1-28-24 Grace-Tucson Sermon

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Pastor Tim Patoka

From the River to the Mountain

January 28, 2024

Spread the News of Jesus’ Authority Mark 1:21-28 We all answer to someone who exercises authority over us: children to their parents, students to their professors, residents to their elected leaders and law enforcement, employees to their bosses, and bosses to their shareholders or board of directors. Depending how they exercise their authority over us, we spread the news about them whether good or bad. When children find their parent’s weak spot, they quickly others so all can get what they want. When students find good professors, they tell others and sign up for their classes. Residents loudly protest and praise their leaders and law enforcement based on personal experience. Employees make or break a business on how they’re treated in the workplace. And bosses can be respected or hated based on their leadership. As Christians, we answer to God who exercises authority over us. But God does it wonderfully so that we’re more than happy to spread the news, the news of Jesus and his absolute authority. As we look at our verses this morning from Mark chapter 1, we get a glimpse of Jesus’ absolute authority when he teaches and casts out an unclean spirit. From this glimpse, we recognize Jesus for who he is – the Holy One of God – who uses his absolute authority for our benefit and blessing. Because of that, we cannot help spread the news of Jesus’ authority. As was Jesus’ custom, he went where God’s people gathered so he could meet, teach, and serve them. In Capernaum, that happened in the Jewish synagogue where they gathered every Sabbath Day around God’s Word. As usual, Jesus was teaching the people. But what they heard was unlike anything they typically heard. For Jesus “was teaching them as one who has authority and not as the experts in the law.” (Mark 1:22 EHV) Though this particular sermon wasn’t recorded for us, we have other sermons from Jesus to see what made his teaching so different. For one, Jesus relies on himself or the Old Testament to explain what Scripture teaches. When the experts in the law taught, they constantly referred to previous teachers and rabbis to understand what something said. Rabbi So-and-So and Teacher This-and-That were mentioned so often that God and his Word were lost in the shuffle or not even mentioned. Secondly, Jesus’ teaching was different because of where his emphasis was. The experts in the law talked about minute distinctions, man-made theories, traditions of the elders, and how best to keep the Old Testament many ceremonial laws. They lost sight of God’s promise of a Savior and our need for his forgiveness. Jesus 1


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