Asher Sisneros

Jesus was the most influential man in history. He was the son of God and Savior of the earth. Even atheists cannot negate the moral benefit of His teachings and the Christian Church’s impact on the Western world. Some, like the historian Tom Woods, argue that the Catholic Church didn’t just impact Western civilization but built it.¹ Regardless if that is true, ignoring Jesus Christ’s cultural impact is impossible. The Gospels in the Bible address His ministry. Dr. Gary North assigned The Gospel of Mark in his class on Western literature. Mark wasted no time in establishing the legitimacy of Jesus’ authority as God’s Son. Mark 1:1: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” After being baptized by John the Baptist, the Holy Spirit descended from heaven, and God the Father told Jesus, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”² Shortly after that, by Mark 1:23, Jesus did his first recorded miracle. But every logical person must wonder: How important were Jesus’ miracles in His early ministry?

 After recruiting Simon, Andrew, James, and John to join His ministry, Jesus and His new disciples entered Capernaum. A demon-possessed man inside of the synagogue cried out, “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!”³ Immediately, Jesus silenced and exorcized the demon, casting it out of the innocent man. By Mark 1:27, people wondered how Jesus possessed authority that demons feared. However, the miracle in Mark 1:21-27 was not a one-time incident. Jesus continued to cast out demons throughout His ministry. “At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed…and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him.”⁴ But not only did they know Jesus, they also feared Him. Mark 3:11 says, “And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, ‘You are the Son of God.’” However, the miracle regarding Legion was the most convincing miracle regarding Jesus’ authority over demons.⁵ After Christ and His apostles traveled to the Gadarenes’ country, a demon who lived in the mountain tombs confronted them. A group of demons possessed a man and identified as Legion because they were numerous. They gave their host the strength to break chains with his bare hands. However, this untamable man knelt before Jesus and worshipped Him. Then Legion said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God that You do not torment me.” These miracles were critical because they proved that demons feared Jesus because of His authority.

Jesus’ supernatural authority extended beyond demons, however. Even the wind and sea listened to Him. When the apostles crossed the sea in Mark 4, a wretched storm broke out. Everyone aboard the ship was terror-stricken. Death seemed to look them in the eyes. However, Jesus slept during the storm. It didn’t phase him in the slightest. The unbelieving disciples woke their Teacher. “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”⁶ The wind and ocean obeyed Jesus because of His authority.

Sickness and death were a product of sin after Adam failed in the Garden of Eden. Jesus was considered the second Adam because Adam’s failure foreshadowed Christ’s success. Sin entered the world through Adam. Under Jesus, men could subdue it. Since death and sickness resulted from sin, Jesus healed the sicknesses of numerous people to symbolize His triumphant victory over sin itself. Mark 1:40: “Now, a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, ‘If You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’”⁷ There are dozens of other miracles in the Gospel of Mark. However, that is beside the point. What matters is that Jesus healed sicknesses. He even triumphed over death by raising Lazarus from the dead and rising from the grave Himself. Sicknesses, death, and sin were under Jesus’s authority.

The superficial conclusion is that Jesus’ miracles impressed the public and garnered support, but it is much deeper than that. The miracles proved His authority over demons, the elements, sickness, sin, and death. They were more than neat magic tricks. His miracles proved the legitimacy of His authority as God.

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1. Tom Woods’ book, How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization: https://www.amazon.com/Catholic-Church-Built-Western-Civilization/dp/1596983280/ref=asc_df_1596983280/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312087807240&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3800206214174119440&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027815&hvtargid=pla-434404977345&psc=1&mcid=1f37a072c3e83378b144ccff6d6adc37&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=61316180119&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312087807240&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=3800206214174119440&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9027815&hvtargid=pla-434404977345&gclid=CjwKCAiAjrarBhAWEiwA2qWdCMFmYQjl2FKKb6rhjMSnksH7scFe5RAHuVSHAcB_6NKn903UC2f_2RoCTwAQAvD_BwE ↩︎
2. Mark 1: 9-11 ↩︎
3. Mark 1:21-27 ↩︎
4. Mark 1:32-34 ↩︎
5. Mark 5:1-15 ↩︎
6. Mark 4:19 ↩︎
7. Mark 1:40-41 ↩︎