Authority and Power

Monday, January 28, 2019

Luke 4:34-36: "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." But Jesus rebuked him [the unclean spirit possessing a man,] "Be silent and come out of him!" And when the demon had thrown him [the man possessed] down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. And they were all amazed and said to one another, "What is this word? For with and authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out."

Have you ever done anything wrong? And before you answer that, also consider this question. Who held you accountable for what you did?

Sin and its' Consequence:
We all have done something wrong. No one is perfect. Except for Jesus, who is both God (conceived by the Holy Spirit) and Man (born of the virgin Mary), no one born of a man and a woman is perfect. Some call the wrong things we do "mistakes" or "bad choices." Christians call them actions based upon a sinful nature, therefore what we do in sinful. 

And sin has consequences. And the consequences of sin are more than "a time out." The consequences of sin are separation from God, both on earth AND forever. 

The Man and the Unclean Spirit:
The unclean spirit, or demon, had possessed this man. Why, I don't know, he decided to challenge Jesus. Was it out of defiance? Or was it fear? What we do know is what Jesus did.

Jesus challenged sin in the man and the unclean spirit. Jesus, with authority and power, commanded the spirit to come out of the man. And when God speaks, even demons listen.

Sin possessed the man. The devil had a hold on him. It takes Jesus to unloose that hold and command the sin and demon to leave.

We Too, have the Authority and Power:
Jesus does the same to you and me as He did to the man possessed. Jesus commands the sin and the influence of Satan to leave us. How? Jesus lived the perfect life. He did not sin. He could not sin. Jesus is God and man. He is the perfect example. The command to get out was done by the forgiveness won through His death. Because Jesus allowed His body to be broken and His blood shed, Jesus spoke the words, "Come out of him. Come out of her." When Jesus rose, He gave to each of us who believe a life freed from sin. It no longer has the power to possess us. And now we have the authority and power.

The authority and power to say to sin and the devil, "Leave me alone." comes from Jesus. And we also have the authority and power to help others who are in the same trap of sin and possession. It is Jesus working through us.

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