JESUS’ AUTHORITY:

Jesus cast out demons with His usual ministry of preaching and teaching the Gospel. Mark chapter one verse twenty-one and following, exemplifies Jesus’ teaching with authority in the synagogue and going about expelling evil spirits throughout Galilee.  In conjunction with performing miracles of healing, provisions, governing the powers of nature, and raising the dead, He exercised His authority over demonic spirits. The way in which He dealt with demons was an essential and remarkable part of His ministry.  He pooled His casting out of demons with His teaching in public places.  Read Mark 1:21-26—The story when Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit.

21 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. 23 And 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.” 25 But 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.

Observe several important points below that occurred:

• Jesus demonstrated the superiority of His Kingdom over the kingdom of Satan. (Luke 4:43, Matt 12:28, Mark 1:15). His ministry is our greatest example of what believers should be doing to build the Kingdom. Jesus spent three years teaching about The Kingdom of God, demonstrating it with power, and training others to follow in His footsteps.  Yeshua Ha Mashiach”, or Yeshua the Anointed One had come and had proven the superiority of the Kingdom of God over the forces of darkness by healing and delivering people from unclean spirits.
• The man was a regular member of the synagogue and perhaps he was one of the Scribes or Pharisees. As seen in Matthew 8:16 and Mark 1:39, Jesus delivered the ordinary religious Jews from demons.  During this time period, primarily observant Jews met every Sabbath in the synagogue and spent the rest of the week caring for their families, tending their fields, fishing at sea, and minding their shops. These people were mainly “normal,” respectable, religious people.  Yet, some were physically sick and/or spiritually oppressed by demonic influences.  Yes, Jesus cast may demons out of your ordinary, everyday folks.  Today, how many are serving and working in the church and still need some form of deliverance?
• Jesus opposed the demon, not the man. He was not embarrassed by the powerful manifestations, interruptions, and/or disturbances. He was not afraid of the convulsions, crying out, wriggling on the ground, gagging, tearing, coughing, frothing or foaming at the mouth, etc.  He told those demons to be muzzled and He cast them out!  Dealing with the demon was part of His total ministry.  Many of us would have called for security and ushered or dragged that man right out of the church. However, Jesus expelled the demon from the man, not the man from the synagogue/church.
• The demon spoke in both singular and plural forms (I, we, and us, see verse 24). Also, see Mark 5:9 when the unclean spirits in the man used the same form of speech: “My name is Legion; for we are many.” “Did you come to destroy us?  History alludes that a “legion” of first-century Roman soldiers consisted of nearly 6,000. It is difficult to comprehend that a large number of unclean spirits ranging from the weakest to the strongest tormenting one man.  It is alarming to think of the horrors this man experienced day and night as thousands of unclean spirits tormented him.  (To grasp the characteristics of a legion see Matt. 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39).
• The demons recognized the authority of Jesus and were subject to Him. They begged Him to leave them alone because they were not bothering Him. They even called Him by name stating, “I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God,” and identified His place of residence—Nazareth.  They went as far as to ask Him if He had come to destroy them.   The demons recognized that all power was given to Jesus over them.  Praise God! Thank you, Jesus, that through you, we have victory over the works of Satan!   Colossians 2:15 again echoes this truth— “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
• The anointing with the authority of the Holy Spirit in Jesus forced the unclean spirits out of the man into the open. They came out tearing and crying. The man was marvelously blessed by the Lord.

Act 10:38 affirms that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”   “At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed (demonized). And the whole city was gathered together at the door. Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons, and He did not allow the demons to speak because they knew Him. – Mark 1:32-34.