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They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (NASB) Mark 1:22 When teachers and preachers are empowered by the Holy Spirit, wonderful things began to happen - the Word of God becomes alive. This is an important truth. Today, some are teaching and/or preaching who have not been spiritually gifted by the Holy Spirit and are not spiritually growing. It is obvious because the listeners are bored. Jesus was dynamic and He spoke with authority.
The people in the Capernaum synagogue were amazed, and the people who attended the synagogue worship service in Nazareth (Luke 4:22) were thrilled with what they heard Jesus teach. Jesus was eloquent and dynamic. He was an incredibly wonderful teacher.
Speaking With Authority.The scribes in Jesus’ day were the professors of the Mosaic Law and the sacred writings. They were the official interpreters of scripture - the teachers of the day. A casual look at the Talmud reveals that they quoted one author after another. Their teachings were almost an intellectual discussion. The authority of scripture appears not to have been sufficient for them since they depended upon the authority of others.
When I first started teaching adults, I started with the book of 1 Timothy. I will never forget that Sunday School class because the Lord used it to teach me an important lesson. I had been teaching the class for many weeks. After one session, a dear woman approached me to make a request. Her request was simple, “Next week when you teach, I would like to know what God says about 1 Timothy.” I was discouraged at first even though I knew what she was trying to say. I was just like the scribes. I was quoting one author after another rather than showing the people what the Bible had to say. I was telling them what others said it meant. That is exactly what the scribes did.
But not Jesus! He was the authority! He did not need to quote anyone. In fact, when we come to the Sermon on the Mount, we will hear Jesus say, “You have heard, but I say.” Jesus was and is the authority, and He spoke with that authority.
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| Life & Heart of Jesus | |||||
