(23) And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, (24) Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. (25) And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. (26) And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. (27) 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. (28) And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout the region round about Galilee.
We have here the first miracle CHRIST manifested in the relation of Mark's Gospel. The Son of GOD was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil. And here he begins to overthrow both his person and empire, This poor man, we are told, had an unclean spirit. Every man, by the fall, is under the dominion of sin and Satan. The children of GOD, as well as the whole race of men in the Adam-nature, in which they are born, are equally vassals and subjects to Satan. For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought into bondage. 2 Peter 2:19. Hence therefore, we have all by nature an unclean spirit. Oh! for grace to be made sensible of this! Titus 3:3-7. The next thing we meet with in this poor man's history is, that he was in the synagogue on the sabbath- day. Reader do not fail to remark, that notwithstanding this dreadful malady, he attended the worship of GOD. It is blessed to be found waiting at ordinances, whatever state the mind is in. Who would have thought, when he went into the synagogue under such a state of captivity to Satan, that he should come out so blessedly de livered by the Almighty power of GOD. Had he not been there, humanly speaking, he would have lost this opportunity of being healed. How sweet was that scripture fulfilled in this instance. Isaiah 49:24-26. The loud cry from the evil spirit, which had, at that time, the mastery over him, is worthy our closest observation in confirmation of the GODHEAD of CHRIST. Reader! do not fail to remark this! While thousands, who saw JESUS daily going about the streets of Jerusalem, knew not who he was, devils were compelled to give their unwilling testimony to his person and authority, and publickly to own him as the HOLY ONE of GOD! Oh! what will modern infidels to the GODHEAD of CHRIST have to say in the great day of his power; when devils themselves confessed their knowledge of him, even in the day of his flesh! Reader! remark with me also, the great awfulness of the blinded state of man by reason of sin, that even devils are not blinded, as sinners in nature are, to the knowledge of CHRIST. But let every child of GOD who reads my Poor Man's commentary, and whose eyes the LORD hath opened, take sweet comfort in this; that while devils, in head knowledge, exceed in nature those whom, by their temptations, they have made blind at the fall, they never can receive in heart-influence what poor sinners recovered by sovereign grace, attain unto, both in an apprehension of; and interest in, the person, work, and glory of the LORD JESUS CHRIST. When the Reader hath duly pondered over these precious views of the case before us, I would request him to attend to another circumstance presented to us in it, namely, the acknowledgement the evil spirit made of CHRIST's power, and the dreadful alarm expressed in the apprehension that JESUS was come (as was indeed the case) to their destruction. Let every child of GOD here learn, what frights and fears devils are in, even in the midst of their cruel tyranny over our poor nature, which Satan, the Old Serpent, ruined at the Fall. Behold! in this instance, how, at the very approach of JESUS, they tremble. Oh! what confidence ought every child of GOD to feel in the consciousness of an interest in CHRIST. No weapon formed against them can prosper. No temptation can take them, but under it the LORD will make a way for them to escape. And the GOD of peace is engaged to bruise Satan under their feet shortly. See Isaiah 54:17; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Romans 16:20. The victory, of CHRIST in dispossessing the evil spirit, the recovery of the poor man, the astonishment of the whole congregation, and the rumour of such a miracle circulating through the neighborhood, these would furnish large subjects for our meditation. But I must study shortness, and therefore refer the Reader to similar records of our LORD, where the improvements may be found to the same amount. See Mark 5:1. And I particularly request the Reader, if he hath the little penny number by him of my Poor Man's Concordance, under the article Nazarene, to consult it in this place.