Mark 1:14-45

The Authority of Jesus
Mark 1:14-45

Today’s text is all about authority.  Once Jesus started His ministry, look out world!  He was a man with the heavenly authority to do anything!  Immediately, people started to notice that Jesus taught with authority, commanded people to follow Him with authority, drove out demons with authority, healed people with authority.  Where did this authority come from?  From his Father in Heaven, powered by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus still has this power today (Matthew 28:18), and we too can tap into this power (Luke 9:1), but only through Jesus.  We ourselves don’t have this power or authority, though often we act like it (our sinful nature – pride, self-centeredness).  Only Jesus has the authority.  We need to be obedient to him!

Notes

Jesus picks up 4 Disciples in Galilee – Jesus starts gathering his 12 disciples, starting with Simon, who Jesus renames Peter (which means “rock”).  These four are fishermen by trade, and Jesus cleverly tells them that soon, they will be fishing for men(‘ souls).

The unclean spirit – This person was “demon possessed.”  The Jews did not know how to get rid of demons because they taught from an authority, the Bible, but they themselves were not authorities.  Jesus was the authority, so he was able to drive the demon out.  Later, Jesus granted us, as Christians, the ability to drive out demons based on his authority.

Leprosy – Leprosy is a degenerative skin and bone disease that still plagues third world countries today.  No one really knows where it comes from, but people who live in unclean conditions seem to pick it up easier.  The Jews knew this, which is why lepers were considered perpetually unclean.  They believed that leprosy was caused by an unclean soul.  They were literally “untouchable,” yet the first thing Jesus did was touch the man.  This would have driven the Jewish leaders insane.  Because of this and his other miracles, Jesus quickly became a “big deal” and had to spend the rest of his ministry out of the towns so he could handle the crowds.