I WOULD like to have you read verses 21 to 28 in the first chapter of Mark. In these verses we find that after Jesus had called Simon, Andrew, James and John to follow Him, He went into Capernaum, a town by the sea of Galilee. And there on the Sabbath day He entered the synagogue, and began to teach the people. This teaching made a wonderful impression on the people who heard it. There was something about it different from the teaching of the scribes. And what do you think was the cause of this? Well, Jesus not only spoke the words which God gave Him to speak, but He spoke with the power of God. “He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.”
The people had never heard anything like it before, and they were filled with wonder. God meant that they should feel the power of Jesus’ teaching, so that, if they rejected Him, they should be without excuse.
But there was another kind of being present in the synagogue that day. There was an unclean spirit there, —a devil, or demon, dwelling in a poor man who was a captive to Satan’s power. This unclean spirit knew who Jesus was, and he was afraid of Him, and “cried out, saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee who Thou art, Thou Holy One of God.” We are told in another Scripture that the devils believe, and tremble. So it was with this evil spirit. He knew Jesus, and was afraid.
If you read the Scriptures carefully, you will find that there are a great many evil spirits. They are called devils, or demons. And there is one chief, or prince, who is over them. He is called the devil, or Satan. In a former number of Messages of Love you have, perhaps, read how Satan tried to overcome Jesus in the wilderness, and how Jesus defeated him, and drove him away, In this Scripture we see how Jesus could also drive away the evil spirits, which were under the leadership of Satan. Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man; and when he had torn the man, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. Does it not make you glad to think that poor man was delivered from such a terrible power? Well, perhaps you need to be delivered, too, from the power of Satan. You may not have an unclean spirit dwelling in you, like the man in the synagogue, but if you are unsaved you need to be delivered from Satan’s power, for he is the god of this world, and exercises an evil influence over those who are not saved. Jesus alone can save you. He alone can deliver you from Satan’s terrible power. Oh! will you not take Him as your Saviour, and thus be set free from the power of that evil one who would lead you to destruction?
When the people saw the poor man set free from the unclean spirit, they were greatly surprised, and they said among themselves, “What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him.” But if they had believed that Jesus was the Son of God, would they have been surprised? They would have known that the Son of God could cast out devils. But, dear children, many of them saw Jesus cast out devils, and still did not believe in Him. They rejected Him. They would not have Him to be their Saviour. Oh! shall it be so with you?
May God forbid! A. H. R.
ML 09/09/1900