Mark 1:21-28

²¹ Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.

²² And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

²³ Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out,

²⁴ saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

²⁵ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!”

²⁶ And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.

²⁷ Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”

²⁸ And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee.

Also found in Luke 4:31-37.

Capernaum became Jesus’ new home after His unfriendly reception at Nazareth. It had by New Testament times grown into a city, having a tax office (Matthew 9:9) and a garrison for Roman soldiers (Matthew 8:9). — Thomas, page 49.

immediately (v.21) — on the first Sabbath after He arrived in the city. Mark used the word “immediately” (in some form) more than 40 times.

Synagogue is a Greek word meaning “a bringing together” or “an assembly”; but it was often used, as here, for the building in which the congregation met. Of the origin of synagogues nothing is known. The service in them was largely instructional: but they were also courts of justice (Luke 12:11; 21:12), where punishment could be inflicted (Matthew 10:17). It was the custom for the president of the synagogue to arrange who should read and expound the Scriptures each sabbath, and at this stage of His ministry this provided Jesus with manifold opportunities, for wherever He went He would be invited to teach. … The authoritative tone of Jesus’ teaching contrasted sharply with the utterances of Jewish teachers whose knowledge was entirely derivative and who invariably appealed to tradition or to the sayings of famous rabbis.— Guthrie, page 856.

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[Demon possession] is a phenomenon specially associated with the period of our Lord’s presence on earth. It is referred to only twice in the Old Testament, and twice in the New Testament outside the Gospels … The demons were real, and knew of the Messianic office of Jesus long before the disciples were aware of it, although they were never allowed to proclaim the facts (Mark 1:34; James 2:19) — Guthrie, page 856

astonished (v.22) — tense indicates repeated/continual astonishment as Jesus spoke. The word carries the idea of being struck by something.

Prophet after prophet opened and closed his message with the words, “Thus saith the Lord” … “for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.” Jesus was content with the attestation, “Verily, I say unto you.” … Everywhere in His teaching the center of authority is personal. … He assigns no authority for [His words] beyond His own. — Chadwich, page 23.

“their” synagogue (v.23) — The possessed man was probably not a member of the synagogue. In the Greek, it is evident that he began crying out as soon as Jesus stopped teaching.

I’m not sure I’ve heard (before now) the explanation of demons that Wuest gives (below). I think it makes sense to me.

with an unclean spirit (v.23) — The unclean spirit was in the man in the sense that he, an incorporeal being entered the man’s body, took up his residence in it, and controlled the person in whose body he dwelt. The man was in the demon in that he lived within the sphere of the demon’s control. … The devil is a fallen angel. Demons constitute a different category of beings. From the fact that the demons have no rest unless they are living in some physical body, it seems clear that at one time they did have physical bodies, and that they were deprived of them by some judgment of god. Some, including the writer, think that they are the disembodied beings of a pre-Adamite race who inhabited the first perfect earth (Genesis 1:1), and that they followed their leader Lucifer, into sin, and were disembodied and deprived of residence upon the earth by the cataclysm of Genesis 1:2, which was coincident with the fall of Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12-17). These are the principalities and powers of Ephesians 6:12, and comprise the kingdom of Satan in the atmosphere of this earth (Ephesians 2:2). — Wuest, page 32.

What have we to do with You? (v.24) = lit. “What do we demons have in common with you?”

Did You come to destroy us? (v.24) — Probably more of a statement that a question.

rebuked (v.25) — There are two words used in the New Testament, both meaning “to rebuke,” the one used here … means “to rebuke another, the rebuke failing to bring the offender to acknowledge his sin,” and [the other word means] a rebuke which results in a conviction of sin and sometimes a confession of sin on the offender’s part. The former is used by Mark, for Satan, the fallen angels, and the demons are incorrigible. They refuse to be convicted of their sin, and they will not acknowledge it nor repent. This is just another illustration of the meticulous accuracy of the Bible writers in the choice of words as guided by the Holy Spirit. — Wuest, page 33.

Be quiet (v.25) = “Hold your peace” — lit. “to close the mouth with a muzzle,” “to stop the mouth, make speechless, reduce to silence.” The sense if much more forceful that is apparent in the translation. In modern English, it would be “Shut up!” or “Shut your mouth!” The same sense is true of “Come out of him!”

convulsed (v.25) = like a spasm. Luke adds that the demon threw the man down. Obviously a vindictive response to being ordered and having no choice but to obey.

cried out (v.25) = screeched — in anger and frustration.

amazed (v.25) — with the sense of fright and terror.

questioned among themselves (v.27) — discussed, disputed, demanded of one another. Tense indicates an animated, prolonged discussion.

new (v.25) — New, not under the aspect of time, but of quality, the new as set over against that which has seen service, the outworn, the effete or marred through age. compared to the stilted, staid, dry as dust rabbinical droning, this teaching of Jesus was like the fragrance of a field of clover in the springtime. — Wuest, page 35.

authority (v.27) — In the same sense  as used in v.22.

commands (v.27) — a military term, “to draw up in order of battle, marshal.” The demon had no choice but to obey Him.