Pieces of the Puzzle

My Puzzle Problem

Confession time. My wife and I have got a puzzle problem. Jigsaw puzzles to be exact. And the bigger, the better. 

It all started with a few of those 500-piece deals. Before we knew it, we’re putting together puzzles that have 1,000 and 2,000 pieces! We worked on one so big that it took not just two tables but two weeks to complete.

But there’s nothing like those closing moments when those final pieces click into place. After days when you’re totally convinced some are missing and some are from another puzzle, you become almost giddy fitting the last ones together.

Click.

A Picture of Grace

I’m guessing Jesus never put together a table-sized puzzle picture of beer bottles or breakfast cereals from His childhood. But all throughout the Gospels, we see Him putting the pieces together. Pieces of God’s amazing story of salvation.

Christ didn’t do it for Himself. He did it for others. He did it to show how everything God had done, is doing, and will do snaps together into an amazing picture of grace. And get this. When it’s finished, it’s a self-portrait of Jesus.

Tuesday at the Temple

That’s what we see in Mark 12:35-37. These three verses in the second Gospel show our Savior showing how the God who speaks to Moses from a burning bush, the promise of a Hero from heaven, a royal Descendant, and the lyrics of one of King David’s psalms fit together perfectly.

This all happens in the Tuesday before public execution on Friday in Jerusalem. We find Jesus in the temple courts. He’s just wrapped up five rounds of accusatory questions from the chief priests, scribes, elders, Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees (Mk 11:27-12:34).

Five up, Five down

Christ has taken on all comers and sent them packing. Like an ace pitcher on the mound, He’s sent everyone of them back to the dugout with a strikeout. 

Five up. Five down. 

Mark ends his description of that five-round rout by simply saying, “And after that, no one dared to ask Him any more questions” (Mk 12:34). Are we done here, boys? 

Back to Business

With His enemies speechless, Jesus gets back to business. Let’s see where were we. “Later, as Jesus was teaching in the temple” (v35). That’s what He was doing before He was so rudely interrupted (Mk 11:27).

A quick check in Matthew’s version of the story tells us this went down while the Pharisees are still standing right there…just after Jesus drops the mic on their question on the greatest of God’s commandments (Mt 22:41). 

That’s kind of a big deal since He’s going to talk about them. You see, a big chunk of these teachers are actually Pharisees.

The Hero from Heaven

Christ continues by tossing a question on the table? “Why do the teachers of religious law claim that the Messiah is the son of David?” (v35).

Most NT translations of these verses will say “Christ” here instead of “Messiah” as the NLT does. What’s up with that? That’s because Christ (Gr. Χριστος/Christos) is the Greek word for Messiah. 

Messiah is the long-awaited and long-promised Hero from heaven. How long? Did you know that God mentions Him for the very first time right after our first parents go rogue in the Garden Eden (Gen 3:15)? 

Putting the Funk in Dysfunction

Anticipation of Messiah is THE Big Story of the Old Testament. It reaches a climax when God tells King David that one of his descendants would eventually rule and reign forever (2Sam 7:11-13).

But have you read about Dave and his crazy family? It’s a dumpster fire of adultery, incest, backstabbing, betrayal, sexual assault, and murder. We’re talking Jerry Springer kinda stuff. They totally put the funk in dysfunction!

Straight Lines and Crooked Sticks

Yet God uses them in a powerful way to bring about His purposes. What an awesome reminder that He can use anyone. Yup, anyone. That includes you and me. 

Oh He knows that we may have our issues. But, as the old saying goes, God can draw a straight line with a crooked stick.

Could HE Be the One?

For thousands of years God’s people waited and watched for the One to come. And in Jesus’ day, it was common knowledge among the Jewish people that Messiah would eventually come from David’s family tree (Jn 7:42).

The radical Rabbi/Carpenter from the boondocks of Galilee had folks scratching their heads. Could HE be the One? In the front half of Mark’s bio of Jesus, there’s a truckload of speculation on just who He really is (Mk 1:1-8:26).

A Peek Behind the Curtain

Eventually the Lord gives His team a peek behind the curtain and lets them in on His true messianic identity (Mk 8:27-10:52). For the rest of the second Gospel, the Lord demonstrates that He’s not the kind of Messiah anyone is expecting (Mk 11-16).

That all comes to a climax when during what we on what we now call Palm Sunday, the first day of Passion Week. The huge crowd in Jerusalem goes bonkers when it clearly sees Jesus as the messianic Son of David. It was part of their cheers and chants on His ticker tape parade into town (Ml 11:10; Mt 21:9).

Inspired Lyrics

Fast forward back to Tuesday at the temple as another big crowd surrounds our Savior. He continues His examination of the Messiah’s identity with a look into one of David’s hit songs.

But before getting to the specific lyrics, Jesus points out something supernatural about the great king’s songwriting process. He tells the crowd, “For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit” (v36).

The Holy Ghost Writer

In other words, the king was truly inspired when he wrote the lyrics to his hit song. And when I say “inspired,” I mean with a capital “I.” As in inspired by the Holy Spirit. Yup, the Third Member of the Godhead.

That’s because God’s Spirit has inspired the human authors to write every single word in the 66 documents we call the Old and New Testament. Think of Him as the Holy Ghost writer ensuring God gets His message across.

Inspired by God

Paul puts it like this. “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong with our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare His people to do every good work” (2Tim 3:16).

So who better to drop some knowledge on what God inspired through David than the Son of God and the Son of David? Buckle up, boys and girls. Jesus is about to do some good work with His take on the opening riff of Psalm 110.

The Top of the Org Chart

Christ continues, “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit in the place of honor at My right hand, until I humble Your enemies under Your feet’” (v36). Lordy, it gets a kinda confusing when it comes to all this “Lord” and “Lord” stuff.

Let’s start with a definition of “Lord” (Gr. Κυριος/Kurios). It describes the person in charge, the boss, the owner, the one at the top of the org chart. Pretty easy to see why we say this about Jesus, isn’t it?

Lord of All or Not Lord at All

When we call Jesus our Lord, we’re admitting that we should do what He says. If we’re going to place our trust in what He’s DONE for us, we must trust in what He WILL DO for us. 

That means trusting in His leadership and obeying His commands. As the old saying goes, He’s either Lord of all or not Lord at all.

Two Lords

But why are there not one but two Lords here? Okay, hang with me. 

Throughout the Old Testament, God says His personal name is actually Yahweh (or actually YHWH, since these are the four consonants that make up the name in the original Hebrew). 

Transformer or Dinosaur?

Smarter folks than me call this name the Tetragrammaton. Sounds way more like one of the Transformers or a genetically modified dinosaur from the Jurassic Park franchise.

 

Yahweh is kinda hard to define, but it’s basically a form of the Hebrew verb “to be.” That’s where we get the idea of “I Am Who I Am” (Ex 3:14) or “I Will Be Who I Will Be.” You’ve probably heard of God as the Great I Am. This is where we get that.

A Biblical Word Swap

That’s all well and good but where does Lord come in? So glad you asked. When Hebrew scholars translated the Jewish Bible into Greek around 300 BC, they were so worried that they would misuse God’s name that they actually swapped it out for “Lord.” And that’s we see in just about every translation of the OT today.

The Second Lord

So what about the second “Lord” here in verse 36 and Psalm 110:1? You are SO smart and ask all the right questions! This is how the writers of the NT translated the Hebrew word “adonai” from the OT.

The meaning of adonai is almost identical to κυριος/kurios. Again, it’s the boss, the one in charge, or the master. When we understand that, it’s pretty easy to see how this second “Lord” got there, right? Still with me?

The Seat of Honor

Now put yourself in the sandals of a first century Jew hearing or reading the words of David’s psalm in the original Hebrew. They understand it to go a little something like this. “The Great I Am says to my Master.”

Yahweh invites David’s Boss to have a seat next to Him. “Sit in the place of honor at My right hand, until I humble Your enemies under Your feet” (v36). Think of your host inviting you to sit in their favorite chair.

Haters Gonna Lose

Check out the word translated “enemies” (Gr. εχθρος/echthros). It paints a picture of a bitter foe or hostile opposition. It comes from a root word describing hate.

Take a load off, Lord. Allow the Almighty to grab a stool for You. A stool that He’s going to make out of all those who hate You. Haters gonna hate. But haters of Jesus also gonna lose.

That just means that our Savior will eventually get the W over every single one of His enemies. Specifically, we’re talking about Satan, sin, and death. They’ll go down with a whimper while Christ kicks back with His messianic feet on them.

David’s Connection

It’s at this point where Jesus comes back to David’s connection to the Hero from Heaven. “Since David himself calls Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how Messiah be his son?” (v37). 

In other words, how can the king, the guy who’s the ultimate ruler of his world, call his own descendent his own boss? Unlike today, kids and grandkids didn’t tell grownups what to do back in the ancient world.

Jesus says the big idea is that David realized, under the influence of God’s Spirit, that one of his descendants would actually be the One in charge. Someone from his royal lineage would not only be king but THE Messiah!

The Crowd Explodes

Mark lets us know that the mass of people packed into the temple courts knows EXACTLY what Jesus is saying! “And the large crowd listened to Him with great delight” (v37).

I’m sorry but the translation of “great delight” just doesn’t cut it for me when we dive into the original language. This is the Greek word ‘ηδεως/hedeus, which comes from the same root word where we get “hedonism.”

So they don’t give the Son of God some polite golf clap. The crowd explodes when they realize what’s just happened! He leaves them buzzing with excitement. 

The Final Pieces

Our Savior puts the final pieces of the messianic puzzle into place and the crowd goes wild!! After centuries of waiting and wondering how all of these promises and prophecies would eventually come together, Jesus snaps them all together perfectly.

Click. 

It’s at this point in the story where you probably expect the people celebrate Jesus as the Christ. It’s one of those “and they all lived happily ever after” moments. I hate to disappoint you but that’s not how it goes.

A Few More Pieces

There’s just one problem. Friday is coming. In just three days, the same big crowd that is cheering for Him now as the Son of David and Messiah will demand His murder.

You see, there’s still a few more pieces of the puzzle to go. And the picture won’t be complete until Jesus comes strolling out of the cemetery on Sunday morning. 

Click.

©2020

Jay Jennings

Mega-JOY-normous

Working Christmas Eve

I’m not sure there’s anybody who loves the idea of working Christmas Eve. Oh, I’m sure there are a few of you out there. But I’ll be honest, I’ve always had a sense of dread waiting on the holiday schedule to come out.

The only thing worse might be pulling the overnight shift. Outside. With livestock. That’s exactly the scene we see in chapter two of Luke’s bio of Jesus (Lk 2:8-11). A group of smelly shepherds pulling an all-nighter with a flock of equally smelly sheep.

One thing they have going in their favor that night is they have no clue that it’s Christmas Eve. That will change soon enough. For the moment, they’re just doing their job, caring for the herd.

Down in Town 

The good doctor paints a picture of the scene that silent night. “And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night” (v8). That little phrase which starts the verse, “and in the same region,” connects what’s about to happen with what just went down in town.

What these dudes don’t realize is not far from them are an unmarried teenage girl and her carpenter fiancé have just given birth to a Baby (Lk 2:6-7). Why would they know? Why would they even care? I mean, they’ve got a job to do. Running off to a baby shower in the middle of their shift is NOT part of the job description!

Not Easily Scared

Just who are these guys anyway? Most of us have a picture in our heads of shepherds as wimpy and weak. For years, I saw them sorta like sandal-wearing hippies hanging out at Woodstock.

Wrong. Think cowboys. They spend most of their lives outside, protecting the rams, ewes, and lambs from sneak attacks by predators like wolves, mountain lions, and bears (oh my!). And they’ve got mad ninja skills with those shepherd crooks.

In other words, this bunch isn’t easily scared. They’ve seen it all. Well, until tonight. That’s all about to change.

A Heavenly Ambush

Luke then tells us about what can only be described as a heavenly ambush. “And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear” (v9).

When God’s messenger suddenly shows up, the Lord’s glory floods the blackness of night with the brightest of light! Imagine your eyes adjusting to seeing in the dark when out of nowhere you’re hit with the most dazzling brilliance. You can bet these boys are seeing spots and rubbing their peepers.

In the Sky or Eye to Eye?

I don’t know about you but I’ve always pictured the angel as hovering in the night sky above the shepherds. But the truth is, there’s absolutely nothing in the original text to suggest that.

The author simply says the angel makes his appearance to them. And yes, I did say “his” appearance. The Greek word for “angel” (Gr. αγγελος/aggelos) is a masculine noun. The only named angels are Gabriel and Michael. Sorry if that blows your angelic stereotype.

While Scripture does say angels have wings and can fly (Ex 25:20; Ezek 10:5-21; Is 6:2, 6), there’s every possibility that this angel is simply standing in the middle of the boys. Not hovering. Face-to-face. Eye-to-eye.

Afraid with Mega-Fear

We then read what I think might be one of the great understatements in history. “And they were filled with great fear” (v9). This divine sneak attack has these rough, tough herdsmen suddenly shaking in their sandals!

Luke goes out of his way to make sure we know these are totally freaking out. You can easily translate the original text here (Gr. ‘εφοβηθησαν φοβον μεγαν/‘ephobethesan phobon megan) as “they were afraid with mega-fear!”

While we don’t know exactly how many shepherds there are, we do know that there’s only one angel. Apparently the intimidating presence of this messenger from God flying solo has the herdsmen totally outnumbered.

Take a Deep Breath

The angel does his best to calm things down. Before they do anything rash, he has something to say. “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (v10).

Calm down, boys. Let’s all take a deep breath and take it down from Defcon 1. The divine being says to the shepherds that there’s no reason to be afraid…ESPECIALLY not now!

Sound Familiar?

“Fear not” (v10). Sound familiar? Well, it should. We see God remind us to do just that on just about every page of Scripture. It’s all over both the Old and New Testament documents. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be anxious. Don’t worry.

It’s there in the beginning. In the prophets. In songs. In wisdom literature. Gospels? Yup.  Letters to various churches. Encouragement to pastors and the followers of Jesus.

We’re Gonna Need These

Here’s just a few of my “no fear” faves…

• Genesis 46:3
• Deuteronomy 3:22
• Deuteronomy 31:6
• Joshua 1:9
• Psalm 23:4
• Psalm 27:1
• Psalm 34:4-7
• Psalm 56:3-4
• Psalm 118:6-7
• Proverbs 29:25
• Isaiah 35:4
• Isaiah 41:10-14
• Isaiah 43:1
• Matthew 6:25-34
• Mark 4:39-40
• Mark 5:36
• Mark 6:50
• Luke 12:22-26
• John 14:27
• Philippians 4:6-7
• 2Timothy 1:7
• 1Peter 3:14
• 1Peter 5:6-7
• 1John 4:18
• Revelation 1:17

Can I make a suggestion? Bookmark them. Put them somewhere on your phone or tablet. Here’s a crazy idea. You might even memorize a few of them! Yeah, I know. It’s radical.

But here’s the deal. You may not need them now…but you WILL need them. I certainly know it won’t be long before I need punch fear in the face with the truth of God! So why not be ready?

Fearing God

On the other hand, some of you may be wondering about how we’re commanded to fear God (2Chr 19:7-9; Prov 1:7; Is 11:2-3). What’s up with THAT?!? On one hand, this kind of fear is about reverence and worship.

But recently I heard someone (I wish I could remember who it was so I could give them proper credit) say that it’s safe to fear God because He’s the only one who won’t use it against us.

Mega-JOY-normous

Meanwhile back under the night sky in the Judean countryside, the angel’s come straight from heaven with breaking news! This just in! And this is not some disturbing report about a heartbreaking tragedy. This is GOOD NEWS! We’re talking GREAT JOY for EVERYBODY!!! Let’s just say this is the ultimate push alert!

Remember how the shepherds were afraid with mega-fear? This news is so VERY good that they can replace that with mega-joy! When we look at the original Greek, we see the very same adjective (Gr. μεγα/mega) describing their fear as the joy contained in the angel’s report. You could say it’s mega-JOY-normous! Okay, maybe not.

Not Limited to a Select Few

This breaking Good News isn’t limited to a select few. It’s not just for the rich. Not merely the powerful. Not just for season ticket holders. Not only for certain races or religions. Nobody’s getting left out. This is “Good News of great joy that will be for ALL THE PEOPLE!” (v11 emphasis added).

For those of us who think God’s kingdom is some sort of exclusive club for people who look like them and act like them, you might want to sit down. It’s open for anyone who places their trust in Jesus. That’s the ONLY requirement for entry.

Kind of a Big Deal

It’s at this point that the angel gets to the details of the Good News. “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (v11). This is not average birth announcement. That’s because this is not your average baby.

Just down the road in Bethlehem, something VERY special has just happened. Someone VERY special has just happened! How special? We’re talking about the Savior, the Christ, and the Lord! Yeah, He’s kind of a big deal.

A Savior to Our Rescue

First of all, this newborn Baby is our Savior. He’s the One who’s come to our rescue. The problem is that some of us don’t realize we need to be rescued. The cool thing is that Jesus is ready to respond the moment we do.

According to A.T. Robertson, the Roman emperor loved it when people living under his rule referred to the emperor as “savior.” Sounds like politicians haven’t changed much. Early believers more appropriately applied the term to Jesus.

The Hero from Heaven

Second, the Child is the Christ. The Greek word Χριστος/Christos means the Anointed One and is the equivalent of the Messiah in the OT. This is the long-awaited Hero from heaven the Jews have been expecting for a few thousand years.

We see the first hint of Christ to our rescue moments after first parents buy the lie of a satanic snake and rebel against God. Yahweh warns the serpent of One who will come and crush its head (Gen 3:15).

The Lord in Authority

Third, the Infant is the Lord (Gr. Κυριος/Kurios). This term describes someone who is the master, owner, or chief. Think about it for just a moment. This tiny Baby in the manger is actually the One with controlling power and authority.

And check this out. Did you notice that it’s an “angel of the Lord” who appeared in the dazzling brilliance of “the glory of the Lord” (v9)? In other words, who sent the angelic messenger to tell the shepherds this amazing news? Lord Jesus!

Everybody’s Invited!

There’s absolutely no reason to terrified. As a matter of fact, this news is so incredibly good that we should be jumping for mega-joy! According to the angel, everybody on the planet is invited to God’s party!

As Savior, He’s come to our rescue. From whom and what? From ourselves and our own sin. As Christ, the long-promised Messiah is finally making His appearance. And not a moment too soon! As Lord, He’s in total control.

The angel is right. This is GREAT NEWS!!! See, working the nightshift on Christmas Eve can have it’s benefits. Just ask the shepherds.

©2018

Jay Jennings

When Authority Comes to Town

Going to Church…Again

You wake up, rub your eyes, and roll out of bed. Before your feet hit the floor, you realize you’re headed to church today. It’s what you do every weekend…whether you want to or not. You know that’s the wrong attitude. But it’s the truth.

As you pour your coffee, you think about the day ahead. You’ll get together with friends and neighbors to hear some holier-than-thou guy talk about God. He’ll talk a lot of religious dumbo jumbo, most of which is way over your head. Pie-in-the-sky-sweet-bye-and-bye kinda stuff.

Same old Sabbath

When the preacher does teach something that makes some sense, it doesn’t exactly send your heart soaring. Quite the opposite. His message is nothing more than a religious ball and chain. A loathsome list of impossible dos and don’ts.

What’s even worse, you’ve heard it all before. Last week. The week before. The month before. The year before. Same old Sabbath. Same old synagogue. Same old sermons. Same old stuff. The faces of the preachers may change but there’s one thing that doesn’t. That religious rehash they warm up and serve every weekend.

A Podunk Village in Palestine

Sound familiar? Hit too close to home? For too many of us, this is EXACTLY what going to church was (and still is!) all about. Here’s the crazy thing. This was the very same attitude people had 2,000 years ago in a podunk fishing village in Palestine. Well, at least until the day Jesus came to town.

That’s exactly the scene Mark sets in his bio of Jesus midway through his opening chapter (Mk 1:21-28). The place is Capernaum, a tiny blue-collar burg on the northwest shore of a large freshwater lake we call the Sea of Galilee. It’s Saturday, the Jewish day of worship.

People fill the streets as they head to the local synagogue. It’s not like some go to First Baptist or Saint Moses Catholic or Capernaum Community Church. The synagogue is the only game in town. It’s not just the center of worship but the center of life for the city.

A New Rabbi in Town

But Mark tips us off that this particular Sabbath is going to be different. An unfamiliar face is there. There’s a new rabbi in town by the name of Jesus. He’s accompanied by four of His brand new followers who you swear you saw working as fishermen just a couple of days ago.

Here’s how the author describes that day. “Jesus and His companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath came, He went into the synagogue and began to teach” (v21). Same old Sabbath. Same old synagogue. But this is going to be a VERY different sermon. What’s about to go down is about to change absolutely everything.

Snap out of It!

Right out of the gate, this Rabbi/Carpenter from up the road in Nazareth is like no other teacher you’ve ever heard before. “The people were amazed at His teaching” (22). Jesus totally blows your mind. Normally folks can’t wait for the sermon to end. Today they don’t want Him to stop.

John Mark uses a word (Gr. εκπλεσσω/ekplesso) that the NLT translates as “amazed.” It literally means to hit something or someone suddenly in order to get something to leave. Ever see the movie “Moonstruck”? Cher’s character slaps Nicolas Cage to get his attention. “Snap out of it!” (Well, let’s be honest. Who hasn’t wanted to do that to Nic after sitting through one of his flicks?)

Jesus blindsides the boredom right out of the sleepy crowd at the synagogue. He snaps you out of it. He catches you off guard. He astonishes. He astounds. He bewilders. There’s just something about Him that grabs you by the shoulders and forces you to pay attention.

Shock and Awe

Christ’s teaching amazes people, not just once. But over and over and over (Mt 22:23; Mk 6:2). Jaws drop when He drops the mic at the end of His most famous sermon (Mt 7:28-29). Shock and awe are His signature.

Jesus awes the crowds when He brings the heat. Forget “amen” and “hallelujah.” You hear “oohs” and “aahs" when the Lord preaches and teaches. His lessons and lectures were absolutely amazing. And they still are!!

Blowing away the Religious Fog

What a great reminder that we need to regularly blow the religious fog out of the story of Jesus. Too many stale Sunday School lessons and mundane messages have covered His dazzling life under a thick layer of church dust. Grab a new Bible translation. Read Jesus fresh. Walk with Him for the first time all over again.

Remember, He’s unlike anyone or anything the world has ever seen. He brings a Gospel no one has ever heard before. He’s bringing grace and mercy straight out of heaven. Instead of demanding a hopeless climb to an unapproachable God, He brings God all the way down to us.

Real Authority

What is Jesus’ secret sauce for His sermons? “He taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law” (v22). Did you catch that? He wasn’t some self-promoting, self-proclaimed expert blogging from his parents’ basement. He has “real authority.”

The word most Bibles translate “authority” here is εχουσια/exousia. It describes power, strength, jurisdiction, or influence. At its core, the term means doing exactly what you want when you want where you want to whom you want.

Where does Jesus get this incredible ability? Right before He heads home to heaven, He tells His followers that His Father is the source. “I have been given all authority (Gr.εχουσια/exousia) in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28:18). It’s that kind of heavenly authority that qualifies Him as Lord.

Tasteless Leftovers

This new Rabbi is so radically original that all you and your fellow worshipers can do is compare Him to the men who have taught before in the synagogue. His impact and influence is nothing like the tasteless leftovers that have been part of the regular diet on Sabbath. His new teaching is fresh and delicious!

The regular teachers simply taught the Old Testament by quoting the opinion and interpretation of rabbis. The Message puts it this way. Jesus was “not quibbling and quoting like the religion scholars” (22 The Message). Their teaching is more like a nonstop argument trying to prove who’s right rather than pointing people toward God.

The Ultimate Authority

A couple of thousand years later, this garbage still goes on. You’ve heard the arguments. They’re all over the interweb. Who’s team are you on? John Piper’s or Rick Warren’s? John MacArthur’s or Bill Hybels’? Let’s be honest. We spend WAY too much energy arguing in public about which teachers are right when it comes to stuff like predestination, speaking in tongues, evangelism, and even style of worship. Come on, people.

We still play the same silly games as the Capernaum rabbis. We LOVE to quote folks like Chuck Swindoll, Matt Chandler, Andy Stanley, and C.S. Lewis. Don’t get me wrong. These are heavyweight teachers when it comes to Scripture. I love them all. But why not read about Jesus straight from Jesus? Why not get God’s Word directly from God’s Word?

But Jesus doesn’t quote other rabbis and their opinions. He didn’t need to. As the Son of God, He’s the Go-To Guy on what Scripture says and what it means. Forget the Bible Answer Man. Christ doesn’t need to Google or Youversion. He IS the Ultimate Authority.

When Worship Goes off the Rails

If Saturday at the synagogue wasn’t crazy enough already, we’re about to turn it up a notch or two. “Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, ‘Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’” (v23-24).

Here in the middle of Jesus’ message, a guy shouts back at the new Rabbi. Whoa. Sure, there have been a few times I felt like the pastor has gone from preaching to meddling in his message, but I’ve never stood up and shouted at him to stop! This worship service in Capernaum has officially gone off the rails! I mean, WAY off the rails!!

The Weird Guy in Town

On the other hand, you’re not really all that surprised at the dude challenging the guest Speaker. He’s the weird guy in town. Yeah, THAT guy. The guy who mumbles to himself a lot. He makes you uncomfortable. Shoot, he makes EVERYBODY uncomfortable! Conversations with him are bizarre and messy. You head the other way when you see him coming.

Mark explains just why the man is so bizarre. He’s “possessed by an evil spirit” (23). We’re not exactly sure how or when it happened, but a demon has made itself at home in the man and is calling the shots. And now the filthy spirit is calling out Christ.

Satan and His Evil Army

Throughout the Bible, these nasty spirits cause people all sorts of serious problems, including both physical and mental illness (Mt 12:22; Mk 9:17-25; Lk 8:27-28; 9:39; Acts 8:7). This does NOT mean the devil’s demonic crew is behind all of them. But we need to be aware of the potential spiritual aspect of any sort of sickness.

A couple of important ideas. On one hand, blaming the enemy and his unholy horde for every little thing that happens in life gives him way too much credit. This leads to a victim mentality. I’m not saying Satan hasn’t set his sites on me, but my biggest problem is the knucklehead I see in the mirror each morning.

The other problem is ignoring our enemy completely. Jesus makes it clear the devil does is demonic best to “steal, kill, and destroy” (Jn 10:10). The prince of darkness is real. To ignore that satanic snake and his evil army is a MASSIVE mistake! We have a defeated enemy but he’s still a dangerous enemy.

Jesus’ Heavenly Identity

Clearly the demon controlling this guy knows there’s a new sheriff in town. “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” (v24). The evil spirit tips us off that Christ isn’t simply going one-on-one. In order to help the man, He must deal with a minimum of one demon. It’s not unusual for them to torture folks in massive teams (Mk 5:9, 15; Lk 8:30).

In essence, this particular satanic spirit tells Jesus to stop jacking with him and his human host and mind His own business. The demon not only calls the Rabbi/Carpenter by His earthly name, “Jesus of Nazareth” (24), but also clearly understands His heavenly identity. “I know who you are—the Holy One of God” (v24). This is one of those times Christ’s kid brother James writes about when he says even demons believe in God but “tremble in terror” (James 2:17).

Evil Gets Antsy

It’s interesting that the demon inside the dude couldn’t simply sit there quietly with the Son of God in the room. That’s because wherever Jesus shows up, evil gets antsy. You see it all throughout the four bios of Christ. There’s nothing like the Light of the World to expose sin and filth (Eph 5:13). Like cockroaches on the run when the light comes on.

Do you start to squirm when Jesus is around? Do you think He should get His holy nose out of your personal business? Do you get more than a little anxious when you think the Lord might know all about those nasty little “habits” you do behind closed doors?

Guess what. He already knows. Our Savior is fully aware of our deepest, darkest secrets. As a matter of fact, Jesus knows more about that junk that we do (Ps 44:21: Jer 23:24). And He came to free us from it and replace it with a “rich and satisfying life” we can only know through Him (Jn 10:10). Tell Him and trust Him. Get it off your chest and get Him into your life. What are you waiting for?

A Screamin’ Demon

If this Sabbath at Capernaum synagogue wasn’t already crazy enough, wait until you see what happens next! “But Jesus reprimanded him. ‘Be quiet! Come out of the man,’ He ordered. At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him” (v25-26).

In the words of Ron Burgundy, “Well, that escalated quickly!” No sooner does the demon challenge Jesus than the visiting Rabbi tells him to stuff a sock in it and get the heck out of Dodge…or at least get out of the poor guy he had possessed.

The evil spirit certainly doesn’t go without a fight. When Christ gives him the order and sends him packing, the demon screams and gives the guy one last nasty shake. This is like an ump tossing a player out of game. Before the player leaves, he throws a juvenile tantrum, involving bats, balls, hats, and the Gatorade cooler. He pitches a fit, but he’s still leaving.

Jaw-Dropping Authority

If you think folks were impressed by Jesus’ sermon, having a front row seat for an exorcism takes this Sabbath to a whole new level. “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!’” (v27).

Just in case you had any doubts about whether this new Teacher and His message could move the needle, they’re gone now. Those doubts ran out the door with the demon. Everybody is picking their jaw up off the floor of that small-town synagogue. This new Rabbi not only exposes evil but sends it running with its forked tail between its legs.

A Game Changer

The authority Jesus is a total game changer. Nobody has ever seen anything like Him before. I’m talking EVER. Not before. Not since. Not ever. It’s the role He was born to play. And that role is the incredible combo of Savior and Lord.

As our Savior, He’s the Hero the Father first promised He would send to clean up the mess our first parents made (Gen 3:15). The Son of God leaves the luxury of the heavenly palace to come to our rescue. Or as Jesus announces at a big shindig in Jericho, “The Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost” (Lk 19:10).

As the Lord, He has total authority. Complete authority. Unlimited authority. So much so that when Jesus says so, it IS so. Just ask the demon He evicted from the dude in the synagogue. Oh, that’s right. You can’t. The Lord told him to shut up and leave.

The 800-pound Gorilla

Here’s the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to Jesus as Lord. Are WE actually going to do what He says? Am I going to obey His commands? Do I believe that believe that He is God and what He wants for me is good? Or do I think He’s holding out on me? In case you haven’t heard the story, but that’s how things fell apart in Eden in the first place (Gen 3:1-8).

Here’s the rub. We love the whole Jesus as our Messiah/Hero idea. That’s awesome. But once He saves our eternal bacon, we really want nothing to do with His leadership as our Lord. Savior, yes. Lord, no.

There’s just one little problem. I can’t pull the two apart. Jesus as my Savior and Lord is a package deal. In other words, I can’t simply buy the fire insurance. I must also willingly to submit to His leadership and guidance. It makes sense when you think about it. My very limited authority certainly hasn’t been able to get me to make any real changes in my life so far.

The Buzz in the Burg

Back in Capernaum, there’s a quite a buzz in the little burg as people leave the synagogue. “The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee” (v28). Word gets around about not only the new Teacher, His amazing message, but His astonishing authority.

Because of Jesus’ authority, the Sabbath will never be the same. Going to synagogue will never be the same. Life will never be the same!

Let’s just say things are about to get rather complicated for Jesus and His team. But He’s up for it. He’s got the brand new message folks have been waiting to hear. And He’s got the authority they desperately need. 

That’s what happens when Authority comes to town.

©2017
Jay Jennings