Mark 1:21-28 — “What is this?” The Report of Jesus' Authority Goes Viral

Mark 1:21-28 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.

²³And 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."

²⁵But 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."

²⁸And at once his fame spread everywhere

                           throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Synagogue Ruins in Capernaum

Jesus called his first disciples and "first thing" on the Sabbath he was in the Synagogue teaching. But to borrow a failed Detroit marketing line, “this was not their father’s Oldsmobile!” This was not the teaching the people were used to hearing. The scribes made a practice of citing previous rabbis’ positions on even earlier rabbis’ positions. They knew a lot about what other people had said about the Word of God, but they had no authoritative personal knowledge of God and his ways. It has been said in recent days as well that even among those studying to enter the ministry, “Too many only know about God and too few know God.” 
Jesus' teaching was different. He knew the Father like no one else! All he said and did on earth was what he heard the Father say and saw the Father do, as we see in these verses,

• John 5:19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise.
• John 12:49 For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.

Date Palm in Israel

And God has all power and authority. Whenever he speaks stuff happens. His words bear fruit. Right from the beginning of the Bible, we see this attribute of God on display, saying things like, “Let there be light…let there be dry land…let there be sun, moon, and stars…let there be plants and trees...let there be fish and birds, and animals…let us make man…” and such statements are followed with the “and it was so.” Is it any surprise that when Jesus Christ, God the Son incarnate in their midst, begins teaching that he speaks with authority? Is it shocking that his teaching was unlike anything they had heard up to this point? It shouldn’t be if we know our Old Testament. It becomes clear that Jesus makes the nature of God visible, touchable, and knowable to those who had been in darkness and bondage.

Likewise, it should be no surprise that the existing powers in the land felt threatened. In this case, it was an unclean spirit in a man (v.23). The question the demon asked, “Have you come to destroy us?” will be echoed later in the actions of the Jewish leaders who, fearing that Jesus would bring destruction to all that they have worked for, would plot to crucify him. But the demon lets a few things slip in his outburst. It is good to be reminded that the devil and his demons don’t know everything. Also, Jesus is under no compulsion to answer their questions (i.e., they do not speak with authority). They do know one thing; they know who Jesus is, “the Holy One of God.” Jesus had no need of their testimony and rebuked the unclean spirit and commanded him to “shut up and get out!” It reminds me a little of Abram’s response to the king of Sodom in Genesis 14:22-23. The unclean spirits shall have no part in Christ’s kingdom.

Wow! The people had never seen someone with such authority over the unclean spirits. They were left scratching their heads, rubbing their chins, and talking to anyone they met about what they had heard and seen. The reports about Jesus’ authority in word and deed went viral…first century style! They didn't have social media, but they were very social. On the roads and at the wells in the morning, in the fields and in the marketplace at noon, around their tables and fires in the evening, shepherds on the hillsides and fishermen out on the lake at night they spoke about the new rabbi who had authority. Everyone wanted to hear him and see him in action. If there had been Twitter accounts in those days they might have been trending hashtags like #JesusofNazarethRocks, #Whatisthis, #RabbispeakswithAuthority, #Shutup&getout.

Jesus still speaks with authority today. His loving and powerful words were written down for us, painstakingly preserved, precisely translated into more languages than I can count, published in an abundance of formats making them more available for us today than ever before. The question is, how eager are we to hear what he has to say? Are we drawn to hear him or do we cringe in fear?

He is the Good Shepherd and his sheep listen to his voice. Though we all have sinned, he did not come to destroy us but to save us (John 3:17). Will we respond to his love and surrender to his authority?