Beyond the Wonder

in verse 36 comes from the word doonamis, from which we get our word dynamite.

Matthew 7 ends with very similar words. After Jesus finished preaching what we call the Sermon on the Mount, the Bible says,

“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, and not as the scribes.”

What is it that distinguished Christ’s teachings from those of the scribes and Pharisees? Why did His teaching have such great authority? It wasn’t necessarily His methods. He didn’t have a better delivery, probably didn’t have a style of preaching and teaching that was so radically different, but it was different.

You see, for one thing, Jesus didn’t beat around the bush. His teaching was simple and straightforward, while that of the scribes and Pharisees was academic, scholarly and obscure. But the primary thing that made Jesus’ teaching authoritative was the fact that He taught as the Author of the Word and not as a student of it.

The very best any man can do with the Bible is to teach it as a student of it himself. You’ll spend a lifetime studying the Bible for meaning and digging out those nuggets of truth, but Jesus wrote those nuggets! John said,

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us…”

The writer of Hebrews said,

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”

Jesus Christ had absolute command of the Scriptures. He knew them front to back. We saw Him when He was twelve hearing the doctors and asking them questions, and “all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.” Why? Because Jesus has authority over the Word. Not only that, but…

Jesus Has Authority over the Spirit World

In Luke 4:33-37, Luke says that,

“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. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Holy 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. 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.”

Again, in verse 41,

“And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.”

Back in the 50s a man by the name of Christian Herter was governor of Massachusetts. The story goes that he was running hard for a second term in office. One day, after a busy morning chasing votes and no lunch he arrived at a church barbecue. It was late afternoon and Herter was famished. As he moved down the serving line, he held out his plate to the woman serving chicken. She put a piece on his plate and turned