Who is Jesus? Luke 4:31-37
Who Is Jesus? • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 9 viewsEpiphany is about discovery. It is a sudden breakthrough of realization about something. During the season of Epiphany, our subject of discover is the identity of Jesus. This baby whose birth we celebrate at Christmas, was no ordinary child. He was human, but He was also God. This season we will look behind Jesus childhood and the beginning of His ministry looking for the gems that reveal that He was more than an ordinary person. He was in fact, God incarnate.
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Hope in the Lord and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it. I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. Consider the blameless, observe the upright; a future awaits those who seek peace. But all sinners will be destroyed; there will be no future for the wicked. The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; he is their stronghold in time of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
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Who Is Jesus?
Who Is Jesus?
Have you ever experienced the Elgin grapevine? I have! It took me exactly one day to do so. I went to Elgin Food Town to buy some groceries, and the clerk said, “Oh, you must be the new pastor for the Nazarene church. I’ve heard about you!” Then I went to the bank to open an account and before I even began, I was asked, “Are you the new pastor for the Nazarene church I heard about?” It seemed that I came across this everywhere I went in Elgin. It turns out, people were amazed that you had hired a woman pastor. Many seemed to believe that women were not allowed to pastor. I was told repeatedly, “I didn’t know women could be pastors.”
I have come to believe that the territory of Galilee was like a small community as well. Word spread quickly. Wherever Jesus went, and whatever He said and did, quickly spread across the region. In fact, some say his first healing occurred when a man from Capernaum came to him in Cana to ask him to heal his son. If this is true, this means that after Jesus turned the water into wine, he must have soon done other miracles in Cana and the word spread so that this man came from Capernaum before Jesus even left Cana. That shows how quickly word about Jesus spread.
One of the things that helps news to spread faster is something out of the ordinary. What made me such a fascination to people was that I was a woman in an occupation they had only known men to hold. Jesus was also fascinating because he was unusual in how he taught, not to mention the miracles they saw him do. He too, was out of the ordinary.
We recently looked at the events in Cana where Jesus turned water into wine. Some say his first healing took place here at this time while others say his first healing was after he left there and was in Capernaum when he healed Simon’s mother-in-law. I am going to skip both physical healings for another of Jesus’ firsts which I feel is of far greater an epiphany. Today is our final sermon in this epiphany series, so what better way to close this series than by showing Jesus’ authority over the Satanic enemy. Please stand with me for the reading of God’s Word.
Luke 4:31–37NIV
Then he went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an impure spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, “Go away! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him. All the people were amazed and said to each other, “What words these are! With authority and power he gives orders to impure spirits and they come out!” And the news about him spread throughout the surrounding area.
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I. Jesus First Recorded Exorcism Luke 4:31-37; Mark 1:21-28
I. Jesus First Recorded Exorcism Luke 4:31-37; Mark 1:21-28
Map
Nazareth, Bethany, Wilderness, Bethany, Cana, Nazareth, Capernaum
Most of Jesus’ ministry was spent in the smaller rural areas of Galilee. This area was home to him. He was familiar with the area and the people. These were also people who were overlooked. The greater concentration of people would have been around Jerusalem. You could say, Jerusalem was their Portland. Jerusalem was where the greater population was, and it was also the political center for Israel. It boasted the elites of society; the priests, the Sadducees’, the greater population of Pharisees, the Scribes, the Herods’ and others of authority such as Pilate.
The region of Galilee was rural and had more mainstream people (fisherman, farmers, and such). These were those often overlooked by the political and religious elites found in Jerusalem. So, Jesus spent most of his ministry time here in this region. Jesus did not set out for Jerusalem until nearly the end of his ministry. The minute Jesus set out for Jerusalem, the clock began ticking down on his time on earth, which will be the subject of our sermon next week.
Over the past few weeks, we have concentrated on the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. This has included most of the “firsts” of his ministry. His first “miracle” or “sign” as John called it. Jesus’ first recorded sermon in his home church (synagogue). Jesus’ first rejection by that same synagogue. We know that Jesus must have performed other miracles because his home church demanded he do one for them as they have heard he did in other places. However, Jesus never does miracles to assuage people’s demands and his hometown church tries to kill him.
So, Jesus left Nazareth and traveled to Capernaum. Here we find a repeated pattern. Come the Sabbath, Jesus attends the synagogue. Jesus then teaches in the synagogue. The people are amazed at his teaching as he taught with an authority, they were unused to.
This repeated pattern distinguishes Jesus from anyone else. It is not his miracles that first grabs the people’s attention. It is his words of authority. He does not teach like a teacher teaching from a textbook some memorized verbiage. Jesus teaches like a master who fully comprehends his subject. The Rabbis of Jesus’ day had head knowledge of their subject, but Jesus had heart knowledge. He had a comprehension that went beyond all others.
Now, on this occasion, something new occurs. There is a man amid their crowd that is possessed of a demon. It is important to understand that a person may be possessed of an evil spirit and may not quickly be discerned by those around him (or her) as such. This appears to be the case in this situation. I am sure the people of this synagogue would not have allowed this man in if they had known he was possessed. He probably was a man most of them knew (after all, this was a small community) and he probably was used of Satan to be an influencer among them. However, on this occasion, the demon understands that Jesus will recognize him, so the demon reacts defensively by calling Jesus out. It is important to note two things revealed by this demon.
1. He knows and understands exactly who Jesus is.
2. He understands and reveals Jesus’ has the authority to destroy him.
As if to give credence to this identification and authority, Jesus’ speaks sternly to him demanding he shut up and come out of the man. Instantly, the demon responds. There is no delay. No, argument. Just immediate response of obedience.
Now, I have never watched the movie The Exorcist, and I have never witnessed an exorcism, but I have heard stories. I know that it does not typically happen that instantaneously. My understanding of those days does not indicate that it was that quick for them then either. For this reason, this has gained lots of attention. And once again we hear, “News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.”
You know what amazes me in this account? In that moment, we hear rumblings from the people about his authority, yet no one falls on their feet and professes him to be the Lord! Everywhere he goes, words spread about him. Surely, what Jesus said and what happened in Nazareth had spread. Jesus was open with his hometown crowd of who he was and what he had come to do. Now, this demon professes Jesus the Holy One of God and has no recourse but to adhere to Jesus’ demand to leave, yet all the people do is marvel and talk about it. No one bows in recognition of the truth that is evident in every word he speaks and every action he takes.
This week as I was studying our text for next week’s sermon, I read Luke 9:45, which says,
Luke 9:45NIV
But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
As I read this, I had to ask myself how many times we hold back from asking the hard questions. When we do hold back, is it because we are afraid of what the answer will be? Is it because we are afraid, we will not hear the answer we want?
In that moment, why was no one asking, “What did the demon mean that You are the Holy One of God?” “How is it you have such authority over the demons?” “Are You the Messiah?” Perhaps no one asked because no one really was willing to accept He was just that. They were willing to listen to him. They were willing to watch the show he provided them with as he healed the sick, exorcised the demons, fed the thousands, but they were not fully ready to accept that he was the Messiah because he didn’t look like what they had in mind.
These past few weeks we have looked at Jesus’ various teaching and deeds seeking to identify if He truly was who He said He was. What evidence do we find in this account. Let’s number them off.
A. This account demonstrates Jesus’ discernment of evil.
A. This account demonstrates Jesus’ discernment of evil.
We have no way of knowing how long this man had been possessed. I am sure this man would not have been welcomed to enter this synagogue if they had known. However, the demon had no recourse but to make his presence known in this moment because he knew that Jesus would discern him and reveal him. Why was this demon threatened by Jesus when no one else had caused him concern before? We know this to be true because the spirit spoke up. Otherwise, he would have remained quiet and perhaps tried to undermine the authority of Jesus by influencing others in the crowd, but the spirit knew he had no power to do so this time. He knew he would be discovered, so, he played the only card he could.
I suspect his man had some secret sin in his life that others did not know about. We may call it a closet sin. Something someone does behind locked doors or under cover of darkness. These kinds of sin people feel are private and no one else knows about them. However, such sins are never private from God or Satan. Both are aware of them and Satan loves to exploit them. They provide an open door for him to occupy. This sin had allowed this demon an open door to invade this man’s life. The demon used this man to his advantage, probably using this man to influence those around him in seeding doubt and untruth. But the day Jesus entered that synagogue, the demon knew the jig was up. He would be found out. So, he did the only thing he could do. He spoke out before Jesus could.
Next, we see...
B. This account demonstrates Jesus’ authority over evil spirits.
B. This account demonstrates Jesus’ authority over evil spirits.
When Jesus confronted the demon, it had no option but to obey and it did so immediately. Throughout Jesus ministry, He confronted such demons’ numerous times, and never did He fail to exorcise, nor did it ever take more than one command. The number of accounts show this was a problem of their day, yet evidently one that priests had not been able to solve. Yet Jesus continued to do so at every account. I suspect we would be shocked to find out how prevalent it is in our time. We may not always be aware of it, but I guarantee you it is a problem. I often wonder how many mental health issues are actually these kinds of problems.
Next...
C. This account demonstrates Jesus’ fearlessness in the presence of evil.
C. This account demonstrates Jesus’ fearlessness in the presence of evil.
People feared those possessed of demons. We still do. However, Jesus never flinched. His confrontations showed as much authority as his teaching. His fearlessness also speaks to His authority. He has no fear, because He has complete authority over them. Jesus fully comprehended His authority. If He did not have the authority, surely, He would have demonstrated some fear of demons, yet He never did.
And finally,
D. This account demonstrates that demons instantly know who Jesus is.
D. This account demonstrates that demons instantly know who Jesus is.
This demon, as well as all others who Jesus came across, instantly knew who Jesus was. There was never any doubt. They never hedged. They never hesitated to identify Him. And yet, the crowds never seemed to take note of that fact. It reminds me of Pharoah and his hard heart. These people were hardened of heart as well, and it prevented them from acknowledging the truth that was under their very noses.
Conclusion
The Jewish people had been told by the prophets that the Messiah would come. They were to watch for him. They were encouraged to purify their lives, and live holy lives in preparation for His arrival, and to be ever watchful for his appearance.
When He arrived, there was plenty of evidence that pointed to His identity. Many watched and listened in awe and amazement, yet no one asked the hard questions. No one even asked, “Are you the Messiah?” It was like they enjoyed the show, but they didn’t really want to know the true answer to who He was.
Now, I expect, if He had shown up on a white horse with weapons for war, they would have asked such questions. They would have not only watched the signs but would have passionately lined up behind Him. However, I suspect their hesitation to go there was because He did not come in power and might. Like the people of Nazareth, but probably less vocal about it, they hesitated because He looked like one of them. He had vocal power and power over demons, but they wanted a Messiah demonstrating power over Rome. Jesus did not show them anything that demonstrated His desire to challenge Rome.
So, the Messiah came, dwelt in their midst, and even though they were eager to watch the show and use it for their purposes, they were less eager to join the team.
Was Jesus the Messiah? You know it is interesting that Jesus never demonstrated the need to prove himself. You either accepted him or you did not. However, everything he said and did demonstrate just that. He was the Messiah!
One of my all-time favorite quotes was by C. S. Lewis in his book “Merely Christianity.” He said,
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things that Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronising nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
Israel was to understand that a Messiah was coming. They were to clean up their lives and their actions and prepare themselves for His coming. They were to be watching and waiting so when He arrived, they would recognize Him. However, evidence indicates that very few of them did that. What about us? During the season of advent, we teach that we are to be doing those same things today. We are to profess our faith, live holy lives, seeking His will and be working while watching for His second coming. Are we doing a better job of it this time around? This time around, we will not have three years to listen, watch, and decide once He gets here. This time when He arrives, it will just be to gather those who believed and have been faithfully doing as they should. This entire series has been what I would call apologetic. That does not mean that I apologize for these messages! 😊 Apologetics means to lay out arguments for a fact. Then it is up to you whether to accept the arguments as truth or not. The evidence has been laid out over these past seven messages. Now it is up to you. Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? If so, what do you do with it now? You make a choice, either you put your faith in Him and seek His will for your life, or you decide you are not interested. There is no other choice. However, if you acknowledge Jesus is who He said, then you must accept His entire message. That includes our need for salvation. That includes the messages of heaven and hell. If He is true, they all are true. So, placing your faith in Him and following Him leads to eternal life, while rejecting Him leads to eternal death.
If you choose life, you are in the right place and at the right time, because these next few weeks we will be looking at what following Christ looks like and what it takes to follow Christ.
It would not be appropriate to end this sermon series without offering you the chance accept Jesus and His message. If you would choose to do so here and now, please pray this prayer with me.
Jesus, I have heard the accounts shared and I do believe You to be the Holy Son of God. I understand that you came to earth to save me from my sins, and I admit I need that salvation. Come now and cleanse my heart. May Your Holy Spirit come and live within me, guiding me every day in the path you would have me take. Thank you for all you have suffered on my behalf. I surrender myself to you! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
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