The Holy one of God

The Holy one of God

SCRIPTURE:

They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. Mark 1:21-28

OBSERVATION:

One of the first events that marked the start of the Lord’s ministry was the casting out of a demon in a synagogue at Capernaum. On the Sabbath, the Lord had started off teaching with great authority, to the amazement of the people who recognized that he did not teach like their teachers of the law.

These days, the preaching on the pulpits tends to be rather one of persuasion rather than authority, with many preachers preferring to speak soothing words that appeal to the ears of the masses rather than declare the truth of God boldly without fear or favor, regardless of whether the congregation would be offended. The call then is for preachers and teachers to consecrate themselves again and set out to declare and teach the Word of God not out of fear for men, but with conviction and authority, empowered by the Holy Spirit.

While he was teaching, Jesus was interrupted by a man with an impure spirit. What is an impure spirit? It is a personality, a being that can see, hear, think, move and talk. However, spirits have no body but wander about the earth seeking to inhabit living bodies. They are under the control of Satan, and bring bondage on those that they enter, causing disability, disease and suffering.

The spirit in the possessed man here said three things. Firstly, he asked “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?” Notice that the spirit said “us”, which seems to refer to all the evil spirits. Secondly, he asked “Have you come to destroy us?” The evil spirit recognized that Jesus had the power and authority to destroy them and asked in great fear if their time of judgment had come. Finally, it stated “I know who you are – the Holy One of God!”

The Lord did not waste time conversing with the spirit but commanded it to be quiet and to come out of the man. One of the Lord’s key ministries was to set the captives free, and this was especially applicable to those in captive to evil spirits such as these. Today, He has also given us the power to drive out evil spirits and set those held captive by them free.

Give notice to what the impure spirit called Jesus – the Holy one of God. While the spirit was impure, evil, full of sin, Jesus was the complete opposite, completely holy, full of the righteousness of God. Many of us profess to follow Jesus, but do we seek to be holy like Him, or are we more interested in the pleasures of sin like the impure spirit?

APPLICATION:

To those of us involved in teaching or preaching God’s Word, we should seek to do so with authority like Jesus, focused on the truth and authority of God’s Word rather than picking messages or points that are friendly on the ears of the audience but miss the heart of the matter.

Just as Jesus drove out demons, we too who follow the Lord, have been given the same authority, and are called to exercise it to set captives free. In our own personal lives, we also must constantly check ourselves to see if we are seeking holiness to be more and more like Jesus, or if we have become captivated by worldly pleasures. If we find ourselves pursuing the latter, we need to quickly come back and ask God to forgive us and help us refocus our priorities again. The struggle against sin is a lifelong struggle for every Christian. The challenge for us is not to give up but to press on, forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead, which is to become conformed more and more to the image of Jesus Christ.

PRAYER:

Precious Lord Jesus, Holy one of God, we thank You and praise You that You came to set us free from sin, to give us life, and grant us peace. Help us Lord turn from worldly ways and seek Your holiness first in our lives. Pick us up, when we fall, O Lord, and help us press on to become more and more like You. In Jesus name, Amen.