Grace For Your Day February 5

While the numbers vary, most scholars believe that Jesus performed more than 30 specific miracles in the Bible notwithstanding all the other ones that have not been recorded. They begin with Him turning water into wine (John 2:1-11) and end with the second miraculous catch of fish (John 21:1-14). Mark 1:21-28 tells us about the first one that He did in the Gospel of Mark when it says:

They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach. They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”

Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee.

While a lot could be said about this passage, the most alarming thing about it is the fact that Jesus exorcised a demon in the synagogue. In other words, this is His first trip into a house of worship in the Gospel of Mark and He encounters “an unclean spirit” there which is no accident. The two things go together because Satan loves to send his agents into places like that so he can mislead people.
This story also comes right after Jesus calls the first disciples (verses 14-20) and that is not accidental, either, because He wants to let them know what life will be like if they follow Him. It will be violent because they are going to encounter demons in synagogues. It will not be easy because they will meet people in places of worship who have:

• Ceremonies but no sanctification
• Religion without repentance
• Rituals without regeneration
• Rules but no relationship to God

All of which places them in direct opposition to Christ.

However, the good news is that Jesus does not leave this demon possessed man in the same place that He found him. He rebuked the demon and threw it out of him in order to demonstrate that He has come to help people who are in a similar predicament. He is the Savior for sinners and the one who will “command even the unclean spirits, and they will obey Him” which is what we are going to talk about this Sunday morning at Grace Fellowship Church.

This week, we are going to talk about “The Demon in the Synagogue” in order to continue our studies in the Gospel of Mark. It is a fascinating portion of Scripture because it is so strange to our 21st Century ears. It has a strange setting (the synagogue). It has a strange miracle (an exorcism). It has a strange character (a talking demon) and it has a strange conclusion because the event causes people to spread the word about Jesus everywhere. It creates a fury of excitement for His ministry which is strange when you consider how His ministry ends because it will conclude with some of the same people calling for Him to be crucified.

However, this is exactly what you can expect when you remember who Jesus is. Mark 1:1 says that He is “the Son of God” and it should be expected that He would turn the world upside down when He appeared. His work would be so powerful that it would make everyone say “What is this” (verse 27)?

If you would like to learn more about, please join us as we study this story over the weekend. The service will begin at 9:30 on Sunday morning and the sermon will be recorded and placed on our You Tube Channel afterwards for all those who cannot make it in person. - Jeremy Cagle