33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 "Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"
35 "Be quiet!" Jesus said sternly. "Come out of him!" Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.
36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, "What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!" 37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.
I don’t know about you, but I find it very interesting that the first people who confirmed Jesus’ identity on earth were the demons! The gospel of Matthew gives us yet another example of this: 28 When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. 29 "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" Matt 8:28-29 (NIV)
Demonic possession, as you probably already know, is the worst form of human suffering produced by Satan’s agency. This poor guy has it rough! Using the vehicle of the man’s voice, screaming at the top of his lungs, the demons cry out three things in a taunting fashion to Jesus. First, they proclaim who Jesus is; secondly they ask if Jesus is going to utterly destroy, decimate or obliterate them – giving assent to their knowledge of His achieving power; and third, they state very clearly that they know in an absolute sense that Jesus is the Son of God. Yes, the demons know full well who Jesus is and the achieving power that He commands! Jesus himself tells us in Luke’s gospel: 18 He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Luke 10:18 (NIV)
Satan did not fall alone – the fallen angels (demons) accompanied him in his free fall from heaven. They mistakenly chose to be allies with Satan – doomed and sentenced to eternal separation from God. It always amazes me that after being in the very presence of God they could choose to turn their backs on their Creator. Jude tells us: And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. Jude 1:6 (NIV)
Peter tells us that this is also true of those who “follow the corrupt desire of the sinful nature and despise authority” here on earth adding:20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud." 2 Peter 2:20-22 (NIV)
Jesus rebukes and chides the demonic presence to be silent – to muzzle that noise! Throwing the man down before them all, he departs and in no respect – in any way - is the man injured. Jesus always heals completely and totally, without a trace of injury. Amazed, they begin to ask each other, “What is this teaching with such ability and power – giving orders with absolute authority making evil spirits flee?” Certainly, the news would have spread like wildfire – it permeated the entire surrounding area! I love a line from Ruth Haley Barton in an Invitation to Solitude and Silence: “The silence that comes after the chaos is pregnant with the presence of God.” Yes indeed, the silence after the demonic departure had God’s signature all over it leaving a powerful taste of His presence! Ah, the sweet aroma of Jesus!