<html><head></head><body><div><div><div><div><br></div>Mark 1;25-28<div><br></div><div><b>25. &nbsp;But, Jesus rebuked him, </b>(the demon) <b>saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” </b>(The possessed man)</div><div><b>26. &nbsp;And the unclean spirit convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.</b></div><div><b>27. &nbsp;And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? &nbsp;A new teaching! &nbsp;With authority he commands even the&nbsp;unclean spirits, and they obey him.”</b></div><div><b>28. &nbsp;And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.</b></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Throughout the New Testament, Jesus casts out demons by his Word, he commands them and they obeyed. &nbsp;(There is one occasion in a variant reading where our Lord says, <i>“This kind only comes out by &nbsp;prayer and fasting”. </i>Matthew 17;21 I believe it is considered a variant reading in part, because it detracts from God’s&nbsp;Word of Command<span>).</span></div><div><br></div><div>No where&nbsp;in the New Testament does Jesus embrace and hold tightly to a demon &nbsp;possessed person, (as is seen in the series “The Chosen” with Jesus embracing Mary Magdalene&nbsp;in order to exorcise the demons from her). &nbsp;This is pure fiction and a dangerous misrepresentation of Jesus.</div><div><br></div><div>It is God’s Word which has all authority over unclean spirits. &nbsp;When dealing with a demon possessed person, Jesus addresses the demon, not the person.</div><div><br></div><div>Jesus indeed touches sick people with physical afflictions, even dead people he touches, but never those possessed with demons. &nbsp;He only commands them, and&nbsp;they obey. &nbsp;The greatest power in heaven and on earth is the voice of&nbsp;Jesus giving command. &nbsp;Jesus is here physically&nbsp;in the world for those who are sick. <i>“By his stripes we are healed.” &nbsp;</i>(Isaiah 53;5b). Our physical diseases do not repulse Jesus. &nbsp;He loves sick people, not their sickness, but them. &nbsp;Physical sickness is not demonic.</div><div>It is the result of our fall into sin through Adam. &nbsp;Physical dying is a blessed release from flesh infected by a sinful nature. &nbsp;Even a physically sick body can be a temple of the Holy Spirit. &nbsp;Our physical uncleanness, does not make us unclean spiritually.</div><div><br></div><div>Jesus is the Holy One of God, no&nbsp;unclean spirit&nbsp;will he embrace,&nbsp;take to himself,&nbsp;commune with, or dwell in. &nbsp;This fact&nbsp;speaks to the very <u>real presence</u>&nbsp;of Satan in demon possessed people. &nbsp;&nbsp;We confess the Real Presence&nbsp;of Jesus in the waters and Word&nbsp;of Holy&nbsp;Baptism and the Consecrated bread and wine of Holy Communion. &nbsp;We should also confess the Real Presence of Christ in us His Bride the Church. &nbsp;<i>“As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. &nbsp;And for their sake I consecrate myself, <u>that they also may be consecrated in truth.</u>” &nbsp;</i>(John 17;18&amp;19)</div><div><br></div><div>“The Chosen” portrays Jesus unfaithfully. &nbsp;He has no physical&nbsp;contact in any way with those who have unclean spirits. &nbsp;I know many Christians enjoy the series, but personally, I reject and condemn <u>any</u>&nbsp;misrepresentation of Jesus. &nbsp;The ‘jesus’&nbsp;of The Chosen, is not the true Jesus. &nbsp;I believe the creators of the series wanted to show Jesus’&nbsp;compassion and tenderness, but they open a theological can of worms once they show Jesus physically&nbsp;embracing <u>any woman</u>. &nbsp;Such behavior is the subject of heresies. &nbsp;It was the false&nbsp;assertion of the Tom Hanks’&nbsp;movie, “The Da Vinci Code” that Jesus had ‘carnal knowledge’ of Mary Magdalene. &nbsp; It also suggests that full body&nbsp;physical contact between unmarried/unbetrothed men and women is okay with God, it is not. &nbsp;Only in the last 100&nbsp;years have the churches begun to&nbsp;worship&nbsp;‘co-educationally’. &nbsp;Even in my day, some churches had the women and small children sitting on one side of the sanctuary and the men and older boys on the other.</div><div><br></div><div>Our Lord intimately and personally comes to us His Bride the Church,&nbsp;embracing our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits,&nbsp;by His Voice, the <u>Word</u>. &nbsp;<i>“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. &nbsp;Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.” &nbsp;</i>(Isaiah 40;1&amp;2)</div><div><br></div><div>This mystery is meta-physical, yet it is&nbsp;the&nbsp;true,&nbsp;great reality of the work of God for us and in us. &nbsp;<i>“To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is <u>Christ in you</u>, the hope of glory.” &nbsp;</i>(Colossians 1;27)</div><div><i>“Jesus answered him, ‘If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” &nbsp;</i>(John 14;23)</div><div><i>“The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they be one even as we are one, <u>I&nbsp;</u><u>in them, and thou in me,</u>&nbsp;that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast love them even as thou hast loved me.” &nbsp;</i>(John 17;22&amp;23)</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;O most merciful Heavenly Father, bless us with true reverence tor these temples of the Holy Spirit which you have given us. &nbsp;Even though these bodies of ours are physically suffering the after- effects of Adam’s fall into sin, sickness, aging,&nbsp;dying, and death, yet, by Your Spirit and Word we have become Your own&nbsp;clean,&nbsp;fit dwelling place. &nbsp;And, we look forward to the resurrection and the new glorified immortal bodies you will give us with which to serve and glorify you forever. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>


Mark 1;25-28
25.  But, Jesus rebuked him, (the demon) saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” (The possessed man)26.  And the unclean spirit convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.27.  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.”28.  And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.

Throughout the New Testament, Jesus casts out demons by his Word, he commands them and they obeyed.  (There is one occasion in a variant reading where our Lord says, “This kind only comes out by  prayer and fasting”. Matthew 17;21 I believe it is considered a variant reading in part, because it detracts from God’s Word of Command).
No where in the New Testament does Jesus embrace and hold tightly to a demon  possessed person, (as is seen in the series “The Chosen” with Jesus embracing Mary Magdalene in order to exorcise the demons from her).  This is pure fiction and a dangerous misrepresentation of Jesus.
It is God’s Word which has all authority over unclean spirits.  When dealing with a demon possessed person, Jesus addresses the demon, not the person.
Jesus indeed touches sick people with physical afflictions, even dead people he touches, but never those possessed with demons.  He only commands them, and they obey.  The greatest power in heaven and on earth is the voice of Jesus giving command.  Jesus is here physically in the world for those who are sick. “By his stripes we are healed.”  (Isaiah 53;5b). Our physical diseases do not repulse Jesus.  He loves sick people, not their sickness, but them.  Physical sickness is not demonic.It is the result of our fall into sin through Adam.  Physical dying is a blessed release from flesh infected by a sinful nature.  Even a physically sick body can be a temple of the Holy Spirit.  Our physical uncleanness, does not make us unclean spiritually.
Jesus is the Holy One of God, no unclean spirit will he embrace, take to himself, commune with, or dwell in.  This fact speaks to the very real presence of Satan in demon possessed people.   We confess the Real Presence of Jesus in the waters and Word of Holy Baptism and the Consecrated bread and wine of Holy Communion.  We should also confess the Real Presence of Christ in us His Bride the Church.  “As thou didst send me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.  And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be consecrated in truth.”  (John 17;18&19)
“The Chosen” portrays Jesus unfaithfully.  He has no physical contact in any way with those who have unclean spirits.  I know many Christians enjoy the series, but personally, I reject and condemn any misrepresentation of Jesus.  The ‘jesus’ of The Chosen, is not the true Jesus.  I believe the creators of the series wanted to show Jesus’ compassion and tenderness, but they open a theological can of worms once they show Jesus physically embracing any woman.  Such behavior is the subject of heresies.  It was the false assertion of the Tom Hanks’ movie, “The Da Vinci Code” that Jesus had ‘carnal knowledge’ of Mary Magdalene.   It also suggests that full body physical contact between unmarried/unbetrothed men and women is okay with God, it is not.  Only in the last 100 years have the churches begun to worship ‘co-educationally’.  Even in my day, some churches had the women and small children sitting on one side of the sanctuary and the men and older boys on the other.
Our Lord intimately and personally comes to us His Bride the Church, embracing our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits, by His Voice, the Word.  “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.”  (Isaiah 40;1&2)
This mystery is meta-physical, yet it is the true, great reality of the work of God for us and in us.  “To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”  (Colossians 1;27)“Jesus answered him, ‘If a man loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”  (John 14;23)“The glory which thou hast given me I have given to them, that they be one even as we are one, I in them, and thou in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that thou hast sent me and hast love them even as thou hast loved me.”  (John 17;22&23)
Prayer:  O most merciful Heavenly Father, bless us with true reverence tor these temples of the Holy Spirit which you have given us.  Even though these bodies of ours are physically suffering the after- effects of Adam’s fall into sin, sickness, aging, dying, and death, yet, by Your Spirit and Word we have become Your own clean, fit dwelling place.  And, we look forward to the resurrection and the new glorified immortal bodies you will give us with which to serve and glorify you forever.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”







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