Why Jesus Should Have Absolute Authority in My Life?

All of us have a source of authority in our lives that will determine how we think and live. For some it is reason—I live the way I live because I think. For others it is experience—I live the way I live because I feel. Still others rely on tradition—I live the way I live because we have always done it this way. Finally, someone might look to revelation for their authority—I live the way I live because God says so.

For those of us whose authority is revelation, we understand it to take the form of a proposition and a person—a written Word and a living Word. The written Word we call the Bible. The living Word we know as Jesus. One we love. The other we love and worship. The written Word points us to the living Word, and that One has the right to demand complete and absolute lordship in our lives.

Why should Jesus have absolute lordship in your life? Mark 1:21-28 provides two of many reasons.

Because of His Teachings

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Mark 1:21-22, 27

Taking along His new followers, Jesus goes to Capernaum. It was located on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, a freshwater lake, seven miles wide and 13 miles long, teeming with fish. Capernaum was a significant port in Jesus’ day with a mixed population of Jews, Gentiles, and Roman soldiers and officials. It was well situated for Jesus to employ as a base while He traveled throughout the region of Galilee evangelizing. Immediately upon His arrival, things kick into action. He begins to teach the crowds, and they learn several things about this new teacher.

His Teachings Are Astonishing (Mark 1:21-22)

Jesus began to teach on the Sabbath, the Jewish day of worship that ran from sundown on Friday to the same on Saturday. His setting was the Jewish synagogue. Analogous to a local church building in our day, the synagogue was an assembly hall where the Scriptures were read and taught. There was only one temple—in Jerusalem—but synagogues were established wherever 10 or more Jewish males, 13 years of age or older, lived. The Jews used them for worship, education, and community gatherings. Their origin can probably be traced to the Babylonian exile in 586 bc.

Mark tells us nothing about the content of Jesus’ teaching in this passage. Mark’s focus is the One who is teaching, His authority, and the astonishing response of the hearers. The listeners were amazed and alarmed. His teachings were disturbing in their very nature. Today we might say, “They were blown away!”

His Teachings Are with Authority (Mark 1:22, 27)

The people immediately saw a contrast between the teachings of Jesus and those of “the scribes.” The scribes, also called “teachers of the law,” were skilled in the exposition of the Torah, the law of Moses. This muchrespected and celebrated group of scholars traced their origin back to Ezra (Ezra 7:6, 11). Later called “rabbis,” they could render binding judgment on the interpretation of the law. They “combined the offices of Torah professor, teacher and moralist, and civil lawyer, in that order. Their erudition and prestige reached legendary proportion by the first century, surpassing on occasions that of the high priest” (Edwards, Mark, 54). Many were Pharisees, though there were also Sadducees and priests among them. The Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court, was made up mostly of scribes.

26Thus, these men were greatly respected—the religious elite—and it was an honor to sit under their instruction. However, they stood in opposition to Jesus and His ministry. Jesus will not challenge the legitimacy of their office, but He will call out their legalism, hypocrisy, and pride.

If some persons fear that they are too bad to be saved, this group ran the risk of believing that they were so good they did not need to be saved! This is a danger those raised in a highly religious context always face.

Mark is careful to contrast the authority of Jesus with the scribes’ lack thereof (vv. 22, 27). The scribes derived their authority from the “tradition of men” (see 7:8-13). By quoting the fathers of Judaism, they rested on the famous and respected teachers who had preceded them.

Not so with Jesus. Like the prophets His authority came directly from God, His Father (1:11). Lane says, “Jesus’ word, presented with a sovereign authority, which permitted neither debate nor theoretical reflection, confronted the congregation with the absolute claim of God upon their whole person” (Lane, Mark, 72). The One who brings the teaching that astonishes and has authority is Himself the Christ, the Son of God. He has the right not only to decide what is true but also to demand a decision. Note Mark’s second compelling argument for the complete lordship of Christ.

Because of His Power over Demons

Mark 1:23-28

There is “a man with an unclean spirit.” The more usual term for “unclean spirit” is “demon” (used 63 times in the New Testament). Who or what is a demon? They could be (1) the spirits of a pre-Adamic evil race, (2) the spirits of evil men, (3) the product of angels cohabitating with women in Genesis 6:1-4, or (4) fallen angels. This fourth option is the most likely. Mark calls them “unclean spirits” 11 times and “demons” 13 times.

What else can we know about demons? (1) From Revelation 12:4, it seems that one-third of the angels fell with Satan in his rebellion against God. (2) Some are now free to roam (Mark 1:21-34). (3) Some will still be free during the tribulation (Rev 9:13-19). (4) Others are confined now, never to roam freely (2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6). (5) They are powerful personalities, though not omnipotent (Mark 1:24). (6) Their activity may have increased during the time of Christ, and it will do so again in the coming end time (see Rev 6-19). (7) They are set up under Satan’s control (Eph 6:11-12), probably in rank and possibly in geography (Dan 10:10-12). (8) They have authority and can promote disunity, propagate false doctrine, inflict disease, cause27 mental difficulties, and hinder Christian growth. (9) Demons can oppress but not possess believers.

So here is a demon-possessed man in, of all places, a house of worship! If this demon made his way into the first-century synagogue, we should not assume that our own churches are beyond their reach.

Demons Recognize Him (Mark 1:23-24)

Upon seeing Jesus, the demon cries out, “What do You have to do with us, Jesus—Nazarene? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” The demon recognizes Jesus in terms of His humanity and His deity: the “Nazarene” and “the Holy One of God.” Even the demons stand in awe of the God Man!

The demon is chiefly concerned with Jesus’ intentions. “Us” may refer to multiple demons in the man or to the demonic realm as a whole. In either case he recognizes the threat that Jesus is to their authority and power. “Come to destroy” may be a declaration instead of a question. They understand more clearly than humans that the Son of God’s coming is a decisive moment in history. It spells their doom!

Confessing Jesus as the “Holy One of God” is perhaps an attempt to gain some power over Jesus by claiming to know His name. It is more likely, however, a recognition of His deity, His sonship, and the great antithesis that exists between an unholy, unclean spirit and the Holy One of God.

Referring to Jesus, demoniacs use language such as “Holy One of God” (1:24), “Son of God” (3:11), and “Son of the Most High God” (5:7). In contrast many of the ordinary sick whom Jesus healed referred to Him more in terms of His humanity: “Lord” (7:8), “Teacher” (9:17), “Son of David” (10:47-48), and “Master” (10:51). It’s not that these latter titles were incorrect, but the demons had remarkable theology and a view of Jesus’ identity that is frequently loftier than our own.

The kingdom of God goes head-to-head with the forces of evil at the first public ministry of the Son of God. It is a “no contest” event with an immediate and devastating knockout! The “binding of the strong man” has begun (3:27). The demons are forced to acknowledge, grudgingly, what the Father declared in verse 11!

Demons Obey Him (Mark 1:25-28)

Knowing that the demon recognizes Him, Jesus issues a direct command. “Be quiet.” It is an imperative, an unqualified rebuke, as though Jesus were saying, “Shut up; muzzle it!” Again He commands, “Come out!” It only takes28 a few direct words from an absolute authority! No spell or incantation is necessary. He says the word and they obey.

The demon immediately convulsed, cried out, and came out just as the Lord said. The people were “all amazed” (“all” is emphatic in the Greek) and asked, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” As a result, His fame spread everywhere—not just around Galilee but to surrounding regions! People were hearing the good news of the kingdom everywhere.

Conclusion

The disturbance of men and demons by the Servant King of God has begun. Life will never be the same! Demons are expelled, and broken people are made whole. This is God’s kingdom. This is what the great King can do. This is why He should have absolute authority in your life, my life, and every life.

Reflect and Discuss

1. Other than revelation, which source of authority—reason, experience, or tradition—exerts the most influence in your life?
2. How is the respect we show for the Bible, the written Word of God, different from the worship we owe to Jesus, the living Word of God?
3. Which teachings of Jesus do you find astonishing?
4. How can a person show respect for a teacher or preacher of the Bible while still examining the Scriptures to verify their message (Acts 17:11)?
5. What are the advantages to being raised in a “good, Christian home”? What are the disadvantages?
6. What are the limits on the authority of a pastor? How are these limits enforced?
7. What examples of evil are “natural” and what are demonic? What evidence have you heard of or seen that demons are active in the country where you live?
8. Why would demons have better theology than some people?
9. What does Jesus’ absolute authority over demons mean for us today? How can it affect your life?
10. In what ways can demonstrations of the authority of Jesus be used to spread the gospel today?