We continued our series Unstoppable at Gateway Church in Austin.
We get a front-row seat to the incredible, jaw-dropping power of Jesus. His authority isn’t just something to admire—it’s unstoppable, mind-blowing, and life-changing! Jesus shows up, and everything changes. It’s not just a teaching moment—it’s a kingdom-shaking experience. Let’s dive into these fun and powerful points about the unstoppable authority of Jesus!
Digging Deeper:
Work through the following questions and scriptures on your own or get together with your group, spiritual running partners, or family to talk through what you are learning.
Message Video:
Message Audio:
Message Notes by Carlos Ortiz, Jr.:
I remember the first time I saw him. I was only 13 years old, but this guy, whatever his name was, stole the attention when he hit the movie screen. He was portraying Private Silas Trip, member of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, the first black regiment formed to take part in the US Civil War in the 1860s.
He was brash, emotional, but when he spoke everyone leaned in. The actor who portrayed Private Trip in the movie Glory was Denzel Washington, and he’s been commanding people’s attention for over 40 years now.
What is it about us that gravitates towards people like Denzel, or other public figures who take command of a room, and never give it back? Is it their confidence? Is it the words they say we wish we could say? Or could it be that maybe these people are willing to do and say things that we have yet given ourselves permission to do and say?
We all have had a boss, a professor, a best friend, someone in our life who just takes life by the horns and never lets go. They have a way of not conceding to others, and instead, woo people to be on their side. Jesus had this type of authority wherever he went.
We’ve parked ourselves in the book of Mark for a few weeks, and last week we were encouraged that the gospel of Jesus Christ (the good news He brings) is an unstoppable force, and this week we want to build on that by addressing the authority Jesus had when He was leading on earth. Mind you, Jesus had just traveled from Galilee down south to Judea, where he was baptized by John the Baptist. There’s a spiritual encounter where he finds favor with God, and he then goes and begins his ministry and calls disciples to follow him.
Let’s pick up the story there, and take our time reading from Mark chapter 1 together.
They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. – Mark 1:21
So here we have Jesus traveling back North from Jordan River, just north of the Dead Sea, back to the region of Galilee. He is in Capernaum on the waters of the Sea of Galilee.
Jesus is now observing the sabbath, and some biblical commentaries mention the word sabbath here could be plural or singular. So Jesus could be described as going one time to a synagogue, or regularly going to the synagogue on the sabbath to teach. Jesus found it very important to be in the synagogue and regularly participate with his community.
So here he is now, teaching in the synagogue.
The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. – Mark 1:22
The people responded to Jesus the same way 13 year old me responded to Denzel on the movie screen. They were locked in, and they were in awe at the way Jesus taught. The description of his teaching is two fold here:
- He taught with authority
Exousia (greek) – authority, power, the right to control or govern; dominion, the area or sphere of jurisdiction
What does this mean? It means that Jesus taught like he was supposed to have the spiritual right to teach with authority and power. He taught like he was the son of God, who knew the heart of God, and knew exactly what God was desiring for those who would say “yes” to follow him.
- He wasn’t teaching like the other religious leaders
It’s one thing for people to have an opinion of Jesus, it’s a completely different story when Jesus is compared to the other religious leaders, and it’s very clear that he stands out above them all. Matthew Henry, a 17th century theologian, said this about Jesus.
“Christ did not preach as the scribes, who expounded the law of Moses by rote, as a school-boy says his lesson, but were neither acquainted with it, nor affected with it; it came not from the heart, and therefore came not with authority. But Christ taught as one that had authority, as one that knew the mind of God, and was commissioned to declare it.”
– Matthew Henry, 17th Century Theologian
So we now know that Jesus has the attention of the people, he is teaching in the synagogue, is doing so with power and might, getting the attention of people who have heard him speak, and it begins to ruffle a few feathers.
23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “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!” – Mark 1:23-24
So now we read of an interaction between a man possessed and Jesus. Yes, I did say, and it does imply that this man had an evil presence that was controlling him. We are not going to do a full on teaching on demon possession today, but here a few thoughts to wrap your mind around this issue:
I know some of you might be skeptical about unseen forces of evil. Some of you are skeptical about all things spiritual. Others of you might be following Jesus and just think that was something that happened 2000 years ago, but it doesn’t happen today.
It’s really only in the western world and the last 200 years or so that people have diminished the reality of what we call angelic or demonic forces.
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”
– an academic who was a skeptic who found faith – CS Lewis (author of the Chronicles of Narnia)
I also know people that don’t follow Jesus yet have an unhealthy interest in darkness. I’m afraid our culture has an unhealthy interest – just consider the popularity of horror films.
And it’s important for us to be aware that these forces are real. Every single one of us has had a dark, and even diabolical thought pop into our mind. When we are in a good place, we dismiss it and don’t entertain that thought. But too many times those dark thoughts can lead us down a Dark Road and can lead to destruction – the end of relationships or terrible choices that deeply affect us or others we love.
We were made to function as body, mind and soul. We are to tend to our bodies, our minds AND our souls. Our soul was meant to be influenced and led by God, but there are factors that can impact one’s soul, mind and body, and open a “door” to things that are evil.
A few weeks ago, I was up at the church early in the morning, and I met a man who was on edge, talking in ways that were hard to understand, and quickly realized that I may have a situation I need to address.
Here are three questions I normally ask when meeting or working with someone who comes across like they are possessed:
- Does this person dabble or have a background in sorcery, dark magic, tarot cards, psychics, etc..? When we playfully explore these things, we open up our minds and souls to things and powers that are NOT of God. It is a counterfeit that the forces of darkness use to get us to circumvent and violate God’s law in order to gain access to us for the sake of torment and demise. But it doesn’t start out this way, it usually starts off very innocently under the promise of power and gifts. It will eventually turn dark and demand a higher price and sacrifice from you
- Does the person follow Jesus? People who follow Jesus have made an active decision to surrender their souls to God, so this “house” or soul is already occupied. Think of our soul like a home. It is either occupied by its rightful owner, vacant or possessed by a squatter who doesn’t have legal rights to the home. As a Christian, your “house” is occupied.
- Does this person have a medical ailment that could be affecting them?
Going back to my story, it was clear to me that this man had a medical ailment that was causing him to act that particular way. He was open to me calling for some help, and the right authorities came to assist him. However, where I come from, most people would have just considered this man demon possessed. It’s important to know that demons also will manipulate the current mental health struggle and hide behind certain disorders and cognitive impairments. Here at Gateway- We believe here in Psychiatry and in deliverance. Jesus and therapy.
And to be clear, we don’t know what was happening with this man in this passage, but we do know that he was identified as having an unclean spirit. Because of it, the man is compelled to say something, notice it reads he cries out. And the question he starts off with is an interesting play on words. Even with the authority Jesus had, the man says, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth?”
This man who has an unclean spirit, brought on by the evil one, tries to use a derogatory term when describing Jesus. He says, Jesus of Nazareth, because that name alone isn’t worth much. We can reference this to Nathanael’s response in John 1 when:
Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked. – John 1:45-46
You see…the man who is possessed is trying to garner the attention of those around him by using the derogatory place he was from instead of his glorious rightful place as son of God. Have you ever been in a situation where someone is trying to win an argument and they bring up something that has nothing to do with the argument, but it deflects to a different issue? That’s what this man was doing, he was trying to use the place of Jesus’ birth as a sticking point.
It was common knowledge that the prophets spoke of a savior who would come from Bethlehem, not Nazareth. This was a ploy to discredit Jesus. So Jesus responds accordingly starting in verse 25.
25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. – Mark 1:25-26
Jesus uses his authority to quiet the spirit speaking through the man. The greek verb for “be quiet” is Phimoō – to muzzle.
Jesus wasn’t using his authority to quiet down the man himself, but he was addressing the unclean spirit that had taken over the man. He walked in such authority that even the demons, the unseen things, were rendered weak and inept in his presence.
27 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.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee. – Mark 1:27
We see this time and again in history, people begin to be enamored with the authority of Jesus. The way he taught, the way he pulled people in, and the way his authority impacted the spiritual atmosphere truly impacted people. So, like anything else that goes viral, the news of Jesus spread throughout the region of Galilee.
So if last week we learned about this unstoppable Gospel, and our place in it, what does this week’s focus on authority mean for us?
We learn that Jesus’ authority was on display not for his own glory, but for others to believe. It’s important for us to recognize that this power, this authority was not for glorification, but to bring freedom to the captive. The reason it’s important to humbly understand this authority is because Jesus shares this authority with us.
“…I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” – Luke 10:19-20
And the context for this verse by the way is Jesus sending out the larger group of Disciples, 72 or 70 depending on some manuscripts. And the reason this is so significant is because it is an initial reversal of Babel ultimately fulfilled in Acts 2. Do you remember the tower of Babel? Where God rejects this human rebellion trying to force “God” or “the gods” down to do humanity’s bidding.
God is fed up. He scrambles their languages and scatters them to different parts of the world. He says you don’t want me leading you, you don’t get me. I’ll start over not with a nation but with one man named Abraham. And through him he enacts a plan to redeem the nations. And if you read Genesis 10 there’s 72 (or 70) nations depending how you read it.
So this is no accident by Jesus. He is deliberately telling his followers I’m giving you back what the enemy stole and what was yours in the beginning- authority. Use it to share the Good News and bring the nations back!
Did you read that…DO NOT REJOICE because the spirit submits to you. Do not monetize the gifts God has given you for your own gain. Do not get showy in how you represent Christ. It is not an authority that should bring us glory!
But we do find joy in knowing that we have found life and freedom in knowing Christ, knowing his death and resurrection, knowing that we are heirs in God’s Kingdom. And because of that we get more authority to help others to also fully know Christ.
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20
There we go again, reading about Jesus’ authority, and because of it, we are charged with going, making a move. We are to be informed, transformed and moving in the direction of the way.
“Authority, particularly when we locate it within the notion of God’s Kingdom, is much more than that. It is the sovereign rule of God sweeping through creation to judge and to heal. It is the powerful love of God in Jesus Christ, putting sin to death and launching new creation. It is the fresh, bracing and energizing wind of the Spirit.”
– N.T. Wright – Scripture and the Authority of God
The authority of God shows up in such a powerful way when we allow ourselves to be used by God to bring life and freedom to us and to others. I know things like this can freak some people out, but for most people we are intrigued by things that are “other worldly” or supernatural. Could it be that our intrigue has something to do with an inner desire to walk in that kind of power, that kind of authority?
It has been difficult to watch our culture, both in and outside of the local church shift in the last few years. People can debate on the hows, the whys and who is at fault for the shift, but there has been a shift. For today’s purposes, I’m going to focus on talking to those of us who have made a profession of faith in Jesus.
Every one of us, through life’s circumstances in and out of our control, have faced challenges that force us to look in the mirror and have to decide what kind of follower of Jesus we’re going to be. We may not even know we made this decision, and you may be very aware that we’ve made this decision. And the conclusion we have come to is whether or not we are going to walk in the fullness and surrender of God, or not.
We have been given a litany of excuses, a drop down list of reasons why we should do _________________ (fill in the blank).
I don’t go to church in person any more because…I like watching from home,
But then it leads to, I’m disconnected, I don’t know anyone.
I’m struggling with my time and schedules with kids and work, but it leads to hours of doom scrolling on our couch at the end of the day, wasting time.
I don’t really know my neighbors because I’m rarely home, and I think I just want to be left alone, and I’m sure they do as well. But it leads to an isolation where we are surrounded by others and never fully known.
I don’t really serve in the church, or even in my community, because of the demands on my life, but then a tragedy occurs and we expect someone else to take care of it.
The culture lets us all off the hook, but the culture of the world we live in is not the culture that scripture asks us to live up to. No, the God of the Bible, the one who formed you and I, breathed life into you and I, has given us supernatural authority to live above the culture, both in and out of the church building.
This is why Jesus made the impact he made. He wasn’t like the religious people of his own day, he wasn’t like the Romans who were oppressing the people of Israel, He was fully God and carried that over into his full humanity.
AND, he is inviting you and I to walk in that same authority, no matter the circumstances that surround us. Rich or poor, black, white or brown, male/female, blue collar/white collar, South or North of the river, we all have access to his authority to be his hands and feet in the earth.
We love people where they are, we love the imperfect, we love everyone life by life, but we don’t love them with our own strength, our own wisdom, our own understanding, we love people enough to give them Jesus, and we have been given the authority to do so.
That when you and I step into situations that are dark and seem hopeless, we carry with us the hope of the world.
When you and I lay hands on the sick, there is room for them to be healed.
When you and I speak the name of Jesus it carries an authority that makes anything NOT of God tremble.
How many of us can be honest today and say, “I really want to walk in the fullness of God, and in that authority!”