{"id":3000,"date":"2015-02-02T21:11:30","date_gmt":"2015-02-03T04:11:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/?p=3000"},"modified":"2015-02-02T21:11:30","modified_gmt":"2015-02-03T04:11:30","slug":"epiphany-4-christs-authority-mark-121-28","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/?p=3000","title":{"rendered":"Epiphany 4 – “Christ’s Authority” (Mark 1:21-28)"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"B-21<\/a>Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel, which was read earlier.<\/p>\n

Authority. The dictionary has multiple definitions of the word. Some define authority as: the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; the right to control, command, or determine; an accepted source of information, advice, etc.; or an expert on a subject. Authority commands something, is due something. Authority is often taken at face value and is declared to be true. The question today is this: who has true authority \u2013 Jesus or someone else?<\/p>\n

As Mark begins our Gospel account today, Mark identifies who has authority and who does not. He writes, \u201cThey went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath [Jesus] entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.\u201d<\/em><\/span> Here was Jesus, the newcomer on the scene and He marches into the synagogue and starts teaching. By all rights, Jesus had no authority to teach. He was just another guy as far as outward appearances went. He wasn\u2019t a member of the Pharisees or scribes. He wasn\u2019t a teacher of the Law. He was just your average guy. But the manner in which Jesus taught sets Him apart from those who had the authority to teach, namely the scribes.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a far-fetched notion that we would find the man Jesus in synagogue. Even at the age of 30 or so, it would be quite common to find Jesus in the synagogue and temple, for it was there that the Word of God was taught to the people. Jesus\u2019 role was merely to listen and to learn, just like every other Jewish male in attendance. But sitting and listening wasn\u2019t Jesus\u2019 style, especially when He had all the answers.<\/p>\n

And so Mark records that Jesus began to teach \u201cas one who had authority\u2026.\u201d<\/em><\/span> It meant that people sat up and listened to what He had to say. People took the words that Jesus spoke to be true, even truer than the words spoken by the scribes. His authority was different than the scribes. It demanded more than the scribes, and so Mark contrasts the authority of Jesus with that of the scribes. The people were amazed at His teaching, for there was a marked difference between what Jesus said and what the rabbis of the day said, for Jesus is the Son of God. What He delivered He received from the Father. John said, \u201cIn the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God.\u201d<\/em><\/span> He could speak as someone with authority because all authority had been given to Him, and so a noticeable difference between Jesus and the scribes could be expected. He knew the whole will of God from eternity. He knew how the promises of the Old Testament would be fulfilled in Him.<\/p>\n

When you looked at what Jesus preached and taught throughout His ministry, what makes up His content? He wasn\u2019t preaching about endless circumstances for choosing the right behavior, but rather sin and grace. His message wasn\u2019t \u201cWhat should I do?\u201d but rather \u201cWhat has God done for me?\u201d This wasn\u2019t a new teaching in Capernaum, but a timeless teaching of Scripture that had been replaced by man\u2019s teaching. It was a teaching that says that man is not capable of keeping God\u2019s Law. It was a teaching that through the coming and the work of the Messiah, forgiveness would be won for helpless man.<\/p>\n

Authority for us equals God\u2019s Word. This is God\u2019s Word.\u00a0What you see and hear and receive here today all comes to you in the stead, by the command, and with the authority of Christ Jesus Himself. Believe it or not, but there\u2019s nothing new here.\u00a0Just because you may not have heard it before doesn\u2019t mean that it\u2019s brand-new.\u00a0It\u2019s not brand new.\u00a0Maybe you were never taught it.\u00a0Maybe you never listened.\u00a0The teaching\u2014the doctrine of repentance and salvation by faith alone in God\u2019s grace alone because of Christ Jesus alone is not new.\u00a0In fact, this authoritative Law and Gospel message of the Word is eternal. It\u2019s just brand-new to our sinful ears.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s worth noting.\u00a0Notice what the people say after Jesus heals the demon-possessed man: \u201cA new teaching with authority.\u201d<\/em><\/span> Did you catch that? Not a new teacher, but a new teaching.\u00a0The divine, healing authority wasn\u2019t in the messenger, but in the message!\u00a0At first glance, we see Jesus and think, \u201cof course the demons responded to Jesus; He\u2019s almighty God!\u201d Guess what?\u00a0This sort of thinking has a real sad way of working itself into today\u2019s ministry.\u00a0\u201cThat was then.\u00a0That was with Jesus, in the flesh.\u00a0Today is different.\u00a0Jesus isn\u2019t here.\u00a0What makes you right and me wrong?\u00a0What gives you the right or say-so over me?\u201d<\/p>\n

It is Christ\u2019s authority\u2014the authority of the Word of God Himself made flesh\u2014that confronts you in your sin, calls you to repentance, and proclaims the joy and peace of complete forgiveness to you.\u00a0Notice: We\u2019re not called to teach anything other than what Christ has commanded and taught. \u201cRepent!\u00a0You are that man!\u00a0You are in sin.\u00a0What you are doing is sinful in the eyes of the Lord.\u201d That\u2019s not my opinion. That\u2019s God\u2019s authoritative Word.\u00a0\u201cBaptism now saves you.\u201d That\u2019s Christ\u2019s authoritative Word.\u00a0\u201cThis is My body.\u00a0This is My blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sin.\u201d That\u2019s not my opinion or my take on a particular passage; rather, that\u2019s Christ\u2019s authoritative Word and promise.\u00a0Let the Word do the talking.\u00a0Let the Word work.\u00a0It is this Word, and this Word alone, that has the authority to bring about repentance and salvation.\u00a0This Word\u2014this doctrine; this teaching\u2014has the authority to kill and to make alive.\u00a0God keeps His promises.\u00a0His Word does not return to Him void and empty.\u00a0It accomplishes that which He purposes.<\/p>\n

Jesus still comes with the authority of His teaching even as His word shows up in churches all over the world.\u00a0Even though the church is made up of people who are sinners, the Holy Spirit sanctifies us and makes us saints.\u00a0While we still struggle as saints and sinners, Jesus has given His authority to His church on earth to proclaim and give His wonderful forgiveness to all nations in His Name.\u00a0We have this authority because Jesus carried the uncleanness and captivity of all nations to the cross.<\/p>\n

So, the authority of Jesus Christ comes to us even today as we hear the audible Word of God in our readings and preaching, as we feel the wet word of God in baptism, as we hear the forgiving word of God in the absolution, as we taste the forgiveness of sins as Jesus gives us His very body and blood in the bread and wine.\u00a0This is the full power and authority of the cross applied to you. Here lies true authority: authority of Jesus Christ to forgive and to make holy. In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel, which was read earlier. Authority. The dictionary has multiple definitions of the word. Some define authority as: the power to determine, adjudicate, or otherwise settle issues or disputes; […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16840,9016],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3000","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-epiphany","category-sermons"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3000","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3000"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3000\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3002,"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3000\/revisions\/3002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3000"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3000"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/revtucher.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3000"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}