Sermon Tone Analysis
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*Jesus' Power Over Evil Spirits*
*Nov.
7, 1999 Gospel of Mark*
* *
* 1. Setting the Stage for Victory (1:12-13)*
* 2.
A Priority in His Ministry (1:21ff) *
* 3.
A Continuing Concern in His Ministry (1:32-34)*
* 4.
The Question of His Authority (3:22ff)*
* 5. Power Against Overwhelming Odds (5:1ff)*
* 6.
Assignment of Authority (6:7-13)*
* 7.
Evil in the Heart (7:1ff)*
*8.
The Effectiveness of Humble Faith (7:24-30)*
* 9.
The Necessity of Prayer and Faith (9:14-29)*
* 10.
The Importance of Attitude (9:38ff)*
*Introduction:*
Jesus and Satan were having a contest about who was better on his computer.
They had been going at it for days, and God wanted to call the question.
So finally God said, “I am going to set up a test that will run two hours and I/ /will judge who does the better job.”
So down sat Satan and Jesus at the keyboards and typed away.
They moused.
They did spreadsheets.
They wrote reports.
They sent faxes.
They sent e-mail.
They sent out e-mail with attachments.
They downloaded.
They did some genealogy reports.
They made cards.
They did every known job.
But ten minutes before their time was up, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, thunder rolled, the rain poured and, of course, the electricity went off.
Satan stared at his blank screen and screamed every cuss word known to the underworld.
Jesus just sighed.
The electricity finally flickered back on, and each of them restarted their computers.
Satan started searching frantically, screaming “It’s gone!
It’s all gone!
I lost everything when the power went out!”
Meanwhile, Jesus quietly started printing out all of his files from the past two hours.
Satan observed this and became irate “Wait!
He cheated, how did he do it?”
God shrugged and said, “Jesus saves.”
* B.
His Power over Evil Spirits *
As if sin were not bad enough as a human problem, we understand intuitively and from Scripture that there are other forces at work that try to involve us in their opposition to God.
Satan is the prince or ruler of the kingdom of the air (Eph.
2:2).
But Jesus has power over him (Jn.
12:31; 14:30; 16:11 – the prince of this world will be driven out, has no hold on me, and now stands condemned).
Our battles are spiritual in nature (Eph.
6:11-12; 2Cor.
10:3-5).
Mark’s Roman Gentile readers are rightfully afraid of the evil forces that surround them, but Mark wants us all to know first hand about the One who holds the ultimate power over evil forces.
Even though we see from other places in Scripture (i.e.
Rev. 12) that Satan has much power, the power of Jesus is much greater.
All Satan can do is lose.
All Jesus can do is save.
In fact he will lose none of all the Father gives him.
He will raise them up at the last day (John 6:39).
* 1. Setting the Stage for Victory*
Even before Jesus begins his ministry he is taken by the Spirit into the desert to be tested for forty days.
He was in the barren desolation and danger of the desert, Satan’s territory, Paradise lost.
This is a desert of sin so to speak, with the beasts representative of the spiritual forces he encountered.
Mark portrays this as one big clash with Satan, the most dangerous beast of all.
But now Satan must contend with a new Adam who has the power of heaven and angels at his side.
This is the first round of many throughout Jesus’ ministry to follow in his struggle with evil.
But this round puts him at the head of the game for the decisive confrontation to come at the cross.
* 2.
A Priority in His Ministry*
The first ministry miracle that Mark relates to us after Jesus has called his first disciples is the casting out of a demon right there in the synagogue at Capernaum (1:21ff).
It is interesting to note that it was in the synagogue where Jesus had his first ministry of demonic deliverance.
Jesus had already amazed the people with his words of teaching and now he amazes them with the power behind his words.
The demon speaks through the man and dares to question what Jesus wants with them all.
Then the demon answers his own question because he knows who Jesus is.
This implies that the demon knows that Jesus has the power to destroy him.
Jesus has already made a name for himself in the desert of testing.
Here is a case of true spiritual powers in mutual recognition.
But Jesus has the upper hand, commands the demon to be quiet, and casts him out.
The demon shrieks and obeys.
He cannot help but obey.
And this begins Jesus ministry over evil spiritual powers.
* 3.
A Continuing Concern in His Ministry *
In 1:32-34 Jesus continues his healing there in Capernaum with virtually the whole town gathered at the door of the house where he was staying.
The casting out of the demon from the synagogue made an impression with the people, and he now drives out many more demons from those who come to him for divine healing.
In 1:39 Jesus proceeds throughout Galilee in a continuing ministry of preaching and delivering the oppressed from demons.
In fact he leaves Capernaum because the people have become so pressing and because he desires his ministry to be to a much wider audience.
His power is not local but universal in scope.
The press of the crowds continue on into Galilee (3:7).
In these crowds are many who are possessed by evil spirits (3:11) and whenever they saw Jesus they fell down before him and confessed his power over them.
Soon Jesus went up on a mountainside and appointed twelve of his disciples as apostles (3:13ff) in order that they also might be sent out to preach.
And he also gave to them the authority he had to drive out demons for the deliverance of the people.
* 4.
The Question of His Authority*
In 3:22 the teachers of the law from Jerusalem accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan.
To this Jesus responds wisely and authoritatively that it is not part of Satan’s program to oppose himself, therefore the power that opposed him must be from God.
In implying that Satan is the ‘strong man’ whom Jesus ties up to rob him of his possessions, Jesus is saying that he himself is stronger.
Nothing but the consequences of unbelief remain for any who refuse to accept the truth of Jesus power over Satan that he has through the Holy Spirit of God.
This is the Spirit that resides in Jesus, not the evil spirit that they accused him of.
It is this Holy Spirit that descended upon him at his baptism (1:10) and upon him was pronounced the pleasure of God (1:11).
* 5. Power Against Overwhelming Odds *
Jesus seems to make a purposeful trip to the far side of the Sea of Galilee just to deliver a demon possessed man in the region of the Gerasenes (5:1ff).
It is a land of Gentiles which shows the universal intent of Jesus power and compassion.
The description of the man who lives in the tombs gives us a graphic idea of what demon possession is all about.
It is a living death controlled by Satan.
It is the curse of all who will descend into hell.
He could not even be bound with chains which shows the extent of Satan’s power over the human soul he inhabits.
The man’s self-mutilation and loud crying expresses the extent of his torment.
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