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Grace, mercy and peace be unto you from our risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Have you ever heard of a movie that was advertised as “One shocking revelation after another!”? Of course the move is usually a waste of time. The revelations are always formulaic and out-n-out boring. Although sometimes you will get that great story, that truly lives up to the hype. And you walk away thinking to yourself something like, “Boy, I didn’t see that coming!” I find the Gospel of Mark to be like that, I’m often reading along and I’ll say, “Wow, I didn’t see that coming.” Saint Mark loves the shocking reveal.

Look at the way Saint Mark starts his gospel account. This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1 NLT) This isn’t just some opening line about Jesus’ lineage, or some dialog to set up a story, this is a grabber, and the first step in what is truly “one shocking revelation after another!” And it starts with, God is with us!

In today’s Scripture reading, Saint Mark’s account of the Good News of Jesus is right at the beginning of Jesus ministry. In 18 short verses before our reading, Jesus has come, was baptized, tempted, by Satan, declares His ministry, and called His first disciples. We are left with the impression that Mark wanted to get through all of this information quickly, so he can get us to the “good stuff”.

And here it is, “And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1:21-22 ESV) Jesus has come into Capernaum and started teaching; this was the unheard of at the time.

To understand why this was shocking we need to understand a little about Capernaum, especially in comparison to Jesus home town of Nazareth. Capernaum was a successful city on the Sea of Galilee, prosperous fishing industry, trade network and pottery production. Another important thing to note this was a Gentile Town. The roads are straight, there are public works projects, and there was even a giant public building. It was in this public building where the Jews meet on the Sabbath. And there the scribes - the teachers of the law – would interpret God’s word to the faithful. One of these teachers would have had a good position if they were teaching at Capernaum. I’ve been to the ruins of Capernaum, it’s was a relatively large city for the time, with a lot of affluent people.

On the other hand, we have Nazareth, a middle of nowhere town; that was kind of the butt of people’s jokes. It wasn’t sophisticated, her streets could barely be called streets, the buildings were haphazardly placed/ People where mostly substance farmers and some trades people. The best way I can think of describing what the people of Capernaum thought of Nazareth’s inhabitants was the way my high school football coach told us about the players of an opposing team. “Don’t worry fellas. We’ll beat these boys from Missouri, this is probably the first time they’ve worn shoes.” Being from Missouri myself, I was a little offended by the coach’s statement, but it was apt as an illustration of his thinking.

Jesus was a rural unsophisticated nobody from Nazareth, of all places. Who comes into the big city, strolls into the synagogue and starts teaching! And here is the shocker, he’s good! The people where astonished, he taught with authority, unlike the scribes who prefaced everything they said with, “The Lord said...” Jesus just spoke, because he is the Lord. His authority is his own. This would have truly been astonishing to the people in the synagogue.
It certainly was to one of them, “And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “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.” (Mark 1:23-24 ESV)

And immediately – this was Saint Mark sense of urgency again – there was a man possessed by an unclean spirit. This certainly was a shocking turn of events. I don’t know how I would have reacted if a man came into church our and started crying out at the pastor. We don’t expect to see people under the influence of unclean spirits attacking the church. But it was true then, and believe it or not it is true now.

People under the influences of unclean sprits are still crying out against the church. To them the Gospel is so offensive when they hear it they literally shriek in terror. So far this year alone we have had nine people call and demand to be removed from our AIC mailing list, because of their reaction to being confronted with the Gospel of Jesus. Their reactions are shockingly to the possessed man in Jesus’ day, “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.”

There are several ways to take this, as fear or mocking – or both. The term Jesus of Nazareth is mocking in tone, the unclean spirit is pointing out to everyone Jesus’ humble origins. “What do you have to do with us, you backwards nobody?” It is the same mocking today, “What have you to do with us, Christians, with your antiquated, out dated, backwards thinking?”

Have you come to destroy us? That’s a laugh! You weak human, how could you possible but an end to our reign over man? After all humans are our playthings, we have been possessing them, tormenting them and tricking them to keep sinning against each other and God for thousands of years. You, Jesus of Nazareth, think that you can put an end to our reign of sin, death and rebellion against God? You think you can put an end to this lifestyle of sin and death? You have come to destroy us? People don’t want to hear Jesus today for the same reason; we don’t want an end to our lifestyle of sin.

But behind this assault we see the fear. During Jesus’ baptism his identity was made know, this was God’s Son - the Holy One of God. This unclean spirit knew who he was, the Holy One. The unclean spirits had reason to fear. Their head Satan had led Jesus out to tempt him and failed. Maybe they didn’t want to admit it but they could see the writing on the wall – their reign was almost over.

[Then] Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 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.” (Mark 1:25-28 ESV)

Of course this would have amazed the crowd. How can this man have such authority? But who would have been really shocked at all of this would’ve been the unclean spirit. How could this weak frail man be doing this? How can he have power over evil and sin? The demon was so shocked and angry he was convulsing and crying out in a loud voice. No more does sin, death and the devil and his minions have free reign over man.

Jesus in his weakness went on not just to conquer this one unclean spirit but all of them. On the cross Jesus showed his true power, at what appeared to be his weakest he overcome sin and death itself. The Holy One of God had the power to accomplish all of this.

And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. And his fame is still spreading to this day! This unclean world is still convulsing and crying out, because it knows that sin has been defeated it’s power over man is at an end.

THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, WHICH SURPRISES THE DEMONS, GIVES A SURPRISING END TO THE BAPTIZED, TO YOU.
In Jesus’ baptism it was revealed to the demons who he was the Holy One of God, the one with the power to resist sin and the devil. And the surprising thing, at you baptism your where declared the Holy Ones of God, given the power to resist sin and the devil. In you weak and frail sin corrupted human form the Holy Spirit strengthens and works in you the power to be like Jesus of Nazareth. When you are at you weakest we see Jesus strength in us.

Is this a shock to you? Probably not. We know when Jesus was at his strongest when he was at his weakest the Cross. When Jesus suffered the ultimate penalty for sin, a humiliating death, that was when his strength was revealed. Through all the sin, all the agony, and he never lost faith.

In our baptism we have a surprise ending, you are the Holy One of God. Is it any wonder the sinful world hates you, they are afraid you have come to destroy it, not knowing that it has already been destroyed.

In His weakness we find our strength. Amen.