Authority over Demons
SYNOPSIS - Jesus demonstrated his victory over Satan by driving his forces out of the children of God – Mark 1:21-28.
‘Synagogue’ means “gathering
place” – It functioned as an assembly hall for Jews to study the Torah.
It was not an institution established by the Torah; most likely, the
synagogue came into existence during the Babylonian
Captivity as a vehicle to
maintain Jewish religious practices and identity. It became central to the practice of Judaism after the destruction of the Temple by a Roman army in A.D. 70.
- (Mark 1:21-28) - “And they journey into Capernaum. And straightway, on the Sabbath, entering into the synagogue, he began teaching; and they were being struck with astonishment at his teaching—for he was teaching them as one having authority and not as the Scribes. And straightway, there was in their synagogue a man in an impure spirit—and he cried out aloud, saying—What have we in common with thee, Jesus of Nazareth? Hast thou come to destroy us? I know thee, who thou art, The Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying—Be silenced and come forth out of him! And the impure spirit, tearing him and calling out with a loud voice, came forth out of him; and they were amazed, one and all, so that they began to discuss among themselves, saying—What is this? New teaching! With authority to the impure spirits also he giveth orders, and they obey him! And forth went the report of him, straightway, on every hand into the surrounding country of Galilee” (The Emphasized Bible).
The Jews at the synagogue were astonished by
the authoritative manner by which Jesus taught, but NOT by the
content of his teaching. The Jewish
scribes expounded the Law by
citing oral traditions and legal precedents, the “tradition of the
elders.” In general, the scribes
did not make authoritative pronouncements on scriptural interpretations; however,
Jesus taught decisively on his messianic authority.
Of the thirteen miracles recorded in the gospel
of Mark, four are exorcisms, the most frequent type of healing by Jesus in
this gospel. Eleven times it refers to demons as “unclean spirits,” and at
least eleven times as “demons.” Four times Mark employs a verbal
form of the Greek term for “demons” to signify someone who is “demonized.”
In other words, oppressed by demons.
In this story, “unclean” refers
to a state of ritual
defilement. A person with an
unclean spirit would be excluded from the synagogue and the rituals of the Temple
in Jerusalem, at least, not without undergoing the required rituals to reestablish
ritual purity. Why, in this case, was the man allowed into the synagogue?
In Mark, the synagogue was a place where, all too often, demons were present, religious authorities antagonistic, and hardness of heart persistent. The synagogue became an arena of conflict whenever Jesus arrived and began to teach - (Mark 1:39, 3:1, 6:2, 12:39, 13:9).
It is not accidental that the first recorded
miracle of Jesus was an exorcism. He came to destroy the works of the Devil - His
real battle was with the cosmic forces opposed to God that were determined to
enslave humanity. Furthermore, several times he demonstrated his authority over ritual
purity.
The demon spoke through the man - “What
to us and to you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?”
Although only one demon was present, he used the plural pronoun to represent
all demonic forces. This event was a harbinger of the larger conflict building
between Jesus and the forces of Satan that, ultimately, culminated in his arrest,
trial, and execution.
Thus, the Messiah began to plunder
the Strong Man’s house. The “destruction” of the works of
Satan was a key component of his ministry. The demon in the synagogue recognized
Jesus as the “Holy One of God.” Though hidden from men and women,
the demonic spirit knew who and what Jesus was. His command to silence the
demon was not an attempt to hide his messianic status; however, by identifying Jesus
in public, the demon could discredit his mission.
More than the content of his teachings, what
matters in this paragraph is the way in which he taught -
As “one having authority” - and its effect on the assembly in the synagogue
- (“They were all amazed”).
His words demonstrated his superior
authority over that of the scribes. His exorcisms demonstrated his authority over
the Devil. The authority by which he taught was the same authority by which he expelled
demons. Each exorcism demonstrated that the “coming one” was reconquering
territory from Satan and adding it to the Kingdom of God.
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