I preached this sermon on July 24th 2022 at Saint George’s Church as part of our sermon series on the Gospel of Mark (Who is Jesus?) You can watch the video of the sermon here:
But if you’re more of a reader, you can also find the transcript for my sermon below. God bless!
Mark 1:21-45 (NIV)
21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “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!”
25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!”
26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.
Introduction
Who is she? (picture on right)
She is Queen Elizabeth the second.
On 6th of February, this year, She became the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, marking 70 years of her reign.
The Queen remains the head of state, but she does not hold political power. Real decision making power lies with the British government, led by the Prime Minister and Parliament.
Although the monarchy doesn’t hold much power today, things were very different in the past, when Kings and Queens held lots of power.
When a new King or Queen comes into power, you’d want to know what kind of king or Queen he or she was.
That was true especially in Jesus’ day.
Mark’s Gospel opens with the words, “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.” (1:1)
If you lived then, you would be shocked to hear that. The terms, “good news”, “Son of God” were reserved for Caesar Augustus – the King of the Roman empire alone.
You’d think, “Jesus who? A new King?” You would feel a little worried – the Roman Empire isn’t too keen to have someone challenge Caesar’s kingship. Or you would feel hope – you’ve been longing for a King to overthrow Rome!
Your mind begins to wonder, “The good news of Jesus? Who is this King? The Messiah? The Son of God? Who is he?”
Who is this King?
That’s the question we will ask as we move through Mark’s gospel. And I pray that today, we will see Jesus for the King He truly is.
Illumination Prayer
Guide us, O God, by your Word, and Holy Spirit, that in your light we may see light, in your truth find freedom, and in your will discover peace; through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Outline
In Mark 1, we’ve seen Jesus calling four fishermen (Simon, Andrew, James and John) to give up their careers and follow him. He shows that as King, he has authority over people’s lives and calls people to follow him.
And in verses 21-45, we learn more about Jesus’ authority and his priority and purpose. Here’s an outline for today:
- Jesus’ Authority as
- Teacher (v21-28)
- Exorcist (v21-28, 34)
- Healer (v29-34, 40-45)
- Jesus’s Priority and Purpose
- Prayer (v 35-36)
- Preach Good News (v38-39)
1. Jesus’ Authority
First, we see Jesus’ authority as a Teacher.
Jesus came to Capernaum. On the Sabbath, he visited the synagogue there.
A synagogue was a place for Jewish prayer, worship and study. When visiting teachers came, the local synagogue leaders would invite them to lecture, especially on the Sabbath.
Jesus was from Nazareth (v9) and a visitor to these parts. The leaders invited him to teach, and when he did,
The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. (v22)
It was common for teachers then to cite or quote, but apparently Jesus taught based on his own understanding (as if He had written it himself – which is true!)
Jesus displayed such a deep understanding of God’s Word as He taught it, that the people were amazed at Jesus’ authority as a teacher, and wondered, “Who is this Jesus?”
Next, Jesus displayed his authority as an exorcist (authority over evil spirits).
Right there in the synagogue, during a worship service – imagine that happening in the middle of my sermon as I preach! – a man possessed by an evil spirit challenged Jesus. The demon knew who Jesus was – “The Holy One of God” (v25)
At this point, you may be wondering, “Wait, demons? Evil spirits? What are they? Aren’t they just primitive ways to describe physical and mental illness?”
Demons and evil spirits are real. They exist. The Bible says that there is an unseen spiritual world, which includes angels and evil spirits. Satan, or the devil, is a fallen angel who is in rebellion against God and hostile to God’s people.
Demons are part of that fallen spiritual world, and serve Satan. They are the enemies of God’s Kingdom and seek to destroy all who would desire to follow Jesus Christ.
We must remember that
“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Ephesians 6:12
Although Satan and his demons are powerful, Jesus has overcome Satan by the power of his death on the cross! (Col 2:15) Jesus is infinitely more powerful than Satan and his demons.
Here in Mark, Jesus silences the demon – “Be Quiet! Come out of Him!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek (v26).
The people were amazed, because exorcists then would use long incantations. But here, Jesus keeps it short, simple and the exorcism is immediate.
His authority as King is seen in the way he gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him. Later in verse 34, we see Jesus again driving out demons “But he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.”
You may wonder, “Why does Jesus silence these demons?” I can think of at least 2 reasons:
- Jesus wanted to keep his identity hidden for the time being so that he could accomplish his mission (not time yet to reveal identity)
- Jesus didn’t want to have his identity revealed by an unreliable witness (would you listen to a demon to tell you the truth)? In Mark 3:22, we see that the teachers of law accused Jesus of casting out demons by the prince of demons, so having his identity proclaimed by demons would be detrimental to Him.
So we’ve seen Jesus displaying His Kingly authority, first as Teacher, and then Exorcist – but that’s not all, we see…
Jesus’ Authority as Healer (his authority over sickness and disease).
In verses 29-31, Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in law who was in bed with a fever. “He went to her, took her hand and helped her up. And the fever left her, and she began to wait on them.” The healing was immediate!
I’m reminded of my recent bout of Covid-19, where I had a fever for the first few days of catching the virus. Even after the fever had broken, I still felt so tired and fatigued, I wouldn’t have had the energy to cook, do chores, or serve others. But that’s what happened then, Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law fully and completely.
In verses 32-33, on that evening after sunset, the people of the town of Capernaum brought all who were sick, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases.
In verses 40-45, we see the account of Jesus healing a man with leprosy. Lepers were outcasts. They were quarantined – and kept away from the rest of society. In the Mosaic law we read,
Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.
Leviticus 13:45-46
Lepers were ceremonially unclean – they could not participate in Israel’s social and religious life. They were kept out of families, towns, parties, homes, synagogues and the Temple. They lived lonely solitary existences outside the city.
If a person were to touch, or come into contact with a leper, he or she would become unclean. But look what happens in Mark 1:40-42.
A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
Mark 1:40-42
The leper asked Jesus if He was willing to heal him. He had faith, yet was unsure if Jesus would be willing to come near him, an unclean person. Jesus risked becoming ceremonially unclean or catching the disease by touching the leper!
Unlike us, Jesus doesn’t become unclean when he comes into contact with someone unclean. Rather, Jesus makes the unclean, clean.
Jesus healed the leper and sent him away with a stern warning to not tell anyone, but go straight to the priest and offer the sacrifices as prescribed by the law for one healed of skin disease (Leviticus 14).
By fulfilling the requirements of the law, the man could be restored to his proper place in the social and religious life in Israel.
Jesus responded to the man’s total need, and brought not just physical restoration, but social and spiritual restoration. Jesus is our Healer – “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering.” (Isaiah 53:4)
Thus, King Jesus displayed his authority as Teacher, his authority as Exorcist (his power over evil spirits), and his authority as Healer (his power over sickness and disease).
// Now we look at verses 35-39 which we skipped over earlier to learn about…
2.Jesus’ Priority and Purpose
As we’ve seen, Jesus had an extremely busy day that stretched from morning till evening. He was teaching, driving out demons and healing people.
Nevertheless, Jesus got up very early in the morning, while it was still dark, left the house and went off to a solitary place to pray. (V35) He had every reason, or excuse to sleep in but he didn’t.
That shows us his Priority was time with His Father in prayer. Communing with the Father was essential. And why was prayer important? It is through prayer that He knew the will of God. Jesus only did what the Father wanted him to do.
Jesus spent time with God in prayer, seeking His Father’s will and purposes. And what was that purpose? We see that in Mark 1:38,
Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
Jesus’ Purpose was to preach the good news to people who had not heard it yet. That’s why He came. His mission wasn’t so much about healing sickness and disease or driving out demons. His primary purpose was preaching.
What was he preaching? It was the good news of God as described earlier in Mark 1:15, “The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
Jesus was announcing that through Him, the Kingdom of God had come near. Jesus is the King of God’s Kingdom, the Messiah, the Son of God and he calls everyone to repent of their sins and believe in him for salvation.
Elsewhere in Mark, Jesus will go on to describe his purpose,
“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Mark 2:17
“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:45
Jesus came to call sinners to repent of their sins, believe in Him and be saved. He gave his very life as a ransom to save sinners like us from our sins. He calls us to repent and believe the Good News about Him.
Thus in looking at this section, we see that Jesus was busy ministering to people’s needs. Yet that is not as important as the number one priority – our relationship with God, cultivated through Bible reading and prayer.
It’s easy to be caught in the busyness of serving God in our work, families, even in church, and yet lose sight of the priority of prayer.
Also, in terms of purpose – do we make the preaching of the Good News take centre stage in our church?
It’s easy to crowd it out with “good” programs, ministries, fellowship events etc. But we simply must keep the preaching and study of God’s Word front and centre – in our church services, programs, plans, Life Groups, Sunday schools, youth fellowships, families, and so on.
Prayer and the preaching of God’s Word.
What steps do we need to take to bring our priorities and purposes more closely aligned with God’s?
Conclusion
Let me close with a story.
In 1977, Pastor Jack Hayford visited the UK with his wife, and at that time, it was the celebration for the 25th year of Queen Elizabeth the 2nd’s reign – her Silver Jubilee.
As Hayford visited the many castles of the land, he reflected on the idea of royalty. And a growing sense of Jesus’s royalty, dignity, and majesty filled his heart.
In response, Hayford wrote the song “Majesty”
Majesty, worship His Majesty!
Unto Jesus be all glory, honor and praise.
Majesty, Kingdom authority,
Flows from His throne, unto His own,
His anthem raise.
So exalt, lift up on high the name of Jesus.
Magnify, come glorify, Christ Jesus the King.
Majesty, worship His Majesty,
Jesus who died, now glorified,
King of all kings.
About “Majesty”, Hayford writes that it,
“describes the kingly, lordly, gloriously regal nature of our Saviour. He is fully worthy of our worship. Jesus has birthed us into His eternal Kingdom. We are rescued from death, restored to the inheritance of sons and daughters, qualified for victory in battle against the Adversary, and destined for the Throne forever in His presence!” (Hallelujah!)
Closing Prayer
Will you respond to King Jesus today?
Jesus calls everyone to repent and believe in the Good News about Him. If you’ve yet to do so and want to do that, you can do so right now with this prayer:
“Dear Lord Jesus, thank you that you love me. I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died on the cross for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior. In Your Name. Amen.”
(If you said this prayer, please speak to a friend, pastor, LG leader so we can pray for you, help you grow in this new life in Christ.)
Let’s continue to pray.
“Father, we thank you that Jesus – you are King. Help us align our priorities and purposes to yours. Keeping prayer and the preaching of your Word front and centre in our lives, families, church, and service. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
God is where love is. 