Class Notes: 6/23/2013

Mark 1:25-34; Jesus heals the sick and exorcises the demons in Capernaum

In our study of Mark we are now in Mark 1:25; where we see Jesus' response to the demon who screamed out at Him while He was teaching with authority in the synagogue.

The reason the demon couldn't tolerate Jesus' teaching was because he taught truth dogmatically because He is truth. The demon could take the uncertain half-truths and lies that the rabbinical teachers were teaching.

Remember there is no truth in Satan, his demons, and their minions. John 8:44; and in the end the truth always defeats them. 2Cor 13:8; and God judges them. Psa 76:10;

Just before we stopped last time we saw that in the New Testament there are two words used for rebuke. The first is "elencho" that means a rebuke that results in a conviction of sin and sometimes an acknowledgement of sin on the offender's part. The second is "epitimao" that means a rebuke that fails to bring the offender to acknowledge his sin.

This is the word Jesus uses in our passage. Satan and the demons are incorrigible. They are locked into their negative volition and will never change their thinking.

This is a perfect illustration of the meticulous accuracy in the choice of words that the writers of scripture used under the mentorship of God the Holy Spirit. 2Tim 3:16;

Mark 1:25; He commanded the demon to, "muzzle it" The NASB translates it "be silent." The NET translates it as the command, "Silence!"

The Greek word is "phimoo" that literally means "to close the mouth with a muzzle, or to be muzzled." It is used "metaphorically, to stop the mouth, to make speechless, or to reduce to silence.

In the German Bible Martin Luther translated it as 'shut up.' The equivalent idiom today would be "Shut up" or "Shut your mouth."

The verb is in the aorist passive imperative so it is a sharp command that demands immediate compliance. The passive voice indicates that Jesus is using His authority to do the muzzling.

The next command, "come out!" translated from the Greek word "exelthe" is an aorist active imperative also demands immediate compliance. The active voice indicates that the demon leaves. A good translation is "Shut up and come out of him at once.'

This the principle of "give no place or space to the devil" Eph 4:27; KJV The believer's thinking is to be so filled with God's word that demon influence is completely expelled and is given no opportunity.

We see from this that the demons have nothing useful to say even when what they are saying is true so the only thing left for them to do is to "shut up and get lost" He does not let them speak.

A principle that we get from this is that as Bonhoffer said when he was being interrogated by the German SS "it is better for a lover of truth to tell a lie than for a liar to tell the truth"

But it is even better to say nothing just as our Lord did Matt 27:12; NASB because:

"The battle is the Lord's" 1Sam 17:47;
"The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. "Exod 14:14; YLT
"No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their vindication is from Me, declares the Lord." Isa 54:17;
"For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth." 2Cor 13:8;

The devil, his demons and their human agents are innate liars so even when they tell the truth they are doing it for the purpose of lying because they are liars to the core, John 8:44;

Under the principle of render unto Caesar the Things that are Caesar's and render unto God the things that are God's (Mark 12:17;) you have no obligation to listen to or respond to any liar because there will never be any agreement between Jesus and Satan. 2Cor 6:15;

In the event we would encounter a similar situation today our response should be the same. Demons are totally evil so there should be no dialogue just a sharp command for them to shut up and get lost on the basis of the authority of God's Word.

As our nation continues to swirl downward into the toilet of negative volition to God's word into the cesspool of demon influence and corruption we will be slogging through demonic lies and encountering cases of demon possession more frequently.

Mark 1:26; The demon's reaction to Jesus' command was to throw his host to the ground violently, rack him with convulsions as if in an epileptic fit and scream out with a loud voice.

The word translated "convulse" means to have uncontrollable spasms. The word for "crying out with a loud voice" means "a loud screech." A good translation would be "And when the unclean spirit tore him with convulsions, made a loud screech and came out of him."

In spite of all of the commotion and noise the demon left and man was not harmed. Luke 4:35; We see here the Jesus had authority over the demons and this becomes the pattern of Jesus' activity as he faces off with satan's kingdom of darkness on a consistent basis during His ministry.

Mark 1:27;The people's reaction of surprise and amazement was based in the commonly accepted belief that one must call on more powerful spirits to exorcise a demon or heal a sickness caused by demons.

Jesus however simply commanded, and the demons obeyed his Word. Jesus spoke as one having authority because He did, and by casting out demons He demonstrated His authority.

The people had never had a teacher who taught who taught the Word of God with authority that resulted in the authority to command the demons so they debated about this "new dogmatic teaching" and what it meant.

Their rabbinical teachers had always taught with reference to the teaching other men not with reference to the absolute truth of the Word of God so they did not have authority over the demons even though they could have.

The word translated "new" is the Greek word "kainos" that does not mean "new" as in recent, current, or chronologically new as in something new that simply replaces something you already have.

Kainos means new in kind describing something remarkable that has never existed before and that is totally unprecedented.

It is the same word that is used to describe to the individual members of the church 2Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15; and the spiritual life of church age believers. Rom 6:4;

Mark 1:28; News of Jesus and his new teaching rapidly spread all around Galilee through the grapevine. Those who saw Jesus told others of the incredible thing that had happened in the synagogue of Capernaum, until the news had penetrated all that part of Galilee.

But it is one thing for them to recognize in Jesus a great teacher, prophet, and miracle worker but it is quite another for them to recognize him for what he truly was, the Lord God, who was their Savior, Messiah and King.

Mark 1:29; Simon and Andrew were originally from Bethsaida (John 1:44;) but they had moved to Capernaum and Simon's mother in law was living with them so he was married. This house became the headquarters for Jesus when He was in Capernaum.

Mark 1:30; Everywhere Jesus went there was evidence of the consequences of sin in Israel. Had they been obedient to His Word God would have taken sickness away from them. Exod. 15:26; The same is true for our nation today.

As a nation they had failed to obey His Word. Consequently there was an epidemic of sickness, disease and demonism. The disciples told Jesus about her illness confident that He would heal her.

Mark 1:31; Jesus stood beside her and without a word simply grasped her hand and raised her up. The fever left completely, and without the weakness that normally follows having a fever she began to serve her guests.

Mark 1:32; The double reference to time "that evening after sunset", makes it absolutely clear that the people of Capernaum waited until the after sunset when the Sabbath Day was over before carrying the sick to Jesus so they wouldn't break the Mosaic Law (Exod 20:10;) or the rabbinic regulations that had been piled on to the Law prohibiting the carrying of anything on the Sabbath day. Mark 3:1-5;

The people brought or "began to bring and kept on bringing,"(imperfect tense) to Jesus all the physically sick and demon-possessed.

Mark 1:33;This is not an exaggeration. Capernaum was not a very large town. From every part of the town the people went to Simon and Andrew's house, motivated either the need to be healed or curiosity. Jesus' miracles gave him the opportunity to make a visible testimony of his true identity as Saviour, Messiah and King to the whole town. Isa 29:17-21;

Mark 1:34; This verse makes a clear distinction between physical sickness and demon possession. Net note 60 He did not permit the demons to speak. Net note 62

As we have seen, the demons had no standing to say anything because they are liars. Jesus did not permit them to speak because of this and He also wanted the people to determine who He was from their own free volition and their understanding of the prophecies but with very few exceptions they did not recognize him.

They only came for the miracles.... the dog and pony show... or what they could get from him.

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