2.19.2015 Thursday Mark 1:14-28 Jesus begins His ministry and
calls four disciples
There is a right time. To begin, to
speak, to stop, to love, to fight. For Jesus there was a right time to begin
His ministry. John the Baptizer was arrested for preaching. Jesus saw it as the
time to begin His preaching. “The time is
fulfilled.” The time of waiting for the Messiah to do His work had come.
The season of Lent is a time to preach, to evangelize, to spread the gospel to
the world. It is a time to repent. It is a time to believe.
With authority Jesus teaches and drives
out an unclean spirit. After calling four disciples, Jesus begins His ministry
by teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. The people are impressed by His
authoritative teaching compared with the teaching of the scribes. A man in the
congregation has an evil spirit, which addresses Jesus and knows Him to be the
Messiah. With authority Jesus commands the demon to leave the man. At the very
beginning of His ministry, Jesus comes into conflict with evil powers. As God’s
Son He conquers the evil spirit. He does it by exercising His authority as the
Son of God, the Savior of the world.[2]
From the time Jesus begins His ministry
He is confronted with evil. Evil diseases, evil desires, evil spirits. This
will not be the only confrontation. There will be many. They will continue
until He yields up His life on a hill called Golgotha. When confronted with
evil we can become frightened. We often fail at doing good. We abhor the evil
we confront, the evil around us, the evil within us. Thus, we must look to
Christ who has confronted, destroyed and conquered the evil one. Although he is
defeated the devil rages on. He will press us until we draw our last breath or
until the Lord returns on the last great day. We can never encounter the devil
and expect victory. Look to Christ who commands the demons to flee, who speaks,
teaches and acts with great authority.
Direct
us, O Lord, in all our doings with your most gracious favor, and further us
with your continual help; that in all our works begun continued, and ended in
you, we may glorify your holy Name, and, finally, by your mercy, obtain
everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.[3]
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