21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. – Mark 1:21-34 ESV
In his gospel account, Luke reports that after Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, He “returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region. He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone” (Luke 4:14-15 ESV). And Mark provides a glimpse into one such occasion.
After calling Andrew, Simon, James, and John to be His disciples, Jesus and His new recruits made their way to the town of Capernaum on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. On the Sabbath, Jesus and His disciples visited the local synagogue. The synagogue was the building in each community where the Jews gathered for worship, prayer, and instruction. The Hebrew word is beit k’nesset (literally, “House of Assembly”). Jews typically referred to this building as a synagogue, the Greek translation of beit k’nesset.
The synagogue emerged during Israel’s Babylonian captivity. After the Babylonians defeated Judah in 597 B.C., they took tens of thousands of Israelites captive and transported them to Babylon. With no access to the temple, the Jews were forced to come up with an alternative place of worship. Even after the Jews returned to Judah and rebuilt the temple the Babylonians had destroyed, they continued to build synagogues in their local communities.
The synagogue was a place of prayer and instruction. When the Jews gathered on the Sabbath, they read from the Torah, the five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). After the Torah reading, there was a time of teaching or instruction.
Mark indicates that Jesus was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Because Jesus was recognized as a Rabbi, it would have been normal for the synagogue leadership to extend Him this honor. Mark emphasizes the people’s reaction to what Jesus taught, but provides no details concerning the content of His message. He simply states, “they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes” (Mark 1:22 ESV). The Greek word Mark uses conveys that they were “blown away” by the force of Jesus’ words. But they were amazed, not so much by what Jesus said as by how He said it. Jesus spoke with authority. Mark chose the Greek word exousia to describe the “power, right, and authority” behind Jesus’ words. Those in the synagogue that day had never heard anything like it before. It was as if Jesus spoke like He knew what He was talking about.
Mark deliberately contrasts Jesus' instruction with that of the scribes. These men were considered experts in the Law of Moses. Their job was to study the Law, transcribe it, and write commentaries on it. But Mark infers that these well-educated men lacked the authority and power that Jesus possessed. This is the first of many contrasts Mark establishes between Jesus and Israel's religious leaders.
As if to show that Jesus didn’t just have a way with words, Mark describes an encounter between Jesus and a man with an “unclean spirit.” Mark indicates that when Jesus had finished speaking, this demon-possessed man interrupted the service, crying out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24 ESV).
Evidently, this man had been in the room the entire time. But Jesus’ authoritative teaching caused the demon(s) within the man to react in fear and anger. They had literally been struck by the power of Jesus’ words. The demon’s use of the plural pronoun “us” may indicate that the man had more than one demon or that other demons were present in the synagogue that day. Either way, the demon immediately recognized Jesus, calling Him “the Holy One of God.” This demonic being clearly knew who Jesus was and why He had come. He even asked if Jesus planned to destroy him and his fellow demons.
Through this description of the encounter, Mark establishes another point of conflict that will characterize Jesus’ earthly ministry. Jesus will not only find Himself at odds with the Jewish religious leaders, but also engage in a battle with what Paul describes as “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
But these spiritual forces were not relegated to the invisible world; they had infiltrated the realm of men and were wreaking havoc among God’s chosen people. This will not be the last of Jesus’ encounters with demons. However, these otherworldly invaders would prove no match for the Holy One of God.
Jesus refused to answer or even acknowledge the demon’s question, choosing instead to silence it by casting it out. The Greek word translated as “rebuke” can actually mean “to censure or silence.” Rather than verbally castigate the demon, Jesus simply removed his ability to speak by forcing him to vacate the man’s body. Jesus spoke with authority, commanding the demon, “Be silent, and come out of him!” (Mark 1:25 ESV), and the demon immediately obeyed.
And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. – Mark 1;26 ESV
With no host to occupy, the demon lost its means of communication. This strange and disturbing scene left those who witnessed it even more astonished. But they quickly connected what they saw to Jesus' authority.
“What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” – Mark 1:27 NLT
Jesus’ words carried power. He could not be accused of being “all talk, no action.” The scribes could probably give a lecture about the Scriptural existence of demons, but Jesus could control them because He had power over them. His words had authority, and this distinction did not go unnoticed. Mark indicates that “the news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee” (Mark 1:28 NLT). Soon, news of what Jesus had done reached the religious leaders in Jerusalem. As Jesus’ fame spread, so did His infamy. Before long, Jesus found Himself fighting on multiple fronts.
But Jesus was not done demonstrating His power. After exorcising the demon in the synagogue, Jesus made His way to the home of Andrew and Simon. Mark indicates that Simon’s mother-in-law was ill. Simon (Peter) likely told this story to Mark, which is why it appears in his gospel account. When Jesus learned of the woman’s illness, He visited her home, took her by the hand, and she was immediately healed. At a touch from Jesus, she went from suffering to serving.
The order of these events is vital. In the synagogue scene, the emphasis was on Jesus’ words; He spoke with authority. But on this occasion, Jesus said nothing. He took the woman by the hand, and her body was made whole. Jesus demonstrated His power and authority, but without words.
This latest episode increased Jesus’ notoriety and further inflamed the people's curiosity. Mark reveals that by the end of the day, the crowds had gathered outside the home of Simon and Andrew. News spread, and soon “all who were sick or oppressed by demons” came to Jesus. Mark indicates that “the whole city was gathered together at the door” (Mark 1:33 ESV).
Jesus’ demonstrations of power and authority drew a crowd, but rather than lock the doors and seek refuge, He “healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons” (Mark 1:34 ESV). He continued to exercise His power and authority over disease and demons, proving that what the demon had said was true. He was truly the Holy One of God, and His authority and power were divine, not human. He could do what He did because of who He was; His identity gave Him His authority.
But while the people were impressed by what they saw, they were not yet convinced of His divinity. He clearly possessed authority and power and could perform supernatural miracles, but His identity remained a mystery. Who was this man? How could this unknown Rabbi from Nazareth do what He did? Curiosity and the hope of healing drove many to seek out this miracle-working Rabbi, but they remained ignorant of His identity. And Jesus chose to keep it that way. Mark records. “Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak” (Mark 1:34 NLT). The first demon that Jesus cast out had identified Him as “the Holy One of God!” (Mark 1:24 NLT). But Jesus was not yet ready for the crowds to know who He was. If they discovered He was the long-awaited Messiah, they would try to force Him to serve as their King. John records in his gospel how another group of Jews responded when they saw Jesus perform a miracle.
When the people saw him do this miraculous sign, they exclaimed, “Surely, he is the Prophet we have been expecting!” When Jesus saw that they were ready to force him to be their king, he slipped away into the hills by himself. – John 6:14-15 NLT
So, at this stage in His earthly ministry, Jesus left the people guessing because His time had not yet come. He continued to speak and act with authority, performing miracles and teaching new truths to all who would listen. But for the time being, His divinity remained a mystery.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
