PREACHING THAT SILENCES SATAN

St. Mark 1:21-29

Hymn: “Spread the Reign of God the Lord” -830 LSB

Psalm: Psalm 138

 Prayer: O King of Grace whose strong Word does silence the demons, speak now to us and put to flight all that would defile us that clothed with Your righteousness alone, we may stand firm against every attack of the evil one and by Your mercy kept safe from all danger and delivered into your everlasting kingdom. Amen.

 Fresh from his victory over Satan’s temptations in the wilderness, Jesus begins to preach. His first sermon recorded by the Evangelist Mark is short and to the point: The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. It is preaching with authority; preaching that takes captive the fishermen Simon and Andrew, James and John. They leave their nets and boats behind and follow the Lord to be fishers of men. The authority of our Lord’s preaching is put on display in the synagogue for He teaches with an authority unknown to scribes. His preaching causes the gates of hell to quiver for it a proclamation that heralds the coming of the kingdom. The kingdom of the Lord Christ never simply annexes neutral territory or takes over unclaimed terrain. The kingdom of Christ defeats and displays the kingdom of the evil one.  The kingdom of Satan cannot coexist with the kingdom of God.

The scribes might not know who this new preacher is, but the unclean spirits recognize Him. One cries out “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.” But Jesus silences the confession of this demon. He has come in the flesh to destroy the work of the devil not to give him an opportunity to speak.

Mark tells us that Jesus’ fame spread throughout Galilee. The whole town shows up, drawn to see this man who heals the sick and liberates from demonic captivity. When and where Jesus preaches, Satan wants to have his say as well. Luther once said “where Christ appears, there the devil starts to speak.” That is why Luther understood the pulpit to be the battlefield between the Lord Jesus and the old evil foe. Or has Heiko Oberman says “for Luther, a sermon was an apocalytic event that set the doors of heaven and hell in motion” (Meuser, 25). The devil fancies himself to be a preacher, too. Satan always tries to get a word in as he did in Eden with his cool and calculating sermon “Did God really say?” His tactics are not new. To occupy the preaching office is engage the Temper in battle. It is a war of words, but God has armed you with His Word, the Word of Truth. No other weaponry no matter how cleaver will suffice in this struggle. To preach Christ crucified is to do battle against Satan. Preaching is no detached religious lecture, no soothing inspirational meditation but a declaration of Christ’s victory over sin, death, and hell. Satan is not troubled by platitudes of piety, by ten-ways-to fix-your life sermons. He knows that your piety is like a puff of smoke and your attempts at spiritual self-improvement are likely to end with despair or self-righteousness. But the coming of the kingdom whose king reigns on a cross and who exercises authority by extending mercy, that is another matter altogether. Satan cannot help but howl out in protest when word of absolution, of forgiveness of sins is spoken.

Jesus will not permit the demons to speak because they know Him. Even the demons believe that God is one says St.James-and they shudder. But that does not make them confessors! Satan can quote Scripture but that does not make of him a preacher of the Gospel.

Jesus’ preaching exercises His authority over Satan. Jesus’ words unplug deaf ears and loose mute tongues to confess His mighty works. But these same words tie Satan’s tongue. That is what the preaching of the foolishness of the cross does. Where the living voice of the Gospel is going on, there the crucified and risen Lord Jesus is Himself speaking. He speaks a word of forgiveness and where there is forgiveness of sins, Satan has no say. Where there is forgiveness of sins, the voice of the accuser has no authority for the blood of Christ cleanses you from all sin. No unclean spirit can hold you captive because Christ Himself has washed you with His blood in Holy Baptism. Your life is under the One to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given. By His cross, He has triumphed over principalities and powers. He has rescued you from the kingdom of darkness and given you an inheritance in the kingdom of light.  Satan has no claim on you. The Gospel that has opened your lips to confess that Jesus is Lord renders Satan silent. He has no right to accuse or threaten. Yes his doom is sure. One little word shall fell him.  Where the truth of the cross is proclaimed, the father of lies is muzzled and your lips are open to confess in truth that Jesus is the Holy One of God whose blood sets us free to live before Him in holiness and righteousness now and forever. Amen.

Prof. John T. Pless

Monday in Trinity 12

19 August 2013

LTS Chapel –Pretoria, South Africa