This summer, during “Our Next Guest Is” series, the Daily Bible Readings will take you on a journey through the book of Mark. We’ll take an in-depth look at the life of Jesus, introducing you to all of the different guests, themes, and spiritual disciplines Jesus interacted with and practiced throughout the book. Our hope and prayer is that you’ll meet Jesus in new and fresh ways as we journey together through the Gospel according to Mark.
Day Three Mark 1:21-34
21 Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25 But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered. 26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.
27 Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!” 28 The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.
29 After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew’s home. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away. 31 So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them.
32 That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus. 33 The whole town gathered at the door to watch. 34 So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak. – Mark 1:21-34 (NLT)
Discover
1. What impression do you get of Jesus in each of these scenarios?
2. What do you think the crowds meant when they talked about Jesus’ authority? How was it different from others?
3. Why do you think Jesus didn’t allow the demons to speak?
Respond
As Jesus continued teaching and preaching, His ministry of healing the sick and demon-possessed also began. From sun-up until well after sunset, Jesus worked to restore people to full physical and spiritual health. He was entirely others-focused, compassionate, and focused on the work God had sent Him to do. Spend some time thanking God today for being this kind of God. He cares about every part of you. He’s compassionate, and He has full authority to heal, restore, and bring wholeness.
For Further Reading: Jesus’ Healing Ministry
For Families with Kids at Home
This story shows us that Jesus has ultimate power over evil. Jesus isn’t afraid of evil; we see here the evil has to yield to Jesus! Ask your kids what they fear. For younger kids, maybe it’s monsters or the dark. Maybe for older kids, it’s fear of failure or being embarrassed in front of others. Assure them that Jesus is stronger than anything we could possibly face, and that He is always with us.
*TPCC does not necessarily endorse all For Further Reading/Learning sources. They are simply meant to be a helpful tool.