Jesus and Satan

Mark 1:21-28, “They went to Capernaum; and when the Sabbath came, He entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.”

This is one of my favorite encounters of Jesus with every day folk. Notice that Jesus was in the synagogue explaining the Law and the Prophets. He was speaking, as Mark witnesses, with authority – as one who had been given supreme authority to make the interpretations and explanations that He was making. Jesus was doing so in a very familiar way – a way and manner of everyday people. He spoke in their language and was among them. Notice what happens when a man possessed by Satan (unclean spirits) encounters Jesus as will happen in every church everywhere in the world. The man says, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” Satan knew Jesus and was afraid of Him as well he should be. Jesus called him out of the man and freed him of Satan’s grip. This act astounded those in the synagogue thinking that Jesus was teaching something new and performing miracles on top of that. What the stiff-necked, hard-headed people of the synagogue forgot was that God had been acting in this precise way since God’s first encounter with fallen humanity. Now He had their attention and Satan’s as well!

Prayer: Gracious God, loving Father, thank You for today and thank You for Your Son Jesus whom You sent to redeem us and restore us back to You. Help us live into Your love for though we are undeserving of Your devotion we strive to serve You. In Jesus Name we pray. AMEN.