I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!

 

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel."

 

And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  

 

Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His  teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that the questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. 

 

- Mark 1:14-28 

 

 Yesterday we began reading the Gospel of St. Mark, which starts with the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You."  "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'"  John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.  Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.  And he preached, saying, "There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."  It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

 Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent, and believe in the gospel." My study Bible comments that Mark's written emphasis on John being put in prison before Jesus begins preaching reveals that a key purpose of the old covenant -- to prepare people for Christ -- had been completed (Galatians 4:1-5).  Once Christ came into the world, the time of preparation was now fulfilled.  My study Bible explains that to repent is to do a total "about-face."  In Greek, this word literally means "change one's mind."  It's a radical change of one's spirit, mind, though, and heart -- a total reorientation to life centered in Christ.  

 

 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.  Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."  They immediately left their nets and followed Him.  When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother who also were in the boat mending their nets.  And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.  These first disciples had already heard the preaching of John the Baptist, and so were prepared to immediately accept Christ and follow Him.  It is impossible to overestimate the high regard the people had for John the Baptist, and his leading of his disciples to Christ (see John 1:35-42).  Although they were illiterate and unlearned in religion, these "people of the land," as my study Bible describes them, will be revealed at Pentecost to be the wisest of all.  

 

 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.  And they were astonished at His  teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.  Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit.  And he cried out, saying, "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  But Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be quiet, and come out of him!"  And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.  Then they were all amazed, so that the questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this?  What new doctrine is this?  For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him."  And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.  My study Bible comments that the word immediately appears almost forty times in St. Mark's Gospel.  Nearly all of these uses of the word "immediately" occur prior to Christ's entrance into Jerusalem.  It says that the sense of urgency and purpose as Christ journey to Jerusalem to fulfill His mission of redeeming the world helps make St. Mark's account not only the shortest, but also the most direct of all the four Gospels.  Notice how Jesus gets right down to the work of His ministry; once He endures the temptation in the wilderness, and is baptized wherein there was the theophany of the manifestation of Father, Son, and Spirit, He begins to choose His disciples, and then immediately on the Sabbath entered the synagogue and taught.  According to St. Ambrose of Milan, Jesus begins preaching and healing on the Sabbath to show that "the new creation began where the old creation ceased."  This new doctrine that makes the people marvel and wonder is the authority with which Christ preaches, heals, and casts out demons.  My study Bible contrasts this with the prophets of old and the teachers of His time, who taught in the third person ("the Lord says").  Christ teaches and acts of Himself, in the first person, commanding the spirits to be quiet and come out.  Here is observed Christ desire to remain hidden, not to disclose His identity as Messiah.  My study Bible says this was foreseen by Isaiah (Isaiah 42:1-4).  Several reasons are given here for this secrecy.  They include the growing hostility of the religious leaders to Jesus; the people's misunderstanding and expectation of the Messiah as an earthly, political leader; and Christ's desire to evoke genuine faith which is not based solely on marvelous signs.  

 

We observe that the unclean spirit knows exactly who Christ is.  He recognizes Him as the Holy One of God, saying,  "Let us alone!  What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth?  Did You come to destroy us?  I know who You are -- the Holy One of God!"  Not only do the unclean spirits know Jesus of Nazareth, they know His identity as the Holy One of God.  It's strange to think that the demons themselves don't really deny Christ at all, even though they are part of the force that opposes Him.  They know full well who He is, and they fear His power to destroy them.  Moreover, there is only one Holy One of God, and that is the Son who is incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth.  Unlike human beings who scoff at faith, who claim to be unbelievers, or who simply doubt anything about the story of Jesus, the demons know very well who He is and certainly believe the truth about Him as presented in the Gospels.  From our perspective as human beings, we might wonder at this.  It's not the common understanding of what it means to be irreligious.  But the human rebellion against God comes in other forms than that of these unclean spirits who belong to another realm in which they clearly recognize Christ.  Our version of rebellion against God, and expressions of hatred and fear of Christ, come in other forms.  They come in the forms in which we participate in the activities and "energies," if you will, of those who hate Christ, and who hate the truth of Christ.  These may take the form of petty cruelties, deliberate malice and evil, harsh treatment of others who are undeserving of it.  It takes the form of disruption in a Church when power plays become all that matter to those who think they own this jewel that Christ has left us, because they don't understand spiritual truth and its nature at all.  It comes in the form of manipulation, lies, and trickery for personal gain in many forms and venues.  Together with St. John, as written in the Revelation, we may add that it includes "whoever loves and makes a lie" (Revelation 22:15).  For our early Christian forbears, such was the work of the Antichrist, and those who participate in such forms of denial of Christ participate in the spirit of the Antichrist (1 John 2:18).  So while we may not see such sights every day as the one described here, while we might not be able to identify an "unclean spirit," we can still understand what it is to participate in the energies of the spirit that opposes Christ and fears His reign and power.  Let us keep a close watch on our own hearts during this Lent, and seek to stop if we, too, find the temptations to participate in such works.  For our best hope is instead to work the works of God (John 6:28-29).