Corona Chronicles - Crown of Thorns

Welcome back to series 2 of the corona chronicles. We're looking at crown of thorns. Mhmm. Jesus on his way to the cross and who he is and the things that he has to say. And today, we're going to be looking at just that, what is Jesus saying and how are people responding.

So we are in verse 21 of chapter 1 of Mark. Mhmm. They went to Capernium 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 1 who had authority not as the teachers of the law. Just then, a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure 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 1 of God. Be quiet, said Jesus sternly. Come out of him.

The impure 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, And even he even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.

News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galile. In our own previous sessions, we were we were looking at the first part of chapter 1, and It's interesting that the emphasis that is put upon Jesus' ministry as a teaching ministry. So the first thing that he does is start to proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God. So alongside the incredible gracious miracles, He's really come primarily as a teacher to teach the news about the gospel. Yep.

And this section you've just read is is picking up on that theme, isn't it? So he's in capernaum, but when the Sabbath came, he's began to teach in the synagogue, so he's a teacher. And you know, we don't know exactly what he was teaching in this particular case. But in the rest of the Gospels, we get the impression that Jesus would have followed the custom of the rabbis and would have opened up the portion of scripture that was allotted for that particular sabbath and would have read it and opened it. But the pro so the surprise here is not necessarily that he's doing that.

Yeah. But that there is something authoritative about his teaching and his words. Yeah. Something which their teachers of the lord don't possess and, you know, and that's the big shock, isn't it? Because it says in verse 22, they were amazed at his teaching.

As 1 who had authority, not as the teachers of the law, and then in verse 27, a new teaching and with authority. Mhmm. So there's something about Jesus' teaching that makes people think, wow, what he says happens. You know, this this this this man is is an authoritative teacher. Yeah.

It is interesting that the teachers of the lord presumably, you know, taught without authority in the sense that they're not the author -- Yes. -- of the words that they're speaking. And therefore, when the teachers of the law are speaking, they're almost speaking like a a consulate on behalf of the king. Yeah. You know, yeah yeah saying this is what the king says.

Yeah. So here is the king himself -- Yeah. -- speaking. And it's this is what they seem to be amazed at that they're more struck these listeners by the authority of what Jesus is saying. Actually rather than what he is saying.

Yeah. Or who he is even. So the the the question they ask each other in verse 27 the people were also amazed that they asked each other. What is this -- Yeah. -- in UTG -- Yeah.

-- with authority. Say, that they're kind of struck more by that then then who who actually is this 1 who's who's saying this. Yeah. And that is something that Mark is gonna be picking up constantly, isn't it? That in the face of this incredible teaching and the miracles that accompany it, 1 of the great frustrations is that, you know, people don't turn to to the lord of these things.

There's just a kind of buzz around. Yeah. This teacher look what he can do, isn't it amazing, but without without really knowing the 1 who's done it. But right in the middle of this story, you've got the you've got this incredible incident having you with the impure spirit. And who's who's coming in, and it's interesting because this impure spirit seems to know quite a lot about Jesus.

Ironically. You know? This is the only person who knows who he is. Yeah. Yeah.

That's the point. Yeah. Absolutely. So you've got Jesus of Nazareth. Have you come to destroy us?

So he recognizes that Jesus has a power to judge and to destroy. Yeah. I know who you are the holy 1 of God. Now, This impious spirit doesn't love the things that he knows about Jesus. Yeah.

But he knows that this is Jesus, 1 with authority. God's holy 1. And so this has this impure spirit has begun his own little sermon, hasn't he in the synagogue, you know, about Jesus. Yeah. And yeah, that's how it starts, isn't it?

Yeah. It's interesting that he calls him Jesus of Nazareth because, well, I I suppose there's something prophetic about that in the sense that this is Jesus was prophesied to come from that sort of region. But then he obeys Jesus. I mean, here's a here's a possessed man in the synagogue, interestingly. But Jesus can command him.

Be quiet. And it and it is interesting. So you would think you would think that Jesus bursts onto the sea once people to know who he is exactly from the word go. Mhmm. Because, you know, what what else does he wanna do?

But here, here it's sort of an impure spirit is saying, I know who you are. Yeah. You're the holy 1 of God -- Yeah. -- and Jesus has be quiet. Yeah.

Don't you're you shouldn't say that. Yeah. Don't say that. Yeah. Yeah.

And then the simple spirit. Obeys him and and comes up with the man. Yeah. The man's shaking violently and there must have been quite a spectacle, mustn't it coming out of the street? Interesting, no 1 seems to comment on that.

Yeah. I mean, they say he gives orders to him kill spirits, but none of no one's talking about What did the spirit call him? Yeah. What was it? Yeah.

The hope. Yeah. There's none of that interesting. No. No.

No. It's small. The the thing itself isn't him. And And it's an interesting thing that's being picked up here, isn't it? Because already in chapter 1, you know, just after Jesus was baptized, he was led out into the wilderness.

And tempted by satan. And here we're learning about an impure spirit. This is the first miracle of philosophy. So we're being told here that Jesus has come into the world but there is he has come and there is gonna be a confrontation with the spiritual forces of darkness and with evil. But we're left in no doubt as we saw in revelation, who is going to be, you know, lord here.

And it's Jesus. You know, he survives the temptation of the wilderness, more than survives triumphs. And then here, he is ruling over in pure spirits. And so Mark is, you know, Mark's gospel is telling us here that Jesus has authority over over evil. And that's that I mean, that is an application today, isn't it?

You know, that we we need to we need to submit to the authority of Jesus Christ. You know, we Although this is something you would never hear with the media, you know, evil and satanic forces are are real, and we are breathing in their lies all the time. And Jesus has the power to sort of cast cast that out in the sense that he can break through the lies. Yeah. And bring us to the truth truth of his word.

You know, he can do that. And there's there's a kind of an ownership on us to to deal with Jesus correctly. So so here people are getting more caught up with the buzz or he's he's he's having an impact as opposed to what is he actually saying yet and who is he? Yeah. So, you know, responsibility for us to to to look closely at huge criticism what he says.

Absolutely. Yeah. Well, we'd love you to join us join us later in the week for the next installment a bulk.