The Gospel of Mark (10) - Truth from an unexpected source

Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, "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 evil spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.

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."

News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
                                            --Mark 1:23-28


Jesus had just read Scripture and taught at the synagogue, amazing the audience with His authority.

Now a man, or a demon in the man, cried out, challenging Jesus.

There are several interesting points in this short narrative:

1. We can't help but wonder if the man had been to services before. Maybe he had been many times, but
never revealed his true spiritual state.

Maybe it just took the Presence of the Son of God to reveal his secret, to expose his sin.

2. We also notice the plural pronoun, us.

That probably refers to the fact that the demon so identified with his host that he spoke for both of them.

Or maybe it tells us that there were multiple demons inhabiting the man, as we read about on another occasion when Jesus healed a demon-possessed man
in Mark 5.

3. "I know who you are -- the Holy One of God." The demon specifically identified Jesus.

The demon knew exactly who Christ was!

"Jesus of Nazareth" - a human and yet "Holy One of God" - also God Himself.  Humanity and deity - both in the Person of Jesus Christ. 

It reminds us of James 2:19: "You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that -- and shudder."


There are people like that today - people who sit in church and hear the message week after week - people who know intellectually who Jesus is and what the gospel message is - and yet who will not turn their hearts to Him for salvation.

They are observers, not participants.

But what does it mean to be demon-possessed?

Some theologians say that in our culture today we do not witness demon-possession on the scale we did in the past because there are many Spirit-filled believers present in our society, and demonic influence is restricted by the Presence of the Holy Spirit here. 

Missionaries to other areas of the world often report many instances of witnessing demon-possession.

Demonic activity was common in the ancient world.

I suppose it is still common today, more common than we like to think, but in a more subtle, less obvious way.

Perhaps we need to look around more carefully.