Mark 1:27

My Notes

What Does Mark 1:27 Mean?

"And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him." The synagogue audience is AMAZED — stunned, astonished — by Jesus' authority over unclean spirits. Their response is a QUESTION, not an answer: what IS this? What NEW teaching is this? The amazement produces inquiry, not understanding. They see the POWER but can't categorize it. The authority is undeniable. The identity behind the authority is unclear.

The phrase "what thing is this?" (ti estin touto — what is this?) is the FIRST response to Jesus' public ministry in Mark: the very first thing the crowds say about Jesus is a QUESTION. Not a declaration. Not a creed. A question. The question acknowledges that something unprecedented is happening but can't explain it. The 'what is this?' is honest amazement that hasn't yet become faith.

The "with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him" (kat' exousian kai tois pneumasi tois akathartois epitassei, kai hypakouousin autō — with authority even to the unclean spirits He commands, and they obey Him) identifies the SPECIFIC amazement: the authority isn't just in His TEACHING (verse 22). It's in His COMMANDING. The spirits OBEY. The demons listen. The authority that taught with power also COMMANDS with power. The teaching and the commanding carry the same authority.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What has amazed you about Jesus that you haven't yet fully understood?
• 2.What does the crowd's FIRST response being a question (not a creed) teach about the starting point of faith?
• 3.How does demons obeying serve as evidence that can't be argued with?
• 4.What 'new teaching' — qualitatively different from everything you've encountered — has Jesus presented to you?

Devotional

What IS this? What NEW teaching is this? He commands unclean spirits — and they OBEY. The crowd's first response to Jesus is a stunned question: they've NEVER seen this before. The authority is undeniable. The identity is unknown. The amazement is the starting point. The understanding hasn't arrived yet.

The 'what thing is this?' is amazement before comprehension: the crowd sees something REAL — a man who speaks with authority and the demons obey. The seeing is certain. The understanding is absent. They know SOMETHING extraordinary is happening. They don't know WHO is doing it or WHAT it means. The 'what is this?' is the honest response of people who have encountered the unprecedented.

The 'new doctrine' (didachē kainē — new/fresh teaching) identifies the amazement as CATEGORY-LEVEL: this isn't just a new TOPIC. It's a new KIND of teaching. The 'new' (kainē — qualitatively new, not just chronologically recent) means the teaching doesn't fit into existing categories. The rabbis teach by quoting other rabbis. Jesus teaches with INHERENT authority. The demons don't obey rabbinical citations. They obey Jesus' COMMAND.

The 'they do obey him' is the evidence that ends the debate: you can argue about teaching styles. You can debate interpretive methods. You can't argue with DEMONS OBEYING. The spirits' obedience is the evidence that settles the authority question. The demons don't obey fakes. The unclean spirits don't submit to unauthorized commands. The obedience proves the authority.

What has amazed you about Jesus that you haven't yet fully understood — and is the evidence demanding a response?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture