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JESUS' MINISTRY IN GALILEE
Mark 1 v. 21-28 (NLT) *part 2*
Emphasis on verses 23-27
Jesus Drives Out An Evil Spirit
23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit began shouting, 24 "Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are— the Holy One sent from God!"
25 Jesus cut him short. "Be quiet! Come out of the man," he ordered. 26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.
27 Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. "What sort of new teaching is this?" they asked excitedly. "It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!"
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Many people dismiss the existence of demons. Evil spirits, or demons, are ruled by satan. They work to tempt people to sin. They were not created by satan-because God is the Creator of all. Rather they are fallen angels who joined satan in his rebellion. Though not all disease comes from satan, demons can cause a person to become mute, deaf, blind, or insane.
Professionals and people in general have determined accounts of demon possession as a primitive way to describe mental illness. Although throughout history mental illness has often been wrongly diagnosed as demon possession; for example I've heard the true stories behind the popular films "The Exorcist & The Exorcism of Emily Rose were based on two girls suffering mental illnesses-not from demons; clearly in this verse a hostile outside force controlled the man described here before Jesus.
Mark emphasized Jesus' conflict with evil powers to show His superiority over then, we'll see that he recorded many stories about Jesus driving out evil spirits. Jesus didn't have to conduct an elaborate exorcism ritual. His word was enough to send out the demons. In every case where demons confronted Jesus, they lost their power. Thus, God limits what evil spirits can do; they can do nothing without His permission.
During Jesus' life on earth, demons were allowed to be very active to demonstrate once and for all Christ's power and authority over them. I love how "gangsta" our God is. And I mean that with the utmost respect. The true "O.G." is our LORD Jesus Christ. Nothing can touch Him. He can stand against it all. The evil spirit knew at once that Jesus was the Holy One sent from God. By including this event in his Gospel, Mark was establishing Jesus' credentials, showing that even the spiritual underworld recognized Jesus as Messiah.
-WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR PEOPLE TO RECOGNIZE THIS FACT?
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Prayer: Jesus, You are my LORD and Savior. You are my King. You are my God. You are my Righteousness. Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, O LORD. Let us rejoice in Your name all day long; let us exult in Your righteousness. For You are our Glory and Strength (Psalm 89). In Your strong Name I live forever , amen. --------------------------------------------------------------
"Through God's mercy I have this ministry, I will not lose heart... I do not preach myself, but Jesus Christ as LORD and myself as the servant of the people for Jesus' sake." 2 Corinthians 4:1,5
Resources: biblegateway.com, NIV Women's Devotional Bible- Classic Edition (D. Head), and Life Application Study Bible.
www.thegoodnews4yourlife.blogspot.com "Providing you with what you already have access to in the most convenient way. So that we all can continue to grow in wisdom & understanding of God." LT
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