A Man with an Evil Spirit

Mark 1:21-28

Good News Translation (GNT)

*************************

21  Jesus and his disciples came to the town of
   Capernaum, and on the next Sabbath Jesus
   went to the synagogue and began to teach.
22  The people who heard him were amazed at
   the way he taught, for he wasn't like the
   teachers of the Law; instead, he taught with
   authority.
23  Just then a man with an evil spirit came into
   the synagogue and screamed,
24  "What do you want with us, Jesus of
   Nazareth? Are you here to destroy us?
   I know who you are - you are God's holy
   messenger!"
25  Jesus ordered the spirit, "Be quiet, and come
   out of the man!"
26  The evil spirit shook the man hard, gave a
   loud scream, and came out of him.
27  The people were all so amazed that they
   started saying to one another, "What is this?
   Is it some kind of new teaching?
   This man has authority to give orders to the
   evil spirits, and they obey him!"
28  And so the news about Jesus spread quickly
   everywhere in the province of Galilee.

*************************

Commentary taken from
'The Applied New Testament Commentary'
(Kingsway)

Jesus Drives Out an Evil Spirit

  Mark 1:21-28

Jesus and His four new disciples then went to Capernaum, Simon Peter's home town, near the Sea of Galilee.

These first disciples gave up their jobs and worldly security in order to follow Jesus.

On the Sabbath - that is, Saturday - they went to the Jewish synagogue. There Jesus was invited to teach the people.

The people were amazed because He did not teach like the teachers of the law (or Scribes). These were scholars who knew all about the Jewish law, the Jewish scriptures (the Old Testament), and other writings.

These teachers taught not by their own authority but only with an authority derived from other writers.

But Jesus taught by His own authority, which came directly from God.

One of the Jews in the synagogue was possessed by an evil spirit, or demon, that immediately recognised Jesus.

Though the others in the synagogue had read the prophecies about Jesus, in the Old Testament, week after week, none of them recognised him.

The evil spirit knew that Jesus had already overcome Satan during Jesus' time of temptation in the desert.

He knew that Jesus had also come to destroy all of the evil spirits working under Satan. By saying Jesus' name, the evil spirit hoped to prevent Jesus from exercising authority over him.

But Jesus, with only a word, drove out the evil spirit, and the man was at once completely healed.

Jesus' power was in His word. The people were amazed. They had never seen anyone exercise authority over evil spirits like this.

We must remember that demon possession is not a form of mental disease. Demons, or evil spirits, are servants of the chief demon, Satan.

They are workers of evil. When they come into a man, they make him a prisoner or slave of Satan.

Only through the power of Jesus can these demons be overcome and the person be given freedom.

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