Teaching With Authority

INTRO

As we continue our study of the Gospels, we’re moving into the Gospel of Mark. It is a picture of Jesus as Servant. The Gospel was written by John Mark, and in Acts 12:12, the house of John Mark’s mother is shown as a place of prayer. Therefore, Mark brought a unique perspective on prayer to his Gospel. When there’s a praying mother, it tends to carry over to her children. On the first missionary journey, Barnabas and Saul (also called Paul; Acts 13:9) took John Mark with them (Acts 12:25). Furthermore, John Mark was Barnabas’s cousin (Colossians 4:10). John Mark had a rich spiritual legacy.

John Mark also had some problems. He couldn’t finish the missionary journey and returned home early, creating a split between Barnabas and Paul (Acts 13:13; 15:38-40). Even though John Mark bailed on Paul, he is identified as one of Paul’s coworkers (Philemon 24) and was still useful in the ministry (2 Timothy 4:11). Also, John Mark and Peter had a close discipleship relationship (1 Peter 5:13).

John Mark wrote his gospel two to three decades after the resurrection, probably from Rome, because it was written to Roman believers who were Gentiles. Throughout the Gospel of Mark, Jesus is portrayed as the “suffering Servant”; “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Throughout this Gospel, Jesus’ human emotions were shown (Mark 1:41). As the suffering Servant, Jesus was moved with compassion for people and could connect with them (Mark 1:41; 3:5). Jesus had both human emotions and physical limitations: He became tired (Mark 4:38), hungry (Mark 11:12), and disappointed (Mark 8:12).

TEACHING

Mark 1:1-8: first 8 verses herald the coming of the Messiah through prophecy (vv. 2-3) and through John the Baptist preparing the way (vv. 4-8). John Mark’s stories are often much shorter than what we read in Matthew.

Mark 1:9-15: John Mark documented Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist (vv. 9-11) and Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness (vv. 12-13). Then, John Mark stated that John the Baptist was arrested, and Jesus went to Galilee to begin His ministry (v. 14).

Mark 1:16-20: Jesus began to call His disciples.

Mark 1:21-22: Jesus began His ministry in Capernaum of Galilee. One common thread in the book of Mark is that Jesus always went to the synagogue to teach. (Mark 2:13; 4:1-12; 6; 10–12; 14.) Capernaum was an important and prosperous fishing village located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee and on a major road. Its location became an essential component to Jesus’ headquarters. Those in the synagogue were astonished with His teaching because He taught “as one having authority” (v. 22). Jews were used to rabbis quoting other rabbis, using oral tradition. Jesus spoke as the Truth Himself; His message was a new perspective for His hearers. One commentary said that Jesus spoke with directness and forcefulness, while still being personal. In fact, 42 percent of the Gospel of Mark is specifically referencing His teaching.¹

Mark 1:23-24: Just then, a man with an unclean spirit entered the synagogue. The demon (the unclean spirit) recognized Jesus as both human and divine as “the Holy One of God!” MacArthur interpreted the demon’s question as, “Why do you interfere with us?”²Nelson’s Commentarystates that 20 percent of all of Jesus’ miracles “involved Jesus helping those troubled by demons.”³If you do ministry every day, as you continue to proclaim the gospel, you will face demonic activity. Jesus spent almost a quarter of His time dealing with demons because He had compassion for those people who were being attacked by demons.

A synagogue was started every time there were at least ten men in a community. Nelson’s Commentaryexplains what would be found in first-century synagogues:

• Elders: those who regulated the policies of the synagogue.
• A ruler: one appointed by the elders to take care of the building and planning of services.
• A minister: one who tended the sacred scrolls, attended the lamps, and kept the building clean, as well as teaching the children to read and administering lashes of punishment.
• A delegate: a capable person who was chosen by the ruler before the service to read Scripture, lead prayer, and preach to the congregation (a temporary office). Jesus served as a delegate in the Nazareth synagogue (Luke 4:16-30).
• An interpreter: a person who could translate the Hebrew Scriptures since most Jews spoke Aramaic.
• Almoners: two or three people who received money taken up to meet the needs of the poor.4

Since Jesus spent so much time teaching in synagogues, He would have encountered and interacted with people in all of these positions. Paul also entered every community and went straight to the synagogue. The interactions with the religious authorities often took place in synagogues. The service began with the reading of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-9), a speaker would lead a time of prayer as they faced Jerusalem with their hands extended, and then a chosen speaker would stand and read a section of the Law, which the interpreter translated, and a section of the Prophets, which was also translated. The delegate then preached the commentary and sermon. Afterward, the priest announced the benediction, and the congregation concluded with “Amen.”⁵This becomes an underlining audience throughout Mark.

Mark 1:25-28: The man with the unclean spirit interrupted Jesus’ teaching. Jesus rebuked the demon saying, “Be quiet!” (or “Be muzzled!”) and commanded him to leave the man (v. 25). The demonic spirit came out, and the man began trembling with convulsions (v. 26). Dealing with demonic spirits gets messy! The people in the synagogue were amazed at what they had seen and began to argue about what had happened and about Jesus teaching with authority (v. 27). Word spread based on what people had seen in the synagogue––because Jesus had cast out the demonic easily (v. 28). When you walk with authority and power, the spirit of religion will push back, but people will be hungry to hear the message.

Mark 1:29-34: After the synagogue, Jesus, Simon, James, John, and Andrew went into Simon and Andrew’s house. Jesus served Simon Peter’s mother-in-law by healing her (vv. 29-31) (yes, Simon Peter was married; 1 Corinthians 9:5). That evening, people quickly began to bring the sick and the demon-possessed to Jesus for healing. They came so quickly that the whole town gathered at the door (vv. 32-33). Jesus cast out the demons but “did not permit the demons to speak, because they knew Him” (v. 34). This is an exact picture of the Servant that we’re after.

CLOSING

Look at Mindi’s incredible painting for the book of Mark. Remember, there is one painting per book of the Bible. Look especially at the hand––the power of Christ is brought through the hand that healed the sick and cast out the demons. He touched Simon Peter’s mother-in-law and she became well. Christ, the suffering Servant, is willing to engage anyone and everyone at any time to draw them closer to Him.