#33 Unclean Spirit Cast Out

#33 Unclean Spirit Cast Out

Please first read: Mark 1:21-28; Luke: 4:31-37

In the preexistence, when 1/3^rd of our Father’s children openly rebelled and followed Satan, they were not only cast out of heaven, but were specifically sent to this earth. They therefore continue to be the force of opposition to God’s plan here on earth. They will never be able to have bodies of their own. In this dejected state they seek to house themselves in the mortal bodies of others, and under certain conditions are able to do so. When this happens the devil, the evil spirit, takes control and overpowers that individual’s agency.

The Lord exercised his power over such devils on numerous times during his earthly life here. This was a Messianic promise, “And he shall cast out devils, or the evil spirits which shall dwell in the hearts of the children of men.” (Mosiah 3:6) Jesus had full power over these devils and they knew it. They knew him and he knew them from the dealings in the preexistence. Unlike mortals on this earth, evil spirits here do not have a veil drawn over their knowledge of the preexistence. They have full memory of the great council in heaven and their time there. They recognize who Jesus is, that he has power to destroy them, and that he eventually will destroy their kingdom. They want nothing do with him, but they must obey him.

Jesus refuses to allow them to testify of his divinity. To do so would only lend credence to future accusations that “he does his works by the power of Satan.” Other similar instances occurred and Jesus’ reaction was the same; testimonies that he is the Christ should only be borne by the power of the Holy Ghost. Here, when Jesus says, “come out of him,” the evil spirit steps literally out of the possessed one’s body. To mortals, this is a miracle. In 1830 Joseph Smith cast a devil out of Brother Newell Knight and they “saw the evil spirit leave him and vanish from sight.”

Christian scholars today generally seem to agree that demonic possession in the time of Christ was more prevalent than in recent history. This could possibly be that with the Lord physically on the earth Satan would be moved to be a stronger presence here as well. The spiritual state of the Israelites was at a very low ebb. Several centuries of being enslaved by stronger nations had taken a toll on them. Also the Jews believed in only two sources of supernatural power; God or Satan. When Jesus comes claiming to be the Messiah, and exercising miraculous powers, they must decide which of these two sources he is using. When they reject him as God the Messiah, the only other choice is from Satan. Jesus’ miraculous powers are very much in evidence and will continue. The dilemma here is a very difficult and uncomfortable position especially for their leaders … the Sadducees - those who control the temple and all its activities … and the Pharisees/ Scribes – the primary teachers of the law and members of the Sanhedrin.

Like most eastern and ancient nations the Jews attributed any evil happening to demons, spirits of the wicked. Sudden sicknesses, mental breakdowns, unusual changes in a person’s behavior, negative happenings, etc. When things like this occurred they believed the Lord was punishing a person or peoples for something they had or had not done. They believed the same for a married woman who was barren. (Example: John the Baptist’s mother and her “reproach” among women.) The Jews will eventually try to claim that these healings and miracles of Jesus are being done by the power of Satan, which Jesus will point out to them is totally illogical.

“[T]hey were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1:22) “What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? ... the unclean spirits… do obey him.” (Mark 1:27)

 

There should have been nothing so startling new to them in the healings and miracles of Jesus. Their ancient prophets had cured diseases, cast out devils, and raised the dead. Israel had been, by their own actions, without prophets for over 400 years, and thus had not recently seen these things. There were magicians and exorcists at work in the first century in the Hellenistic world, of which Israel was a part, but these could not easily be confused with the actions of the Savior.

It is interesting to look at the range of several Greek word translations:

• “Destroy: the cry of the possessed is the language of terror, a declaration of Jesus’ avowed intent.”
• “Amazed / astonished: very strong, deep, in feeling and meaning.”
• “Silence: to muzzle, bind, very strong meaning; for stifling evil spirits with a magic spell.”

Glenn R. McGettigan

December 2014

References:

“Behold the Messiah.” Matthews

“Doctrinal New Testament Commentary.” McConkie

“The Miracles of Jesus the Messiah.” Howick

“Jesus the Christ.” Talmage

“The Mortal Messiah.” McConkie

“Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ.” Holzaphel

“The Life of Jesus Christ.” Farrar

“Bethany Commentary.”

“The Gospel of Mark.” Mann

“The Gospel of Luke.” Fitzmyer