Mark 1:21-34

3. A SABBATH IN THE LIFE OF JESUS 1:21-34

TEXT 1:21-34

And they go into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at his teaching: for he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes. And straightway there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, what have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Nazarene? Art thou come to destroy us? I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And the unclean spirit, tearing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What is this? a new teaching! With authority he commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey him. And the report of him went out straightway everywhere into all the region of Galilee round about.
And straightway, when they were come out of the synagogue, they came into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's wife's mother lay sick of a fever; and straightway they tell him of her and he came and took her by the hand, and raised her up; and the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.
And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were sick, and them that were possessed with demons. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick with divers diseases, and cast out many demons; and he suffered not the demons to speak, because they knew him.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 1:21-34

35.

Who went into Capernaum?

36.

Why use the word straightway in Mark 1:21?

37.

How did Jesus have such ready access to teaching in the synagogue?

38.

From what did Jesus teach?

39.

Didn-'t everyone teach from the same source of authority? Why then the astonishment?

40.

How did the scribes teach without authority?

41.

When did the possessed man cry out? i.e. How soon?

42.

Why did the demon cry out?

43.

In what sense was the evil spirit unclean?

44.

In what sense could Jesus destroy the evil spirit? Aren-'t they immortal?

45.

Why did Jesus rebuke the evil Spirit? Wasn-'t the testimony of the demon true?

46.

What is meant by the expression tearing him?

47.

Who cried with a loud voice, the demon or the man?

48.

Why refer to casting out of the evil spirit as a teaching?

49.

Upon what basis was the popularity of Jesus built?

50.

Did Jesus have a home in Capernaum? Why go to the house of Simon and Andrew?

51.

Please note the miraculous elements in the raising of Peter's mother-in-law. List them.

52.

Why wait until the setting of the sun to bring the sick?

53.

What percent were healed?

54.

Why not let the demons speak?

COMMENT

TIMEThe incidents of this lesson are assigned by the best authorities to May A.D. 28, in the second year of the Lord's ministry. Mark does not adhere to the chronological order.
PLACEAt Capernaum, on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, a city of about 30,000 inhabitants, called the Lord's own city, because he made his earthly home there. It has disappeared so completely that even its site is unknown, some identifying it with the ruins of Tel Hum on the north, and others at Khan Minyeh on the west of the sea.
CONNECTING HISTORYAccording to Andrews the interval in the ministry of Christ between. the Baptism and the present section contains the following events:

January, A.D. 27. The fast in the wilderness and the temptation.

February, A.D. 27. Jesus returns from the wilderness of temptation to Bethabara, where John bears testimony to him (John 1:15-37).

February, A.D. 27. Here Jesus gains his first disciples, Philip, Andrew, and Peter, who belonged in Bethsaida of Galilee, and all return to Galilee (John 1:38-51).

March, A.D. 27. Jesus performs his first miracle at Cana (John 2:1-11).

March, A.D. 27. Goes to Capernaum for a few days (John 2:12-13).

April 11-18, A.D. 27. Goes to Jerusalem to the first passover of his public ministry.

April, A.D. 27. Drives the money-changers from the temple (John 2:14-25).

April, A.D. 27. Conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:1-21).

May to September, A.D. 27. Preaching and baptizing in Judea (John 4:2).

Autumn, A.D. 27. Driven from Judea by Pharisees, he leaves for Galilee (John 4:1-3).

December, A.D. 27. Going through Samaria, he talks with the woman by Jacob's well (John 4:4-42.) Heals nobleman's son (John 4:46-54).

January to March, A.D. 28. Period of retirement in Galilee. John the Baptist imprisoned (Matthew 4:12).

March 30 to April 5, A.D. 28. Attends Passover at Jerusalem. Cure of the impotent man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5).

April, A.D. 28. Returns to Galilee (Luke 4:14. Matthew 4:12); preaches at Nazareth, his early home; but being rejected there (Luke 4:16-32), he goes to Capernaum, where he makes his home (Matthew 4:12-17). Then follows the incident of our present study.

PARALLEL ACCOUNTSThe general view of Christ's ministry given (Mark 1:14-15) is related also in Matthew 4:17, and Luke 4:14-15. Then come in the accounts of his Galilean ministry found in John 4:46-54, followed by Luke 4:16-31. Mark 1:16-20 are reported in Matthew 4:18-22, Luke 5:1-11; and Mark 1:21-28 in Luke 4:31-37.

OUTLINE1. Teaching in the Synagogue. 2. The Unclean Spirit Cast Out. 3. The Great Healer at Work.

ANALYSIS

I.

TEACHING IN THE SYNAGOGUE. Mark 1:21-22.

1.

The Great Teacher in the Synagogue. Mark 1:21; Luke 4:33.

2.

Astonished at His Doctrine. Mark 1:22.

II.

THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT CAST OUT. Mark 1:23-28.

1.

The Man with the Unclean Spirit. Mark 1:23; Luke 4:34-35.

2.

The Demon Obeys His Voice, Mark 1:26-27; Luke 4:35.

3.

The People Amazed. Mark 1:27-28; Luke 4:36-37.

III.

THE GREAT HEALER AT WORK, Mark 1:29-34

1.

Heals in Peter's House. Mark 1:29-31; Matthew 8:14-15; Luke 4:38.

2.

The Multitudes Healed. Mark 1:32-34; Matthew 8:16-17; Luke 4:40.

INTRODUCTION

After a year's preparatory teaching, the Savior began the selection of the disciples who were to become his apostles, calling Simon and Andrew from their nets (Mark 1:16), also James and John from the same calling (Mark 1:17) and Matthew from his place at the receipt of custom in Capernaum. Following these incidents we have an account of how the Lord passed Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, in that city. Indeed, by comparing the other accounts we seem to have a full account of one day's ministry in the life of our Lord, and as there were no doubt many other days like it, it gives us a vivid picture of his work on earth.

EXPLANATORY NOTES

I. TEACHING IN THE SYNAGOGUEMark 1:21. And they went into Capernaum. Christ was now attended by the disciples whom he had just called from their nets and boats upon the sea of Galilee. (Henceforth, as long as his earthly ministry continues, they attend his footsteps. They were called upon a week day, while at work, and probably all came on Friday into Capernaum, in order to attend the synagogue service upon the Sabbath. It is well to keep in mind that the Lord, during his Galilean ministry, made Capernaum his home, as far as he had one on earth. Its position on the northwest coast of the sea enabled him to reach easily all the populous towns on its shores and all parts of Galilee. Brought up in Galilee, this was always his favorite portion of Palestine, and all his apostles but Judas, the traitor, were Galileans. Straightway on the Sabbath. On Saturday, the Jewish day of rest and worship. Our Lord born under the Law, kept the law of Moses blamelessly, was even circumcised, attended the feasts and observed the Jewish Sabbath, but at the same time proclaimed himself Lord of the Sabbath day. Entered the synagogue. This was our Lord's usual custom on the Sabbath and the apostle Paul in his missionary labors followed the same custom. It gave an opportunity to teach a Jewish audience. The synagogue. There is no mention of synagogues in the law of Moses, or in the prophets. They are supposed to have been introduced during the Captivity, on account of the need of special teaching, and to have been continued ever afterwards wherever Jews were found. As we sometimes use the word church to denote the congregation, and sometimes the building, so the word synagogue was sometimes used in this double sense. The arrangements of a Jewish congregation, as well as the construction of the synagogue, seem to have resembled those of a modern Christian church. The people in the front part of the building sat facing the pulpit or desk on a platform which was occupied by the reader or speaker. Behind the pulpit were ranged high seats of honor, chief seats, where the scribes and Pharisees loved to sit facing the people. A chest or ark was near the pulpit, in which the Scriptures of the Old Testament were deposited. From the pulpit the Scriptures were read; and the reader, or some other person, expounded, taught, or preached. Prayers were also offered; and at the close a solemn benediction was pronounced, and the people responded Amen, and dispersed. These exercises took place every (Saturday) Sabbath. And taught. It was the custom in the synagogue to invite members of the congregation or visitors of note to make remarks. It is obvious that in the synagogues of Palestine this was the safety-valve, the open sphere, the golden opportunity for any fresh teaching to ariseStanley. Christ preached in many synagogues, for there was always opportunity given to a distinguished Jewish teacher. Only once in the synagogue at Nazareth, Luke 4:16, is he represented as reading the Scriptural lesson. The reason of this is that the lesson was never read by a stranger but always by a member of the synagogue.

Mark 1:22. They were astonished at his doctrine. Never had such a teacher stood before them. There was no lifeless droning over dry traditions or idle ceremonies, but his teaching was fresh as the morning, original, going to the root of things, authoritative, and burning with Divine fire. It is not strange that the great Teacher whose doctrines have revolutionized the earth, astonished the audiences who listened to him in Judea and Galilee. Taught as one who had authority. He taught with the authority of one who knows all the facts and all their bearings. Being Divine he knew all about heaven and hell and the way there, all about God and the truths he had revealed to the Jews, and all his plans and purposes for his kingdom in the future. It was this perfect knowledge that gave him the authority with which he spoke, and gives superiority to the Bible over all philosophical systems and attempts at religious systems. He never was in doubt, nor had he ever to lean on the authority of others, because he knew all things. And not as the scribes. The scribes were the learned men of the Jewish nation, the men who had to do with letters. Almost all the writing that was required in the nation would be done by them; most of the reading, too. The transcribing of the Scriptures would devolve on them. Hence the interpretation of the Law and Prophets, in the synagogues, would devolve chiefly on them. They also engaged in idle discussion and differed among themselves.

II. THE UNCLEAN SPIRIT CAST OUTMark 1:23. A man with an unclean spirit. The address of the great Teacher was interrupted by a piteous cry of a demoniac. In the audience was a man with an unclean spirit. He had evidently remained silent until Jesus was nearly done, and then his cry arose. An unclean spirit. Some have held that the possession of unclean spirits and of demons was only a way of described epilepsy or lunacy. Abbot well says: That there is described here, not a case of physical and mental disease, but rather a real and actual possession of the soul by a fallen spirit is, I think, clear, both from the tenor of the narrative here, and from parallel passages in the New Testament. How could a lunatic know Christ to be the Holy One of God, when as yet he was unknown even to his disciples? How could he fear that Christ would destroy him, who came to heal the sufferer, but to destroy the Devil? How could lunacy be said to come out of him, or to cry with a loud voice? In order that I may add as much light as space will permit upon a difficult and controverted subject, I quote from Dean Alford and Dr. Clark, What was this demoniacal possession? But we may gather from the Gospel narrative some important ingredients for our description. The demoniac was one whose being was strangely interpenetrated by one or more of those fallen spirits, who are constantly asserted in Scripture (under the name of demons, evil spirits, unclean spirits, their chief being the Devil, or Satan) to be the enemies and tempters of the souls of men. He stood in a totally different position from the abandoned wicked man, who morally is given over to the Devil. This latter would be a subject for punishment, but the demoniac for deepest compassion. There appears to have been in him a double will and double consciousnesssometimes the cruel spirit thinking and speaking in him, sometimes his poor crushed self crying out to the Savior of men for mercy; a terrible advantage taken, and a personal realization, by the malignant powers of evil, of the fierce struggle between sense and conscience in the man of morally divided life. It has been not improbably supposed that some of these demoniacs may have arrived at their dreadful state through various progressive degrees of guilt and sensual abandonment. Lavish sin, and especially indulgence in sensual lusts, superinducing, as it would often, a weakness in the nervous system, which is the especial bond between body and soul, may have laid open these unhappy ones to the fearful incursions of the powers of darkness.Alford. To the frequent inquiry, How comes it that similar possessions do not occur at the present day? it may be answered: (1) It cannot be proved that they do not sometimes occur even now. It cannot be said that in many cases of insanity, and in some cases of spiritualism, the malady may not be traced to the direct agency of demons. (2) But, admitting that such possessions are not common, yet there was a reason in our Savior's day for the external manifestation of Satan's power. The crisis of the moral history of the world was at hand. The Devil was allowed to exercise unusual power in temptation on the souls and bodies of men, in order that Christ might meet him openly, and manifest his power in his victory over him. When God was manifested in the flesh, then demons may have been permitted to manifest themselves specially among men.Clark.

Mark 1:24. What have we to do with thee? The Savior had not, so far as appears, been formally interfering by any specific action; but his very presence on the scene was felt to be interference. There emanated from him, round about, an influence that went in upon men blissfully, counterworking all evil influences. The unclean spirit felt the power, and resented it as an interference,an interference, not with itself in particular, but with the entire circle of kindred spirits. What hast thou to do with us? Art thou come to destroy us? Note the us,Camest thou to destroy us? Is it the intent of thy mission to put down all demonic power? Note the word destroy. It has no reference to the annihilation of being. I know thee. Not as an acquaintance, but by fame and report. Earth has not recognized her King, has not seen him through his disguise; but heaven and hell alike bear witness unto him. The Holy One of God. Such is Christ, both morally and officially. This term expresses the character in which this being recognized his deadly enemy. Christ is the exact opposite of the unclean spirits, being holy, and producing holiness in others.

Mark 1:25. And Jesus rebuked. The original word is very peculiar, and strictly means rated. Our Savior chides the evil spirit. He never on any occasion gave any quarter to anything demonic. Hold thy peace. The word translated Hold thy peace is exceedingly graphic. Be muzzled. It is a word for a beast. He silences the devils, even when they spake the truth, lest he should seem to approve of witnesses who were liars by nature. It was to bring the truth itself into suspicion and discredit, when it was borne witness to by the spirit of lies. Come out of him. Two distinct personalities are here recognized. The demon is treated as a person as much as the man. The one was just as much a disease or a principle as the other, no more, and no less.

Mark 1:26. The unclean spirit had torn him. Thrown him into convulsions, Cried with a loud voice. The evil spirit seems to have resisted to the last obedience to the Master's command.

Mark 1:27. Amazed. questioned. Each turned to his neighbor in astonishment, to ask his opinion, Saying, What is this? New teaching with authority! And he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they obey him! Such is, apparently, the correct reading and rendering of the abrupt remarks which the astonished people made to one another.Morison. Doctrine is, as elsewhere, the teaching taken as a whole, including manner as well as substance.Ellicott. With authority. The authority with which he taught found its guaranty in the authority backed by power with which he forced the devils themselves to render obedience. Christ's cures differed from the pretences of the exorcists, just as his teaching did from that of the scribes.Godet.

Mark 1:28. His fame. Literally, the report of him. Spread abroad. Flew, as it were, on the wings of the wind, into all the surrounding district of Galilee.

III. THE GREAT HEALER AT WORK.Mark 1:29. And forthwith. The day's work was not nearly ended. As soon as they left the synagogue, the Lord comes in contact with a case of suffering. Entered the house of Simon Peter, Peter and Andrew now lived in Capernaum, though their former home had been at Bethsaida.

Mark 1:30. Simon Peter's wife's mother. Peter, though the Romanists claim him as the first of the Popes, was a married man. Many years after this, Paul (1 Corinthians 9:3) speaks of Peter as then having a wife and traveling with him. Lay sick of a fever. Malarious fevers of a malignant type are common in the vicinity of Capernaum. In the very imperfect medical language of that day, fevers were simply divided into little and great fevers. Luke, who was a physician, characterizes this as a great fever. That she was entirely prostrated by it, is evident by the language here, laid and sick of a fever.Abbott. The quantity of marshy land in the neighborhood, especially at the entrance of the Jordan into the lake, has made fever of a very malignant type at times the characteristic of the locality,Geikie.

Mark 1:31. He came. Observe all the graphic touches in this verse: the Lord (1) went to the sufferer, (2) took her by the hand, (3) lifted her up, and (4) the fever, rebuked by the Lord of life (Luke 4:39), left her and (5) she began to minister unto them.

Mark 1:32. And at Even, when the sun did set, i.e., the close of the sabbath, which, amongst the Jews, ended with the setting sun. There are two reasons why the time should be thus specified. (1) It was natural that the sick should be brought in the cool of the evening, rather than in the scorching heat of the afternoon. (2) It was the sabbath, and the feeling which made the Pharisees question the lawfulness of a man's carrying the bed on which he had been lying (John 5:10) on the sabbath, would probably have deterred the friends of the sick from bringing them as long as it lasted. They brought to him. The news that he was in the city, and of his healing power had not time to spread. All that were diseased. The term diseased in its current modern acceptation, is perhaps a trifle too strong to represent the import of the original expression; but when looked at etymologically, dis-eased, that is sundered from ease, or ill at ease, and thus unwell, it is all that could be desired. Possessed with devils. With demons or evil spirits. It is no doubt a correct enough description; but the word devil or devils is never used in the original, when demoniacs are spoken of. It is always the word demon or demons, or the generic term spirit or spirits.

Mark 1:33. All the city. The effect was to rouse and gather the entire population of the city, to obtain healing for themselves or friends, or at least to see and hear the new teacher. At the door, of Peter's house where Jesus was.

Mark 1:34. He healed many... cast out many devils. Jesus came as the great Healer. Disease is the result, the outgrowth, the representative, of sin; and Christ's healing of the maladies of the body is an exhibition of his power and willingness to heal the maladies of the soul.Dean Howson. Matthew says (Mark 8:17) that here was fulfilled the prophecy which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses (Isaiah 53:4-5). How did he bear the infirmities of the sick? Not literally. He removed them from others, but did not become diseased himself. Neither in removing sins from others does he become stricken with sin himself. Suffered not the devils to speak. The reasons for this prohibition are suggested in the comments on Mark 1:25.

FACT QUESTIONS 1:21-34

51.

What advantage was there in making Capernaum His headquarters during His Galilean ministry?

52.

Why attend the synagogue?

53.

When did the synagogue originate? In what two senses is the word synagogue used? How does this relate to the word church?

54.

Why didn-'t Christ read the lesson in the synagogues?

55.

Did the manner or the content astonish those in the synagogue?

56.

Was the man with the unclean spirit in the assembly or did he run in from the outside?

57.

Is demon possession just another way of describing insanity? Explain.

58.

Give one thought each from Clark and Abbott as quoted here.

59.

Why was the evil spirit so unhappy with Christ?

60.

Why did Christ rebuke the evil spirit?

61.

Is there some difference in the amazement here and that spoken of in Mark 1:21?

62.

How could Peter be the first Pope and yet have a wife?

63.

What type of fever is here mentioned?

64.

How did so many folk know of the whereabouts of Jesus?

65.

Read Isaiah 53:4-5 and show its fulfillment here.

SIDELIGHTS

1. Teaching with authority. Whoever knows any subject can teach it with authority. Some men are authorities on science, some on literature, some on medicine: because they know more about these subjects than others do. But Christ is the only one who has ever been into the other world, and returned to this; and therefore he is authority upon the future life. He knows the final result of sin, and the glory of heaven, and the way to it. And because he is divine, and knows all things, there can be no mistake about what he says: he speaks with perfect authority.P.

2. Synagogue worship. I attended the Jewish worship at Jerusalem, and was struck with the accordance of the ceremonies with those mentioned in the New Testament. The sacred roll was brought from the chest or closet where it was kept; it was handed by an attendant to the reader; a portion of it was rehearsed; the congregation rose and stood while it was read, whereas the speaker, and all others present, sat during the delivery of the address which formed a part of the service.H. B. Hackett.

3. Devils Bearing Witness.They were ready to speak because they knew his nature and work. The mere belief of the facts and doctrines of Christianity will never save our souls. The devils believe, and tremble. Let us take heed that ours is a faith of the heart as well as of the head. The life of Christianity, says Luther, consists in possessive pronouns. It is one thing to say, Christ is a Savior, it is quite another to say, Christ is my Savior and my Lord. The devil can say the first: the true Christian alone can say the second.Ryle.

LESSONS

1. The true way to keep God's holy day is to follow Christ to church; to rest from labors and to worship in the sanctuary.
2. We should have such an experience of religion that we may be able to speak to men with authority.
3. We can trust Christ perfectly, because all he says is with the authority of one who knows.
4. It is safe to follow one who has power over the principalities and powers of evil.
5. Every disciple of Christ should be a helper and a healer. He should minister to the afflicted, whether in body or mind. He should cast out unclean spirits by the power of the love of Christ.

POINTS FOR TEACHERS

There are two great thoughts in this lesson, and both concentrate in Christ. First, Christ, the Great Teacher, and second, Christ, the Great Healer. Note 1. How he teaches by example; he is in the house of worship on God's holy day; 2. he leads his disciples there; 3. Observe him teaching, (1) in solid earnest, (2) no idle speculation, (3) he teaches what he knows. 4. Hence he teaches with authority. What we know we can teach with authority. His was the authority of absolute knowledge; we can teach with the authority of faith. He next appears as the Great Physician who heals not only sicknesses but sins. Observe (1) He healed a dear friend of his disciples (Mark 1:29-31), as he is glad to heal those we love, if we bring them to him. (2) Then he healed great multitudes (Mark 1:32-34), showing the nature of his religion to heal and to help. We should note also that Christ refused the aid, testimony or any compromise with devils, and we should learn by his example (1) never to compromise with sin, (2) to decline all aid tendered by the devil, or in his name, (3) seek to overcome the devil and all his works.