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Posted At: 5:26pm by Brent Kuhlman
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The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany Trinity Lutheran Church
29 January 2006 Murdock, NE
+ Jesu Juva +
Mark 1:21-28
What’s Jesus up to today? Let’s take a look. You might be surprised. Amazed. Astonished. The people at Capernaum certainly were.
Certain words give you clues to what’s going on. First clue: The Lord Jesus. Second clue: It’s a Sabbath Day. Third clue: synagogue. Jesus, Sabbath Day, synagogue. Put all three together and what’s going on? Church is going on. Worship is going on. Or as the title of the Liturgy on page 178 in the hymnal puts: Divine Service!
God in the flesh Jesus pays the congregation a visit. When the Lord Jesus shows up it’s His show. His work. His doing. His giving. Divine Service.
What’s He divinely giving on this day to Capernaum and to Trinity congregation? Two things. Teaching. And then an exorcism.
First the teaching. “They went to Capernaum and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority.” Authoritative teaching. That’s the Lord’s gift to Capernaum and Trinity.
The Lord teaches -- with authority. Only Jesus can say authoritatively: “God’s kingdom has arrived. It’s Me! I’m the kingdom of God. I’m doing a kingdom of God for you. I’m the Savior. Your sins are forgiven.” The scribes didn’t dare to say such a thing. They were just men. Learned. Nice. Good guys. But they had no authority to say such things.
But the Lord Jesus can and does. He’s the All Authority in Heaven and On Earth Has Been Given To Me Jesus. Remember what’s going on. He’s there doing a Divine Service. What He does flows from His bloody hands and feet. Pierced by nails. His sword slashed side.
What are your sins? They’re many. Against your neighbor. Against the Lord. In thought, word and deed. So many you can’t count. So many you can’t remember them all. So much of a sinner that most of the time you don’t even care. So much of a sinner that you love to sin. And for that you, me and the world deserve to be damned.
But into Capernaum and Trinity, Murdock the Lord Jesus comes. Among sinners. To do a Divine Service. Telling them and you: “I’ve taken all your sin in my Body. I was hung on the Cross for you. I became the Sinner with all the world’s sin. You’re died for. Damned for. And now I lord my death over your sin. All of it.”
Only the crucified and risen Lord Jesus can say that. And He did. At Capernaum and at Trinity. You heard the absolution at the beginning of the Divine Service, didn’t you? In that word of forgiveness Jesus authoritatively speaks. He does His kingdom of God reign right in your midst. His Word does and gives what it says. You are forgiven. For everything. Isn’t that amazing? Isn’t that magnificent? That the Lord would die for us? And that only in His death are we forgiven?
Right in the midst of the Lord’s authoritative and marvelous forgiveness a man in the Capernaum congregation lets out a bloodcurdling scream. Gives you the creeps. Not an ordinary scream. It’s hair-raising. Terrifying. Sends shivers down your spine. The screamer’s possessed by the devil.
“What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!”
Of course Jesus is the Holy One. Of course He’s come to destroy the devil. To crush the serpent’s head. “Be quiet! Be muzzled!” More authoritative words from the Lord. And then some more: “The game’s over. It’s always been over. Will always be over. Satan, you’ve lost! Come out of him!”
The devil must obey. The all authority in heaven and on earth crucified and risen Jesus has spoken. He speaks and does a kingdom of God. Nothing but a Divine Service for this poor man. The unclean spirit must flee. The man’s body convulses. Shakes like mad. Tremors like you’ve never seen. “The evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.”
“The people were all so amazed.” Wouldn’t it be great if we’d see things like that? Oh, but you have. In fact, and this is even more amazing it’s been done to you too.
You’ve been rescued and delivered from the devil in the Lord’s Good Friday death. You’ve been divine serviced by the Lord in your Baptism. Buried with Christ into His sin forgiving death. That was your exorcism. At the water and Word point of Holy Baptism the devil had to flee. You don’t belong to Satan. You’re the Lord’s. He put His holy Name on you at the font.
Isn’t that amazing? It sure is. Jesus is quite a Savior. The only one. What teaching! And with authority.
“The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, ‘What is this? A new teaching – and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey him.’”
“What is this?” they asked. It’s Jesus doing His kingdom of God reign. At Capernaum. At Trinity, Murdock. His Divine Service. For all and for you. So go ahead. Let the news about this all authority Jesus spread. He’s the only One you can trust.
In the Name of Jesus.
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