Sermon Tone Analysis

*Intro* – Read Luke 4:31-37.

If the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, (Prov 9:10), we live in a doomed generation.

Mark Galli, editor at CT, documents representative comments from 21st century sermons: “Jesus is always patient." "Jesus’ mercy embraces even the demons."

"Jesus is ever-welcoming, ever-inviting, ever-affirming."

The concept of accountability to Christ has been buried under a Satanically inspired vision of Jesus as meek and mild.

We simply cannot believe it is that important.

That was the issue for the people in Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth.

The idea that their old playmate was Messiah, worthy of awe and a reverential fear was unthinkable.

So they ran Him out of town at His first sermon.

If that is your concept of Christ, watch closely as Luke takes us to another Sabbath.

A terrifying presence attends.

A demon comes to church – but surprise!

He is not the terrifying presence!

See if you can figure out who is! We are about to see Jesus’ second sermon and first miracle.

So far, Luke has shown Jesus’ identity, preparation and qualifications for ministry.

But from here through the end of chapter 5 we see His power and authority.

We will see His authority is boundless – spiritually and physically; over everyone and everything.

We are about to see a spectacular display.

Luke wants Theophilus to see the greatness He displayed from the start.

By placing these Sabbaths back-to-back Luke is showing that what Jesus claimed in Nazareth – power to release captives – He demonstrates in Capernaum.

He backs up His claims.

He came to deliver those captive to sin; freeing the man held captive to this demon demonstrated that power.

This demon appears to be quite happy to be in church as long as the Word is not preached and applied.

On this day, he has kicked back with his feet up expecting – ordinary.

But this is no ordinary Sabbath and no ordinary preacher.

As soon as Jesus begins He has the demon’s undivided attention.

He suddenly realizes who this is and cries out mid-sermon, v. 34, ““Ha!

What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?”

The Greek word translated “Ha” is an exclamation of sheer terror!

He is horrified at the presence of Jesus.

What Jesus’ hometown could not get because of their familiarity with Him, this demon gets in an instant.

He recognizes the Holy One of God and cries out before he can stop himself.

Take note, Beloved.

This will be the cry of all those who have denied Christ on the day they realize who He really is!

This is what it is to see Christ for who He is face-to-face without having saving faith.

It strikes terror to the core of one’s being.

So, I want to examine 5 characteristics of Christ’s authority that will either inspire a holy and saving “fear of the Lord” now – or will bring horror later on.

*I.

His Preaching*

He preached with authority.

Vv. 31-32, “And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee.

And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.”

Above all, Jesus was a preacher.

The first item on the list of Messianic duties in v. 18 is “to proclaim good news to the poor.”

As His Galilean ministry began Matthew tells us in 4:17, “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”

In Mark 1, Peter comes to find Him for a healing service and Jesus refuses in v. 38: “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”

Matthew 11:1 tells us, “When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in their cities.”

No one ever preached like Jesus.

In Capernaum they were “astonished” (literally “out of their senses, thunderstruck with amazement”) at His teaching.

He doesn’t teach like the scribes who quote first one tradition and then another.

Nothing wishy-washy about Him.

Notice, “for his word possessed authority.”

There is power in the Word, Beloved.

That is why we must know the Word.

Heb 4:12, “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Luke will come back to the power of the Word of Christ and the Word of God over and over to Theophilus.

He caps it by telling us as the church began to grow exponentially in Acts 6:7, “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

He doesn’t say the church grew.

He says the Word increased, and as the Word increased amazing things happened, including even some of the priests, steeped in unholy tradition, came to faith in Christ.

There is power in the Word.

Remember the two disciples going home to Emmaus the Sunday after Jesus was crucified?

Heads down, hearts heavy, hopes dashed.

They didn’t know the risen Christ.

Jesus pointed them straight to the Word.

Luke 24:27 tells us, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”

He just opened the Word like He’d been doing for 3 years and said, “Look, guys, see that – that’s me!

See this passage – that’s me crucified.

See this passage – that’s me as the lamb.

See this passage – that’s me resurrected.”

He preached the Word with power and authority and in Luke 24:32, “They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

No wonder the demons from hell trembled as Jesus Christ opened the Word and preached Himself from it.

I tell you honestly – I would rather have heard Jesus preach than to have been healed by Him.

I would.

There is power in the Word – and we will either let it burn in our hearts and instill a righteous fear of the Lord in this life, or we will one day tremble in His presence at the judgment as He preaches Himself from the Word.

The demons trembled at His preaching.

But it was too late for them.

*II.

His Person*

The demon feared the person of Christ.

He says in v. 34, “Ha!

What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Have you come to destroy us?

I know who you are—the Holy One of God.”

He uses 2 names for Jesus.

First is Jesus of Nazareth (the Nazarene) – His common earthly name.

The name of His humility.

But he moves to “Holy One of God” -- an exalted recognition of the deity of Christ.

The spirit is saying, “I know you’re called Jesus of Nazareth – a carpenter from a third-rate village filled with despised people.

But I know who you are under the skin.

You don’t fool me.

You’re God in human flesh.

I know who you are.”

The hometown crowd ran Jesus out of town, but the demon trembled at His identity.

‘You may look humble, but you don’t fool me.’

He feared the person of Christ.

Do you tremble at the person of Christ – or do you write Him off as myth or at best a great prophet?

Do you know who Jesus really is?

The Bible tells us it is a matter of eternal consequence to acknowledge Jesus as God.

It is not just an interesting theological debate.

John tells us in 20:31 that he wrote his whole gospel “so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, (and why is that important?)