and understand what the spirit is saying, they will misunderstand who Jesus is. Jesus comes, 00:12:03.259 --> 00:12:08.559 and in his ministry, he is painting this picture. He is demonstrating, this is who I am, and he's 00:12:08.559 --> 00:12:16.359 teaching. And he doesn't want people to misunderstand who he is by these professions. Because the whole book 00:12:16.360 --> 00:12:21.820 of Mark is shaped to show that it's only going to be in light of Jesus' death and resurrection, 00:12:22.440 --> 00:12:28.560 that the true understanding of who Jesus is and why he's came will become clear. And so he doesn't 00:12:28.560 --> 00:12:38.440 want this demon's confession of who he is to trigger a false understanding of who he is. So I think that's 00:12:38.440 --> 00:12:42.800 why these commands to silence, and we'll see them again in the book of Mark. It's actually one of the 00:12:42.799 --> 00:12:47.719 things that commentators notice about the book of Mark. And that's why we think he does it. 00:12:48.740 --> 00:12:56.179 All right, so Jesus comes and he shows authority over these spiritual powers, right, by casting out 00:12:56.179 --> 00:13:04.240 demons. Secondly, he has this power, this authority over sickness. This is what we see in verses 29 through 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:11.859 34 as Jesus goes into the house of Simon, and Simon's mother-in-law is sick. And again, we need to step back 00:13:11.860 --> 00:13:16.320 and just think about this for a minute. Physical sickness and death, according to the Bible, 00:13:16.800 --> 00:13:24.659 are a result of human rebellion against God. Not as a one-to-one correspondence, not if you're 00:13:24.659 --> 00:13:30.480 feeling sick today, you don't have to necessarily say, oh, I must have sinned because sin is always 00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:35.139 the cause. So just be at peace. You may just be living in a fallen world and you're sick today. 00:13:35.240 --> 00:13:41.080 Sorry about that. But it's not a one-to-one, but it's a global and historical. The reason why sickness 00:13:41.080 --> 00:13:47.360 and death exist is because of the rebellion of mankind against God. And one day, all that sickness 00:13:47.360 --> 00:13:55.400 will be done. But for now, our bodies decay and we die as a part of the curse of the sin. Now, there 00:13:55.400 --> 00:14:01.480 are some people in the first century who did think that sickness was often related to demon possession. 00:14:01.740 --> 00:14:07.820 And so when Luke tells this story in Luke 4, Jesus actually rebukes the fever, which is a really 00:14:07.820 --> 00:14:12.879 interesting term. For Bible study scholars, you guys can go explore that and see what it looks like. 00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:20.040 But it's really fun to think that, okay, so maybe there was more of a connection in the first century. 00:14:20.300 --> 00:14:26.620 But here, Mark doesn't include that detail. And so Mark is trying to say something else here 00:14:26.620 --> 00:14:35.179 other than that. What he's saying, what he's showing is Jesus comes with an authority to heal 00:14:35.179 --> 00:14:41.860 sickness, to overturn the effects of the fall and the curse in the world. And that he does it in the 00:14:41.860 --> 00:14:47.179 most dramatic way. Just like his casting out of the demon, he doesn't have great rituals. He doesn't, 00:14:47.179 --> 00:14:54.740 he doesn't perform magic. He simply speaks words of power. And in doing that, he exerts his authority 00:14:54.740 --> 00:15:02.180 to overturn the curse. This is the inbreaking of the kingdom. This is what Mark 1 14 says, 00:15:02.240 --> 00:15:07.820 the kingdom of God is at hand. You're about to see what it looks like. This is what it looks like. 00:15:07.940 --> 00:15:13.080 When the kingdom of God comes, the curse is turned over and it's changed. 00:15:15.680 --> 00:15:24.320 And the response of the crowd is amazement. The news goes out. And what we see in verse 33 and 34 is 00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:31.260 the crowds come. It says the whole town was at his doorstep looking to be healed, looking to be freed 00:15:31.260 --> 00:15:37.300 from demon possession. And Jesus exerts his authority over and over and over again. He comes and he says, 00:15:37.640 --> 00:15:47.780 I have this authority and power to do this. It's like the coming of Aslan in the lion and witch and the 00:15:47.779 --> 00:15:53.879 wardrobe. You know, the witch has cast the curse of an eternal winter without ever Christmas coming. 00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:04.120 But we see in the story as Aslan comes to the land, the beavers tell the children the prophecy 00:16:04.120 --> 00:16:10.879 and the story. Wrong will be right when Aslan comes in sight. At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no 00:16:10.879 --> 00:16:17.500 more. When he bears his teeth, winter meets its death. When he shakes his mane, we shall have spring 00:16:17.500 --> 00:16:25.379 again. And Jesus comes like that breath of spring into a broken world, into a world suffering under 00:16:25.379 --> 00:16:32.480 the weight of the fall. And wherever he went, the sense of the kingdom was bringing life to people, 00:16:32.820 --> 00:16:38.779 overturning these effects. And things began to change and God's kingdom was breaking through. 00:16:38.779 --> 00:16:49.319 So what do we need to say in response to this? As we think about Jesus having authority to overturn 00:16:49.319 --> 00:16:56.159 the curse and to restore a broken world, what do we need to say? Well, there are two things that I 00:16:56.159 --> 00:17:01.519 think we need to respond to. One is that we need to understand this rightly. What is Jesus doing and 00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:06.420 what is he not doing? He does come, but at the end, and we'll talk about this more, he moves on. 00:17:06.420 --> 00:17:12.800 His coming didn't bring the end of all disease to all people everywhere. We know that because we're 00:17:12.800 --> 00:17:20.580 still here, and we're still suffering those things, right? The kingdom is at hand, but it is coming 00:17:20.580 --> 00:17:27.320 in stages. And here's a little three F's that'll help you think about. How do we think about? Jesus 00:17:27.320 --> 00:17:34.380 comes, and in his presence, in his ministry, he is a foretaste of the kingdom. He brings this presence, 00:17:34.380 --> 00:17:39.560 and wherever he goes, he's healing people. He's overturning the, he's forgiving sins. We'll see 00:17:39.560 --> 00:17:46.400 all the richness of it in this portrait. Jesus comes, and he's giving a foretaste, a little, a little 00:17:46.400 --> 00:17:53.620 taste of what that kingdom looks like. And when people encounter it, they experience the joy and the 00:17:53.619 --> 00:18:04.779 freedom from the curse in powerful ways, right? But we know that, and we know things, the kingdom, 00:18:05.219 --> 00:18:12.319 through our love, through our service, through seeing people healed, people changed. We see this 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:18.739 foretaste of the kingdom, but we know as well that this is not the fullness, right? Because what happens 00:18:18.740 --> 00:18:24.059 is Jesus comes and does his ministry, and then he goes where? He goes to the cross, and this is where 00:18:24.059 --> 00:18:29.920 he establishes forever the foundation of his kingdom. Because in his death and in his resurrection, 00:18:30.180 --> 00:18:35.700 he overcomes the power of sin and death, and he breaks the power of Satan in the world. 00:18:37.319 --> 00:18:44.740 Fundamentally, it is no longer true that those things have power in the same way, because Jesus has 00:18:44.740 --> 00:18:52.059 come and overturned them by rising from the dead to demonstrate his victory over them. But we now live 00:18:52.059 --> 00:18:57.400 not in the fullness of that outworking, but in the now and the not yet. And if you don't know that phrase, 00:18:57.500 --> 00:19:02.660 you want to get used to it. We live in the now and the not yet. It is true, but not fully true, 00:19:02.660 --> 00:19:11.099 that Jesus has overturned the curse. And so we experience it, and yet we still long for more of it. And God 00:19:11.099 --> 00:19:18.719 will still use the suffering and the hardship of life in a broken world to draw us into our need for 00:19:18.719 --> 00:19:25.500 this redemption, our hope for the coming redemption, our dependence on God in the midst of a fallen world 00:19:25.500 --> 00:19:35.599 as we wait and long for him to return, as he waits to rescue more and more people from the curse of sin 00:19:35.599 --> 00:19:43.299 and the destruction of death and judgment. So the foretaste comes during his ministry, the foundation 00:19:43.299 --> 00:19:50.240 comes at his death and resurrection, and the fullness is still to come. When Jesus returns, 00:19:50.899 --> 00:19:55.719 he will make everything right, and the curse will be turned over, and there'll be no more sin, 00:19:55.799 --> 00:19:58.779 and no more sorrow, and no more sickness, and no more death. 00:19:58.779 --> 00:20:05.420 And the powers, the spiritual powers will be thrown into a lake of fire forever. 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:13.779 And the fullness of the kingdom will come, and we will know joy and freedom like we've never tasted it. 00:20:16.480 --> 00:20:23.000 So we need to be wary of a utopian view that says we can have that now, even as we work to be the 00:20:23.000 --> 00:20:28.940 church in the world, we need to know our hope is in the future as well as in the present, 00:20:29.319 --> 00:20:34.940 and to live in that balance. So that's the first thing we need to know in light of that. 00:20:35.220 --> 00:20:41.019 The second thing is that in light of our fallenness and the oppression that we feel, 00:20:41.680 --> 00:20:45.859 don't be afraid, but be amazed and respond in joy. 00:20:45.859 --> 00:20:54.539 Demonic possession, by the few accounts I've read of it, is terrifying for those who have experienced it, 00:20:55.019 --> 00:21:05.319 and for those who see it. Sickness can feel inexorable and overwhelming and defeating as we live it. 00:21:05.679 --> 00:21:11.479 But Jesus has come to say, these will not have the last say in your life. 00:21:11.480 --> 00:21:20.579 When you come and join yourself to me by faith, I will exert my authority, and I promise you, 00:21:20.920 --> 00:21:23.079 these things will not have the last say. 00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:30.440 They will not have the victory. They will not have the power ultimately to control your life. 00:21:30.799 --> 00:21:36.000 Though you may die, yet you will be raised to new life. You will be healed of your sickness. 00:21:36.819 --> 00:21:39.400 It may be in this life, and it may be in the life to come. 00:21:39.400 --> 00:21:45.600 You will be freed from spiritual oppression, and it may be at the end of your life, in eternity, 00:21:45.759 --> 00:21:53.080 and not now. But Jesus has come to say, those things are temporary, and my kingdom is eternal. 00:21:53.820 --> 00:21:58.060 So have joy and hope and amazement that Jesus has come. 00:21:58.759 --> 00:22:05.000 You know, I was struck when we gathered on the green a few weeks ago for I Heart New Haven worship time. 00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:12.039 It was a beautiful worship time. And we sang a song, there's power in the name of Jesus to break every chain. 00:22:12.539 --> 00:22:16.299 And I'll be honest, I looked around, and the Trinity people were going, yeah, this is good. 00:22:16.480 --> 00:22:22.319 And there were other people who were dancing and jumping up and down because they've experienced that power. 00:22:22.559 --> 00:22:25.559 And some of you may have been dancing and jumping up and down too, and I didn't see you. 00:22:25.559 --> 00:22:35.980 And I hope we do more of that in this church, to dance up and down in joy, because there are ways in which God does break those chains now in our lives. 00:22:37.059 --> 00:22:40.279 And I want us to experience that joy. 00:22:40.519 --> 00:22:43.019 I want us to believe it and rejoice in it. 00:22:43.019 --> 00:22:51.019 We live in the now and the not yet, but let us believe in both the now and the not yet as we navigate this. 00:22:51.559 --> 00:22:58.079 Let us come to Jesus the way the crowds did, and let us watch Him do amazing things in our lives. 00:22:58.079 --> 00:23:11.159 So the surprising companion to Jesus' authority in this exorcism and healing power in His life is the second thing. 00:23:11.259 --> 00:23:16.379 And that Jesus' teaching and preaching is an expression of His authority to rule the world. 00:23:16.480 --> 00:23:23.799 That He shows His authority to rule through the Word of God that is His teaching and preaching. 00:23:24.500 --> 00:23:25.699 Why do I say this? 00:23:25.700 --> 00:23:30.220 Well, Mark has put this set of passages, I believe, together. 00:23:30.580 --> 00:23:37.299 He has this literary form called a sandwich, where he starts with one theme, then he does something else, and then he goes back to that theme again. 00:23:37.580 --> 00:23:46.940 And that's what I see here, because in verses 21 through 28, we see something that's focused actually, even though there's an exorcism in the middle of it, it's about His teaching. 00:23:47.440 --> 00:23:49.140 He teaches, and they were amazed. 00:23:49.140 --> 00:23:53.140 And if you look at verse 27, a new teaching with authority. 00:23:53.140 --> 00:23:55.820 This is what that is about. 00:23:55.920 --> 00:23:58.680 And then when he comes back at the end, he's talking about preaching. 00:23:59.300 --> 00:24:02.500 As he goes about, he's talking about the importance of His preaching. 00:24:02.600 --> 00:24:06.840 And the sandwich is that we've got teaching and preaching with healing in the middle of it. 00:24:07.140 --> 00:24:11.440 And so this is how I think Mark is helping us to put these together as a whole. 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:15.520 And what is it about Jesus' authority in light of His teaching? 00:24:15.519 --> 00:24:28.700 Well, verse 21 and 22 says that Jesus came and He taught in the synagogues and He taught with authority and not as the scribes. 00:24:29.519 --> 00:24:31.019 Now, what does that mean? 00:24:31.139 --> 00:24:32.980 This is what I've been wrestling with all week. 00:24:33.160 --> 00:24:34.700 Because Mark doesn't explain it. 00:24:34.799 --> 00:24:36.279 He doesn't tell us what he taught. 00:24:36.539 --> 00:24:38.059 He doesn't tell us how he taught. 00:24:38.259 --> 00:24:40.180 He just says it and then moves on. 00:24:40.220 --> 00:24:43.920 And this is the challenge of reading Mark, is how do we understand this, right? 00:24:43.920 --> 00:24:45.980 What did scribes do? 00:24:46.279 --> 00:24:54.880 Well, what scribes did is they were kind of like a Torah professor, a teacher and moral guidance and a civil lawyer. 00:24:55.120 --> 00:24:57.960 They had all of these different roles in society. 00:24:58.840 --> 00:25:05.620 And so they came and they would, with a wealth of knowledge in the history of interpretation of the scriptures, 00:25:05.619 --> 00:25:17.739 bring together and then teach and rule and make judgments, teach about morality, make judgments about how people ought to live in the world. 00:25:18.219 --> 00:25:22.439 They were often called rabbis because of that as they taught in the synagogues. 00:25:22.919 --> 00:25:26.199 They almost did like case law in the way that they did this. 00:25:26.319 --> 00:25:31.299 Well, Rabbi so-and-so says this and Rabbi so-and-so says this and Rabbi so-and-so says this. 00:25:31.299 --> 00:25:35.480 And as we put these together, we think that this is probably the best way to do it. 00:25:35.879 --> 00:25:39.240 And this is the way that they would do their teaching, right? 00:25:39.359 --> 00:25:44.279 All of their authority was based on prior rulings from other people. 00:25:46.039 --> 00:25:50.579 When Jesus comes, he doesn't teach like the scribes. 00:25:52.119 --> 00:25:55.519 He comes and we don't see it here in Mark, but we see it in Matthew. 00:25:55.519 --> 00:25:59.859 You have heard it said, but I say to you. 00:25:59.859 --> 00:26:08.439 Jesus comes with an authority that is not referential to anything else but the scriptures and to his heavenly father. 00:26:09.639 --> 00:26:15.019 Jesus comes with an authority that isn't because he's smarter or more competent in interpretation. 00:26:15.719 --> 00:26:19.179 Wasn't because, though he probably was, smarter and more competent. 00:26:20.119 --> 00:26:25.959 But he comes with an inherent authority based in his position. 00:26:25.960 --> 00:26:30.120 And he claims that authority and he teaches with authority. 00:26:30.700 --> 00:26:33.559 And in verse 22, they were astonished by this. 00:26:33.640 --> 00:26:35.759 And then he casts out a demon. 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:40.200 And then in verse 27, they say, what is this? 00:26:40.500 --> 00:26:42.100 A new teaching with authority. 00:26:42.279 --> 00:26:45.460 He even casts out demons by the word of his power. 00:26:47.100 --> 00:26:47.660 Right? 00:26:47.660 --> 00:26:57.240 His teaching and his words come out of him are of the same cloth of Jesus expressing his authority, 00:26:58.300 --> 00:27:03.500 commanding the world to conform to him and to his rule. 00:27:03.840 --> 00:27:07.920 He speaks as one who has authority over all these things. 00:27:07.920 --> 00:27:15.660 Now, the other thing that Mark has hinted at but isn't saying explicitly, but I think it's important to say, 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:19.820 is that though he has not said anything about the content of his teaching. 00:27:20.460 --> 00:27:24.519 In Mark 1.14, that's the one place we've seen him teach so far. 00:27:24.620 --> 00:27:25.340 What did he say? 00:27:25.700 --> 00:27:27.060 The kingdom of God is at hand. 00:27:27.240 --> 00:27:29.420 Repent and believe in the gospel. 00:27:29.420 --> 00:27:33.259 And then when you go back to Mark 1.1, what does he say? 00:27:34.160 --> 00:27:39.279 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 00:27:39.640 --> 00:27:42.860 So if Jesus is coming and saying, believe in the gospel, 00:27:43.259 --> 00:27:45.840 and Mark is saying the gospel is about Jesus, 00:27:46.539 --> 00:27:49.080 then whatever Jesus is doing with his teaching, 00:27:50.320 --> 00:27:54.860 where even though he's giving instruction on how to live and what the kingdom of God is like, 00:27:55.060 --> 00:27:57.500 at the end of the day, he is at the center of it. 00:27:57.500 --> 00:28:01.119 And his teaching is saying, you must come and follow me. 00:28:03.259 --> 00:28:04.740 And this is unique. 00:28:06.079 --> 00:28:14.000 And I think this may have been a little bit of what the crowds were seeing as he brought his authority to teach. 00:28:16.380 --> 00:28:20.500 He comes not just with teachings on how to know God, 00:28:20.720 --> 00:28:22.579 but he comes as the teacher. 00:28:23.079 --> 00:28:24.720 To know God is to know me. 00:28:27.500 --> 00:28:35.640 So that's what we see out of this first part of the sandwich in verses 21 through 28. 00:28:35.839 --> 00:28:39.299 Then when we look at the end in verses 35 through 39, 00:28:39.940 --> 00:28:41.440 Jesus surprises us. 00:28:43.319 --> 00:28:43.519 Right? 00:28:43.519 --> 00:28:49.160 Jesus did this teaching and healing in the synagogue on the Sabbath. 00:28:49.279 --> 00:28:54.059 At the end of that Sabbath day, that's when the crowd showed up because they were free to travel again. 00:28:54.119 --> 00:28:57.200 They showed up at his doorstep and he was mobbed. 00:28:57.319 --> 00:29:00.900 And he taught and he cared and he freed and he did his thing. 00:29:01.319 --> 00:29:04.019 And then it says he went off into a desolate place. 00:29:04.359 --> 00:29:06.000 He went off to a quiet place. 00:29:06.000 --> 00:29:09.779 And there are lots of purposes of this that the other gospel writers talk about. 00:29:09.900 --> 00:29:11.420 But Mark isn't interested in those things. 00:29:11.680 --> 00:29:15.940 All he says is he went off and then the disciples went after him. 00:29:16.000 --> 00:29:19.940 Because they're like, Jesus, there's a whole more group of people that need you. 00:29:20.319 --> 00:29:21.059 There's a whole… 00:29:21.059 --> 00:29:22.400 They're searching for you. 00:29:22.500 --> 00:29:27.259 They want you to come and do what you've already done for them as well. 00:29:29.160 --> 00:29:30.539 He could have stayed longer. 00:29:30.720 --> 00:29:32.519 He could have helped more people. 00:29:32.519 --> 00:29:35.619 He could have freed people from sickness and from demon oppression. 00:29:36.000 --> 00:29:37.039 But he didn't. 00:29:37.980 --> 00:29:38.420 Why? 00:29:39.559 --> 00:29:44.319 Because Jesus had his eyes set on a clear purpose to preach the gospel. 00:29:45.079 --> 00:29:53.160 He left the needs in one place unmet in order to take the gospel to another place. 00:29:54.299 --> 00:29:58.740 Jesus is saying by this action that his rule would not be extended 00:29:58.740 --> 00:30:03.839 simply by his instantaneous righting of wrongs in the world. 00:30:04.460 --> 00:30:07.120 Even though he had the power to overturn the curse, 00:30:07.319 --> 00:30:11.420 that's not how he was going to bring his kingdom to the world. 00:30:11.720 --> 00:30:14.500 His kingdom would come through the preaching, 00:30:15.500 --> 00:30:19.359 through the word of the gospel. 00:30:20.720 --> 00:30:24.779 The news of his kingdom and his coming was more important 00:30:24.779 --> 00:30:27.779 even than his power to heal and cast out demons. 00:30:29.539 --> 00:30:31.240 Are you surprised by this? 00:30:32.039 --> 00:30:35.740 Wouldn't it make more sense for Jesus to just come and keep going 00:30:35.740 --> 00:30:37.619 and have more and more influence? 00:30:37.700 --> 00:30:40.420 And if he could move fast enough, he could heal everybody 00:30:40.420 --> 00:30:41.539 and cast out all the demons. 00:30:41.680 --> 00:30:43.720 And then the curse would be overturned, right? 00:30:45.819 --> 00:30:46.980 No, he didn't. 00:30:48.240 --> 00:30:48.859 He didn't. 00:30:48.960 --> 00:30:50.339 He knew that that was not it. 00:30:50.859 --> 00:30:52.960 He knew that that was not God's plan. 00:30:52.960 --> 00:30:55.960 And part of it was because he had not gone to the cross. 00:30:56.700 --> 00:31:00.079 And part of it is because God, as an infinite wisdom, 00:31:00.539 --> 00:31:02.160 from the beginning of creation, 00:31:02.680 --> 00:31:05.360 knew that it was going to be through his word 00:31:05.360 --> 00:31:07.840 that he would bring about his kingdom 00:31:07.840 --> 00:31:09.840 and his purposes in the world. 00:31:10.340 --> 00:31:12.799 And so Jesus himself is called in John, 00:31:13.160 --> 00:31:16.500 the word of God made flesh who dwelt among us. 00:31:18.019 --> 00:31:20.440 And Jesus comes to us and he says, 00:31:20.440 --> 00:31:23.940 it's the word of the gospel, the preaching of the gospel 00:31:23.940 --> 00:31:25.559 that's most important to me. 00:31:26.519 --> 00:31:30.640 And it's how he's built his church so that throughout all of history, 00:31:31.320 --> 00:31:34.940 since Jesus' life, the way that the church has been built, 00:31:35.039 --> 00:31:37.980 the way that the kingdom of God has been expressed in the world 00:31:37.980 --> 00:31:41.559 through the church has been through the preaching of the word of God, 00:31:42.000 --> 00:31:46.200 the testimony about Jesus, who he is and what he has done. 00:31:46.200 --> 00:31:49.299 And in fact, this is the central piece. 00:31:49.480 --> 00:31:50.840 It is not the fullness of it. 00:31:50.940 --> 00:31:53.700 There is still the embodiment of the kingdom 00:31:53.700 --> 00:31:55.779 that we are meant to do and called to do. 00:31:55.980 --> 00:31:58.460 But the centerpiece of it is this preaching 00:31:58.460 --> 00:32:03.600 to tell the world that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, 00:32:03.660 --> 00:32:05.580 that he rose from the dead on the third day, 00:32:05.740 --> 00:32:07.180 that he ascended into heaven, 00:32:07.279 --> 00:32:08.759 and that he is returning one day 00:32:08.759 --> 00:32:10.660 to judge the living and the dead 00:32:10.660 --> 00:32:12.860 and to bring about the fullness of his kingdom. 00:32:12.859 --> 00:32:19.619 This is what Jesus has come to do. 00:32:22.219 --> 00:32:23.539 So how do we respond? 00:32:24.399 --> 00:32:25.679 How do we think about this? 00:32:25.799 --> 00:32:27.279 As we think about Jesus' authority 00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:32.000 expressing his rule through his teaching and preaching. 00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:36.579 Well, first of all, we need to treasure the words of Jesus. 00:32:37.379 --> 00:32:39.939 And by that, I don't simply mean the red ones 00:32:39.939 --> 00:32:42.279 in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in your Bible. 00:32:42.279 --> 00:32:47.000 I mean this, the whole thing, the word of God. 00:32:47.700 --> 00:32:49.660 And if you're wondering, is that really the word of God? 00:32:49.740 --> 00:32:51.180 Go to Sunday school for the next seven weeks. 00:32:51.319 --> 00:32:52.539 It's a great class. 00:32:52.700 --> 00:32:53.619 You'll figure it all out. 00:32:56.259 --> 00:33:00.399 But recognize, we need to treasure the words of God. 00:33:00.500 --> 00:33:02.899 We are to listen to the word of God 00:33:02.899 --> 00:33:04.740 because of who Jesus is. 00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:06.859 We are to submit to his word 00:33:06.859 --> 00:33:10.039 because it is submitting to his authority. 00:33:11.279 --> 00:33:15.459 Do you let the words of the Bible rule your life? 00:33:16.259 --> 00:33:18.199 Even when it seems awkward. 00:33:18.539 --> 00:33:21.719 Even when it seems contrary to what you think 00:33:21.719 --> 00:33:23.240 would be the right thing to do. 00:33:23.240 --> 00:33:29.079 Are you engaging with others to understand more deeply? 00:33:29.700 --> 00:33:33.779 Are you seeking to learn how to study 00:33:33.779 --> 00:33:38.339 and to glean and to understand the Bible more clearly? 00:33:40.759 --> 00:33:42.059 Join a small group. 00:33:42.839 --> 00:33:44.059 Go to Sunday school class. 00:33:44.519 --> 00:33:46.019 Take an online seminary class. 00:33:46.319 --> 00:33:48.059 There are lots of resources out there. 00:33:48.420 --> 00:33:49.279 Treasure this. 00:33:49.279 --> 00:33:52.180 Men and women of God, treasure God's word 00:33:52.180 --> 00:33:55.759 and become those who steep themselves in it 00:33:55.759 --> 00:33:58.559 and know it deeply 00:33:58.559 --> 00:34:00.899 because you love 00:34:00.899 --> 00:34:02.740 and because you want to submit to Jesus. 00:34:03.319 --> 00:34:05.639 Let the word of God dwell richly in you. 00:34:07.500 --> 00:34:09.279 Second response to this 00:34:09.279 --> 00:34:13.559 is let us recognize that Jesus is giving us a paradigm 00:34:13.559 --> 00:34:16.739 that just as he said, 00:34:16.739 --> 00:34:19.000 I must go to other towns 00:34:19.000 --> 00:34:20.959 and preach this gospel as well. 00:34:21.419 --> 00:34:24.219 So must we live in that spirit. 00:34:25.039 --> 00:34:27.719 The good news about the gospel of Jesus 00:34:27.719 --> 00:34:32.939 is something that we must continually be taking 00:34:32.939 --> 00:34:34.339 to the ends of the earth 00:34:34.339 --> 00:34:36.239 until the end of this age. 00:34:36.639 --> 00:34:40.019 And yes, we need to embody the kingdom in our calling. 00:34:40.419 --> 00:34:41.599 We need to love our neighbor. 00:34:41.779 --> 00:34:43.159 We need to turn the other cheek. 00:34:43.279 --> 00:34:44.579 We need to care for the poor 00:34:44.579 --> 00:34:46.759 and the needy and the weak among us. 00:34:47.340 --> 00:34:49.179 Because this is what Jesus did 00:34:49.179 --> 00:34:50.960 as he carried himself out. 00:34:51.159 --> 00:34:53.239 We are to be like him in all of these ways. 00:34:53.420 --> 00:34:55.319 But recognize that Jesus' purpose 00:34:55.319 --> 00:34:57.059 was to preach the good news. 00:34:57.440 --> 00:34:58.880 And let us see 00:34:58.880 --> 00:35:01.279 that if whatever we do, 00:35:02.279 --> 00:35:05.380 we must see this as our first priority 00:35:05.380 --> 00:35:07.880 to preach the good news of the gospel. 00:35:07.880 --> 00:35:12.059 to share that with others. 00:35:12.260 --> 00:35:14.039 Not because we are great 00:35:14.039 --> 00:35:15.220 that we know these things. 00:35:15.599 --> 00:35:17.400 If we understand the gospel right, 00:35:17.480 --> 00:35:18.700 we must do so humbly. 00:35:18.900 --> 00:35:20.220 Knowing that we're just, 00:35:20.440 --> 00:35:22.460 as I think it was Spurgeon who said, 00:35:22.780 --> 00:35:25.980 we're just poor, broken, hungry people 00:35:25.980 --> 00:35:28.300 who found bread telling someone else 00:35:28.300 --> 00:35:29.539 where to find bread. 00:35:30.340 --> 00:35:32.740 We have, by God's grace, 00:35:33.440 --> 00:35:35.460 come to know who Jesus is. 00:35:35.460 --> 00:35:39.960 Let us then share that good news with others. 00:35:41.780 --> 00:35:44.400 And finally, let us be amazed. 00:35:46.639 --> 00:35:48.980 Jesus becomes so common to us. 00:35:49.480 --> 00:35:53.139 He becomes a comfort in our weakness, 00:35:53.420 --> 00:35:55.199 a friend who sits next to us. 00:35:57.300 --> 00:35:58.699 But when we think about 00:35:58.699 --> 00:36:00.699 how the crowds responded to Jesus 00:36:00.699 --> 00:36:02.639 in this passage in Mark, 00:36:02.639 --> 00:36:05.379 they were amazed. 00:36:05.659 --> 00:36:06.859 They were astonished. 00:36:07.199 --> 00:36:09.159 And they sought Him out 00:36:09.159 --> 00:36:12.819 because He was so surprising 00:36:12.819 --> 00:36:14.319 in His authority. 00:36:15.719 --> 00:36:18.480 May we seek Him in a similar way. 00:36:18.579 --> 00:36:19.559 Let's pray together. 00:36:20.239 --> 00:36:21.679 Lord Jesus, we love You 00:36:21.679 --> 00:36:24.339 and we thank You for this word to us. 00:36:24.340 --> 00:36:28.140 God, we declare You have authority. 00:36:29.720 --> 00:36:31.480 Lord, thank You that Your authority 00:36:31.480 --> 00:36:33.160 is being used for good 00:36:33.160 --> 00:36:34.940 to overturn the curse. 00:36:35.740 --> 00:36:38.059 Thank You that Your authority to rule 00:36:38.059 --> 00:36:39.760 is through Your Word. 00:36:41.340 --> 00:36:43.000 Lord, may we this morning 00:36:43.000 --> 00:36:44.519 know this 00:36:44.519 --> 00:36:47.280 and respond to You as we ought, 00:36:47.420 --> 00:36:48.559 we pray in Jesus' name. 00:36:49.220 --> 00:36:49.519 Amen. 00:36:49.519 --> 00:36:49.640 Amen.