What if you could witness the beginnings of a ministry that would change the world forever? Join us as we explore the early days of Jesus' mission in Capernaum, focusing on the profound impact of His teachings and the calling of His first disciples—Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, and John. We'll walk you through the vibrant fishing village of Capernaum, understanding its cultural and historical significance, and the crucial role it played as Jesus' base of operations. Discover the profound astonishment of the people as they encountered Jesus' teachings in the Capernaum synagogue on the Sabbath—a day of rest and community gathering for Torah discussion.
How did Jesus' teachings stand out from other rabbis of His time? This episode delves into the unrivaled authority and firsthand experiences that Jesus brought to His ministry, leaving His audience in awe. We also tackle the challenges He faced, including the direct confrontation with sin and spiritual battles, exemplified by a dramatic encounter with a man possessed by an unclean spirit. As we continue, we emphasize the importance of developing a genuine, heartfelt trust in Jesus, drawing from our life experiences and the endurance He demonstrated through His love and sacrifice. Conclude with a heartfelt prayer, seeking God's guidance in strengthening our faith and trust in Jesus.
What if you could witness the beginnings of a ministry that would change the world forever? Join us as we explore the early days of Jesus' mission in Capernaum, focusing on the profound impact of His teachings and the calling of His first disciples—Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, and John. We'll walk you through the vibrant fishing village of Capernaum, understanding its cultural and historical significance, and the crucial role it played as Jesus' base of operations. Discover the profound astonishment of the people as they encountered Jesus' teachings in the Capernaum synagogue on the Sabbath—a day of rest and community gathering for Torah discussion.
How did Jesus' teachings stand out from other rabbis of His time? This episode delves into the unrivaled authority and firsthand experiences that Jesus brought to His ministry, leaving His audience in awe. We also tackle the challenges He faced, including the direct confrontation with sin and spiritual battles, exemplified by a dramatic encounter with a man possessed by an unclean spirit. As we continue, we emphasize the importance of developing a genuine, heartfelt trust in Jesus, drawing from our life experiences and the endurance He demonstrated through His love and sacrifice. Conclude with a heartfelt prayer, seeking God's guidance in strengthening our faith and trust in Jesus.
Speaker 1:
Mark, chapter 1, verse 21 is where we'll start. Well, ish, ish, how about that? All right, so last time we saw the calling of the 12, and it sort of begins the instructing of Jesus' band of disciples or followers. They're a group and we'll see them throughout the book. They're just going to get to learn from Jesus. How amazing is that Kind of backing up to verse 16,. We see this all go down and I want you to kind of see something here.
Speaker 1:
In verse 16, as Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, his brother, casting them into the sea. For they and they's kind of the word I want to look at here for they were fishermen. Jesus said to them follow me and I will make you become fishers of men. They verse 18, immediately left their nets and followed him. When he had gone a little further from there, he saw James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, who were also in the boat mending their nets, and immediately he called them and they left their father, zebedee, in the boat with the hired servants and went after him. So the they here is the disciples, here is the disciples, specifically Andrew, peter, that's Simon, james and John. They went after Jesus. So they're with him. And verse 21,. Then we read then they went to Capernaum and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught as one having authority, not as the scribes. So the they, here is the disciples, we could add the other ones that we know are also likely with them, all of the 12. And they are following Jesus and they are in Capernaum. Right, we see that in verse 22. They're in Capernaum.
Speaker 1:
The city of Capernaum is right there around the Sea of Galilee, really a lake, freshwater lake. Capernaum means city of Nahum, so likely it was tied there to the prophet Nahum. It's on the Sea of Galilee. It's a pretty little place, for sure. It's a small fishing village and it enjoyed a good relationship with Rome, kind of a solid mix of Jews and Romans living together. Now, they weren't always at peace necessarily. We had people who opposed the Roman Empire, like Simon the Zealot, and we had people that worked for the Roman Empire, like Matthew the tax collector. But there they were busy little life, catching fish to feed the surrounding area.
Speaker 1:
Capernaum, we read it here, would become kind of a base of operations for Jesus' early ministry. It seems it's possible he stayed at the house of Peter. Peter's house comes into play a couple times in the gospel account. At one point they'll dig a hole in Peter's roof. I'm sure he wasn't too happy about that to let a guy down in front of Jesus. But there they are in Capernaum. It's kind of the base of operations for Jesus' new ministry and his teaching ministry there to his disciples.
Speaker 1:
Well, notice verse 21. They're in Capernaum and it's on the Sabbath day, aka Saturday, we would say. Right, it's the seventh day, the special day set about by God way back in the book of Genesis, as God created the heavens and the earth. Six days could have done it in one flash, right, he could have just created all. But in six days God created the heavens and the earth. And on the seventh day God rested, not because he was tired but to set this precedence that we need to rest. God even gives a command later on to keep the Sabbath day holy, a day of rest. It's funny that God would have to command us to rest. But there it is. It was a day of rest to kind of refresh your body from six days of working and to refresh your soul from six days of life, right. So on the seventh day, on the Sabbath, they were to have no customary, usual work. You were just to rest, commanded by God, rest and refresh your body and your spirit. So here they are, notice in verse 21,. On the Sabbath day, he entered the synagogue.
Speaker 1:
Now, synagogue is something that we don't have much to do with. It's a Jewish idea, but the word just means gathering, right. So we get it right. It's just a gathering of people. So you could have a synagogue with 10 males over the age of 15. You could start a gathering, a synagogue, and so in this area there were probably a few of them, but Jesus puts a stamp of approval on it this gathering of people to refresh their souls. And there they are, and Jesus is there.
Speaker 1:
Now the way it would work there in the synagogue, was that really just whoever was there, any, any male, could lead, uh, in that situation, and they would just get together and they would consider God's word, the law, the Torah, and, and they would talk it over, they would discuss it, they would read a verse, they would discuss it, and from time to time, there would be those that would come through, teachers, who would stop by and just share a word. And Paul kind of benefited from this in his ministry. You remember there. He would go from town to town. He would go into a synagogue. They'd go oh, you're a teacher, you're a rabbi, go ahead and say a few words if you'd like, and Paul would get up and he would share about Jesus, right? Well, jesus here is doing the same thing. He's a teacher, itinerant teacher, preacher there, and Jesus goes into the synagogue and he is able to teach them.
Speaker 1:
In verse 22, it says and they were just astonished at his teaching because he taught with authority. The word astonished is kind of picturesque. It's kind of the idea of the mouth to the ground. You're kind of in awe, you're just kind of the idea of the mouth to the ground. You know, you're kind of in awe, you just kind of. It's kind of that idea in the cartoons. I like to reference Looney Tunes, I grew up with it. Right, it's that idea in the cartoons, when somebody gets hit on the head and the little birds are flying around their head and they just go. Right, that's astonished here. So, as Jesus is teaching them, they just go wow, wow, this is different. He's teaching with authority. What does that mean? Well, it's not like the scribes and the Pharisees. That's what authority is. It's the opposite of how the scribes and the Pharisees, the religious leaders, taught. Now check it out, the religious leaders.
Speaker 1:
When they would teach, they're probably like most of us. They didn't like to just, you know, put the information out there. They like to drop names. Right, if they were going to teach, they would say well, it's like Rabbi Hillel said, let me drop a name. Rabbi Hillel said this, that and the other thing. Oh, rabbi Shema said this. And you drop a name and you go ooh, that's a big name, right? Sometimes we do that, don't we? You know? And they would do that left and right. They'd say well, it's like the words of Abraham. They wouldn't say that, well, abraham, maybe, but not Abraham Lincoln, and that's what they did.
Speaker 1:
Well, jesus comes in, and Jesus, we know, shares things with authority. He would say well, it is written, this is what God says. He would say things from personal firsthand experience. Right, luke, chapter 10, verse 18,. Just imagine this as Jesus is teaching, he says I saw Satan fall like lightning. Well, not too many people can say I, I saw Satan fall like lightning. But Jesus' firsthand experience says this is what it was like when Satan fell. I was there, I saw it and people were astonished by that. One of the sweetest things that we see this in is John, chapter 14. You could read John chapter 14, verse 1, anytime you want.
Speaker 1:
Jesus says to his disciples let not your heart be troubled. Sounds good. You believe in God, believe also in me. Now check this out First-hand experience. Jesus says in my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself. That, where I am there, you may be also. And we look at that. Jesus is talking about heaven and he says in my Father's house there's many dwelling places. Guys, I seen it right, there's a place for you, I'm going to prepare a place and if I go, I'll come again. And it's firsthand experience. And as people heard Jesus talk like this, their mouth just fell open. Like us, right? You just go. Wow, that's amazing. Is that really what heaven is like? Yeah, authority.
Speaker 1:
Now Jesus also spoke with authority when it came to things like sin and the lies of the world. In John, chapter five, he talked to a man who was at one point crippled, who he healed, and he said to him now go and sin no more, lest something worse happen to you. So he tells a man flat out turn away from your sin. The woman caught in the act of adultery, he says the same thing you go and sin no more, stop sinning. That's authority. In Matthew 23, jesus faces off with the scribes and the Pharisees, the religious leaders, and he calls them whitewashed tombs. Right, he calls them filled with dead men's bones. He calls them filled with dead man's bones, you hypocrites, right, that's authority. No-transcript. Ah, you know, and that's the authority that Jesus had.
Speaker 1:
He called people on their sin, and we don't do that so much nowadays. Right, we don't necessarily have a firsthand account in ourselves, obviously, of heaven, but we also don't like to call people on their sin. Right, it's not trendy these days, it's, you know, prejudice, it's intolerant, puritanical, right. And so we get a little nervous, calling sin what it is that you know, we're afraid to say well, it's not a fetus, it's a life, right. We're afraid to say that proudly coming out as gay is not admirable, it's an abomination. Or maybe to another side we say greed isn't good, it's selfishness, lust isn't justified, it's sin. Evil is against God. And to say that we're at war with God, we don't like to say that very much. We like the good stuff. Well, you want to go to heaven? Go to heaven, trust Jesus.
Speaker 1:
But the idea of sin keeping us from that and that we're all sinners and need to repent and turn, we don't like to use that kind of authority. Well, jesus in love spoke all of that truth and it blew people away. So imagine, as you're sitting there listening to him. Maybe he's talking about sin. Maybe he's saying something like don't trust in your heritage. To save you, you have to be part of the kingdom of God. Maybe he's talking about heaven and everybody is just sweetly listening and going are you serious? Is that what heaven is really like? And as he's doing this, we get an interruption, verse 23.
Speaker 1:
Now there was a man in the synagogue with an unclean spirit, a nasty, defiled, dirty spirit is what that idea perverted spirit. And he cried out saying now picture it, let us alone. What have we to do with you, jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God. As people are listening and going, wow, wow, have you ever heard anything like that? They're just in awe.
Speaker 1:
This guy croaks up, and that's that word cry their means. It's screaming so loud that you can kind of like taste the blood. You know what I mean. It's like it's what a demon would do to a person. This unclean spirit, just in the middle of Jesus talking, cries out with a loud voice what do I do with you? And we look at this and we go okay, that's pretty intense, right. I'm sure most of the people there went whoa, whoa, easy, buddy, what's going on? That shock and probably, though we can look at it, the battle that there is right, good and evil, the spiritual realm around us we could look at that. But that's not really the most amazing thing here. Think about this for a second. That's not really the most amazing thing here. Think about this for a second. That's not really the most amazing thing that evil exists, that demons are real. The most amazing thing maybe to us should be what is this guy doing in church? You know what I mean, and we don't know how long he's been there, but we could maybe think for years this guy sat there and didn't have a problem at all with anything Right. And here he is. I mean, we don't read. You know the guy was new. You know everybody just goes whoa, what's wrong with George, you know? Or whatever. And he croaks out as Jesus is sharing the truth.
Speaker 1:
How is it possible for a person to hang out in church and be demon possessed? Now check it out. A demon possessed person can go to church. There's obviously, we know, nothing special about a building. You know there's nothing special about this time.
Speaker 1:
Necessarily, a person could be demon possessed in a church. Now, I don't believe. I know the Bible is pretty clear. A Christian cannot be demon possessed. A Christian cannot be demon possessed. A believer cannot be demon possessed because as a believer, you're filled with the Holy Spirit, you have the Holy Spirit living inside of you and he's not going to share an apartment with a demon. Right, light and darkness can't coexist at the same time. So a believer cannot be demon-possessed. But it's altogether possible for a demon-possessed person to be in the gathering. Now, I'm not saying that about anybody here. I'm pretty sure we're good right, but it's altogether possible for a demon-possessed person to hang out sadly in church and be okay with that. I could almost say I could say. I could definitely say it's possible for a possessed person to lead a church, right, a gathering, it's possible, right.
Speaker 1:
But here this guy is in all these these years. Maybe we could guess he's heard little Bible studies and maybe he's sung some songs, he's had a few donuts, you know, and yet nothing really bothered him until Jesus came in the building. And that's pretty crazy. If we can go that long any amount of time and not be affected by it, that might be a picture of where the church might be today. It was then.
Speaker 1:
But there this guy just pipes up and he cries out did you come to destroy us? I know who you are Interesting. Demons know who Jesus is Before anybody else in the story knows who Jesus is. The demons know who Jesus is. That's information, but no change of life. Right, they know about the judgment to come. Say you come to destroy us? Well, eventually, yes, but not like that right now. They got plenty information but they have no faith. Like James says, the demons believe and shudder, but they're not changed. They don't have faith. We see that here Now.
Speaker 1:
It's kind of anticlimactic. I guess you could say here's how Jesus deals with it. But Jesus rebuked him saying be quiet and come out of him. Man, that wouldn't make a good movie, would it? You know, in the movies it's like this wrestling match. I said come out, come out, you evil, vile. And there's this conversation that goes on. There's this chasing back and forth of demons, exorcisms, stuff like that. Jesus here says be quiet. Now, not too many youngsters in here we can say At this point Jesus literally says shut up, we don't let our kids say that. But Jesus says it here to the demon Shut up and get out, shut your mouth and get out of here and guess what the demon listens. And guess what the demon listens. Now that's power, right, that's authority. You know authority wouldn't beat Jesus in this cosmic struggle with this demon, hours later trying to get the demon out. You know he just says be quiet and get out of here. And that really is to show his power and his authority.
Speaker 1:
Notice verse 26, how easily it all goes down. And when the spirit had convulsed him, he cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. So the demon here is kind of being a little punk. You know, like a kid that gets kicked out of class in school. You know like a kid that gets kicked out of class in school, you know, on the way out kicks the desk over or something and slams the door. You know that's pretty much what the demon's doing here. It's like I'm believing but I'm not happy about it. It convulses the guy because Satan will always love to kill, steal and destroy the things of God and screams and the demon's gone just like that. And we do see here Jesus' authority. Authority over unclean spirits is where we start, and Jesus demonstrates that rather well Now look in verse 27.
Speaker 1:
Then they were all amazed. So they questioned among themselves, saying what is this? What new doctrine or teaching is this? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him and immediately his fame spread throughout the region around Galilee. So they were amazed here, and the word amazed means to be gripped with fear. That's kind of where they came to on this, as Jesus deals with this demon and they go whoa, this is no average guy. They're amazed, gripped with fear, they're shaking a little bit right. When you really come into the presence of God's greatness like this, there's got to be some fear, because we're just human beings and here Jesus, just no problem, deals with this evil. Well, they saw it and they were amazed. Here's the they, it's they all here, it's all the people in the synagogue, all of them. But you know what? This is crazy.
Speaker 1:
The people in Capernaum saw so many miracles from Jesus. They saw him heal people. A little later they're going to bring the whole town's, going to come to Peter's door and Jesus is going to heal them all. And you go, wow, that's amazing. Healing, wow, casting out unclean spirits. That's crazy and amazing. But the bottom line for Capernaum in the end Jesus leaves there and says you know, if these kind of works were done in Sodom and Gomorrah, they would have repented. You have not. So the crazy thing about the city of Capernaum is they saw everything and they didn't change.
Speaker 1:
So who else is part of this? They it's the original, they we talked about. It's Jesus' disciples. His followers and his disciples are just amazed at this power that Jesus has and they would see over and over again Jesus' authority over evil spirits, authority over sickness. A little later, authority over defilement like leprosy we'll see in just a few studies authority over sin and eventually his disciples would see Jesus' authority over death and step by step, throughout life, his disciples would know who Jesus was. Now they're pretty thick, thick in the head, like we all are, and they're a little slow and Jesus will call them on that a couple of times. How long do I have to be with you? And yet you don't believe. You know, but they're gonna get it. They're gonna understand a little by little the authority of jesus, the character of jesus, the power of of jesus and john chapter 2, which is actually before this chronologically. They saw and they believed him. It obviously was just a little bit of belief at that point. They grew in their belief.
Speaker 1:
But that's kind of the purpose of life as a disciple, as a follower of Jesus. Jesus takes us through these issues and you know it's kind of crazy when you're like God, I'll follow you, and the first thing you see is an unclean spirit. You know it's kind of crazy when you're like God, I'll follow you, and the first thing you see is an unclean spirit. You know it's kind of one of those things like you know, if it were me in school, you know you're going to learn something and the first thing is a demon. You go, you know, maybe I'll do something else with my life. You know it's pretty harsh right To first off experience evil like that, but it's the education that his disciples had, and if we're going to follow Jesus, life is going to include opportunity after opportunity to trust God, trust him in all areas of life, and, you know, maybe once we figure out one point, we jump right to another one.
Speaker 1:
There's always some education here for us as Jesus' disciples, that we wouldn't just have the information, but that we really do trust him. And when we finally get there when this house that Jesus was talking about filled with many dwelling places when we finally get there, we actually know him. I know him. I've experienced you through the ups and the downs, and the joys and the hurts and all these things. I've experienced you, and I've learned to trust you just a little bit more every day. And it's not just thought, it's real faith, and I think that's what Jesus is working in his disciples, and that's, of course, what he wants to work in us as well. God, education can be hard if we're really going to learn things in our heart.
Speaker 1:
God, I just thank you, though, that you are the good shepherd. You are the good physician. You know exactly what we need in our life. You know what we can handle. God, you haven't placed us in the places that we're in. To fail, necessarily, but, god, to know you better. God, you want to be strong on our behalf. God, you want us to put all our weight on you. God, you want us to know you as a provider, a comforter, strong enough to take care of even the most defiled demon. God, you're that good and we want to know you personally. God, help us to run with endurance the race set before us that we would look unto you. Author and finisher of our faith. Joy set before and endure the cross. God, help us to look to you and your amazing of our faith Joy set before him. Endured the cross. God, help us to look to you and your amazing love for us. God help us in these things. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.