He Spoke with Authority! (Mark 1:21-28)

In the synagogue in Capernaum the people would come out of duty and listened with dull minds and glazed eyes as the scribes would drone on and on about the endless laws and traditions that had been written to fence the word of God. The fence they had built to keep anyone from getting close to breaking God’s word had become so complicated and verbose that they had long since stopped talking about God’s word itself and had simply begun to discuss each other’s interpretation of their own words. The fence now, instead of keeping people from breaking God’s word, simply kept everyone away from the word itself.

“He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach” (Mark 1:21). The very Word of God Who had taken on human flesh now spoke. Their dull minds were awakened; their glazed eyes came into focus. When He spoke, the darkness of their minds was illuminated. They felt as if the very breath of life was in His words. Now that they were fully awake they were struck with panic and amazement! They asked one another, “Who is this? Where did he get this authority?” 

However, there was someone in their midst who knew where His authority came from. Suddenly, there was a scream of recognition! “What do You have to do with us, Jesus-Nazarene? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are--the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24)! The Holy One of God had authority not only to speak the truth of God but to silence the unclean spirit. 

“Be quiet, and come out of him” (Mark 1:25)! Jesus used the same words and authority to muzzle the unclean spirit that He would later use in silencing the wind and the waves that threaten the lives of His disciples in the storm on the Sea of Galilee. In both stories the people were left wondering who this was who had the authority to calm the storms that raged both in nature and in the hearts of men. With one last blast of fury the unclean spirit convulsed the man. But he had to leave, because the Holy  One of God had spoken.

Have you ever dozed in church? Have you ever sat with glazed eyes as if you were listening but hearing nothing, simply being in church because, after all, isn’t that what Christians do? But I want to ask you something. If that is what people who follow God do, why was the man with the unclean spirit there? In Revelation Jesus again speaks to the church, and again He finds those with evil spirits present. Jesus also calls His church to wake up! If we will listen to the Word of God and surrender to His authority, we will become fully alive.