"Jesus Exercises Ultimate Divine Authority"
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. [Amen.]
"'Away from us!' the demon cried
When Christ, the Lord, drew near.
'Our dark, disordered world is lost
When You, the Light appear!'
"But Jesus spoke with God's own pow'r;
'Come forth!' was His command;
For evil cannot bear the Light
Nor sin the Truth withstand."
(Lutheran Service Book, © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO.
541:1-2)
Gospel Reading.......................................... St. mARK 1:21-28
(esp. 27-28)
27And 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.
Prologue: Last Sunday, January 22, 2012, was the 39th anniversary of a
significant event in the history of our nation and the world. That event
was the Roe v. Wade supreme court decision that legalized the wanton murder
of unborn babies in our up-to-that-time somewhat civil society that formerly
had unapologetically stood on the foundation of her Judeo-Christian roots.
Hear now what the Reverend Doctor James I. Land, Executive
Director of Lutherans for Life, said in a public statement about such
entitled "Sunday and Roe v. Wade."
"God and abortion come face to face this year with the anniversary of
Roe v. Wade, January 22, 1973, falling on a Sunday. . thirty-nine years
ago, the U.S. Supreme Court effectively took the right to life away from the
defenseless unborn and declared the right to murder them constitutional.
"Since then, over 54,000,000 little lives have been slaughtered under
the death cry of 'the right to choose.'
"The killing of little boys and little girls at any stage of
development for any reason is a travesty. Killing little boys and little
girls created and gifted by God, purchased by the blood of Jesus, and
children God desires to call into an eternal relationship with Him is a
travesty against our Triune God.
"Abortion is not just a choice that destroys life. It destroys life
precious to God.
"For the Christian, abortion is at its core idolatry, a failure to
'fear, love, and trust in God above all things.' We choose the death of the
helpless to deliver us from a difficult situation rather than trust in God .
.
"But the Church dare not merely pound her pulpits and demand, 'Trust
God, choose life' as if trust in God is something we can conjure up if we
just try hard enough. Time and time again the Scripture associates help
from God with salvation from God. Those who profess Jesus Christ as the
source of their salvation must be led to see and trust that the God who
saved them from sin is the source of their help and will never abandon them.
"Because God's love for us was demonstrated on the cross, we can
confidently trust that nothing 'in all creation will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord' (Romans 8:39b ESV).
"Our prayer at LFL, is that the Church will make this connection . .
It is the Gospel that truly changes hearts and lives."
[Tomorrow / Today] is the midway point between the
liturgical-church-year-appointed celebrations of The Epiphany of Our Lord
and The Transfiguration of Our Lord. As we move closer to leaving behind
this present Christmas cycle until some ten months from now and beginning
another annual Easter cycle on Ash Wednesday just three-and-one-half weeks
away, it's beneficial for us to review what Epiphany is all about. As I
said in my sermon Friday evening, January 6, "The idea of Epiphany is that
the Christ who was born in Bethlehem is recognized by the world as God. At
Christmas, God appears as man, and at Epiphany, this man appears before the
world as God. That Christ became man needed no proof. But that this man,
this helpless child, is God needed proof. The manifestations of the
Trinity, the signs and wonders performed by this man, and all His miracles
have the purpose of proving to men that Jesus is God." (Treasury of Daily
Prayer. General Editor Scot A. Kinnaman. Copyright © 2008 Concordia
Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Page 1094.)
That's what this Epiphany season emphasizes . "Jesus is God."
In so doing, we realize and celebrate that .
"Jesus Exercises Ultimate Divine Authority."
That word "divine" is important because it refers to God, and the
evidence that Jesus is true God is that "the Scriptures clearly call Him
God, teaching [that]: A. Jesus has divine names. B. Jesus possesses divine
attributes (qualities or characteristics). C. Jesus does divine works
(which only God can do). [And] D. Jesus receives divine honor and glory."
(Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation. Copyright © 1986, 2008
Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Pages 122f.) It's with absolute
trust that Jesus is the Son of God that we fervently prayed in today's
Collect, "Almighty God, You know we live in the midst of so many dangers
that in our frailty we cannot stand upright. Grant strength and protection
to support us in all dangers and carry us through all temptations . ." We
did so and can continue doing so realizing that .
I. Jesus' Teaching Amazed His Hearers. (21-22)
21And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath [Jesus]
entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22And they were astonished at his
teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the
scribes.
What strikes you with astonishment? Is it the birth of a new
child? Is it the germination of seeds and growth of crops? Is it the
majesty of thunder and lightening? Is it the powerful winds that sometimes
develop into tornados and cause damage and destruction? Is it the seemingly
miracle-cure of a dreaded disease?
The Greek verb that appears in today's Gospel Reading as "were
astonished" appears only thirteen times in the New Testament. In fact, it's
found in the writings of Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, and Saint Luke alone,
with Saint Mark recording it the most . five times. It's a word that
indicates awe-struck surprise at something that's overwhelming or seemingly
unbelievable.
In this text, we note "the astonishment of the hearers at the
authority with which [Jesus] taught. It marked Him as different from the
scribes. Authority is impressive and compels men to listen. The authority
of Jesus, however, was not merely human. The gospel writers make no secret
of the fact that it was also divine. Scribes appealed only to the
interpretations of the great teachers of the law, but the teaching of Jesus
was direct and challenging." In fact, "In the synagogue of Capernaum, it
was not only the sermon that witnessed to the remarkable authority of Jesus;
the power of His words was vividly reinforced by action." (Donald Guthrie in
Jesus the Messiah: An Illustrated Life of Christ. Copyright © 1972 by The
Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, MI. Page 73.)
I can well imagine that they may have used today's Gradual to
express their astonishment, "Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all
peoples! Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name . ." (Ps 117:1; 96:8a
ESV) After all, Jesus demonstrated what Saint Paul plainly declared years
later when he wrote what we heard in today's Epistle Reading, "Therefore, .
there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we
exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through
whom we exist." (1 Cor 8:4a, 6 ESV)
However, without a doubt the greatest thing Jesus ever spoke was
"Father, forgive them, . ." (Luke 23:34 ESV) as He hung bleeding and dying
on Calvary's cross to atone for your sins, my sins, and the sins of all
people of all time. And without a doubt the greatest thing He ever did was
to give up His life as "the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for
ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2 NIV) followed by
His triumphant resurrection from the dead in victory over sin, Satan, and
death itself about which Saint Paul wrote, "'Death is swallowed up in
victory.' 'O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be
to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Cor
15:54-57 ESV)
Yes, Jesus is the ultimate prophet about whom all the Old
Testament prophets served as a foretaste. Today's Old Testament Reading
certainly referred to that with the words that Moses spoke as he neared
death, "The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among
you, from your brothers-it is to him you shall listen . . And the Lord said
to me, . I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their
brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them
all that I command him." (Deut 18:15, 17-18 ESV)
All of that is truly astonishing, but what's perhaps over-the-top
astonishing is that .
II. Even Demons Declare Jesus' Divine Nature. (23-26)
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!" 26And the
unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of
him.
It was most likely a gruesome sight indeed! An unclean spirit-a
demon or devil-had invaded a man's body and overtaken him. Here's the
situation as it unfolded. "[T]here was present in the synagog, on that
Sabbath morning, a man with an unclean spirit, possessed with a demon.
Spiritually unclean the devil is, and the contact with him or his angels
makes filthy before God. He was conscious of his own spiritual uncleanness
as compared with the holiness of Jesus, the Holy One of God." (Paul E.
Kretzmann in Popular Commentary of the Bible: The New Testament Volume I.
Copyright © Unknown Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, MO. Page 168.)
The reality of demons-evil angels-continues today as well. "They
hate God and seek to destroy everything that is good, especially faith in
Christ." (Luther's Small Catechism with Explanation. Page 112.) The Holy
Spirit revealed such through Saint Paul, who wrote, "For we do not wrestle
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly places." (Eph 6:12 ESV)
The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther further informed us about that
reality in his grand "Battle Hymn of the Reformation" when he wrote,
"Though devils all the world should fill, All eager to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill; They shall not overpow'r us.
This world's prince may still Scowl fierce as he will,
He can harm us none. He's judged; the deed is done;
One little word can fell him."
(Lutheran Service Book. 656:3.)
In addition, he tells us in his explanation of The Sixth Petition
of The Lord's Prayer, "God tempts no one. We pray in this petition that God
would guard and keep us so that the devil, the world, and our sinful nature
may not deceive us or mislead us into false belief, despair, and other great
shame and vice. Although we are attacked by these things, we pray that we
may finally overcome them and win the victory." (Luther's Small Catechism
with Explanation. Pages 21f. & 195f.)
When, however, Satan and his allies succeed in luring us to sin,
we can rejoice in knowing that "the blood of Jesus [God's] Son cleanses us
from all sin." (1 John 1:7 ESV) because, after all, "God so loved the world,
that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish
but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to
condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."
(John 3:16-17 ESV)
In thankful response let's then recall the words of today's
Introit, "Blessèd is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is
covered. Blessèd is the man against whom the Lord counts no iniquity, and
in whose spirit there is no deceit. I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did
not cover my iniquity; I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the
Lord,' and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Many are the sorrows of the
wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord." Let's
find comfort in God's compassionate concern for us and security in His
everlasting presence with us. Let's diligently draw on God's strength to
"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will
draw near to you." (James 4:7-8 ESV)
In conclusion, I began this sermon talking about the darkness of
death by abortion. Such death darkness is truly the devil's deed. But
Jesus Christ is the "God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God"
(Nicene Creed) whom the Old Testament prophets promised and who broke into
the darkness of this sin-infested world some 2,000 years ago. He continues
to break into our sin-infested world today through the spoken and written
Word of God, the forgiveness of sins that called and ordained pastors
declare in Confession and Absolution, the Water applied with God's Word in
Holy Baptism, and the Bread and Wine of Holy Communion in, with, and under
which we receive the real body and blood of our Savior for the certain
assurance of forgiveness of all sins (including even abortion!), spiritual
healing, and forever life with Him in heaven. All that-and more-happens
because .
"Jesus Exercises Ultimate Divine Authority"
over His and our spiritual archenemy Satan, the sin-infested world in which
we live, and our own wretched sinful human nature.
Happily, "Our Lord indeed had compassion on the man possessed by
the evil spirit-a most dreadful condition, as we see when the spirit left
him. 'Come out of him!' the Lord commanded, and the evil spirit could not
resist. This brought home to the people, including the Lord's disciples,
that Jesus spoke with authority. A simple command-no elaborate
incantation-and the spirit had to obey. Jesus was and is Lord."
Sadly, "Many theologians deny the possibility of demon possession
then and now. It is true that we today do not identify many such cases.
Perhaps the trouble is with us-we fail to recognize them. But we also know
that Satan and his evil angels are sufficiently wise to adapt themselves to
the times. Today we find their power displayed in the human
attempts-usually by highly educated persons-to undermine Scripture and its
teachings. False doctrine, cults, pagan religions, science that rejects
Scripture-all these are the working of Satan. Since they attack us on all
sides, we too need to turn to Christ and to the Scriptures for refuge.
Jesus, the Holy One of God, points us to the Scriptures and testifies, 'Your
Word is truth' (John 17:17 [NIV])." (Harold E. Wicke in People's Bible
Commentary: Mark. Copyright © 1992 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis,
MO. Page 26.)
So it was that .
I. Jesus' Teaching Amazed His Hearers. (21-22) then and still does so
today.
And, the irony of ironies is that .
II. Even Demons Declare Jesus' Divine Nature. (23-26) still today even
as they did then. That's ironic because their ultimate goal is to
compromise and destroy the very Messiah, who has already crushed and
defeated them for us.
God grant it all for the sake of Jesus Christ, His humble Son, our
holy Savior. [Amen.]
In the name of the Father and of the X Son and of the Holy Spirit.
[Amen.]
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