“Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. 32 They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” 35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. 36 All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!”37 And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.” Luke 4.31-36
Do you know someone who speaks with authority? A teacher, a pastor, a parent, a president? I have heard many speak with authority, and those in this passage, who heard Jesus speak at a synagogue in Capernaum, had too. They had heard people speak with authority before. But what Jesus spoke was different. There is speaking with authority and speaking with AUTHORITY. Jesus was the latter.
Jesus was teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum. Previously, He was in a synagogue in Nazareth, where He was led out of town and nearly thrown off a cliff. (I wonder what will happen at this one?) As He was preaching, He was called out as the “Holy One of God” by a demon possessing a man. This probably doesn’t happen every day in your local church! Jesus rebuked the demon, silencing it and commanding it to come out of the man. And the people were amazed again.
I’ve always found it interesting that, even before the disciples proclaimed Christ’s divinity, demons revealed His identity. They knew who He was. They were orthodox in their knowledge but lacked faith, and as one professor said yesterday, they “remain damned for it.” The demons knew, but it was not yet time for Jesus to reveal who He was, so He silenced them. Just like that. Jesus has the power to silence demons, which means He has the power to silence Satan and to set us free from his hold.
I remember attending seminary and the professors who spoke with authority into my life. Each one—Dr. Don Joy, Dr. Reg Johnson, Dr. Bauer—spoke with authority about life, the Scriptures, and a relationship with Christ. They spoke with authority by the power of the Holy Spirit about the Source. They weren’t the source, and neither are we, but we can speak with authority and confidence to others about Jesus being the way, the truth, and the life.
Who are you allowing to speak authority into your life today? Are you listening to the authority of the Bible through the power of the Spirit? Are you allowing the authority of Jesus to save you, fill you with grace, and rescue you? If not, why? What are you waiting for to be set free from sin and death and to be placed on the path to life everlasting?
“O Lord God, You are good and faithful. When my life is a mess, You pull me up. When I am lost, You find me. When I am empty and dry, You fill my cup with Your love and power. Come now, Holy Spirit. Save me, Lord Jesus. Allow my life to reflect Your glory. For You are good, and Your love endures forever.” Amen.