And the unclean spirits, when they beheld him, fell down before him, and cried saying, *Thou* art the Son of God.
Crowds press in on Jesus by the sea. The clearest words about who He is come not from His disciples but from evil spirits — and He silences them at once.
Scripture has a settled vocabulary for these beings. One writer notes that God is called the Father of spirits, that angels are called spirits, and adds:
demons are constantly spoken of as "unclean spirits" (Mark 3:11) — never souls.
The verse says the spirits fell down and cried out. But it was human bodies that fell and human voices that cried. One writer explains why Scripture speaks of them as one:
Notice something we often see in the Gospels. Evil spirits held people so completely that the Gospels credit their acts to the spirits. The people under them said what the spirits made them say, as if it came from themselves. The spirit held mind and body so fully that the person thought the spirit's promptings were his own thoughts. The possession was total.
Their words are true. But how did they know? One writer traces it to what they had watched Him do:
The demons said, "You are the Son of God," for they knew that He was the Anointed. They had no divine knowledge that He was the Son of God. It was a conclusion drawn from His work and His way as the Anointed One, as the One full of the Holy Spirit, the Holy One of God.
Their bowing was not devotion. They had no choice:
He refuses the testimony of the unclean spirits, compelled as they are to bow and own His glory. He did not accept testimony from man as such, much less from demons. What was any recognition of who He is worth, unless the Spirit of God had produced it?
This is not the only witness to His Sonship in Mark. It comes from two directions:
There is a double witness from on high. At the baptism in the Jordan a voice out of the heavens declared, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased" (Mark 1:11). The same testimony came again from the glory on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mark 9:7). There was also a double witness from beneath. Unclean spirits fell down before Him, saying, "You are the Son of God" (Mark 3:11). Legion says the same: "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me" (Mark 5:7).
The next verse records that He ordered them not to make Him known. He did not silence them because the words were false:
He refused a testimony that was not of God. It might be true, but He would not accept the testimony of the enemy.
Timing mattered too, and so did the choice of who would speak instead:
The time had not come for their confession. In a future day beings from hell will publicly bow to the name of Jesus (Phil. 2:10). But in the day of His humiliation the lowly Son of Man will not have evil spirits speak His praise as the Holy One or the Son. He chose other witnesses, as the narrative goes on to show. And one of them, Simon Peter, taught by the Father above, confessed Him in this double character — Son of God (Matt. 16:16) and Holy One of God (John 6:69).
Soon after this, the scribes claim He casts out demons by the prince of demons. But the demons had already shouted the truth in public:
Mark alone seems to record this testimony to who He is. Yet it must have been well known. It was not done in a corner. How foolish, then, were those scribes! The testimony of the demons refuted their dreadful claim. What outrageous folly men will stoop to when they try to oppose the work of God!
These spirits believed the truth about Him, and it did them no good:
Here we have the saddest of all truths. Satan may fool people into the folly of scepticism, but he cannot fool evil spirits that way. "Even the demons believe—and shudder!" (James 2:19).
- Compelled — the spirits do not offer worship freely. They are forced to bow and own His glory. Their confession comes from watching His works, not from knowing God.
- True — what they say is accurate, yet Christ rejects it. A true statement from the enemy is still not testimony from God.
- Silenced — the day when beings from hell bow to His name in public is still future. In the day of His humiliation He will not let demons announce Him.
- Chosen — He picks His own witnesses instead. The Father later taught Peter to confess the same two titles.
- Useless — the demons show that perfect belief about Christ, with no heart tied to Him, only leaves you shuddering.
And he rebuked them much, that they might not make him manifest.
Mark keeps returning to a strange detail: the ones who knew exactly who Jesus was were the ones He silenced. Here unclean spirits shout that He is the Son of God, and He tells them to keep quiet — why silence a true confession?
The crowds pressing on Him wanted healing; the spirits wanted to speak. He allowed the first and stopped the second. One writer sets that refusal beside another: Jesus took no witness from people either.
He refuses the testimony of the unclean spirits, though they are compelled to bow and acknowledge His glory. It was not for such to make Him known. He received no testimony from man as such, much less from demons. What was the value of any recognition of His person unless God Himself produced it by the Spirit?
The content of the cry was accurate. That was never the issue.
He refused a testimony that was not of God. It might be true, but He would not accept the testimony of the enemy.
A second writer presses the point into the character of His work. Accepting help from Satan would have compromised the very mission He came to carry out.
He never allows Satan to bear witness to Him. The testimony may be true, and, as we say, flattering. Good words and fair words, such as, "I know who you are, the Holy One of God." But Jesus did not allow him to speak. For His ministry was as pure as it was gracious. He would not let the very thing He came to destroy help His ministry. He could have no fellowship with darkness in His service, any more than in His nature. He could not act out of mere convenience. So rebuke and silence was the answer such testimony received.
Mark says the spirits fell down and cried out. But the bodies that fell and the voices that shouted were human.
Notice here something we often find in the Gospels. Evil spirits held people so completely that their acts count as the spirits' acts. Those men said what the spirits made them say, as if it were their own idea. Mind and body were so held by the spirit that the person thought the spirit's words were his own thoughts. The possession was total... But the Lord would not receive the testimony of demons, nor allow them to make Him known.
Silencing one source does not mean He wanted no witness at all. He had already named the evidence He stood on. He also had a reason to keep His name clear of any link with demons.
Israel did not know the Messiah. But the demons knew within themselves who this Servant of Jehovah was, and they would have announced it aloud. This the Lord forbade, as He had in the synagogue. He did accept the fourfold witness of the Baptist, the Father, His own works, and the Scriptures (John 5:32-47), but He, the Holy One of God, disclaimed all testimony from beneath. He had wisdom so perfect as a Man that He saw the groundless charge coming — that He was in league with Beelzebub in driving out demons. He would give no cause of stumbling to any of the Father's "little ones." So He openly refused all association with the works of darkness. Then everyone could know that He did these things in His Father's name alone.
The refusal was also about timing. What He forbade then will come later, and with witnesses of His own choosing.
The time had not come for their confession. In a future day the beings of hell will openly bow to the name of Jesus (Phil. 2:10). But this was the day of His humiliation. The lowly Son of Man will not have evil spirits speak out His praise as the Holy One or the Son. He chose other witnesses, as the narrative goes on to show. And one of them, Simon Peter, taught by the Father above, confessed Him in this double character — Son of God (Matt. 16:16) and Holy One of God (John 6:69).
This command belongs to a habit Mark records again and again.
Popularity He did not seek. Indeed, Mark often notices how He kept out of the public eye (Mark 1:44-45; 3:12; 5:43; 7:24; 8:23-26 …). Popular favour, so appealing to men, did not turn Him aside from His mission. He would pursue that. Dependent, perfect, obedient — that is what He was as a Man.
The shouting also stirred the wrong response in people.
Though this was true, the Lord did not want the witness of evil spirits, nor was He there to display the greatness of His glory. In serving mankind He sought to draw attention to the Word of God, so that men should obey it. Their witness only produced excitement rather than sober exercise of heart and conscience. So He silenced them.
- Refused witness. The demons' words were true, yet He would not accept testimony that did not come from God.
- Tainted witness. He would not let the power He came to destroy help His work.
- Accepted witness. John the Baptist, the Father, His works, and the Scriptures. That was His evidence — all from above, none from beneath.
- Chosen witness. He picked His own witnesses. Peter confessed Him as Son of God and Holy One, taught by the Father, not stirred by excitement.
- Future witness. One day every knee will bow to His name, hell included. In the day of His humiliation He silenced them and went on with His work.