This year we are covering the four Gospel Accounts together in chronological order.
In the previous post, we covered Matthew 4:12-17. Here was the conclusion:
Jesus dwelt in Capernaum after coming to Galilee and doing His second miracle.
Luke 4
"31 And he came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the sabbath day:"
(In a previous post, we saw that Jesus said to the people in the synagogue that they would ask Him why He couldn't do the same miracles in His hometown as He did in Capernaum. Jesus said it was because of their unbelief because a prophet was without honor in his hometown. It looked as if Jesus intentionally left His hometown and went to Capernaum.)
"32 and they were astonished at his teaching; for his word was with authority."
(Jesus taught on the sabbath day and these people were also astonished by Jesus' teaching. However, this passage specifically stated these people were astonished that His word was with authority. This meant that Jesus was the source of the Doctrine. Remember, Jesus was a Semikah Rabbi: a Rabbi that had the authority to widen Doctrine.)
"33 And in the synagogue there was a man, that had a spirit of an unclean demon; and he cried out with a loud voice,"
(Notice, a man with an unclean spirit was in the synagogue. People with unclean spirits are able to attend church...)
(CRITICAL POINT: Jesus did NOT initiate this miracle. A need was presented to Him and He responded. The miracle was an effect of Jesus' responding to a need. We will see throughout this Series that Jesus ONLY responded to needs. Also, a need wasn't presented to Jesus when He was in Nazareth. The religious leaders wanted a miracle as a cause instead of as an effect of a need.)
"34 Ah! what have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Nazarene? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God."
(We have covered these passages in depth during the Series on Spiritual Warfare. If you want more information, click the previous link. For our purposes during this Series, notice the unclean spirit asked two questions and stated a fact on itself: I KNOW THEE WHO THOU ART, the Holy One of God. None of this was Truth. None of this was a Right WHAT with a Right HOW/WHY. The first two sentences were questions and the final statement was made with the unclean spirit as the subject...NOT Jesus. Satan, demons, and unclean spirits are unable to state TRUTH.)
"35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst, he came out of him, having done him no hurt."
(We have seen that Offensive Spiritual Warfare has four requirements:
1. Offensive Spiritual Warfare is done with WORDS and SENTENCES.
This is NOT something that is done PHYSICALLY. This is something that is done as a statement of the will.
2. Offensive Spiritual Warfare is done according to the faith (Understanding and Experience) of the individual.
Both the person stating their will AND the person who is benefiting have to believe it will work.
3. The statement of the will has to be done over things that don't have a will
The weather, inanimate objects, and animals don't have a will. Also, beings that have been judged don't have a will. People have a will. However, if justice is against a person, they can be dealt with in RESPONSE to Justice. Offensive Spiritual Warfare does NOT work on people who are NOT willing AND/OR NOT deserving of losing a value through Justice.
4. Offensive Spiritual Warfare is initiated by the Holy Spirit
People don't initiate Offensive Spiritual Warfare. The goal of Spiritual Warfare is to bring about God's Will...to create, even if it requires equalling out Justice. The ONLY way to make sure Offensive Spiritual Warfare ALWAYS accomplishes its goal is for it to be initiated by God through the Holy Spirit. People who SCHEDULE sessions to do Offensive Spiritual Warfare are actually doing a work of the flesh.)
(Notice, in this example Jesus did all four of these things...and He may have caused the unclean spirit to stop talking because He didn't want people to believe He was the Christ as an effect of the testimony of an unclean spirit.)
"36 And amazement came upon all, and they spake together, one with another, saying, What is this word? for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out.
37 And there went forth a rumor concerning him into every place of the region round about."
(The people had already determined Jesus spoke with authority. Their saying that He commanded with power meant He accomplished what He proclaimed. Remember, the definition of power is "the ability to get something done".)
(Let's look at the same story as was presented in Mark's Gospel Account...)
Mark 1
"21 And they go into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue and taught.
22 And they were astonished at his teaching: For he taught them as having authority, and not as the scribes."
(Verse 22 more specifically pointed to the fact Jesus was a Semikah Rabbi. The scribes were Rabbi's that only taught the Torah. They could not widen Doctrine. They could only teach the Doctrine that was in the Torah. Jesus was beyond being a Torah teacher. Jesus could widen Doctrine (speak with authority) because He was a Semikah Rabbi.)
"23 And straightway there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
24 saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Nazarene? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
26 And the unclean spirit, tearing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him."
(The same presentation as was in Luke's Gospel Account.)
"27 And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What is this? a new teaching! with authority he commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.
28 And the report of him went out straightway everywhere into all the region of Galilee round about."
(Again, Mark's Gospel Account accentuated Jesus being a Semikah Rabbi. The people stated this was a new teaching...which could only come from a Semikah Rabbi.)
CONCLUSION
Jesus intentionally went to Capernaum and taught with power and authority. Jesus' commanding an unclean spirit in the presence of people in the synagogue caused a report to be spread throughout Galilee.
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