Luke 4:32-37 - AMAZING AUTHORITY DISPLAYED

AMAZING AUTHORITY DISPLAYED

Luke 4:32-37

Luke 4:32 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.

Susie: Jesus was teaching back in Capernaum, the hometown of Peter, Andrew, James, and John. The people were surprised by His teaching because of its power. Most rabbis quoted other, more prominent rabbis to validate their teaching. Jesus had no need to do that because His authority came directly from God.

Luke 4:33 And in the synagogue, there was a man, which had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice, Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God.

Susie: A demon-possessed man entered the synagogue where Jesus was teaching.

Susan: The demons inside the man not only recognized Jesus as the acclaimed teacher from Nazareth, but as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, the One who has all authority and power.

Susie: Since the demons knew who Jesus was, it was logical for them to think Jesus might have come to destroy them completely.

Luke 4:35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not.

Susan: Jesus silenced the demon because the appointed time for Jesus’s complete identity to be revealed had not yet come.

Susie: Jesus commanded the demons to come out of the man. The demon threw the man into the crowd but did not physically harm him.

Luke 4:36 And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.

Luke 4:36 (CJB) They were all astounded and said to one another, “What kind of teaching is this? Why, he gives orders with power and authority to the unclean spirits, and they come out!”

Susan: The people were not only awestricken by Jesus’s teaching, but they were amazed the demons had to be obedient to what He commanded.

Susie: They had never seen anyone like Him because there had never been anyone like Him before! Jesus is the one and only begotten Son of God.

Luke 4:37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about.

Susan: Jesus’s reputation of eloquence and miraculous power was spread excitedly throughout the region of Galilee.

Ponder this: The name Jesus became a household word without benefit of radio, TV, or social media! We have access to all of those things. How effectively are we spreading the gospel with the resources God has given us? We can still use the old-fashioned word-of-mouth method as well. Have you shared the Good News with a friend or acquaintance lately?