Luke 4:31-44
More Than Words

After being rejected in his hometown of Nazareth, Jesus taught in the synagogue in Capernaum. The people were astonished – not because he was an articulate, eloquent speaker (though I’m confident he was) but because he spoke with authority. Pastor Dave taught that authority comes, not from style or delivery, but from speaking truth. And the truth was that Jesus had been anointed to preach good news, as Isaiah had prophesied. Jesus then validated his words with actions; he demonstrated authority over the spiritual world by casting out demons and over the physical world by healing all kinds of diseases. Dave drew two main points from the text, which lead us to examine ourselves, to see whether we are in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5)

It is possible to be content with Jesus’ words only and uninterested in the power and authority behind them. Put another way, it is possible to know all the right answers on a quiz about Jesus but not experience the power of his words in our lives. Our Christian walk begins with Jesus’ words but should not end there. Dave asked, “Are you experiencing victory and growth?” Sanctification is the evidence, or validation, of Jesus’ words at work in our lives. Ask yourself (or perhaps an honest friend) questions like these: Have I produced any fruit of sanctification in the last year or so? Am I more like Jesus than I was? Have I made any progress against a besetting sin? Do I look at other people differently? Ask the Holy Spirit to bear witness with your own spirit.

Dave pointed out how much the demons Jesus cast out knew about him. They called him Jesus of Nazareth (his earthly identity) and also the Holy One of God and the Son of God. They knew he was the Christ. They even obeyed him, though under compulsion. They might have scored an A+ on a quiz about Jesus! But they were not saved; they were not children of God. Dave asked, what were they missing? Their belief did not include repentance for sin and total submission to the lordship of Jesus. If my self-examination from Dave’s first point causes me to conclude that Jesus’ power and authority is not evident in my life, I’ve got to wonder if I’m in the same category as the demons in Dave’s second point. A chilling thought! If that’s where you are today, I pray you will talk about it with a pastor, an elder, or a small group leader.

In Christ,
Carol Gilbert

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