Jesus Drives Out Demon in Synagogue

Take Every Passage to Prayer - Volume 2, The Gospels
^{Monday June 17, 2024}

Mark 1:21-28, Luke 4:32-37

Father, free me from my rebellious heart. Free me from my propensity to sin without effort. I do not want to be a slave to my sinful desires. I want to conquer them and defeat them. I do not want to sin against You. Please free me from my rebellious heart. Amen.

Jesus and His disciples, which now include Andrew, Peter, Philip, James, and John , went to nearby Capernaum. As He did in Nazareth, Jesus went into the synagogue. However, these passages tell us that Jesus wasn't invited to read from a scroll as He was in His hometown. Instead, He began preaching. This suggests that when Jesus walked into the synagogue, He was already esteemed within the community for His authority and command of the scriptures. Normal protocols, such as giving someone a turn at reading from the scrolls, may have been skipped. Jesus was immediately invited to preach. The people were amazed as Jesus opened their eyes to truths in the Old Testament they had never heard before.

While Jesus was preaching, a demon possessed man cried out:

“Go away! 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!" “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently, throwing him to the ground without injuring him, and came out of him with a shriek. (NIV, a compilation of text from all three passages).

Father, the demon knew who Jesus was. The demon was a fallen angel who had seen Jesus with You, His Father, in His Glory in heaven. The demon was being a truthful witness to what he had seen. It is for this reason that the demon was terrified to be in the presence of the Son of God. The demon knew he had rebelled from You and that Jesus had the power and the authority to send the demon to eternal punishment right then and there. This is why the demon plead for Jesus to go away and leave him alone.

Jesus responded with authority and sternness:

1. He tells the demon to be silent.
2. He commands the demon to leave the man.

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 impure spirits, and they obey him. News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.” (NIV)

What became of this man who had been freed from demon possession? The scripture doesn’t tell us. However, we have two clues from the Word of God:

1. So is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11, NIV)
2. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:35-37, NIV)

Jesus’ deliverance of the man from demon possession was motivated by His love for the man’s soul. We can be confident that Jesus accomplished the man’s salvation. We can be confident that he was not only free of demonic possession, but he was also free from the bondage of sin. This man most likely became a believer, and his transformed life became an ongoing testimony, long after Jesus had ascended into heaven. Amen.