Powerful Words

MARCH 26, 2024

 “The people were astonished at his doctrine.” (Matthew 7:28)

“The people were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one having authority…” (Mark 1:22)

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

The three Scripture texts above contain very similar statements made by the three Synoptic Evangelists as they each describe the utter amazement with which the people heard the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mark and Luke were apparently giving their separate accounts of the same event, where Jesus commanded an unclean spirit to come out of a man, and the unclean spirit obeyed. The people were all amazed, saying “What new doctrine is this? For with authority commandeth He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him.” (Mark 1:27) “What word is this! For with authority and power He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.” (Luke 4:36) Matthew’s observation of the people’s amazement was, however, on a different occasion, just after the Lord had delivered His wonderful Sermon on the Mount. Notice, “And it came to pass when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine, for He taught them as one having authority.” (Matt. 7:28, 29)

Why do you suppose that Jesus’ words had this effect on His hearers, that they should be struck with such awe when He spoke? He spoke with such authority that none could question His doctrine. He spoke with so great power that every person felt the force of it. Once, a band of officers was commissioned by the chief priest and Pharisees to apprehend our Lord. It just so happened that it was the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles when our Lord stood and cried, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink, he that believeth on me as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37, 38) We have only these few of the powerful words of that proclamation, but the officers who were sent to arrest him apparently found themselves spellbound. When they reported back to the authorities empty-handed, an account for their failures was demanded. “Why have ye not brought Him?” To this the officers simply answered, “Never man spake like this man.”

Truth is powerful, and Jesus spoke truth. He is Truth Incarnate. To lie would be for Him a thing impossible. “I am the truth,” He declared. (John 14:6) He is truth, and He is of the truth. He spoke of His own things. He said to the unbelieving Jews, “Ye are of your father the devil…when he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it.” (John 8:44) Jesus spoke truth because He spoke of His own things.

He was also truthful in His manner. This is exactly why there was such authority in His words. It was not possible for Him to lie, and neither was it possible for Him to speak truth in a doubtful manner. Truth can be spoken without the force of conviction, in which case, it will be diminished in its authority. Jesus spoke as the Oracle of God out of the fullness of His heart. There was nothing of insincerity or fraudulence about Him to cause doubt in His hearers. There was an obvious difference easily detected by the people between Jesus’ words, and the teachings of the scribes and Pharisees. Matthew notes how the people were impressed with the fact that “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” With Christ, there was no quibbling over matters of no importance, or reciting opinions of the rabbis, or proclaiming the traditions of the elders.

So different were Christ’s words, and so searching, that the people were enquiring, “What doctrine is this?” “What Word is this?” Jesus said to the gathered multitudes in John 6:63, “The words that I speak to you, they are SPIRIT and they are LIFE.”

Let us also speak with the same bold confidence the words that He spoke. We cannot speak AS this man spake, but we can speak WHAT this man spake. Christ is the Living Word. From Him we have the Written Word; this is what folks need to hear. “The Word of God is quick (alive) and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword.” (Heb. 4:12) Let us rely upon the power of the unadulterated Word, and not upon our abilities, techniques, programs, intellects, or any other arm of flesh.