What An Amazing Miracle!

Sermon on Mark 1:21-28 Mt. Olive Lutheran February 12, 2012 Pastor Joel B. Schroeder "What An Amazing Miracle!" 1. What Teaching! 2. What An Unlikely Person! 3. What An Amazing Result!

Think of someone you've been trying to reach with God's Word. I know you have someone in mind: a spouse, child, parent, brother, sister, or good friend. Maybe someone who strayed from Mt. Olive, or who's refusing your call to repent of his or her sin. You've talked, pleaded, prayed. Nothing has worked. Maybe it seems to be a harder case: a Muslim, Mormon, Jehovah's Witness, Buddhist; atheist, agnostic, skeptic; immoral, addicted, materialistic, prideful; a criminal, self-righteous person--or even a Satan worshipper! Because you haven't seen results, you're down and discouraged, tempted to throw in the towel. Just when all appears hopeless, God's Word reminds us where our real power to reach them lies.

”They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law." Jesus had been baptized, began his ministry, and called his disciples. He'd been rejected by his home town of Nazareth and done his first miracle at Cana. He started working in Capernaum, the fishing village at the top end of the Sea of Galilee. That's where Peter and Andrew came from. Capernaum became Jesus' new home town, and a place he did many miracles. When we catch up with Jesus, he's teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum on the Sabbath. What teaching it was! Capernaum's reaction was positive. The people were amazed, and well they should have been.

His message was truth. They felt the power God's truth, for falsehood, or so-called religious truth invented by men has no power. Real truth from God pierces the heart and produces the guilt and fear of contrition in the sinner. "I've done evil. What shall I do now?" Even if the sinner ignores the truth that agrees with the conscience and denies or suppresses it, even gets angry about it--that only shows he's felt its power to convict. Jesus delivered that message with truth. No hesitancy, no doubts, no misleading facial features or questioning, uncertain tone.He wasn't just saying it as a professional rabbi because it was his job.  He was the way, truth, and life--and truth in his holy person and pure heart had to come out in what he said--rivers of living water. He delivered that message without spiritually abusing his hearers: he spoke with love for every listener. Nor did he contradict his message by his words or actions. His holy living didn't detract from anything he said like a preacher who's preaching contentment but living greed, or preaching chastity but feeding his eyes with lust. We go out with that same message of truth when we simply, accurately tell someone what God's Word says--either quoting it directly, or paraphrasing it accurately.

Jesus Word wasn't like the rabbis. Their teachings were mostly man-made ideas of how to please God, not how people needed and could know the Savior. They were reluctant to say "Thus saith the Lord" unless they could quote a previous rabbi who said what they wanted to say. They tied themselves and the people in knots quibbling about how much they could lift on the Sabbath; tithing spices; ritual washing of their hands, dishes, and dining couches; how often to fast; and how long to make tassels on their robes. They looked more for their hearers to compliment them: "What a preacher you are!" than to say:"What a message from God!" Our message has power because God said it, not because we've said it cleverly, or can show we agree with Luther, Walther, Pieper, Becker, Zarling, Schroeder, or Rundgren.

Jesus' Word had power. The one delivering it not just a man. He was the Holy Son of God, the Creator Son who said, "Let there be light! And there was light." His Word has power because it tells the powerful acts God did to redeem us. The power of Calvary to pay for all sins; Easter to conquer death; Holy Spirit's power to work faith, godly desires, and actions. Miracles done by God, prophets, Jesus, and the Apostles confirmed Jesus' Word alone as the true, inspired, saving message to lost sinners. Only this Word, law and gospel, has power to convict the soul of sin, work faith in Christ, change man's heart, thinking, and living, and save. Trust it to work. Don't apologize when you use it. Don't hesitate to use it. Just use it.

What an unlikely person Jesus picked for this miracle. Could Jesus have picked a harder case to shower with his mercy? "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!”

The man was demon-possessed.  He wasn't just an unbeliever. An evil angel entered the man and remained in him. The Greek says he was possessed "in" an evil spirit, like a person in love or in a rage. The devil is God's ape. He tries to copy God, but because he is lying personified, his efforts always end in dismal failure. The Christian is "in Christ" and receives countless blessings through that association. Jesus dwells in him. The Holy Spirit resides in him as God's temple. The Triune God goes with him everywhere producing good works. When an evil spirit or fallen angel possesses a person bodily, the results are horrible. Mark calls the demon an "unclean spirit," because the demon hates God, all truly good, God's Word, and holiness. Often the spirit shows itself in filthy language, perverted desires, immoral or criminal behavior, and cruelly hurts its victim. Some sins and sinners dress up in nice clothes and look respectable, even get the world's approval, Not this man with a demon. He probably smelled horrible, looked filthy and disheveled, wore torn clothes, and had wounds from his demon throwing him around.

Listen how entrenched this demon was in the man. Jesus had taught in the synagogue, but hadn't addressed the man. But the demon, using the poor victim's vocal cords cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us?" Here was no cry for help, no prayer for mercy. Here was no moral citizen like the centurion of Capernaum, a hated Roman soldier even the Jews interceded on behalf of. He wasn't like the rich young ruler, concerned about holy living and having eternal life. He wants no pardon, salvation, or heaven from Jesus, but only to be left alone to keep hurting the man he possessed. "What do you want from us?" really means, "Just leave us alone, Jesus." That's the language of Satan and the damned who will finally hear God's curse, "Depart from us..." Many who aren't demon possessed use this language, don't they? "Just leave us alone. Don't bother us with this talk of religion, God's Word, Jesus, church, faith, heaven, and Christianity." But what they call a "kindness" we simply can't grant them. We can't keep silent when they plead with us, "Let us go to hell and be damned."

Don't be fooled the man with his demon was in the synagogue on the Sabbath. The demon probably was there to disrupt the worship or try to derail Jesus from his mission to deliver souls from hell. The songs, Scripture, prayers had no positive effect on the demon or his victim. Just as many unbelievers, hypocrites, skeptics, and hardened sinners may sit in Christian churches each Sunday. But aren't you glad he was there--within range of Jesus and his powerful Word, his Gospel gun?

Demons know who Jesus is. "Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” They know Jesus is the Son of God. They know their days are numbered; they'll be confined to hell on Judgment Day. When this demon heard Jesus preach his true, authoritative, powerful Word he confessed who Jesus was. How demons must hate doing that! And when they do, they try to use this truth to their advantage. If they linked Jesus to themselves, some would accuse Jesus of being on the devil's team. Maybe the demon thought if he admitted this truth Jesus would let him keep possessing the man.

Hardened sinners sometimes reluctantly say true things. "I know Jesus is God. I know he died for me. I should be in church worshipping him and hearing his Word." They compliment us: "I admire your passion. I know you believe that's true, but I can't accept it. I shouldn't be doing what I'm doing. But confessing truth that way while remaining unrepentant and not believing Jesus is your Savior is language straight out of hell. Even the demons confess who Jesus is--and tremble. They know what's coming to them someday.

What a case Jesus selected to show mercy on. We'd think it unlikely if not impossible he could show his divine power, which turns sinners into saints, on such a man. But our Lord can soften even the hardest hearts with his powerful Word. Do you see people Satan has mastery over? Caught in life-dominating sins, evil thinking, unclean desires? Who could blame us if we wanted to stay away from them. We're supposed to avoid Satan and evil, aren't we?

That thinking can morph into self-righteousness or contempt for all unbelievers Jesus wants us to reach. Don't rule out anyone! There's help and hope for the worst, hardened sinners. God showed some committed the sin of hardening or the sin against the Holy Spirit, and walled themselves off from his saving grace. But the power and grace of Jesus knows no limit. Christ fixes his eyes to show mercy on the basest, foulest, chiefs of sinners. You'll see his light overpowering darkness. But when you bear that light, a message goes go down to the Bottomless Pit. You'll be opposed. You're a great danger to the Kingdom of the Evil One. But you go with Jesus' presence, protection, and power. If you're still trapped in Satan's kingdom, there's hope in Christ. Jesus can break that yoke from your neck, and set you free. Believe Jesus Christ paid fully for your sins. God will count you his holy child, give you a new heart, and eternity with him.

Jesus loved the victim of this evil spirit and did something about it. “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek." Sharp orders for this demon. It's the equivalent of Jesus saying "Shut up! Close your trap. Be muzzled." Jesus didn't want this traitor's testimony to damage his reputation. Evil people would accuse him of casting out demons because he was sent by the devil as it was. By telling this demon not to say a word more, Jesus showed he had power over the demon, but was not on the demon's side.

As soon as Jesus commanded "Come out of him!" the demon had to obey. Everything in heaven and earth must obey him. The demon gave a blood-curdling shriek as he obeyed, but showed his evil character by trying to do final damage to his victim. Satan and his evil angels, no matter how nice they sound or act, always seek to steal, kill, and destroy, not help and bless. The demon shook the man violently as tore at him--like a muscular seizure. Luke tells us he threw the man to the ground, but didn't hurt him. Jesus protected him. He failed his last evil attempt to harm and came out of the man like a whipped dog. What a triumph for Jesus over Satan.Jesus trampled on the head of the great serpent, shut the mouth of the roaring lion, and conquered the great dragon. Today the Lord is speaking to sinners under the power or the influence Satan or demons. Sometimes you can almost smell the sulfur of hell as you see Satan twist someone's thinking. But praise God, sometimes you witness faith being born by the Gospel, Satan's power broken, or another trophy of grace displaying behavior that delights angels and saints.

The reaction to Jesus' amazing miracle was very positive. "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.” News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee." It doesn't mean all, or even most of them believed. But some saw this miracle was a sign telling them and us that Jesus is the Messiah, and God's Word is true. Some asked themselves the question: What's with this new powerful teaching and teacher? Even demons obey this Jesus. " His message was authoritative, but not new. It was the promise to Adam and Eve, the Good Shepherd who took David safely through the valley of the shadow of death, the suffering servant Isaiah saw wounded for his transgressions, the Lamb of God John the Baptist said would take away the sin of the world.

Ready to give up witnessing? Don't you dare! If you have a choice, you might as well pick the very worst sinners to try to win with the Gospel. He knew it's not how good the person is; it's how good the Savior is. The Sun of Righteousness can shine in the deepest blackness, into the darkest soul. Preach the name of Jesus with confidence, the authoritative, true, powerful Word of God. It has power over the foulest demon from hell. Don't go with your ideas or man-made cleverness. It's the Word of God that  sprouts in the good ground prepared by God's law. The gates of hell can't prevail against the church built by proclaiming that Word. You have God's promise: "The Lord shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." AMEN.