You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. - James 2:19
Hello friends. This morning we will resume our series on “The Miracles of Jesus”. In our last message, we discussed the calling of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. After they had been fishing all night long on the Sea of Galilee and had caught nothing, Jesus told them to cast their nets once more. When they obeyed, their nets were filled with so many fish that they began to break. Then Jesus called them to follow Him and become “fishers of men”. All 4 men immediately left everything behind to become Jesus’ apostles.
In this morning’s sermon we will highlight Jesus’ 5th and 6th miracles. Both of them took place in Capernaum, where Jesus’ ministry was headquartered. I have titled the message “A Demon-Possessed Man and Peter's Mother-in-Law”. Though both of these stories are recorded in multiple gospels, we will use Mark 1:21-31 as our primary text and supplement it with any additional details from the other accounts.
I. AN ENCOUNTER IN THE SYNAGOGUE (Mark 1:21-24; Luke 4:31-34)
Jesus and His apostles left the shoreline of Lake Gennesaret and entered the city of Capernaum. On the Sabbath day, He went into the Jewish synagogue and began teaching. This was something that Jesus did on a regular basis (Luke 4:16; John 18:20). The people of Capernaum were astonished by His teaching. Jesus spoke as one with authority, unlike the scribes who typically addressed them. A demon-possessed man in the audience cried out, “What do we have to do with You, Jesus the Nazarene? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
Notice that Jesus was at the synagogue on the Sabbath day. This was His custom. He would often use these occasions to speak, teach, and/or read the Scriptures. As Christians, we honor the principle of the Sabbath by attending church each Sunday. Now, if Jesus made it a priority to be in church each week, shouldn’t we?
Also, I am struck by the fact that there was a demon-possessed man in the synagogue listening to Jesus’ teaching. It makes me wonder how many demon-possessed people are present in our churches today. Perhaps someone here this morning? Just kidding, maybe. My point is that God’s house is not immune to the presence of wickedness and evil. Sadly, many vile and sinful things take place in the church, and most are committed by those who attend regularly.
The demon, or unclean spirit, referred to Jesus as “the Holy One of God”. Beloved, Satan and his minions know exactly who Jesus is and are terribly afraid of Him. They understand that all of the forces of darkness are powerless against Him. Their sway over humanity is only effective when we battle against them in our own feeble strength. But if we as Christians combat them in the name of Jesus, adorned in the armor of God, and armed with the Scriptures and prayer, the demonic forces don’t stand a chance (James 4:7)!
II. JESUS CASTS OUT A DEMON (Mark 1:25-28; Luke 4:35-37)
There in the synagogue, before the entire gathering, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” The demon threw the man into convulsions, cried out in a loud voice, and then came out of him. The man was left unharmed and the crowd was utterly amazed that even the demons submitted to the command of Jesus. The news of what had happened and of Jesus’ authority spread quickly throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
Why did Jesus commit this miracle? His command to “Be quiet” suggests that He wanted to silence the demon from publicly declaring that He was the Son of God. As we will see several times throughout this series, Jesus did not want His fame to spread too quickly. He knew the excessive attention would bring about the angst of the chief priests, Pharisees, and elders. He didn’t want people to focus on His miracles either, but rather on His message. The bottom line… He was trying to slow down His rise in popularity for the sake of His mission. Personal fame is often a deterrent to God-honoring ministry.
This was the first occasion explicitly described in the Bible when Jesus cast out a demon. This miracle is categorized as an exorcism, or spiritual miracle. Jesus performed this miracle by simply speaking a word of rebuke to the unclean spirit. When confronted with Jesus’ power and authority, the demon was forced to obey. Beloved, demon-possession is a reality that still exists today. But we can be certain that Jesus is mighty and able to cast out demons and free those who are possessed by them.
III. JESUS HEALS PETER’S MOTHER-IN-LAW (Mark 1:29-31; Luke 4:38-39; Matthew 8:14-15)
Jesus and his apostles left the synagogue and went to Peter and Andrew’s house, along with James and John. They told Jesus that Peter’s mother-in-law was lying in bed sick with a high fever and asked Him to help her. Jesus came and stood over her, spoke a rebuke against the illness, and then took her by the hand and raised her up. Immediately the fever left her and she began to wait on them.
This is another example of a healing miracle. In this case, Jesus spoke and the woman’s fever immediately went away. It seems that Jesus performed this miracle simply because Peter and the other apostles asked Him to. This scene took place in a private residence with only a few eyewitnesses. Once again, it is abundantly clear that Jesus wasn’t trying to garner attention or make a big display. He was revealing His deity to those closest to Him that they might grow even deeper in their faith.
Peter was an imperfect man. He often stuck his foot in his mouth, acted impulsively, and even denied Christ 3 times. Later in life, Peter was called out for his hypocrisy concerning the Gentiles. Nevertheless, despite his flaws, this short story confirms without a doubt that Peter was a man of utmost character. Let’s be honest… How many men would be concerned about the well-being of their mother-in-law? Sorry, that was my lame attempt at a joke.
No, seriously, it is worth pointing out that as soon as she was healed Peter’s mother-in-law began waiting on Jesus and His apostles. Beloved, this is a great model for us to follow. When Jesus frees us from our sin and condemnation, when He delivers us from our trials and tribulations, and when He heals us of our afflictions and sufferings the appropriate response is to serve Him wholeheartedly. Don’t just say “thank you”, but also demonstrate thankfulness through faithful obedience and service.
CONCLUSION
The miracles we discussed today highlight Jesus’ authority over God’s spiritual creation and His physical creation. Never forget - Satan and his demons are created beings, just like we are, and Jesus has dominion over all of creation. There is nothing in heaven, on earth, or even below the earth that isn’t subject to Him (Philippians 2:10-11). Jesus can cast out demons in the spiritual realm and heal the sick in the physical realm because He is the divine Son of God.
I hope you are enjoying this new series so far! I am having a lot of fun preaching it. More importantly, I hope we are all learning more about the true nature and purpose of Jesus’ miracles. Please make plans to join us next Sunday as we continue this exciting study. May the LORD bless you.
Hello friends. This morning we will resume our series on “The Miracles of Jesus”. In our last message, we discussed the calling of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. After they had been fishing all night long on the Sea of Galilee and had caught nothing, Jesus told them to cast their nets once more. When they obeyed, their nets were filled with so many fish that they began to break. Then Jesus called them to follow Him and become “fishers of men”. All 4 men immediately left everything behind to become Jesus’ apostles.
In this morning’s sermon we will highlight Jesus’ 5th and 6th miracles. Both of them took place in Capernaum, where Jesus’ ministry was headquartered. I have titled the message “A Demon-Possessed Man and Peter's Mother-in-Law”. Though both of these stories are recorded in multiple gospels, we will use Mark 1:21-31 as our primary text and supplement it with any additional details from the other accounts.
I. AN ENCOUNTER IN THE SYNAGOGUE (Mark 1:21-24; Luke 4:31-34)
Jesus and His apostles left the shoreline of Lake Gennesaret and entered the city of Capernaum. On the Sabbath day, He went into the Jewish synagogue and began teaching. This was something that Jesus did on a regular basis (Luke 4:16; John 18:20). The people of Capernaum were astonished by His teaching. Jesus spoke as one with authority, unlike the scribes who typically addressed them. A demon-possessed man in the audience cried out, “What do we have to do with You, Jesus the Nazarene? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
Notice that Jesus was at the synagogue on the Sabbath day. This was His custom. He would often use these occasions to speak, teach, and/or read the Scriptures. As Christians, we honor the principle of the Sabbath by attending church each Sunday. Now, if Jesus made it a priority to be in church each week, shouldn’t we?
Also, I am struck by the fact that there was a demon-possessed man in the synagogue listening to Jesus’ teaching. It makes me wonder how many demon-possessed people are present in our churches today. Perhaps someone here this morning? Just kidding, maybe. My point is that God’s house is not immune to the presence of wickedness and evil. Sadly, many vile and sinful things take place in the church, and most are committed by those who attend regularly.
The demon, or unclean spirit, referred to Jesus as “the Holy One of God”. Beloved, Satan and his minions know exactly who Jesus is and are terribly afraid of Him. They understand that all of the forces of darkness are powerless against Him. Their sway over humanity is only effective when we battle against them in our own feeble strength. But if we as Christians combat them in the name of Jesus, adorned in the armor of God, and armed with the Scriptures and prayer, the demonic forces don’t stand a chance (James 4:7)!
II. JESUS CASTS OUT A DEMON (Mark 1:25-28; Luke 4:35-37)
There in the synagogue, before the entire gathering, Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” The demon threw the man into convulsions, cried out in a loud voice, and then came out of him. The man was left unharmed and the crowd was utterly amazed that even the demons submitted to the command of Jesus. The news of what had happened and of Jesus’ authority spread quickly throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.
Why did Jesus commit this miracle? His command to “Be quiet” suggests that He wanted to silence the demon from publicly declaring that He was the Son of God. As we will see several times throughout this series, Jesus did not want His fame to spread too quickly. He knew the excessive attention would bring about the angst of the chief priests, Pharisees, and elders. He didn’t want people to focus on His miracles either, but rather on His message. The bottom line… He was trying to slow down His rise in popularity for the sake of His mission. Personal fame is often a deterrent to God-honoring ministry.
This was the first occasion explicitly described in the Bible when Jesus cast out a demon. This miracle is categorized as an exorcism, or spiritual miracle. Jesus performed this miracle by simply speaking a word of rebuke to the unclean spirit. When confronted with Jesus’ power and authority, the demon was forced to obey. Beloved, demon-possession is a reality that still exists today. But we can be certain that Jesus is mighty and able to cast out demons and free those who are possessed by them.
III. JESUS HEALS PETER’S MOTHER-IN-LAW (Mark 1:29-31; Luke 4:38-39; Matthew 8:14-15)
Jesus and his apostles left the synagogue and went to Peter and Andrew’s house, along with James and John. They told Jesus that Peter’s mother-in-law was lying in bed sick with a high fever and asked Him to help her. Jesus came and stood over her, spoke a rebuke against the illness, and then took her by the hand and raised her up. Immediately the fever left her and she began to wait on them.
This is another example of a healing miracle. In this case, Jesus spoke and the woman’s fever immediately went away. It seems that Jesus performed this miracle simply because Peter and the other apostles asked Him to. This scene took place in a private residence with only a few eyewitnesses. Once again, it is abundantly clear that Jesus wasn’t trying to garner attention or make a big display. He was revealing His deity to those closest to Him that they might grow even deeper in their faith.
Peter was an imperfect man. He often stuck his foot in his mouth, acted impulsively, and even denied Christ 3 times. Later in life, Peter was called out for his hypocrisy concerning the Gentiles. Nevertheless, despite his flaws, this short story confirms without a doubt that Peter was a man of utmost character. Let’s be honest… How many men would be concerned about the well-being of their mother-in-law? Sorry, that was my lame attempt at a joke.
No, seriously, it is worth pointing out that as soon as she was healed Peter’s mother-in-law began waiting on Jesus and His apostles. Beloved, this is a great model for us to follow. When Jesus frees us from our sin and condemnation, when He delivers us from our trials and tribulations, and when He heals us of our afflictions and sufferings the appropriate response is to serve Him wholeheartedly. Don’t just say “thank you”, but also demonstrate thankfulness through faithful obedience and service.
CONCLUSION
The miracles we discussed today highlight Jesus’ authority over God’s spiritual creation and His physical creation. Never forget - Satan and his demons are created beings, just like we are, and Jesus has dominion over all of creation. There is nothing in heaven, on earth, or even below the earth that isn’t subject to Him (Philippians 2:10-11). Jesus can cast out demons in the spiritual realm and heal the sick in the physical realm because He is the divine Son of God.
I hope you are enjoying this new series so far! I am having a lot of fun preaching it. More importantly, I hope we are all learning more about the true nature and purpose of Jesus’ miracles. Please make plans to join us next Sunday as we continue this exciting study. May the LORD bless you.