This morning in our passage, we are going to read the word, “Amazed.” It’s a very strong word, but we tend to use it somewhat loosely and freely.
When I look at ESPN’s webpage every few days to catch up on the sports world for a few minutes, I notice how ESPN entices me to click on videos of basketball moments. “Watch this stunning dunk by Lebron.” Or, “Look at this epic 3-pointer by Caitlin Clark.” ESPN uses synonyms of “amazing” to get my attention, prompt me to click on the video, be forced to watch a 10-second ad, and make them more money. Occasionally it works, and I succumb to their allurement and click on the video clip. And afterwards I think, “Well, there is 30 seconds of my life that I can’t get back.”
This morning we will read a short passage using the word “Amaze” and a synonym, “Astonished”, but its usage is nothing like we use it.
You may open your Bible or your Scripture Journal to Mark 1:21.
We are in Week 3 of a new sermon series going through one of four accounts about Jesus Christ. This one is written by the Lord’s disciple named Mark. We call it simply, “Mark.”
Today we have a very brief but powerful passage. Actually, to me the passage is stunning. Perhaps I could say, it’s even shocking.
Mark 1:21–28 (CSB)
21 They went into Capernaum, and right away he [Jesus] entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach.
22 They were astonished at his teaching because he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not like the scribes. [the teachers of the law of God]
23 Just then a man with an unclean spirit was in their synagogue. He cried out,
24 “What do you have to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25 Jesus rebuked him saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!”
26 And the unclean spirit threw him into convulsions, shouted with a loud voice, and came out of him.
27 They were all amazed, and so they began to ask each other, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”
28 At once the news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity of Galilee.
All this happens in Capernaum, a city on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, and it was the home of Jesus and some of his disciples.
There are 3 key words here, and all begin with the letter “A”, and they appear in vs. 22 and 27.
- astonished (vs. 22) and amazed (vs. 27)
- authority (used twice, vs. 22 and 27)
The first two are different Greek words in the ancient manuscripts that our English Bible is translated from, so we could say there are only two key words: astonished and authority.
Before we talk about those, let’s give a brief background. Two weeks ago, we read vs. 1 that is Mark’s introduction to this book: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark is writing to tell us of the gospel, the good news about Jesus and of Jesus and from Jesus. Jesus is the Christ, or that means, the Messiah, or the Anointed One. We could say simply, “He’s the One.”
Mark’s goal is not merely to inform. He wants—through the words and actions of Jesus— to persuade and assure us that Jesus really is the One. He is the long-awaited, prophesied, powerful Anointed One of God. THE ONE. Sent from heaven to rescue people from sin and to establish an eternal kingdom. And he is coming back soon to be King over the earth.
- And also in vs. 1, Mark writes that this Jesus is the Son of God, a powerful title that tells us about his Deity, and points us to this important yet somewhat mysterious Trinity of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
- Then in the next few verses, Mark writes of John the Baptist, the prophet who himself was prophesied about, and his task was to testify of Jesus…that he is “THE ONE.”
- We also read that just seconds after Jesus was baptized by John, and the heavens open up and the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus. So the Spirit testifies about him.
- And then if we want more, a voice from the heavens is heard, and it’s God the Father testifying that Jesus is his beloved Son.
If we read no further, we would already be shocked and wonder, “Just who is this man standing before us?”
Then in vs. 14, we hear from Jesus himself. He begins his ministry, testifying with his own words, calling the people to repentance, to a new life with God the Father. And he calls the people to follow him. They are not called to follow a religious system or philosophy. They are called to follow a person, this prophesied, long-awaited Messiah. THE ONE.
That’s what we’ve seen so far in just 20 verses.
In our passage today in vs. 21-28, we now see more proof of all this. And we see response of the people as they witness this remarkable, shocking, puzzling man who is unlike anyone they have ever seen. They wonder, “Who is this?”
So now we come back to our key words that begin with “A.” Astonished (or amazed) and authority.
Authority
Let’s first consider the word “authority.”
In vs. 22, Jesus teaches words from God unlike anyone the people had ever heard. He spoke with authority.
“Authority” is more than being bossy or holding a title. I could be very bossy and try to tell you what you should do, but do I have the authority to tell you? Do I have right to tell you what to do? Are you compelled to listen and obey me?
Authority means having the POWER and the RIGHT to command. Jesus spoke and taught with POWER and the RIGHT to speak. We’re not given more details, but evidently, there was conviction and a forcefulness to what he said. He had the both the power and the right to speak for God and tell the people what to do.
And had the authority to compel decisions.
Parents, you have authority over your children. You can and must call them to obey, hopefully with great love and care. But ultimately you can’t compel them to obey. You can lovingly make life difficult for them so that they will choose what is good and right and follow you. But you can’t ultimately compel them.
With Jesus, there was no question about his right and power to teach words from heaven.
Then in vs. 27, Jesus is confronted by a demon-possessed man in the synagogue. A man obviously being controlled by an evil spirit that we call demons. I am fascinated and shocked by Jesus here. He simply commands the demon to shut up and come out of the man. And the demon is utterly compelled to obey Jesus. He cannot say no. He MUST shut up. And he must leave the man.
This authority absolutely stuns the people. Who can do such a thing? The people apparently are not amazed by what the demon called Jesus—the Holy One of God— but they are amazed and alarmed by Jesus’ power and right to command the demonic.
Surely this demon-possessed man in Capernaum has been a problem for some time, and I suspect they are at a loss as to help this man. He is coming into their place of worship, the synagogue. It would be tantamount to a wild, demon-possessed man showing up at a Sunday morning church service, creating havoc, disturbing all of you. Even our security team is powerless to stop him.
So surely the people in that synagogue want to get rid of this man. To kick him out of town. Yet they are powerless to do so.
Now this man, Jesus, walks in the room. And with just the pure force of his words and his person, he compels this demon to shut up and leave. Jesus’ authority is unlike anything they have ever seen.
This topic of authority fascinates me on a human level. When I worked as an engineer years ago, I was promoted to be a supervisor over a section of engineers and technicians. And I remember how odd that felt at first. I actually asked myself, “What gives me the authority—the power and the right— to tell these people what to do? Yesterday I didn’t have authority, but today I do; authority to evaluate their job performance; authority to hire and fire and discipline, to assign work, and more.” How could this authority change literally overnight?
I was asking an appropriate question, for my authority was not inherent. I wasn’t born with it. In fact, the day before I literally didn’t have it. But now, starting on that day, I was now granted authority through the rules and regulations. Someone higher up with authority bequeathed me this job and the authority that came with it. And in the same way it was given to me, it could be taken away.
God needs nothing like that. He IS authority. He HAS power. He HAS the right. He is Lord. Creator. Master. Ruler. The Eternal One. The Ancient of Days. The Lord of Heavenly Armies.
This is what the people in Capernaum were faced with: This man Jesus had an authority that emanated from himself.
Now we turn to our other “A” word in this brief passage:
Astonished
Astonished and its synonym, amazed.
Again, looking at these two verses, vs. 22 and 27, the people responded to Jesus’ authority with astonishment. With amazement. But let me say this: Their reaction was not like watching a spectacle. Like the fireworks on the 4th of July by the ISU football stadium, when we say, “Oooh! Ahhh!” Or like watching an athlete set a world record at the Olympics. We might say, “That’s so cool! That’s amazing!”, and we watch the replay 5 times.
These two moments here in our passage are not like that at all.
The people’s response to Jesus—their amazement and astonishment—was more a startled response. Their eyes were opened wide. They may have smiled with joy, but they also may have been somewhat frightened. Shocked. Dazed.
After all, this wild, out-of-control demon-possessed man….someone they were all afraid of and had no idea how to help him or stop him…this demon creating so much havoc was just put in his place by a simple command from this man named Jesus. And the demon HAD to obey. If we were afraid before of the demon, how much more should we tremble before the One who commanded him.
This describes the astonishment and amazement the people had towards Jesus.
They were left to wonder, as we should wonder, “Who is this?” He is more than we ever imagined. Jesus is unlike anyone we have ever met. Unlike any religious leader. Any king. Any general in the army. Any conqueror.
He has a right and power to speak words from heaven. To command demons. To heal broken and even dead bodies. To rise from the dead himself. This Jesus before us is unparalleled.
We are into Mark’s Gospel account of Jesus only a portion of one chapter. Only 4% of the total book. But even so far, the account of this man, Jesus, is stunning. Just from 28 verses, we are faced with someone unlike anyone we have ever known, read about, or heard about.
- The testimony about Jesus is overwhelming. Ancient prophecies fulfilled. The Holy Spirit descending upon him. A voice from heaven declaring his Sonship.
- The authority with which Jesus speaks and acts is unparalleled.
- And even more, we haven’t even seen yet the full extent of his power and authority. That will come at the end of Mark’s story in what is called the resurrection.
At some point along this journey, you have to…and I have to… make a decision: Will I believe and embrace Jesus, or will I reject him? Will I follow him with my whole heart, or will I follow other things? Will I trust him or doubt him? Will I love him or hate him? Jesus offers us no middle ground.
Application
I really like what Pastor Matt said last week, that because this story of Jesus is so powerfully vast and history-altering, it’s a challenge to think of just one way to apply it. But let me try with just one thought.
As we consider Jesus just from these first 28 verses, we should….
Stand firm in our faith.
Jesus is who he says and reveals himself as. And we should believe that, and not be shaken. For Jesus has the power, the right, and the authority to be the King and Lord over this world. Yes, for now, it looks like the world is spinning out of his control. But fear not, he is the Lord. Stand firm.
Monday morning in my daily reading and prayer time, I read 2 Kings 18-19 and the remarkable story of King Hezekiah in 700 B.C. The mighty Assyrian army was coming to crush the people of Judah. The verbal taunts by the commander of the Assyrian army sounded like something straight out of the devil’s mouth. The situation was terrifying, overwhelming. What did Hezekiah do? He sought the Lord with desperate prayers.
Here is a portion of Hezekiah’s prayer:
2 Kings 19:16–19 CSB Listen closely, Lord, and hear; open your eyes, Lord, and see. Hear the words that Sennacherib has sent to mock the living God. Lord, it is true that the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands…Now, Lord our God, please save us from his power so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are God—you alone.
The Lord heard Hezekiah’s prayer and answered in a stunning way, completely crushing the enemy’s army.
God was King and Lord centuries ago, and he is King and Lord today. And we now see it through his Son, Jesus Christ.
When we encounter Jesus here in the Gospel of Mark, our only logical, sensible, reasonable conclusion is, we should trust him and not be shaken.
So what might this look like?
Let’s connect this to a variety of experiences we may have.
- Some of us may still be unsure who Jesus even is.
We’ve barely read the Bible. We don’t know much about Christianity. But now in three Sundays, even though we have read only 4% of this account of Jesus’ life, we are in a fresh way compelled to consider him more seriously than we ever have before. If this describes you, I say simply to you, be earnest in your quest for answers.
I’ll give you a clue: Ask any questions you want, and you will find that the answers to your best questions are found in this remarkable person named Jesus.
In the Apostle John’s Gospel account of Jesus, John records a simple but mighty statement by Jesus, who said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6)
Seek after Jesus, and you will find him. Stand firm in him.
2. Others of us have believed, but we find that doubts regularly creep back in and weigh us down.
We wonder all too often— Is Jesus good? Is his salvation sufficient? Is it all true? Is there really a heaven?
To those of us who have such doubts, even reading only 28 verses of this gospel gently calls us to stand firm. To set aside the doubts, and with the heart of a child, simply trust him. Trust him. And when we do, the Lord assures us we will never be ashamed of having done so.
In the face of your doubts, stand firm.
3. Others of us may be facing hard battles with sin, and losing greatly.
Perhaps we’re keeping some secrets. The guilt and shame are slowly crushing our souls. To us, Jesus calls us to himself. Both his powerful authority and his gentle heart beckon us to walk with him, obey him, and yield to his will….which is always good and holy. Humble ourselves. Confess to God and to a godly follower of Jesus. Let us bring into the light what is currently hidden in the darkness. There we will find freedom and grace from from Jesus–THE ONE–who is full of grace and truth.
Stand firm in your faith in Jesus.
4. Still others of us are facing great worries and fears.
Health crises. Job demands. Family stresses. School worries.
The One who has all authority to proclaim the Word of God like no one else….who has the power and right to command demons, and they MUST obey…this same Person has the power and right to direct your life and bring you good.
Worry no more.
Fear no longer.
Strengthen your heart.
Or perhaps we are worried about the upcoming elections, that if a certain person is elected, our country will fall apart into utter darkness. We are worried that Kamala Harris will be elected. We are worried that Donald Trump will be elected. Or we are worried that either one will be elected. And then when that happens, the world will spin out of control even more. But even if our country does fall apart, doesn’t Jesus still reign? All authority has been given to him by God the Father. Do not fear! He has won. He will win. We can trust him.
A passage that has comforted me greatly in recent months as I think about the worries of life is from the prophet Isaiah. It is one of the most stunning passages in the Bible that speaks–no, shouts–of the power and authority and greatness of God. (You may want to read the entire passage later today, Isaiah 40:12-31.)
Isaiah writes this:
Isaiah 40:21–25 CSB Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not considered the foundations of the earth?
22 God is enthroned above the circle of the earth; its inhabitants are like grasshoppers. He stretches out the heavens like thin cloth and spreads them out like a tent to live in.
23 He reduces princes to nothing and makes judges of the earth like a wasteland.
24 They are barely planted, barely sown, their stem hardly takes root in the ground when he blows on them and they wither, and a whirlwind carries them away like stubble.
25 “To whom will you compare me, or who is my equal?” asks the Holy One.
No one can compare to the Lord. If Jesus Christ has authority over all things, even over powerful, evil demons, over rulers, princes, and Presidents, and over powerful storms and diseased bodies, then let us look to him and rest in him.
Read the Gospel of Mark and stand firm in your faith in Jesus, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords.
And like Pastor Matt said, come back next week. Next week in the next section of Mark chapter 1, we will look at more astonishing actions and words from Jesus. And if we ever struggle to believe that Jesus is powerful, or if we ever struggle to believe that Jesus is compassionate, or if we ever struggle with both, then next week’s passage will be for us.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Jesus is like no other.
In sports, we like to debate who is the greatest basketball player: Michael Jordan or Lebron? In American history, we might debate who the greatest president was: Abraham Lincoln or Franklin Roosevelt?
But just in just 28 verses so far in Mark, we are already confronted with a Person who truly is unparalleled. He fits in no human categories.
- Ancient prophecy declares his glory.
- The Holy Spirit descending upon him declares his heavenliness.
- The voice of God the Father from heaven shakes us to consider the Deity of the Son.
- And then Jesus himself startles us with forceful words spoken with an authority that the world has never seen before.
Jesus is the One. May we look to him. Believe in him. Stand firm in him. And love him like no other.
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