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Commentary on "The Holiness of God"
Day 6: Thursday, February 2, 2012 - When Demons Speak
Overview
In Luke 4:31-36, Jesus is preaching in Capernaum and is interrupted by a demon-possessed man who proclaims Jesus as the “Holy One of God.” From this, the Lesson points us to the power of God’s presence and holiness, in that even demons, as the most vile characters, feel compelled to acknowledge Jesus as holy. They are fearful because they fear God’s holy presence.
Observations
The story of the demon-possessed man in Luke 4 is important for a clear understanding of who Jesus is, and how His presence affects evil angels and even Satan. Yes, Jesus is holy, and His mere presence is hateful to evil beings. But on that day in Capernaum, we get a glimpse of how God defeats the powers of evil. Jesus is preaching in the synagogue in Capernaum, and while He is in the middle of His sermon, a demon, speaking through a man, screams out, “Ha! 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!” Jesus gives Him a simple rebuke: “Be silent and come out of him!” The demon leaves the man immediately, and the man is unharmed.
Satan and his angels normally like to work under cover, through deceit and lies. They don’t like being exposed, because darkness and deceit is the power of their kingdom. But something happened here to provoke this violent, panicked response by the demon, so that he blew his cover (MacArthur, 2000). What was Jesus doing? He was proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, that He was Messiah and He had come. He was here to free the captives and proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord (Is. 61:1-3). Jesus said in Luke 11:20, “If I cast out demons, the kingdom of God has come.” That day it was being fulfilled in their ears. Jesus was preaching the Gospel, the message that freedom had arrived, freedom from all the hateful powers.
Satan knew all the scriptures about the Messiah, and he knew that Jesus’ arrival spelled Satan’s doom. Isaiah 61:2 tells how the Messiah would proclaim the day of vengeance of our God. On that day all God’s enemies would be vanquished and destroyed. Therefore, Jesus’ preaching wasn’t just aimed at the poor and broken-hearted, it was given as a ringing battle cry against all Jesus’ enemies, human and demonic. The demons believed, trembled, and panicked. They knew Jesus had the power and authority to bind and destroy them right then. The Gospel is very bad news for them. They were obviously unsure of the timing of when God’s vengeance would descend on them. For all they knew, it could have happened right then!
Paul speaks of the demonic powers being conquered, bound, exposed, and paraded in a most humiliating fashion by Christ because He was crucified and rose again. And what is it about the Gospel that conquers and humiliates Satan and his army? Is it the message of moral improvement and harmony with nature’s laws? No, that would not address our problem. The Accuser’s power over us is founded on our guilt, which sentences us to death. The sting of death is sin (I Cor. 15:55), because any unforgiven sin holds us in dread of our end. The real Gospel frees us from both condemnation and the fear of death:
“Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” Romans 8:33,34
Satan’s accusations hold no more power over us and can no longer threaten us. God has no interest in anything Satan has to say. He cannot file any charges against us or sue us in God’s court, because he no longer has any legal standing in that court. The trial was already held, and the Lord Jesus took all our condemnation upon Himself when He was sentenced to eternal hell. Jesus cried out on the cross, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” This was the anguished cry of the damned. Jesus became a lost man for us, so that God’s justice could be satisfied. Satan’s power of guilt over us is broken. We are bought with a very high price.
Christian, all our sins have already been paid for. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” We don’t fall in and out of that standing. Even if your faith is weak, hold on to that promise with even the weakest, trembling hand, and all the mighty power of Jesus will hold on to you and never let you go. He will dwell in you and give you the willing and doing to conquer sin. All of Satan’s saber-rattling and screaming accusations are like the panic attack of that terrified demon at the synagogue in Capernaum. Jesus has entered the strongman’s house, bound him, and rescued his prisoners (Mark 3:27). When Jesus commands “Be silent!” you may temporarily get thrown, but you can be sure you are free of all condemnation! The price of freedom has already been paid, Satan is a defeated foe, for “Lo, his doom is sure! One little word shall fell him.”
Copyright 2012 BibleStudiesForAdventists.com. All rights reserved. Revised January 31, 2012. This website is published by Life Assurance Ministries, Glendale, Arizona, USA, the publisher of Proclamation! Magazine. Contact email: BibleStudiesForAdventists@gmail.com.
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