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Sunday 6 January 2013

Mark 1:16-28 - Disciples come, demons go

We see now the calling the of the first disciples. If we read related passages in other gospels, particularly John 1:35-42 and Luke 5:1-11 we see that this was not the first time that they had met Jesus. So the impression that this was the first time they had met Jesus and they immediately followed Him is actually wrong. However, after knowing a certain amount about Jesus they did follow Him immediately. God often works by revealing something of Himself to us, then He requires that we make a step of faith, but it is not blind faith, but faith based on knowledge. James and John were called at about the same time.
The purpose of calling them was to make them fishers of men. We have been called with a purpose, and that purpose is to bring people into the kingdom.
A synagogue could be established in any town that had at least ten married Jewish couples. At Capernaum Jesus went to the synagogue on the Sabbath and began to teach. There was something different about Jesus' teaching, He had authority. 
Then a man with an evil spirit shouted up. Evil spirits know who Jesus is, but, as James says (James 2:19), they respond with fear and trembling. They knew that a spiritual battle was in progress. Jesus had come to overturn the works of the evil one (1 John 3:8).
Jesus rebuked the demon and commanded it too come out of the man. The people were amazed and news spread about Jesus.

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