Luke 4:35-36

Luke 4:31-37 forms a chiastic structure (a writing style that uses a unique repetition pattern for clarification and emphasis) focusing upon Jesus' destruction of evil. Note that Luke's text emphatically reveals that the demons know who Jesus is and what their ultimate fate is:

• A. Capernaum, a city of Galilee (John 4:31)
  • B. astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority (John 4:32)
    • C. demon (John 4:33)
      • D. cried out with a loud voice (John 4:33)
        • E. Jesus of Nazareth (John 4:34)
          • F. Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are (John 4:34; cf Jas 2:19)
        • E'. the Holy One of God (John 4:34)
      • D'. Be silent (John 4:35)
    • C'. demon (John 4:35)
  • B'. amazed . . . What is this word . . . authority and power (John 4:36)
• A'. every place in the surrounding region (John 4:37)

This miracle is recorded in detail in the Gospel of Mark (below). There are few examples of demon possession either in the Old Testament or in the New Testament after the Gospels. In Scripture such possession is defined as evil opposition to the coming of God's Son.The people were amazed because Jesus' teaching was delivered with authority (Luke 4:32). In contrast to the Pharisees and teachers of the law who appealed to tradition and previous teachers, Jesus did not cite authorities. This deviation from the accepted norm amazed the people.

In Luke 4:34-35 we observe that this demon was cast out on the Sabbath. Luke's Gospel tells of five exorcisms and healings Jesus performed on the Sabbath (here; Luke 4:38; 6:6; 13:14; 14:1), compared with two recorded by John (John 5:8-9; 9:14).

In Luke 4:34, the demon recognized Jesus as the "Holy One of God" - a term which denotes Jesus' special relationship to God and his empowerment by the Spirit (John 6:69). Luke's Gospel makes it clear that part of Jesus' mission was to defeat the powers of evil.

Jesus displayed the power of his authoritative word by silencing and calling out the demon (see v. 32, 41; 8:31; 10:17-18; 11:20). That authority over demons not only validated his preaching but signaled the arrival of God's kingdom (see Matt. 12:28).