Following the Lord Jesus Christ: #21 Teaching with Authority

Accompanied by Peter, Andrew, James, and John, Jesus began to teach the good news. We follow them into Capernaum to listen in.

Mark 1:21,22:
Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.
And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Luke 4:31,32:
Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths.
And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.

The crowds that assembled to hear Jesus were astonished at his teaching! They were so used to hearing the scribes teach that they could hardly believe their ears when Jesus taught with such great authority.

The scribes were considered expert authorities in Old Testament law and were charged with the keeping of the sacred scrolls, the Word of God. The ruling body of the Jewish people, the Sanhedrin, was entirely made up of scribes. Their manner of interpretation primarily consisted of citing pronouncements on the law from other rabbis.

Jesus, however, did no such thing. He taught the people by and with authority that was directly from God. After hundreds of years of a growing darkness, when the light of the Word of God was almost snuffed out, this man, Jesus Christ, appeared on the scene. His judgments were true, and right, and beneficial—and the hearers recognized this, and were amazed at the unvarnished truth he was finally declaring.

Casting Out an Evil Spirit

But these were not empty words that Jesus spoke in Capernaum. God backed up His Son with His mighty power. Let’s watch what happened next.

Mark 1:23-26:
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.

Luke 4:33-35:
And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,
“Ha! 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 when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.

Not only did Jesus teach as if he had the authority of God, he proved his authority by casting out this evil spirit by God’s power. And don’t you love that last phrase, “…having done him no harm”? The man was completely delivered from the evil spirit that had tormented him.

Mark 1:27-28:
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.

Luke 4:36,37:
And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”
And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

So, the word was out that the Son of God had come, not only teaching the Word of God, but bringing deliverance to any and all by the power of God.

Hebrews 1:3:
Who (Jesus) being the brightness of his (God’s) glory, and the express image of his (God’s) person, and upholding all things by the word of his (God’s) power, when he (Jesus) had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty (God) on high.

It is this same Word of God and the same power of God that is at work within us today. Let’s share the deliverance that is still available to all who care to believe and receive!

I Thessalonians 1:5 [ESV]:
Because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

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