Sermon for Sunday, June 22nd, 2025 at First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY (BPC)
Old Testament Reading:
[Deu 18:15-22 ESV] 15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers–it is to him you shall listen– 16 just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 And the LORD said to me, ‘They are right in what they have spoken. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. 20 But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ 21 And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’– 22 when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
New Testament Reading:
[Heb 4:11-13 ESV] 11 Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience. 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. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Gospel Reading:
[Luk 4:31-37 ESV] 31 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. 33 And in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 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.” 35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm. 36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 And reports about him went out into every place in the surrounding region.
Sermon Text:
[Mat 7:28-29 ESV] 28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
Introduction
Who is the most outstanding speaker you have ever heard?
It is a lost art in some ways. The Romans studied rhetoric. We do have “toastmasters” today and you can “learn” public speaking, but I think generally a lot of success in public speaking is “natural.” And, I’ve found, that the best speeches are when the speaker intimately knows his subject and can explain it completely and clearly even to a novice.
One outstanding speaker that comes to my mind is a professor at my alma mater. At the University of Michigan. And we listened to some of his Job lectures a couple years ago. An enthusiastic speaker. A man with gigantic hands and a naturally theatrical and welcoming personality. Ralph Williams. But not all that well known in the grand scheme of things.
Other great speakers in the public realm have been Winston Churchill, Patrick Henry (Give me liberty or give me death), Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr. And you don’t have to be a good person to be a good speaker. Adolf Hitler was a great speaker. He was terribly wrong in his mind, but he was a great speaker and persuaded many of his nation’s people to back his political rise.
On the preaching side of things we have had great speaker in George Whitfield, and Samuel Davies, and Billy Sunday, and Billy Graham.
But whether preaching the gospel or speaking on politics many of the greatest orators are remembered more for the medium than the message. That is, they were dynamic, impressive, regardless of what they said.
We have the opposite with Jesus. There is no indication that he spoke with great flair and eloquence. He didn’t use big words or grand gestures. The reaction of HIS hearers — being astounded — was because of HIS teaching, the message itself and because of the confident authority with which he spoke.
I. “Astounding.”
That is what we find at the end of the sermon on the mount, that “the crowds were ASTONISHED at HIS TEACHING.”
They weren’t astonished by his moving around the stage or by his cadence or his by eloquence. They were affected by his message.
That is much like Paul hoped to do when he said the Corinthians:
[1Co 2:1-2 ESV] 1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. 2 For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.
So it is the message of Christ that astonished the people.
A great crowd was astonished. In fact, the Greek uses the plural “crowds” to indicate how large the group of people was. It couldn’t be contained in one crowd, it had to be various crowds. The astonished response was not that of just a person or two, but the response of the crowds in general.
The text says they were astonished at “his teaching.”
This was to a great extent a teaching which they already should have known through the word of God in the Old Testament. But they had forgotten it, or they had never learned it properly; and they certainly weren’t able to make all the connections that Jesus makes.
And it must have been astonishing to see Jesus go seamlessly from subject to subject and it all weaves together. So there is great rhetorical ability in his speech. That is not to be denied. But the message is where the real astonishment comes.
It is message about the Kingdom of Heaven and the people of God:
[Mat 5:3 ESV] 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[Mat 5:10 ESV] 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
[Mat 5:14 ESV] 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
[Mat 5:22 ESV] 22 But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
[Mat 5:43-44 ESV] 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
[Mat 6:19-21 ESV] 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
[Mat 6:33 ESV] 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
[Mat 7:13-14 ESV] 13 “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
[Mat 7:24 ESV] 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
Any ONE of these is a saying sure to be remembered, but ALL TOGETHER they are astounding.
And this wasn’t a one time astonishment. It was not a one-time response to the teachings of Jesus. It is rather the standard response. Various people were astonished when Christ spoke:
At the Synagogue in Nazareth:
[Mat 13:53-54 ESV] 53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there, 54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?
At the Synagogue in Capernaum:
[Mar 1:21-22 ESV] 21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.
At the temple in Jerusalem:
[Mar 11:18 ESV] 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching.
At the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem:
[Jhn 7:14-15 ESV] 14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?”
Then there were the “officers” or temple guards in Jerusalem:
[Jhn 7:45-46 ESV] 45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!”
II. “Authority”
The people were astounded by the teachings themselves.
They were also astounded by Jesus spoke with authority.
But no doubt that authority extends to the message itself then. By virtue of being the authority, the message is received with confidence.
For example, The National Weather Service is the authority which tells you that a tornado coming, and you trust them.
Or an author of many books on a particular subject is the authority in his field. And you listen to them.
So Jesus, the very Word of God, is clearly seen as authoritative when he speaks to the crowds.
Then Jesus is contrasted with the scribes and the pharisees.
We know about the Pharisees. They are those religious leader who are sure to tithe the mint and cumin. And they are keen to make sure everyone else does the same. Yet their faults are great.
But who were the scribes?
Ostensibly they were “workers” who copied Biblical texts.
They were the few white collar workers; sometimes akin to a lawyer.
But though they were “workers” they got involved in the political and religious landscape of the country. Probably some of the scribes were Pharisees. Maybe a few were Sadducees.
Whatever their status, the Scribes are right there with the Pharisees in NOT having TRUE AUTHORITY.
They are supposed to be the authorities, but they are far from it.
When the wise men came to Jerusalem, Herod asked the scribes where the messiah would be born. Herod “assembled all the chief priests and scribes.” It almost seems as if there were so few of them that KNEW anything of the Word of God that Herod needed to assemble all of them to find the answer. Or perhaps they did know where the messiah was to be born; then, why didn’t they shout it from the mountaintops when the Wise men were asking?
There was great ignorance among the religious leaders of Israel.
And with ignorance is the loss of any authority they might have had.
Then comes on the scene Jesus.
And I heard a Jewish source the day say “Jesus must have been taught by other Rabbis if they called him a Rabbi.”
It turns out that that is a false statement. Jesus was indeed called “Rabbi” (teacher) but as we saw in John 7:15 the Jews of his time marveled because, they said, “How is it that this man has learning, WHEN HE HAS NEVER STUDIED?”
Jesus did not study under a rabbi.
He didn’t go to any special school.
He certainly didn’t rely on the Pharisees and Scribes.
He learned by reading the Word of God and by the work of the Holy Spirit in him.
Now, we are not divine like Christ was, but there is a parallel that we should take heed of. That is, we ought to be like the Bereans and “search the Scriptures” and like all Christian “be dependent on the Holy Spirit.” We SHOULD NEVER be of the mindset of Rome in saying “this or that Pope, this or that authority figure said XYZ.” While there are great resources out there – many pastors and Biblical scholars and books through the ages— our ultimate authority is the Word of God. That is what we call “Sola Scriptura.” The Word of God written is the AUTHORITY for our faith and practice as Christians.
Jesus wasn’t impressed with the Scribes and Pharisees.
And, as we see, the people weren’t impressed with the Scribes and Pharisees.
BUT WHEN JESUS TAUGHT, something was different.
He spoke as one with authority.
Jesus had no hesitancy, no lack of surety.
He said, “You have heard it said but I say to you.” That’s authority!
Surely this is another argument pointing his divinity.
I think of what is going on in this passage as something like another PROOF for the existence of God.
Now, I’m not a great fan of the standard “proofs.” Ontological, Cosmological, Moral, etc. Firstly, there are many challenges to the logic of the proofs. But even more so — secondly — you don’t need proofs for the existence of God because that truth is INNATE knowledge — all people are born with a knowledge of God; and some suppress that knowledge in unrighteousness.
Yet, we might call THIS a proof. The “ASTONISHMENT ” for the existence of God.
It is at least a proof of the divinity of Christ.
He is the authority; he has that authority that only God can have.
No one else ever produced such frequent and deep astonishment among his hearers.
This is perhaps an OVERLOOKED proof or argument. The argument we might call … “Listen to this.”
That is what you say when you hear good music.
You go to your friend and say “Listen to this.”
Similarly, a great evangelical tool, a great persuasive argument for Christ is found right here, and EVERYWHERE that he speaks. FOR WHO can speak like this?
I mentioned this personal amazement I have with the words of Christ a few times in sermons on the Sermon on the Mount. These words of Jesus. You hear themselves. Do they not MOVE you in a profound way? Do they need display themselves as authoritative and divine? Are they not astounding?
For this reason, one of the greatest evangelistic works you can do is to give someone a Bible.
I’m a preacher, but I can’t compare with Christ.
I’m a writer, but I can’t write words like these in Matthew’s Gospel.
Something is different.
Jesus speaks with full authority.
Jesus is Lord indeed.
And those who are his sheep hear his words and recognize them. That brings us to the first of three application:
APPLICATION 1: Be astonished at the Word of God.
Our reaction to the Bible should be astonishment each and very time we read it for it is the very word of God.
That same authority that astonished the hearers of the Sermon on the Mount should astonish us whether we read the red-letters of Jesus’s words, or ANY other passage, for ALL of the Bible is God’s word.
Consider this,
The rabbis always REFERRED TO OTHER AUTHORITIES.
Like Court Justices today, they have to find precedent.
Jesus doesn’t quote ANYONE, but the WORD of God; his own word.
There is no greater authority.
That is astounding.
No wonder the apostle Peter said:
Lord, to whom shall we go, YOU have the words of eternal life.
APPLICATION 2: Being astonished is not enough.
Are you astonished at the words of Christ?
I hope so. But being astonished is not enough. It is not sufficient for salvation.
The crows were amazed.
Even (later) the Jews were amazed.
But not all of the crowd came to believe in Jesus. Many rejected him.
And of the religious leaders, some (though not many) came to faith.
Matthew Henry wrote, “It is possible for people to admire good preaching, and yet to remain in ignorance and unbelief; to be astonished, and yet not sanctified.”
So we must believe. Be astonished, yes. But even more, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
APPLICATION 3: Jesus is the authority; you are not.
This is a corollary of what has already been said. If Jesus is the authority, YOU are not.
You’re not in charge.
We say this to our children. Or think it at least.
But we need the reminder that WE are not in charge. Your life can be taken at any moment. You’re not in charge. God is.
“Your truth” is not truth at all unless it matches with “His truth.”
And any appropriate authority that you have, whether has a parent, pastor, or policeman is a DERIVED authority, an authority granted to you from God. It is not an authority that you naturally have, but an authority that God has given you as a responsibility. That’s something we should all learn, especially younger people who yearn for authority. WITH AUTHORITY – true authority – comes responsibility. What are you to do? You should show responsibility first, then you can have authority. You want a dog? Prove that you can be responsible for it, then you can have that authority over a pet. You want a certain career or a marriage or to be recognized as an expert; prove you are responsible BEFORE you accept responsibility, for responsibility is weighty and many fail when they hold authority.
Conclusion:
So let us look to Christ who is our authority.
WITH Authority Jesus tells us about God and Salvation. His very name means “God saves.”
He has the authority to tell us about God and Salvation.
And he has the authority to lay down his life for the sake of His people.
And we are to worship him. Let us pray.