They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
--Parallel verses:
John 10:27-30
[Jesus speaking]
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.
Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
When I think of some of the most captivating people I have listened to, they all have a common thread in their stories. Whether it is on police work, or military strategy, whether business startup or surviving in a foreign country under persecution, whether it is how to race in a triathlon or what it is like to be an astronaut, each of these people have something very important in common. That common thread is: The experience of an elite performer in their field. The things they spoke about — they lived. They had great authority on the subject because they excelled at it, they lived it, and they have the battle-scars (literal or figurative) to prove it!
Jesus spoke with authority on God. This was not mainly because he was God’s Son or because he had immense power and might himself. (There are family members who do not have authority to speak for other family members. There are powerful people that no one wants to listen to because they do not speak with authority.)
Jesus spoke with authority because the Word of God was living and active in his life. He not only was God and was there at creation with God the Father, he LIVED OUT the Word of God so completely that he was called: “The Word.” “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1, 14)
This type of all out dedication to God’s Word results in people listening to my thoughts on life, truth, and eternity. This is because I speak with the authority of not just research, but also an active faith in God in my life!
In contrast, the teachers of the law spoke without authority. They were hypocrites. They lived in their heart of hearts with sin, false motives, and evil plans. Yet they taught (and required of others) strict adherence to laws that they themselves did not keep. Their teaching lacked authority. Jesus spoke about this in Matthew 15:7-9, saying, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ ”
So today, I must ask myself a simple question: Do I want to speak with authority on what truly matters about life and heaven or not? If I do, I must continue to learn how to live out the truth of God’s Word in daily life. I must care about the things that pull on the heart strings of God’s heart. I must seek him out.
If I do not want to be a person of spiritual authority, then I can copy the world and some leaders in our churches today and speak on things I have merely researched and studied but not truly lived out in the trenches of life.
Lord, thank you for this clarifying passage on true authority that is compelling. You had it. I want it. Teach me each day to be real — to live out the principles of your Word and excel in living them out. To love like you love and root out all the sinful pride and selfishness in my heart. To excel at being a mini-Jesus, or Christ-like, or a Christian!
