Chapter One...Preparation BY Jesus (Part 3)

His Work...(21-34)

When we talked about this passage, three of the four guys showed up.  I had asked them to come up with what they thought the "theme" of verses 21-34 would be to them.  This is what they said:

• "The Authority of the Believer"
• "The Word being Extended"
• "Our Saviour Jesus, on the Rescue for Us"

It was interesting to me to see how these three comments were tied together...

Martin's comments about the Authority of the Believer had to do with how one does not get distracted by the enemy.  When Jesus was teaching the enemy was trying to distract Jesus and bring attention to himself.  Jesus was strong and firm saying, "Be quiet! Come out of him!".  He was not distracted nor did he fear the enemy.  As a result, the enemy could do nothing.

One of the guys was vulnerable enough to say that he was impressed with how Jesus handled the situation.  When being challenged, Jesus knew what to do and had the words to say.  This student said he probably wouldn't know what to do if that happened in front of him.  He recognized that it's important to know how to handle tough situations...the result could be huge.

Which leads to what another student said about how fast the Word of God was spread after Jesus drove out the demon in verses 25,26.

Each one was different, they all got something out of it and they all saw it from a different perspective.  

In these verses, I see Jesus establishing his Authority in the area of the mind as he "taught with one who had authority", in the area of the Spirit world as he "drove out many demons", and in the area of Physical needs as he "healed many who had various diseases".

The most interesting to me happened in verses 29-31.  1) The disciples showed their trust in Jesus as they shared their need with him.  2) What Jesus did in the home was the same thing that he had been doing in public--he maintained his Integrity wherever he went.  Also, 3) Peter's mother-in-law got up after being healed and started to serve.  She didn't stay in bed and complain about how sick she was.  Her servants heart encourages me.

So, to wrap it up...Jesus has authority over the mental, spiritual, and physical aspects of life.  I guess that pretty much covers it.  How can we learn from the example that he sets by teaching with authority, knowing how to handle tough situations when the enemy wants to distract us, and having faith that what we do and teach can be spread quickly--by the Power of God.