The gospels show that the Lord Yeshua fulfilled all the prophesies concerning the Messiah. He demonstrated His authority over men in His preaching and discourse. He demonstrated His power over demons by freeing individuals from unclean spirits. He demonstrated His power and authority by healing many of disease and disability. He demonstrated His power to forgive sin by restoring individuals. He demonstrated His power over nature by providing a massive catch of fish where experience, professional fisherman had failed.
So, let us try to comprehend the power and authority of Messiah and, most importantly, note that those who have faith in Him and are obedient to His commands, can even now call upon that power in life’s trials and difficulties.
Messiah’s Power and Authority over Men in His Preaching and Discourse.
The supreme clarity of His basic message is seen in Matthew 4:17, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He was clearly building on the work of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:2).
A more detailed statement is found in Mark 1:15.
“Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.”
When the Lord states that “the time is fulfilled”, He is indicating that it was the time in Adonai’s programme for the official offering of the Messianic Kingdom to Israel with Messiah as its king. Messiah was present with them, and if circumstances allowed, He would act on their behalf.
There is, of course, the all-important proviso for entering the kingdom; “believe in the gospel”. The Lord had to be accepted in order for the kingdom to be established; the One who brought the “Good News”.
The people had first to repent and then believe. Repentance is a constant motif in the Lord’s public ministry. Repentance being a radical turning from sin and a commitment to Adonai. Repentance inevitably becomes manifest in the fruit of righteousness.
The Lord Yeshua knew His target audience.
Luke 5:31,32.
“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners, to repentance.”
The people had to repent; the Lord Yeshua would not reign over a people who clung to their sins. The problem for many was that they would be happily saved from their political slavery (under the Romans), but they were not motivated to be saved from slavery to sin.
The call to repent was, of course, a soteriological (salvation message). The second part of the message, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” has an eschatological (end times) element. The messianic kingdom, the highest point of prophecy in the Tanakh, was on offer then, but of course it is still to come now. The Hebrew prophets were not given revelation beyond the messianic kingdom, but the people knew what Messiah was talking about.
Let us consider the characteristics of the Lord’s public ministry.
Luke 4:14,15.
“Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.”
So, we can see that His ministry was Spirit-controlled. His fame spread through Galilee and did not remain localised. The primary location for His teaching (at least initially) was in the synagogues, and He was very well received. Indeed, His reputation spread beyond the Galilee.
Matthew 4: 24,25.
“Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. Great multitudes followed Him – from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.”
He sought no easy existence. He did not linger even in a place where He got a great reception. He was the very model of single mindedness. He would not let anything distract Him.
Isaiah 61:1.
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound …”
The emphasis of the Lord Yeshua was the Word. The healing miracles, while intended to relieve human misery, were also designed to authenticate Him and get attention for His preaching.
Yet the size of the crowds (great that they were) did not impress Him. What He wanted to see went beyond the superficial. He knew the peril of superficial popularity, and He consistently avoided any superficial, emotional demonstration. He taught the disciples to be wary when men spoke well of them and He empowered them.
John 17: 14 -19.
“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I do not pray that you take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one … Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth.”
We can also see the Lord’s power and authority over men in the recruitment of His disciples. We see this in Matthew 9: 9 – 12 with the story the tax collector, Matthew (aka Levi), who responded immediately to the Lord’s call, “Follow Me.”
Tax collectors are never popular! But they were particularly despised in Israel under the Roman occupation. Matthew was a more minor tax collector (a Mokhe). His “tax office” was a toll booth at the side of the road where he would levy taxes on goods coming into the city for sale. The taxes raised went mainly to the Romans, resulting in those who collected them being considered traitors. There was also scope for these men to overcharge and pocket the proceeds.
The Pharisees would never have an involvement with such an obvious sinner, let alone recruit one or dine with them. The Lord however used His power and authority to get close to sinners. He would never be drawn in to their evil but would call them powerfully to repentance.
Matthew, the tax collector, felt the authority of the Lord’s call. He immediately left his lucrative (if rather dodgy) job to follow Him. With Matthew, the Lord’s authority was such that he responded to just two words. There was no need for prolonged arguments; two words changed Matthew’s life permanently.
The Lord Yeshua’s Power and Authority over Demons.
The demon-possessed person is indwelt and controlled by one or more evil spirits. The person is often able to perform superhuman feats and becomes violent or blasphemous at the Person or name of the Lord Yeshua.
Casting out an evil spirit is equivalent to delivering a person from fault and defilement.
Satan and his demons opposed the Lord throughout His ministry, culminating at the cross. But the Lord triumphed over their futile efforts. He convincingly demonstrated HIs ultimate victory at His resurrection.
Colossians 2:15.
“Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it”. (His resurrection).
Let us look at an example of His work against unclean spirits in Mark 1:23 – 26.
“Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And He cried out, saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are – the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.”
The first thing to note is that the demon knew who He was. But the Lord quieted it; He did not want the recognition of demons.
The demon said, “Leave us alone”. He immediately recognised the Lord’s power and authority and he was very afraid. He knew that ultimately the Lord would destroy all of them.
The demon could not resist the Lord’s instruction (“He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him”). Albeit after a display of petulant rebellion, (he threw the victim to the ground and shouted out), the demon had no choice but to obey. This exorcism was done simply by word of mouth (a single command), not with the elaborate formulae of Judaism.
In Mark 9:25 – 27, the Lord Yeshua demonstrated His power over even mute demons. The practice of exorcism in Judaism required first getting the name of the demon. Obviously, this was not possible with a person who could not speak. Nevertheless, the Lord dealt with this demon; a clear sign of His Messiahship.
The Lord Yeshua’s Power and Authority over Nature.
Luke 5:4 – 6.
“When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch”. But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net”. And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.”
It was daylight and their boat was at the shore. It is not clear whether Simon did “launch out into the deep” or if he just put the nets in where they were. If they were in the shallows, it is even more surprising that they caught anything. In daylight the fish feed in the deeper water.
No doubt to Simon, as an experienced fisherman, the Lord’s instruction seemed illogical. Having caught nothing at night, they were unlikely to catch anything in the daylight. Nevertheless, he put obedience (albeit reluctantly) before experience and low and behold …
Simon must have recognised the Lord’s authority over nature. He was with them despite their unworthiness. They would forsake everything and follow Him; the sign of a true disciple.
The Lord’s Power and Authority over Disease.
From the Lord’s many recorded healings, let us take the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (Matthew 8:14 – 17).
The Lord was going to Peter’s house to share in the family’s Sabbath meal. Matthew and Mark state that she was laid up in bed being “sick with a fever”. Luke, the physician, states that she was “sick with a high fever” indicating that this was a severe illness and that she had been suffering for some time.
The Lord’s presence or touch took away the illness completely and immediately. There was no need for a lengthy period of convalescence; she was able to serve the assembled company “immediately”.
As always, he healed because He could and because He had compassion.
Luke 4:40.
“When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him, and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them.”
No one was turned away; He turns away none who come in humility.
Our second example of the Lord’s power and authority over disease is that of the nobleman’s son (John 4:46 – 54).
This “nobleman” would have been a king’s officer, in the service of Herod Antipas. His son was seriously ill in Capernaum. He travelled 20 miles to Cana to seek out the Lord.
The nobleman needed no convincing that the Lord could heal his son, “Sir, come down before the child dies.” (verse 49). He already believed that the Lord Yeshua was who He claimed to be and therefore could cure the child. He was only asking that the Lord go with him to Capernaum before the child died. He was assuming that the Lord had to be present to affect the healing. Not so!
The Lord said to Him, “Go, your way, your son lives” (verse 50). That was all the father needed to hear, “the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.”
The man recognised the power and authority of the Lord. He had true faith, evidenced by the fact that he trusted the promise of the Lord. This was confirmed when he arrived home the next day to find his son recovered. And the result was the conversion of his entire household.
Let us look at the special case of the healing of the Jewish leper. This story is found in Matthew 8:2 ,3; Mark 1:40 – 45 and Luke 5:12 –16.
Matthew 8:2,3.
“And behold, a leper came and worshipped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing You can make me clean. Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed”. Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.”
In the Mosaic law, leprosy (tzar ‘at) or infections of the skin receive very special attention (116 verses). This was a generic term for all sorts of dermatological diseases in humans. But the law also applied to mildew in fabrics and mineral deposits on house walls (Leviticus chapters 13 and 14).
The “leprosy” mentioned in the gospels suggests a man suffering from Hansen’s disease, which is caused by a bacterial infection. The disease attacks the nervous system, and the first symptom is numbness in the fingers and toes.
The latter stages of the disease are extremely dire. The victim experiences extreme weight loss, diarrhoea, extreme thirst and a burning fever. Luke, the physician, noted that this man was “full of leprosy” suggesting that the disease had reached an advanced stage. As well as the physical suffering, this man would have experienced a terrible social impact, excluding him from human company.
To heal such a disease was uniquely recognised as evidence to authenticate the Messiah. The cured leper had to undergo a prolonged and rigorous examination of his healing by a priest.
The Lord cured the Jewish leper in the early stages of His ministry. The leper knew that he would soon lose his life when he approached the Lord, “if You are willing, you can make me clean.”
All three gospels note that the Lord touched the leper. No one touched a leper! To touch a leper was dangerous medically, defiling religiously and degrading socially. But the Lord contracted no defilement. This was an act of love; the first time the leper will have been touched by the hand of any person since he developed the disease. The Lord Yeshua’s touch healed immediately and completely.
Miriam and Moses were known to have been cleansed of leprosy by Adonai. No other Jew is recorded as being cured of leprosy (Naaman was a Gentile). This could hardly be ignored, especially if confirmed by the priest.
Luke 4:27.
“And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” (a Gentile).
The Power and the Authority of the Lord to Forgive Sin.
We can see the Lord’s power and authority to forgive sin in Matthew 9:2 – 8. This event is also recorded in Mark 2: 1 – 12 and Luke 5:17 – 26.
Matthew 9:2 – 7.
“Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven … “Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house”. And he arose and departed to his house.”
This paralysed man had been carried through the crowd to the Lord Yeshua on a bed. The Lord responded to the scene, “Son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven.” Immediately the man was restored to strength, arose and went off glorifying Adonai. And all the people who saw this miracle of healing marvelled and glorified Adonai.
This event took place in Capernaum, the centre of Pharisaic Judaism. After the healing of the Jewish leper, the spiritual leaders came from around the country to examine the Lord and His conduct. The healing of the leper had triggered an investigation by the Sanhedrin.
It was no accident that the Lord made this claim to deity (by announcing the forgiveness of the man’s sin) when so many religious leaders were present. In the Tanakh, the forgiveness of sin is only addressed in Leviticus chapters 4 – 6, in the context of atonement. Blood sacrifices were necessary to cover it. The Lord Yeshua was claiming for Himself, the authority that Adonai had held for Himself.
His enemies were, of course, horrified; blind to the miracle they had just observed. They accused the Lord of blasphemy. This would, of course, have been true of anyone but the Lord Yeshua.
The visible healing of the paralysed man was designed to confirm that his sin had been forgiven. The proof of the Lord’s authority to forgive sin was the man’s recovery.
The Lord Yeshua showed His power and authority as man-God. He could not only cover the individual’s sin but would bring forgiveness in the sense of cleansing and salvation.
Conclusion.
We can of course marvel at the display of power and authority shown by the Lord during his earthly ministry over men, over demons, over nature and over sin and defilement. But we must recognise that the power and authority of the Lord Yeshua is as powerful and relevant in the “here and now” as it was then.
We can see this in His own words.
Matthew 28:20, “… I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
This verse demonstrates that the Lord Yeshua is indeed “Immanuel” (God with us). He remains with us until He returns bodily to judge the world and establish His earthly kingdom. The Lord’s people do not need to go forth in life alone and unaided. We can rely on His companionship.
John14:21.
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is He who loves Me. And He who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”
As the believer lovingly and habitually obeys the Lord’s commands, he will experience a more intimate presence of the Lord. Adonai makes Himself known to those who love the Lord and blessings follow.
Matthew 7:7.
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.”
As we understand His continuous presence and love for us, we can live in obedience to His word and thus feel free to ask for our needs to be met in the knowledge that our prayers in faith will conform to the will of Adonai for us.
John 6:35.
“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.”
The Lord Yeshua completely satisfies our spiritual needs.
Matthew 6:33.
“… seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things (the necessities of life) shall be added to you.”
Whilst we focus on and work towards the righteous rule of Messiah on the earth, we need not worry; the Lord has the power to provide for us, if we have our priorities right.
Matthew 12: 50.
“For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
Is the Lord Yeshua someone who would abandon His Family?
How foolish we are when we fail to turn to the Lord and call on His love, His power and His authority in our daily lives!
AMEN.