9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son with you I am well pleased.”12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee (Mk 1:9-13,21-28).
Interesting how these things together. Jesus undergoes baptism, which inaugurates his public ministry. Satan then confronts him. I doubt that's coincidental. Christ's ministry smokes out the dark side. The kingdom of light, in the person of Christ, is a conqueror who invades the kingdom of darkness. That makes the dark side sit up and take notice.
This in turn is followed by an exorcism. The setting is striking. Why would a demoniac attend a Jewish worship service? Do demons go to church? Would we normally expect to find demoniacs in a synagogue?
Seems likely the demon was there because Jesus was there. An infernal spy. Apparently, the dark side had minders shadowing Jesus. Keeping track of his whereabouts. Satanic surveillance. Jesus is a mortal threat to the kingdom of darkness. So the dark side dispatched covert operatives to gather intel on Jesus. Tail him wherever he went.
They recognize his true identity before humans do. They have inside knowledge. They have a history with the preexistent Son.
The explanation that I've come across, as to why demons keep turning up in synagogues, is that it's because of the corrupt state of the nation. It was specifically Israel, under the rule of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which was a house ruled by a "strong man" (Satan), which needed a Stronger One to come and cast him out. He ruled through corrupt doctrines; the doctrines of men. And the seat for that rule was thus in the place where such doctrines were taught.
ReplyDeleteOf course, these explanations aren't mutually exclusive.
To put it more clearly: demons are found in the synagogues in the gospels, because the synagogues have become centres of evil, and given themselves over to the doctrines of demons.
DeleteThat's quite a sweeping statement. Surely there were many godly Palestinian Jews in the time of Jesus.
DeleteI don't think those two things are mutually exclusive.
DeleteIt's reasonably clear that the particular synagogues in which these incidents occur were ruled/directed by people that the gospel writers portray as being in fundamental opposition to Jesus.
God is Spirit. Some of the topics and interests from the Scriptures are spiritual. One thing that hasn’t changed is God. The question it seems to be apparent is seeing Christ defeated Satan already why oh why do we see such warnings?
ReplyDelete1Ti 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
1Ti 4:2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,
1Ti 4:3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
2Ti 3:1 But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
2Ti 3:2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
2Ti 3:4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
2Ti 3:5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.