The World is full of Darkness
Every honest observer admits that the world is full of darkness. It seems that evil and darkness are on the rise rather than diminishing. Several weeks ago I mentioned that Suzy and I have been watching a documentary on the 90’s. They did an episode on the terrorism of that decade. The 90’s saw the first bombing of the World Trade Center, the Oklahoma City Bombing, the Branch Davidians and David Koresh, the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, the Unabomber, the bombing of the Olympics in Atlanta, and the Columbine High School shooting. At the end of the program, Dan Rather summarized what was happening in our nation in the 90’s. He said, “The soul of our nation was becoming dark.”
Has God Done Anything About It?
Many people see these things and turn away from God. They accuse God of being indifferent to the suffering of our world, of doing nothing, of not caring about the darkening soul of our nation or our world. They say, “If God were good, he would do something. But since he hasn’t done anything, he must not be good.” It’s understandable why many people feel this way. Darkness is unexplainable, especially when it hits close to home.
But the thing that must be said to those who think that God has done nothing is that God has indeed done something. He’s not glibly watching our plight from heaven. In the person of Jesus Christ, he left heaven and entered the darkness of this world. Jesus’ coming tells us that God does care, that he isn’t paralyzed into inaction, and that he’s working to overturn and undo all that is wrong with the world.
When Jesus came, he didn’t just come to observe what was going on. He came with authority and compassion. He came with authority to show us that he’s strong enough to do something about the darkness of the world. And he came with compassion to show us that he wants to do something about the darkness of the world. Jesus came with authority and power from God in order to defeat all that is dark and evil. And Jesus came with compassion and love from God in order to help and rescue those living in the darkness and evil of this world.
Mark’s Audience Needed This Reminder
As we move toward the end of the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel, Mark tells us about a single day in Jesus’ ministry that reveals both his authority and compassion. Why would this be important for Mark’s audience? John Mark wrote around 65 AD to Christians in Rome who were experiencing persecution under the emperor Nero. He wrote to Christians who were being eaten alive by wild dogs, crucified, and burned to death. These suffering Christians needed to remember that Jesus was stronger than every evil thing they faced and loved them no matter what. In order to encourage the persecuted church in Rome, at the outset of his Gospel, Mark reminds them of Jesus’ authority and his compassion.
This is what we find in 1:21-34. Verses 21-28 show us Jesus’ authority. Verses 29-34 show us Jesus’ compassion.
Jesus’ Authority in Teaching
First, in verses 21-28, Mark tells us of Jesus’ authority. We know that Mark is emphasizing the authority of Jesus here because he uses the word twice (vv. 22 and 27). In verse 22, he says that Jesus “taught them as one who had authority.” Capernaum was a fishing village on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Like most villages in Israel, it had a synagogue. Synagogues weren’t like the temple in Jerusalem, where people went to make sacrifices. They were places where the local Jews assembled to hear the Scriptures taught on the Sabbath (Saturday). Various teachers or rabbis would get up and read the Scriptures and comment on them. Jesus was a visiting rabbi that day and was apparently asked to teach.
His teaching was unlike anything the people there had ever experienced. Verse 22, “They were astonished at his teaching.” The word “astonished” or “amazed” doesn’t do full justice to the term used in the text. The idea is not so much that they were surprised, but that they were terrified. They’d never heard anyone talk like Jesus was talking. He spoke with an authority that they’d never seen from their scribes.
The scribes were like the PhD’s in theology. They were highly educated. They would cite other scholars and rabbis and make arguments to support their points, just like we do today in the academic world. But Jesus did not do that. He didn’t quote anyone or use other people’s arguments. There were no footnotes in his notes. He simply spoke. The force and authority of his speaking didn’t require any arguments. Because Jesus is of the same essence or substance as the Father, the authority that he spoke with was rooted in God Himself. When Jesus opened his mouth, the very word of God came out, and when God speaks, the argument is over. When Jesus says something, that settles it. There is no debate.
This is why the people were terrified, stopped in their tracks, filled with amazement and astonishment. This is how we should respond every time we hear the Word of God. When we listen to the Bible being read and preached faithfully, we aren’t listening to the word of scribes, theologians, or preachers. We’re listening to God speaking to us. This should give us a holy reverence and awe as we listen. This should lead us to pray for the preaching of the Word of God every week. Pray for the preacher, pray for yourselves. Pray that God would give you open ears and a humble heart to receive his word.
Jesus’ Authority in Casting Out a Demon
The first place we see Jesus’ authority on display is in his teaching. Then Mark tells us that a demon-possessed man starts yelling at Jesus while he’s teaching (vv. 23-24). All kinds of people show up at church services. Who knows how long this man had sat under the powerless teaching of the scribes. The evil in his life wasn’t provoked until he heard Jesus teaching. When Jesus turned his gaze toward him, the demon speaks up. The plural “us” may refer to the demon and the man, the demon and the host of evil spirits he represented, or the demon and the congregation. Either way, Jesus’ presence brings the threat of judgment for all who were present.
Notice the fear that grips the demon, “Have you come to destroy us?” He knows that the presence of Jesus means the end of the road for him. The coming of the King and the inauguration of his kingdom means that the kingdom of darkness is coming to an end. The demon knows who’s in charge of the universe and rightly fears Jesus. No evil or darkness or demonic attack is stronger than King Jesus. It’s wise and right to only fear the One who has all the power. Don’t fear the devil. Fear Jesus because he’s the One in charge.
Jesus exercises his divine authority by exorcising this demon (vv. 25-26). Demons must obey the word and command of Jesus. When he speaks, they listen and obey. Have you ever wondered why the demons are quicker to obey Jesus than we are? Jesus speaks to us through his word and our response is often a casual shrugging of the shoulders and going about our way doing what we want. Jesus tells us to love our enemies, but loving enemies is hard so we just act nice around them and never make any move toward loving and serving them. Jesus tells us to make disciples, but that’s hard work and so we assume it’s for pastors and missionaries.
We often hear God’s word and agree with it but don’t act on it. This demon heard God’s word, didn’t agree with it, but acted on it because he knew who was speaking. He said, “I know who you are – the Holy One of God” (v. 24). The demon recognizes Jesus as the One with the Holy Spirit, the One sent from God. The demon understood who Jesus was more clearly than the people did. He understood that he was in the presence of the holy God. Nothing puts more fear in the heart of creatures than when they’re in the presence of the holy.
The Fear of the Holy
Why do we fear the holy? We fear the holy because we are not holy. When we come into the presence of the holiness of God, we’re like Peter who later says to Jesus, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man” (Lk. 5:8). God’s holiness exposes our sinfulness. We were made by God, but we aren’t holy like God. The cancer of sin has ruined every part of us. Jesus, as the Holy One of God, enjoys perfect relationship with God. But we aren’t holy so we have no relationship with God. God’s holiness separates him from us and demands a payment for sin.
In order to be good, God must judge sin. If he were to let any sin go unjudged, he would fail to be good. If he didn’t punish those who broke his law, he’d be a bad judge. If you’re not yet a follower of Jesus or want to understand Christianity better, ask yourself this question, “Why would a good God damn you forever?” The answer to this question will help you understand what Jesus has done for us. Since we’ve all sinned and broken God’s law, God would be right to judge all of us because he is holy.
Is there any hope? How can we be saved from the justice of the Holy One? In his mercy, God sent Jesus to die on the cross so that God’s justice might be upheld and his mercy extended to sinners like us. God then raised Jesus from the dead to show us that he fully accepted the payment for sins that Jesus made, that his work on the cross was sufficient to save anyone who puts their trust in Jesus and turns away from their sins.
The Holy One is also the Merciful One. He loves to show mercy to those who fear him. Jesus’ mother Mary says that God’s “mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation” (Lk. 1:50). God gives mercy to people of any generation who see him for who he is, who “fear him,” who humbly acknowledge that they can’t make themselves right with him and put their hope and confidence in his Son Jesus, the “Holy One of God.”
Verse 27 says that the people were amazed at Jesus’ teaching and casting out the demon. “He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.” Some here this morning need to hear the command of the gospel, “Repent and believe” (v. 15), and submit to Jesus’ loving authority, not out of fear or terror like the demons, but out of awe and wonder at Jesus’ authority.
Jesus’ Compassion
The other thing that should motivate us to turn from our sins and put our trust in Jesus is his compassion, which we see on display in the next section (vv. 29-34). Jesus moves from the synagogue to Simon’s house. All of this takes place on the same day. Jesus ministers publicly and privately. He speaks with authority and casts out demons at church, then he goes to his friend’s house for lunch and reveals his compassion by healing Peter’s mother-in-law.
Like Jesus, our ministry should follow us home. We don’t stop loving and serving people when we leave the church building. If we do, it might be because our serving at the church building is to show others how good and righteous we are. Jesus did lots of ministry publicly. But he also served individual people with particular needs in smaller, more intimate settings.
To our young men who feel called to preach and teach, remember that most of ministry doesn’t take place on a stage with a microphone. If you want to preach but don’t want to go visit a homebound widow in the church, let me encourage you to rethink your calling to ministry. If you want to teach a Training Class but never have other church members or lost friends over for meals in your home, think carefully about what you’re signing up for. We, like Jesus, are called to carry out a public and a private ministry.
Look what Simon’s mother-in-law starts doing after Jesus heals her (v. 31). Within moments of being healed, she’s serving them lunch! Those who’ve been healed by Jesus have new desires and fresh energy to serve Jesus. “Serving Jesus” means serving others in Jesus’ name. Those saved by his grace are called to demonstrate his grace to others. This starts at home. It starts with your literal family, as we love and serve our spouse or children or roommates or parents.
But it quickly moves to the “household of faith,” our local church family (Gal. 6:10). Jesus calls us into his family so that we can serve other family members. Many Christians seek to serve the Lord in every other area but their local church. We should care about pregnancy centers and food centers and unreached people groups and human trafficking ministries. But if other people are helped to the neglect of our family, then we’ve misunderstood our priorities.
Our church needs to grow in our ministry to one another. I pray almost every day for God to help us care for one another well. What do I mean by that? I mean that our ministry shouldn’t be contained to whatever we do within these walls. Yes, we need nursery workers and greeters. But we mostly need members who go out of their way to build relationships with other members outside of these walls. We serve one another by being in gospel-centered relationships with each other. Pray and ask God to show you who in our church you need to be ministering to. Everyone has a ministry and everyone needs ministry. Jesus touched our lives with his love and power so that we might serve others in his name.
May Jesus’ Fame Spread Across Our Region
God has not left us alone in the darkness of this world. He sent his Son Jesus, who came with authority and compassion, to meet us where we are. Jesus’ authority shows us that he’s able to do something about the evil in the world. His compassion shows that he wants to do something about the evil in the world. Those rescued from the bondage of the evil one and healed by his power are brought into his church and turned loose to serve him by serving others. May Jesus’ power and love continue to make us into the people he wants us to be so that his “fame will spread through all the surrounding region” (v. 28).