Saturday, February 7, 2009
Mark 1:23-27 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are-- the Holy One of God!" "Be quiet!" said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new teaching-- and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him."
THE VOICE OF AUTHORITY
Jesus' words at the synagogue in Capernaum were shown to be words of authority. When Christ spoke, even the evil spirits had to listen! This was something new and amazing to the people of that day. Their teachers of the law did not carry that kind of authority. When they issued commands, the demons did not jump to obey.
Jesus has real authority -- from heaven. And if He has authority even over evil spirits, does He not have authority over us? Moses once said to Israel (Deuteronomy 18:15), "The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him." When this prophet, Jesus Christ, speaks to us in His word, do we talk back to Him? When He counsels us, pointing out this or that which is spiritually dangerous to our souls, are we to act as though His word has no authority over us? Are we to ignore it as if it is a word of man that can be discarded over our shoulders? When He speaks to us in His words of law, are we not to follow even as the evil spirits themselves did? His voice carries that much authority -- the authority of God.
Yet not only is His law a word of authority, but especially His gospel which is the power of God for salvation to them that believe! When He tells us, "You are forgiven. I have died for you," Satan must flee before us. These are words of authority, persuading us to believe Him and to trust that He has done for us exactly what He has said.
Just as in Creation when God said, "Let there be light," and there was light, when Jesus opens His mouth and utters His words of good news, they have an effect. They bring us peace of conscience, joy and happiness, hope and expectation.
