Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 1765
“And they went into Capernaum, and straightway on the Sabbath day He entered into the synagogue, and taught. And they were astonished at His doctrine: for He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, Let us alone, what have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold your peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thingis this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority commands He even the unclean spirits, and they do obey Him. And immediately His fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.” Mark 1:21-28.
You will find the same narrative in Luke, at the fourth chapter, from the 31st to the 37th verse. It will be handy for you to be able to refer to the second passage, from which I shall quote one or two matters. These two Evangelists commence the narrative by telling us of the singular authority and power which there was about the Savior’s teaching— authority so that no man dared question His doctrine—power, so that every man felt the force of the Truths of God which He delivered. “They were astonished at His teaching, for His Word was with power.” Why was it that the Savior’s teaching had such a remarkable power about it? Was it not, first, because He preached the Truth of God? There is no power in falsehood except so far as men choose to yield to it because it flatters them, but there is great force in the Truth of God—it makes its own way into the soul.
As long as men have consciences they cannot help feeling when the Truth is brought to bear upon them. Even though they grow angry, their very resistance proves that they recognize the force of what is spoken. Moreover, the Savior spoke the Truth in a very natural, unaffected manner—the Truth of God was in Him and it flowed freely from Him. His manner was truthful as well as His matter. There is a way of speaking the Truth so as to make it sound like a lie. Perhaps there is no greater injury done to the Truth of God than when it is spoken in a doubtful manner, with none of the accent and emphasis of conviction. Our Savior spoke as the Oracles of God—He spoke the Truth of God as Truth should be spoken, unaffectedly and natural—as One who did not preach professionally, but out of the fullness of His heart.
You all know how sermons from the heart go to the heart. Moreover, our great Exemplar delivered His teaching as one who most heartily believed what He was speaking, who spoke what He knew, yes, spoke of things which were His own. Jesus had no doubts, no hesitancy, no questions—and His style was as calmly forcible as His faith. Truth seemed to be reflected from His face just as it shone forth from God in all its native purity and splendor. He could not speak otherwise than He did, for He spoke as He was, as He felt and as He knew. Our Lord spoke as One whose life supported all that He taught. Those who knew Him could not say, “He speaks after a right kind, but He acts otherwise.”
There was about His whole conduct and deportment that which made Him the fit Person to utter the Truth of God because the Truth was Incarnate and embodied and exemplified in His own Person. Well might He speak with great assurance when He could say, “Which of you convicts Me of sin?” He was as pure as the Truth which He proclaimed. He was not a speaking-machine, sounding out something with which it has no vital connection; but out of the midst of His own heart there flowed rivers of Living Waters. Truth overflowed at His lips from the deep well of His soul—it was in Him and, therefore, came from Him. What He poured forth was His own life, with which He was endeavoring to impreg-
nate the lives of others. Consequently, for all these reasons, and many besides, Jesus spoke as One that had authority— His tone was commanding, His teaching was convincing.
Meanwhile, the Holy Spirit who had descended upon Him in His Baptism, rested upon Him, and bore witness by His Divine operations in the consciences and hearts of men. If Jesus spoke of sin, the Spirit was there to convince the world of sin. If He set forth a glorious righteousness, the Holy Spirit was there to convince the world of righteousness and when He told men of the coming judgment, the Holy Spirit was present to make them know that a judgment would surely come at which each of them must appear. Because of His unlimited anointing by the Spirit, our Lord spoke with power and authority of the most astonishing kind, so that all who heard Him were compelled to feel that no ordinary Rabbi stood before them!