If you have read the study on How to Study the Bible, one point is that you put yourself into the scriptures and feel, see, smell and participate in what is going on.  Place yourself on this Sabbath day in this event.  Jesus is not a new face, He has been here before and his teachings are much different, as He does not give the proof of his teaching by giving the “genealogy” of the Rabbi’s who previously agreed on the subject.  Instead he taught and simply used His own word as the authority.

Today a man starts speaking and rebuking Jesus.  The words used by the demon were very powerful telling all in listening range that this was Jesus the Holy One of God.  But the way the demon said it made it sound undesirable.  This demon speaking through a man was challenging Jesus.  Some in the synagogue knew the man.  There must have been apprehension, tension, awe and incredulous feelings in all the people including the four that Jesus called, except one.  Jesus.

“Shut up!”  Basically that is what Jesus said as the scriptures state, “And Jesus rebuked him saying, Hold they peace.”  Jesus had had enough.  He knew what the demon was trying to do and say and enough was enough.

“… and come out of him.”  Jesus simply told him to release his hold on the man and to remove himself from the body.”  Jesus only needed the words to say, as Jesus is the Word!

Those within the synagogue were familiar with demonic exorcisms.  Josephus, when talking about the power and Wisdom of Solomon talks about the ability to exorcize demons.  

“God also enabled him to learn that skill which expels demons, which is a science useful and sanative to men. He composed such incantations also by which distempers are alleviated. And he left behind him the manner of using exorcisms, by which they drive away demons, so that they never return; and this method of cure is of great force unto this day; for I have seen a certain man of my own country, whose name was Eleazar, releasing people that were demoniacal in the presence of Vespasian, and his sons, and his captains, and the whole multitude of his soldiers. The manner of the cure was this: He put a ring that had a Foot of one of those sorts mentioned by Solomon to the nostrils of the demoniac, after which he drew out the demon through his nostrils; and when the man fell down immediately, he abjured him to return into him no more, making still mention of Solomon, and reciting the incantations which he composed. And when Eleazar would persuade and demonstrate to the spectators that he had such a power, he set a little way off a cup or basin full of water, and commanded the demon, as he went out of the man, to overturn it, and thereby to let the spectators know that he had left the man; and when this was done, the skill and wisdom of Solomon was shown very manifestly: for which reason it is, that all men may know the vastness of Solomon's abilities, and how he was beloved of God, and that the extraordinary virtues of every kind with which this king was endowed may not be unknown to any people under the sun for this reason, I say, it is that we have proceeded to speak so largely of these matters.”[3]

Jesus did not use spells, incantations or other devices.  He simply spoke the word and the demon responded.  “And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him.”  The term “torn him” is the term sparasso, which means to grasp; apparently strengthened through the idea of spasmodic contraction; to mangle, i.e. convulse with epilepsy.  One final defiant response to being commanded to leave the human form the demon caused the man to convulse.

Wow, in that atmosphere I would have been dumbfounded.  The synagogue was a place of organization, control, quiet and peace.  Those in attendance that morning sure experienced something entirely different.  A demon spoke, Christ spoke, a man was exorcized and that was that.  As in verse 22, the crowd collectively took on the feeling of being amazed.

The bible goes on to say, “And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.”

The word amazed is the Greek word thambeo, “to stupefy with surprise, i.e. astound:--amaze, astonish.”  Their amazement was mingled with fright and terror.  What they had just seen caused them all to question among themselves what they had just seen.  “Did you see that?”  Do you believe what you just saw and heard?”  Have you ever been in a service like this before?”  Can you believe that with just words, that Jesus was able to get the unclean spirit to come out of our friend?”  “Jesus speaks with power, even the demons obey him!”

The crowd continued their debate with the question, “what new doctrine is this?”  “Compared to the stilted, staid, dry as dust rabbinical droning, this teaching of Jesus was like the fragrance of a field of clover in the springtime.  It was fresh with the dew of heaven on it.  His teaching was fresh, and was given with authority.”[4]

We finish this study with verse twenty-nine.  “And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout the entire region round about Galilee.”  So we see that Jesus fame was spread abroad.  Literally the report of what Jesus had done was spreading throughout the area.

Jesus had been teaching His gospel in the local synagogue and people were astonished.  They heard him read from the scrolls, expand on the scriptures and teach with authority.  He did not have to justify what He said by bringing Rabbi’s names to show authority, he said it and that was enough, His word was final.  But it wasn’t until He cast out the unclean spirit that the “buzz” really got going.

ã 2002 bobsbiblestudies