Jesus Spoke And Acted As One Possessed

What Did Jesus Do?

Many said, “He has a demon, and is insane.”
John 10.20


The words of Jesus were not easily ignored. So, if one wasn't comfortable with dismissing his words, then the only alternative was to dismiss him, which many did by characterizing the Lord as possessed by a demon and quite out of his mind. Before we rush to judgment of those who wanted to label Jesus as crazy, let's remember that even his family said he was mad (see Mark 3.21). Actually, I cannot read the words of Jesus without coming to a very similar conclusion—Jesus did speak as one possessed.

But no demon had a hold of Christ. Rather, the Son was completely under the influence of the Father (John 10.15). And Jesus never uttered so much as one syllable apart from what the Father taught him to speak (John 8.28). Besides his words, there were the works of the Lord. Though Jesus spoke as one possessed, who had ever heard of a demon opening blind eyes (John 10.21)? Truly, Christ was indwelt, not by any evil spirit, but by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit leads those who are in darkness to light. Demons and evil spirits shun light and lead only to deeper darkness.

So then, if the Lord did speak as one possessed, how did some come to perceive that his words and deeds were of God, while others dismissed him as a lunatic at the mercy of a demon? Well, the only way to hear and receive words spoken in and of the Spirit, is to have ears that hear, and a mind that is opened, by the same Holy Spirit. As Jesus had earlier observed, “Whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God.” (John 8.47; see 1Corinthians 2.14)

Would that the Father would take complete possession of us all, so that no words should pass our lips except those the Father teaches us to speak through the Holy Spirit. The truth is, we should be out of our minds, and possess the mind of Christ (see 1Corinthians 2.16; Philippians 2.5). But, in possessing the mind of Christ, it is in fact we who are possessed, being filled with his Spirit.(see Ezekiel 36.27; 1Corinthians 6.19-20)

Everyone is “possessed,” and under the influence of forces outside of us. We are either controlled by the spirit of the age, or surrendered to the Holy Spirit. If our words and actions don't show that we are “possessed,” that we are Christ's disciples and belong to him, we might well ask what spirit animates us. Everything we say and do should reveal the presence and activity of the Holy Spirit within us. That's what Jesus did.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4