Undercover Boss
Life of Jesus • Sermon • Submitted
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Transcript
I. Introduction
I. Introduction
As I told you last week, there’s no better place to start than at the beginning....and there’s no better specific topic in the Bible to study than Jesus Himself....so that is exactly what we are going to do this week and for the many subsequent weeks hereafter.
We’ve begun a series on the life of Jesus....and I’ll remind you that this is going to require some moving around throughout the Gospels a bit, but that is perfectly alright as long as we always establish context....which I will be sure to do each week. Now, as we came into the new year, we covered the birth of Jesus back around Christmastime, which is always appropriate. Then, we began with John the Baptist preparing the way for Jesus. Last week, we went into Mark’s Gospel and we dicussed Jesus calling His very first disciples: A set of brothers named Simon Peter and Andrew…and another set of brothers named James and John Zebedee…all of the them fishermen. Jesus called…and they followed and He did as He promised, making them fishers of men.
This week, we move ahead
a. Scripture: Mark 1:21-28
a. Scripture: Mark 1:21-28
I’m going to ask you to stand with me, if you are able, as we read from God’s Holy, Perfect, Sufficient and inerrant Word.
<Pray>
Thank you, and you may be seated.
II. Major Points
II. Major Points
Jesus Asserts His Authority
Jesus Proves His Authority
III. Point #1: Jesus Asserts His Authority
III. Point #1: Jesus Asserts His Authority
Explanation
So Jesus comes to a small town called Capernaum. It’s on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was the home of Peter, Andrew, James, and John—His new disciples. For that reason, these four men were great at procuring resources....a place to stay and sleep....food…and other things they needed. So it made sense that Jesus would make Capernaum more or less his headquarters for his brand new public ministry…and as a result, Capernaum becomes a major site for Jesus to heal and preach in.
And the Bible says that this took place on the Sabbath. Now, Christians have long observed the Sabbath…that is our Holy day....our day of rest on Sunday. But before and during this time, the Sabbath took place on Saturday. So picture a restful, reverent Lord’s day just like today.
But the Jews did not see worship and rest as optional as many Christians do today. In fact, there were rules about how much a person could do on the Sabbath and it not be counted as work....and if a person was charged with working on that day, there could be severe punishments. If a person was charged with breaking temple laws....not worshipping properly or skipping their responsibilities, a person could be punished as well. They were very strict....personally, I would have found it very difficult to ACTUALLY rest in that environment.
So here we find Jesus, and verse 21 says:
They went into Capernaum; and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and began to teach.
Now it was Jewish custom that preachers such as Jesus could preach in the temple by invitation of the leaders of the local synagogue. As a result, there are a few scholars who believe that Jesus was invited to speak at the synagogue....Dr. Rodney Cooper, who wrote one of the premier commentary’s on Mark’s Gospel is one. Dr. Robert Picirilli is another.
I tell ya what I’d LIKE to think…I’d LIKE to think that Jesus just walked in that Jewish church like He owned the place…because He does, amen....HE is the reason for the church…or the synagogue or whatever you want to call it....and I’d like to think that Jesus walked in that place and just started preaching....that He didn’t NEED an invitation to come in and preach.
Illustration
You know one of my favorite shows on television is one called “Undercover Boss.” It’s a show where CEO’s of corporations visit various locations within their organization in disguise in order to check up on them and identify problems. It’s a great show, because they always end up being paired with workers on the job sight and have to do the work of one of the lower level employees.
On this one particular episode, one of the employees really messed up not knowing who they were addressing…take a look.
<Undercover Boss Clip>
Application
Church I want you to understand something here....whether Jesus was invited into the Synagogue to preach or not…it didn’t matter. It was HIS house....and in this moment Jesus asserted HIS authority.
Mark 1:22
They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
You see, the Jews were used to having scholarly teachers come in and preach to them by quoting the Scriptures and quoting what other scholars had said. Jesus didn’t do that....He would quote Scripture, but then He would speak not ABOUT God....but He spoke AS God. You see preachers now and then speak on the authority of the Word of God; Jesus spoke on HIS OWN authority.
And it astounded the scholars....they wondered why this man spoke as though He were God Himself rather than teaching ABOUT God....it sounded dangerously close to blasphemy to them.
But here Jesus was....an Undercover Boss in His own church....and just like the bosses in the show eventually reveal themselves to the employees, right here at the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus revealed Himself....He speaks and asserts His authority. He not only speaks FOR God, He IS God.
Church Remember this: Jesus is the REAL deal…and He expects His followers to be the real deal too. If you’re going to be half-way in....what the Bible calls lukewarm…the Bible says He doesn’t have any use for you.
‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
I didn’t say that, Jesus did....so if that makes you mad, I suggest you work it out with Him. He wants ALL of you…not part of you.
He is the real deal....He is the boss....He ha the authority....and it is at this moment that He asserts and claims it....which brings us to number 2:
IV. Point #2: Jesus Proves His Authority
IV. Point #2: Jesus Proves His Authority
Explanation
Now that Jesus has astounded everybody with this teaching, He is going to SHOW them His authority. He just claimed to BE God in front of the religious leaders and everybody else in Capernaum and now He is going to do something to prove it. Since He claimed to be God, He is going to do something that only God can do.
Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”
So don’t miss this…Jesus not only claimed to be the Messiah....to be the Son of the living God....now He uses an unlikely and unwitting tool to verify it as well: The Devil.
Can you believe this? The one person…the one THING that would never ever want to do something to aid Jesus in ANYTHING good…Satan....is going to actually HELP Jesus verify who He is in front of everybody there.
This man comes into the synagogue and is possessed with demons....the servants of Satan Himself....fallen angels....and he comes in and screams in agony! He wails in both physical and spiritual pain! Scary stuff.
And the demons within the man cry out that they know Jesus could destroy them! They are FEARFUL! And then they call HIm the “Holy One.” They know exactly who He is....and they TREMBLE before Him!
This is not and experience for the weak of faith....if you ever ran into a truly demon-possessed person, I bet it would be one of the most eerie, terrifying things you’ve ever seen....Listen to me....the Exorcist has NOTHING on real demon possession....it’s the pure epitome of evil that has taken possession of a human being....and here it is before them....and it is scared of Jesus....
Illustration
There’s a Christian song out that has been out for a few years that has a verse that reads:
“The mountains shake before him
The demons run and flee
At the mention of the name
King Of Majesty....
There is no power in Hell
Or any who can stand
Before the power and the presence of the Great I Am!”
Even the DEMONS run and flee, amen???
Application
So what did Jesus do in the face of pure evil? What He do as everyone else coward in fear?
And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”
Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him.
Jesus showed His authority not only over man and the things of heaven, but even over the domain of Satan as well. He ordered the servants of Satan out of that man and they had no CHOICE but to obey. Jesus has the authority over everything because He doesn’t just represent God, He IS the Son of the Living God, He IS God…amen?
Church: Listen....Jesus asserted His authority…evil itself asserted Jesus’s authority....and then Jesus PROVED His authority.
They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”
Immediately the news about Him spread everywhere into all the surrounding district of Galilee.
Jesus came in and showed everybody who He was. The public ministry was no on fire.
LIsten to me....Jesus has authority whether you acknowledge it or not. He has claimed it…it has been admitted by the Enemy....and He has proven it....now the question is: will you submit to it.
You see Jesus has authority....He’s the boss. WE were designed to serve Him and submit to His authority. The only way ANYTHING in this life finds peace is when it does what it was created to do....the only way YOU will find peace, is to do what YOU were designed to do…and that is to follow and submit to Him.
V. Conclusion
V. Conclusion
a. Let me ask you this morning: are you submitting to His authority?
b. Let’s Pray