Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Mark 1:21-22 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
JESUS THE TEACHER
When Jesus stepped down from the podium in the synagogue of Capernaum, the people were stunned. This Jesus, who had grown up some miles away in Nazareth, had just knocked their socks off.
There are two parts to a good teacher. First, a teacher has to know what he's talking about. Second, he has to be able to communicate that knowledge effectively. The problem with the Scribes (called "the teachers of the law" here) was that they didn't know the truth. They had God's Word, but they didn't understand it.
The Savior from sin was not part of THEIR message. They twisted the promised Savior of the Old Testament into some political figure. The intimidating Law of God was also not part of their message. They had dumbed down God's standards so that it was possible for them to believe they had lived lives worthy of heaven. In their storm of manmade doctrines, the true meaning of God's Word was lost to these teachers.
This is why jaws dropped when Jesus spoke. It wasn't just because He was a brilliant communicator. The congregation at Capernaum was stunned because Jesus spoke something that the Scribes had lost. He spoke the simple truth of God's Word. And this truth RANG TRUE in the ears of the people.
This is the snapshot of Jesus that I see. I see Jesus, standing with one hand on the open scroll of some Old Testament book. His other hand raised in the air gesturing his point home. On his face is an expression that is both intense and joyful at the same time. He is teaching them the Father's truth, with the Father's own words. He speaks of damning sin and gracious salvation through faith in the Christ.
