Today my dad preached on Mark 1:21-28 (see below). His sermon was called, Teaching that Demands a Response.
And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried 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 rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him." And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
From this passage, we're shown Jesus' authority. We're painted many pictures of Jesus by Mark, but this one paints Jesus a Man of complete authority. And because of His authority, He demands a response: to His teaching, to His example, and to His final sacrifice on the cross. So, the ultimate question that this text forces us to ask is the question that this entire sermon series on Mark focuses in on: Who is Jesus to you?