Mark 1:27
And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.
On the Sabbath in the synagogue at Capernaum Jesus freed a possessed man by a word of authority unlike the powerless words of the scribes, commanding the unclean spirit until it was forced to obey and depart. Before leaving the spirit made a last violent effort to destroy its victim and cried out acknowledging Him as the Holy One of God and Son of God, though He silenced it. The man stood before the people restored to reason and self-possession, his eyes changed from the glare of insanity to intelligence and overflowing with grateful praise, leaving them dumb with amazement until they questioned among themselves about the new teaching with power that even unclean spirits obey. Their amazement reveals authority over Satan and the prince of darkness who takes control of bodies and souls to bring sin and suffering, setting captives free and revealing the character of God. The deliverance gives hope that even one who seems helpless under evil control is not beyond Christ, for no plea for help goes unheard even when the heart cannot speak it aloud.
Synagogue Deliverance on Sabbath
The amazement belongs to a Sabbath ministry in the synagogue at Capernaum before the assembled congregation, where words of comfort were spoken to the sick and healing was given extensively, beyond counting. Jesus freed the possessed man there by speaking with a voice of authority, unlike the powerless words of the scribes, and the unclean spirit was forced to obey and depart. His command freed the man from Satan's control and conquered the prince of darkness in public, demonstrating divine power and revealing a power unlike ordinary teaching.
Before leaving, the demon made a last effort to destroy its victim by attempting to rend life from him. Even its own outcry testified to divine power and acknowledged Him as the Holy One of God and the Son of God, and He silenced it. His power over the demons in silencing them and freeing those they controlled publicly revealed Him as the Holy One of God and the all-powerful Son of God.
The freed man stood before the wondering people in the freedom of self-possession with reason suddenly restored, happy in freedom and praising God for deliverance. His eyes were changed from the glare of insanity to intelligence, beaming with intelligence and overflowing with grateful tears. The people were left dumb with amazement at the deliverance, and when they recovered speech they questioned among themselves, marveling one with another at the new teaching demonstrated with authority and power by which He commands unclean spirits and they obey and come out. Their cry names His work a new teaching with authority because He commands unclean spirits and they obey, an authority to which even the demon had testified by its own outcry to divine power.
Victory and Hope for Captives
The amazement at the new doctrine was amazement at teaching demonstrated with authority and power, for with authority He commanded even the unclean spirits and they obeyed and came out. That authority was power over Satan and the prince of darkness to break his power and set his captives free from his control. In that freeing of a man from demonic control in the synagogue on the Sabbath was revealed the character of God against Satan's age-long work of controlling the bodies and souls of men to bring sin and suffering and then charging that misery upon God.
It belonged to the period of His personal ministry, the time of greatest activity for the forces of the kingdom of darkness. Then new life and love and power from heaven were moving upon the hearts of men, while the prince of evil, aroused to contend for the supremacy of his kingdom, summoned all his forces and at every step contested the work of Christ. The unclean spirit that obeyed Christ with authority was the same evil spirit that had tempted Christ in the wilderness. That same spirit controlled unbelieving rejecters of the Saviour, though with them assuming an air of piety to deceive them about their motives in rejecting Him, leaving them more hopeless than the demoniac because feeling no need of Christ they were held fast under Satan's power.
His power over the demons publicly revealed Him as the Holy One of God and the all-powerful Son of God, whom even the demons recognized. The affliction that had made the man a fearful spectacle and a burden had its secret cause in his own life. He had been fascinated by the pleasure of sin and thought to make life a great carnival in innocent folly, not dreaming of becoming a terror and a reproach. Once in the downward path, intemperance and frivolity perverted the noble attributes of his nature and Satan took absolute control of all his faculties. Remorse came too late, and when he would have sacrificed wealth and pleasure to regain his lost manhood he was helpless because he had placed himself on the enemy's ground, while the tempter who had allured him with charming presentations became relentless in cruelty and terrible in angry visitations. So it will be with all who yield to evil, whose fascinating earthly pleasure ends in the darkness of despair or the madness of a ruined soul.
Yet even one who seems helpless under evil's control, as helpless as the demoniac, is not beyond deliverance and hope in Christ. No soul's plea for help goes unheard, even when the heart cannot speak it aloud. The same account that shows the Spirit of Christ at work while Satan opposed also states that He healed Simon's mother.