Mark 9:20,25-26: Jesus, the Exorcist
So they brought [the boy to Jesus.] When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth. … When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.” The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.”
//Few scholars doubt the portrayal in the Synoptic Gospels of Jesus as an exorcist, casting out devils. What exactly were these evil spirits whose possession had to be exorcised? We imagine schizophrenia, epilepsy, or hysteria, but we don’t know. What we do know is that Jesus, acting in the name of God and intent upon showing the arrival of the Kingdom of God, battled the demons face-to-face.
Jesus talked directly to them, shouted at them, waved his hands, angered them, and drove them out. Some scholars picture Jesus entering a sort of trance and imitating the demoniacs’ behavior in order to cure them.
John’s Gospel, perhaps embarrassed by the whole thing, reports not a single exorcism by Jesus, but the other gospels do not shy away from the image. At one point, Jesus’ family members come out of Nazareth to take charge of him, believing he has gone out of his mind. What would be more likely to trigger this concern than Jesus’ strange behavior during exorcisms? Others watching the shenanigans laughingly concluded, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.”
Yet Jesus’ fame as an exorcist attests to his success. Did he get them all? Since there seem to be no demons around today, we must conclude that the Kingdom of God has arrived.
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Twice before Lee Harmon has written about Christian topics, once on the gospel of John and once on the book of Revelation. But the question people keep asking him is this: As a liberal Christian, why do you care so much about the Bible? Others wonder whether he is truly a Christian at all.
The Way It Happened
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| Revelation: A love story gone awry. | The Gospel: A love story set aright. |
What really happened 2,000 years ago? How did a persecuted minority of end-time believers known as Christians, with their dreams of Armageddon and a conquering Messiah named Jesus, evolve into the largest religion in the world? Author Lee Harmon explores the period in which the New Testament was written in his books about John's Gospel and Revelation.
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Hello! I'm an author, historical Jesus scholar, book reviewer, and liberal Christian, which means I appreciate and attempt to exercise the humanitarian teachings of Jesus without getting hung up on any particular supernatural or religious beliefs.
The Bible is a magnificent book that has inspired and spiritually fed generations for thousands of years, and each new century seems to bring a deeper understanding of life’s purpose. This is true of not only Christianity; through the years, our age-old religions are slowly transforming from superstitious rituals into humanitarian philosophies. In short, we are growing up, and I am thrilled to be riding the wave.
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They were mocking him. A mocking spirit was operating through those watching.
the kingdom of darkness is ruling our heaven. Satan is the prince of the power of the air.
Christ works through his children and as the glory of God increases on earth so the darkness increases.
Matt 3:2 Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is near.
Luke 10:9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God is near you.’
John 3:1-7
Jesus said
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.” John 3:1-7.
“Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein,” Mark 10:15.
Obedience is required
“Not everyone who say’s to me, Lord Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.” “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves,” James 1:22
If we don’t do what Jesus did we become hearers only and not doers. Therefore deceived.
Thanks for responding! Are you suggesting we should be healing and exorcising as well?
Hi just to let you know Jesus as an exorcist thats what he did.Firstly he got rid of the evil spirits in the humans.And then the person was healed, but that was power, super natural power from heaven above.I would say he had a diamond from heaven which descended on him and in that diamond was the power within him.The diamond also had two things in it if i told you you would not believe me.So my dear friends dont forget the diamond.