The Authority and Compassion of Jesus: Mark 1:21-34

If you have a Bible, would you please turn it with me to Mark chapter 1?

Mark 1 · chapter mention

The Bible's in front of you.

You can find that on page 785.

We're going to be reading verses 21 through 34.

The gospel according to Mark, starting in verse 21.

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.

That's Jesus.

And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

And immediately 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 out with a loud voice, came out of him.

And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, What is this?

A new teaching with authority.

He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.

And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew with James and John.

Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her, and he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up.

And the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons, and the whole city was gathered together at the door, and he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons, and he would not permit the demons to speak because they knew him.

The grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

Would you bow your heads and pray with me?

God, our Father in heaven, we ask that you would speak to us through your word.

Through these stories, may we be led by your Spirit to do just as Simon's mother-in-law did, that we would get up and begin to serve you even this day.

We pray in Jesus' name.

Amen.

Well, good morning.

It's privileged to be with you.

And if you're joining us for the first time, first Sunday, you're in for something special.

We're in a sermon series on the gospel of Mark, focusing on the ministry of Jesus.

And today we're going to be looking at how he reveals himself in powerful ways through his divine authority.

And Tom preached last week.

Jesus has just begun his public ministry.

He's begun to call his disciples to him.

And Tom gave us two helpful questions for us to have in the back of our minds as we study through the gospel of Mark.

The first is this: who is this one who calls us?

And the second is, what does it mean to follow him?

So who is this one that calls us?

The second point is, what does it mean to follow him?

And so today in this passage, we witness Jesus stepping into a synagogue and demonstrating his unparalleled authority, which is always marked by compassion.

But before we dive in, I've got to say this is one of my favorite times of the year.

We've got college football, cool weather, bonfires, and of course, the kids that are here left, trick-or-treating, right?

Hopefully many of you are preparing for our church's trunk or treat coming up very soon.

We hope you can join us for that.

But speaking of that, kids, can I ask you, what are you planning to dress up for for Halloween this year?

I need some responses.

Yeah.

Basilisk lizard.

Basilisk lizard.

Okay, I like that.

Some hair.

A bear?

Pooh bear.

Okay, poo bear.

Any others?

Pastor Tom?

No.

Well, often, of course, many of the costumes that we have are uh people from authority.

So we've got firefighters, policemen, of course, our police officers, they enforce the law and ensure justice within the legal system.

But where does their authority come from?

It comes from laws that have already been established.

Of course, there's appeals, but doctors are often another favorite costume for kids during Halloween.

Their trusted expertise, their authority comes from their lengthy years of training and experience.

They are the only ones who can perform the surgeries that we need in that time of need.

Of course, military personnel to defend our national security.

Of course, their authority comes from, at least in our country, civilian authorities who are over them and the government who helps lead them and guide them and their policies.

And of course, our superheroes, right, which are our fictional icons of moral authority and justice, representing idealized power and responsibility in our society.

But here's, of course, where we are going to pivot towards the heart of today's message.

Because while these authorities are derived, the power and authority that we see today on display in Jesus' actions are original.

They're unmatched, they're unparalleled in the gospel and even in history.

It flows not from any human institution, but from Jesus' identity as the Son of God.

I love when I get up here and the sermon has already preached itself.

We heard about this in Colossians 1, the passage that we already read, that Jesus, here, for by him all things were created.

Whether thrones or authorities, all things were created through him and before him, for him, and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

His authority is original, it's divine, it's unmatched.

So here's the plan this morning.

As we look at these verses together, we're going to enjoy our way through these two stories and look at these truths under two headings.

First, that Jesus has unparalleled authority.

And the second is that his authority is always marked by compassion.

So the first, Jesus has unparalleled authority.

Look with me, beginning in verse 21.

It says, and they went into Capernaum, which it's a tiny footnote in the pages of Scripture, but it's important when we read these passages that we don't rush past these words.

Notice where the story is taking place.

It's not in Nazareth where Jesus grew up, but it's in Capernaum.

Now, if you've looked at a map, you'll note that Nazareth is some 20 miles away from Capernaum.

And yet Mark will tell us just a few verses later in chapter 2, verse 1, that Jesus now calls Capernaum home.

I wonder if you've ever thought about that.

That Jesus moved from his hometown.

I imagine a significant change for him that many of you can probably relate to.

My family knows this feeling well.

Too a few years ago, we transitioned to a new ministry in Washington, D.C.

And this very verse spoke to us in our moment of uncertainty.

Like Jesus moving from Nazareth to Capernaum, God sometimes calls us to new, unknown places to fulfill his purposes.

And every word in the Bible reveals to us something about who God is and what he has done for us.

Even simple sentences like this.

That this glimpse that we see of Jesus coming with divine authority, we also see a glimpse of his humanity as well.

And it says immediately, Mark's favorite word, that on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching.

So what does Jesus do in this new city?

He enters into the Sabbath, into the synagogue on the Sabbath and begins to teach.

Now, synagogues, they were not the place where you would do the animal sacrifices that was in Jerusalem and the temple.

The synagogue was the assembly hall where they would read the Torah and it would be explained by people in the congregation.

And the elders would affirm whether it was true.

And so it was often the lay people who would come in and teach.

And yet there's something different about this teacher who's teaching in the synagogue.

Verse 22.

And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

So the scribes, we remember, were heavily reliant on tradition.

So often when they spoke, just like the prophets in the Old Testament, they would preface what they said with, Thus saith the Lord, because they were not speaking with authority.

They were leaning on their tradition.

But Jesus, Jesus comes in and he speaks differently.

He speaks as if he is the authority.

And they're amazed by it.

Throughout the Gospels, you'll hear Jesus more frequently in John's Gospel, but even in Mark and the great KJV language, verily, verily I say unto you, there's a difference because Jesus is saying these words, these teachings with great authority.

And this strikes them like a lightning bolt.

And they're amazed at his teaching because of the authority.

They recognize that something is different.

So who is this one who would call us someone who speaks with authority?

And it's no different for us today.

We live in a world full of competing voices in the culture, in the media, even our own desires, try to claim authority over our lives.

But there's only one voice that holds absolute life-giving authority, and that is the voice of Jesus and Jesus' word.

And this authority, it doesn't just inform us.

It's not just something that we're learning, but it transforms us from the inside out.

And this is critical for us today.

As parents, I especially want to challenge us.

One of our most important jobs in this information age is to help our children to understand and trust in the authority of God's word.

We can't emphasize this enough when the world tries to redefine gender or sexuality or even truth itself.

Whose voice will our children trust?

Who will they look to to speak with authority?

And this is the foundation of the Reformed tradition, is the authority of Scripture, sola scriptura, Halloween, of course, is Happy Reformation Day, too, we say.

And it's as important today as it has ever been.

The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter one, puts it like this the authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, depends not on the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God, who is truth itself, the author thereof, and therefore it is to be received, because it is the word of God.

God's word is authoritative, it is inspired, infallible, inerrant, it is trustworthy.

And so we are called to examine everything, every square inch of our lives by this word.

And these words, they're not just good advice, of course.

It's good news.

Because Jesus doesn't come merely to show us how to live, but to announce something.

He's got an important announcement, and that is that the kingdom of God is now here, and he is making all things new.

He is beginning to bring restoration.

So when we see his power on display in just a moment, those moments of power and his miracles are but a foretaste of the kingdom that is coming and even now is at hand.

But here's the best part about Jesus' authority that's so starkly different from sometimes the authority that we see on display in our culture, and that is it's not harsh or oppressive, but it's always marked by compassion.

So his authority is always marked by compassion.

Look with me at verse 23, where we see this story take a dramatic turn, and immediately there was in the 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, come out of him.

So while teaching, Jesus is confronted by a man with an unclean spirit.

And Mark makes clear this is no ordinary battle.

This is a spiritual battle that is taking place.

And Jesus doesn't even flinch.

It's amazing.

Like at creation, all he does is speak a word, and it's done.

And the demon is cast out of the man.

This casting out, again, is one of the themes that Mark will display over and over.

His power over both the spiritual domain of this world, but also the physical domain, as we'll see in a moment.

His unparalleled authority.

Jesus doesn't negotiate with evil, he commands it, and it obeys.

It's amazing to see.

Let's not be fooled, though, friends, to think that evil is less real today.

Whether it's in the form of spiritual forces, spiritual darkness, or even the sin in our own hearts, the reality of evil is undeniable.

But here's the good news is that Jesus has power over all of it.

He has power over all of it.

We see these verses that the response of the people is that they were amazed by Jesus' authority, that he would command even the unclean spirits, and they would obey him.

If you've read the screw tape letters, you know.

C.S.

Lewis wrote the screw tape letters, and it's Wormwood, who's a junior demon, who's being mentored by Screwtape, who's sort of his mentor, sort of the senior demon, on how to tempt and lead humans away from God.

And one of the recurring themes is the idea that they want to convince people that evil no longer exists in the world, that it's no longer relevant.

And screw tape teaches Wormwood several different strategies that would give their patience, that would be Christians, a sense of complacency in the world.

Here's one, letter seven.

Screwtape to Wormwood, I don't think you'll have much difficulty in keeping the patient in the dark.

The fact that devils are predominantly comic figures in the modern imagination will help you.

If any faint suspicion of your existence begins to arise in his mind, just suggest to him a picture of something in red tights and persuade him that since he cannot believe in that, it's an old textbook method of confusing them, he therefore cannot believe in you.

We're going to see a lot of red tights in the next couple days.

He also mentions about the arrogance of intellectual progress in society.

Listen to how prophetic this is as he dismisses the idea of sin and evil by presenting new and progressive things and putting down traditional ways, traditional views of morality as outdated.

Listen to this.

We direct the fashionable outcry of each generation against those vices of which it is least in danger and fix its approval on the virtue nearest to the vice which we are trying to make endemic.

Now, if we can keep these men asking, is it in accordance with the general movement of our time?

Is it progressive or reactionary?

Is this the way that history is going?

Then they will neglect the relevant questions.

Just chew on that for a little bit.

You have to go and read that.

That's in letter 25 of Screw Tape's letters as well.

But by manipulating cultural trends, the demons of today are trying to convince us that the church's historical and orthodox views on the family, on human sexuality and gender, on the sanctity of life and the dignity of all persons created in God's image are outdated ideas.

That's the work of spiritual forces.

And unfortunately, the evil is not just out there, but sometimes it creeps into the church as well.

So it is important for us to wake up to the reality of evil in our lives.

Lest we be blindsided.

Evil is real, but lest we despair.

This is not the moment to despair because the point of this is that Jesus has power over it all.

In those moments in the next weeks and months ahead when we feel led to despair, when our candidate doesn't win or this issue doesn't pass for us.

We need to remember that Jesus has power over it all.

Even though the demons recognize Jesus' power and authority.

So our intellectual acknowledgement is not enough.

What does the gospel call us to do?

Not just to know about Jesus, but to submit to his rule and authority in every area of our lives.

And this gets to Pastor Tom's second diagnostic question for us, which is, what does it mean to follow him?

What does it mean to follow him?

So from the ballot box to the boardroom, everywhere we find ourselves, we are called to follow Jesus faithfully and to submit to his authority in every square inch of our lives.

And this authority doesn't just stop at the spiritual realm.

So let's pick up our story in verse 29, where we read that immediately he leaves the synagogue and he enters into the house of Simon and Andrew.

So Simon is Peter, who's going to be named soon, and Andrew, with James and John.

And now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever.

And immediately, of course, they tell him about her.

And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

I I love this story.

Jesus heals in many ways, he casts demons out in many ways, but after leaving the synagogue, he goes into Simon and Andrew's house and finds his mother in law with.

A great fever.

And what does he do?

Verse 31.

He takes her by the hand.

There's no fanfare, there's no grand gesture, just compassionate and personal care by the creator of the world and everything in it.

And he heals her.

This story is just as amazing as him casting out the demon before marking Jesus' authority over both the spiritual and the physical world.

Showing Jesus' divinity and his humanity as we see that his authority isn't detached or distant, but it always comes close.

It's personal as he takes her by the hand and heals her body.

Because his authority is marked by compassion.

And if you're here today and submitting to Jesus' authority sounds scary to you, then I want to invite you to continue to look at Jesus' life and how he uses his authority.

See who he is, because he never uses his authority for control or for dominance, the way that we so often see authority abused today.

But he uses his authority to serve and to heal and to restore.

And it's beautiful to see.

And he doesn't just heal the important or the influential, he heals the overlooked, the marginalized, and the broken.

And his authority, as we see in this story, is marked by compassion and self-sacrifice.

So as this passage continues, we see it starts with just the mother-in-law, but the whole town is gathered at their door.

Can you imagine?

What would it look like for the whole town to be gathered at our doors here?

And he heals many.

They bring their sick, they bring their demon-possessed, and Jesus heals many of them.

An amazing testimony.

Jesus is not indifferent to suffering.

He comes close, enters our lives, and brings us everything that we need, not only physically, but spiritually and emotionally as well.

And so a good question for us to consider today is what areas of our lives need Jesus' tender touch?

Because Jesus' compassion invites you to come to trust in his power to restore you.

And these miracles, they ought to amaze us.

Mark's gospel shows so much, it talks more about what Jesus does than often what he teaches.

We don't have the words of what he taught in the synagogue, but we see his actions on display because they are signposts of the very kingdom of God, where one day there will be no more sickness and death.

Because Jesus' authority and compassion point forward to the ultimate display of authority and compassion on the cross.

Because without authority, Jesus is unable to atone for our sins.

Without compassion, Jesus would be unwilling to lay down his life for us, for his enemies.

And yet Jesus has both the authority and compassion to use his power and his tenderness for our good and for his own glory, to serve others.

The one who has all authority in heaven and on earth uses it for the weak and for the needy.

And so here's the question for us Will we trust in Jesus' compassion and authority?

Because the cross is the ultimate display of both.

Because on the cross, Jesus used his authority to defeat sin once and for all.

And with his compassion, he laid down his life so that all those who would put their hope and trust in him would live with him for eternity.

And like Simon's mother-in-law, that we would be able to get up, as we're going to say in our dismissal in just a moment, and serve him.

So will you come to him today?

He stands ready to heal, to restore, and to liberate as well.

Sermon in a sentence.

Jesus has unparalleled authority and it is always marked by compassion.

And so as we close and pray in just a moment, I invite you to bring your struggles and your doubts and your needs before Him.

Will you come to Him today out of bondage, out of your sickness, saying, Jesus, I come.

Let's pray together.

Heavenly Father, we pray for those of us who are in spiritual bondage this day, who are suffering physically, even spiritually, with doubt about your trustworthiness or goodness.

Would you help us to see your tenderness on display, your unparalleled and unmatched authority, but your personal and tender compassion?

Would you draw near to the one who needs you to touch them even now?

To heal their body, to restore their souls.

Draw us near to you, O Lord, we pray.

In the precious name of your Son and our Savior Jesus.

Amen.