Christ Casts out a Demon with Authority

Driving home: Every time I read those words I get shouting happy. What an economy of words. Shut up! That was the word.

Compares Jesus' rebuke of the demon to a parent righteously angry at a child's petulance, speaking from a posture of authority.

He speaks with that same authoritative word with which he has been teaching those in the synagogue. And he gives him a solemn charge in the form of a rebuke. The closest. The closest thing to this would be like a parent who's made legitimately angry at some high-handed petulance in his child and he speaks a solemn, righteously angry word of rebuke from his posture as a parent.

25:18 - 25:48 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Every time I read those words I get shouting happy. What an economy of words. Shut up! That was the word.

Compares Jesus' rebuke to a military commander sharply reproving a subordinate for a critical blunder, speaking from a posture of authority.

That would be the parallel. Or the parallel of a commander who speaks to a sergeant or speaks to a private in the army who made a very inexcusable blunder in a critical battle situation that could have cost a dozen lives and he sharply reproves him from his posture of authority. That's the form of the word of Jesus in this account of the Congress. Now notice the substance of that word.

25:48 - 26:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Every time I read those words I get shouting happy. What an economy of words. Shut up! That was the word.

Illustrates the demon's violent convulsions of the man's body as a spoiled child throwing toys in anger when forced to leave, showing its contempt for what it had possessed.

His parting activities were first of all to cause the body of the man in whom he had been dwelling to convulse violently. But Luke tells us in a parallel passage, verse 35 of chapter 4 in Luke's gospel, that no hurt came to him as a result. You know, it's like a spoiled child who's been playing with his toys and now is called away from his toys to supper and to show his anger that he still wanted to play, picks up his toys, the very things he's been fondling and dawdling over, and he throws them on the floor and smashes them. Now that's the picture of this demon.

28:00 - 28:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The immediate response of the witnesses is described as utter amazement, connecting Jesus' authoritative teaching with his authoritative command over unclean spirits. This led to…

Asks children if they would be amazed if their mother carried a toaster, establishing a baseline for what is considered ordinary.

And as I was fishing about for an illustration, I thought of my, the children in the congregation. Now, let me ask you. If tomorrow morning, when your mummy's fixing breakfast, you saw your mummy go over and pick up the toaster and carry it to the kitchen table, would you be amazed, if you were sitting there waiting for your breakfast, and you saw mummy pick up the toaster, carry it over, put it on the kitchen table? Any kids here who would sit there and go, wowee, look at what mama just did.

31:00 - 31:29 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The immediate response of the witnesses is described as utter amazement, connecting Jesus' authoritative teaching with his authoritative command over unclean spirits. This led to…

Contrasts the toaster story by asking if they would be amazed if their mother carried a refrigerator, illustrating that amazement is produced by something totally out of the ordinary and seemingly impossible.

And when you come down with your book bag, and you're about to kiss your mum on the cheek, and go out and catch the school bus, there she is, with her arms around the refrigerator. And she's carrying it right across. Would you be amazed then? Why, you'd drop your book bag, and your mouth would go open, and you'd say, oh, wow-wee!

32:16 - 32:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The immediate response of the witnesses is described as utter amazement, connecting Jesus' authoritative teaching with his authoritative command over unclean spirits. This led to…

Compares the witnesses' amazement at Jesus' simple command over the demon to 'Mama carrying ten refrigerators in one hand across the kitchen floor,' emphasizing the extraordinary nature of Christ's power.

They did it with a lengthy rigamarole and chanting and all kinds of religious tomfoolery. But here they had seen Jesus simply say the very word, the very mouth, I'm sorry, that had been speaking the word of God with authority now turns and addresses a demon and says, shut up! Get out! They see the shaking body, they hear the unearthly shriek, and then they see the man delivered.

33:25 - 33:55 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He said, how are you going to go and get the goods of the strong man unless you're strong enough to go up and first of all put the strong man in a hammer locker, give him a few karate chops and immobilize him. Then you c…

Uses the imagery from Matthew 12:29 of a 'stronger man' binding the 'strong man' (Satan) to illustrate Jesus' mission to conquer the devil and spoil his goods (deliver those he holds captive).

And what is that power and mission? Well, in the language of Matthew 12, 29, it is the mission of the stronger than the strong man, binding the strong man and spoiling his goods. You remember that imagery? Jesus speaks of a strong man who has all of his goods within his house and he himself sits at the door.

40:08 - 40:31 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He said, how are you going to go and get the goods of the strong man unless you're strong enough to go up and first of all put the strong man in a hammer locker, give him a few karate chops and immobilize him. Then you c…

Contrasts Jacob's all-night wrestling with an angel with Jesus' effortless command to the demon, highlighting Christ's supreme and immediate authority.

And now they're engaged in conflict. And unlike the wrestlings of Jacob with an angel for a whole night, our Lord doesn't even work up a sweat. And get out! And we've got more important things to do around here.

42:24 - 42:42 Read in full sermon