Luke 4:31-36 records an event that happened near the beginning of Christ’s ministry. The Lord taught in the synagogue in Capernaum. No doubt, He was teaching about the coming kingdom of God. Whether or not a majority of people believed He was the Christ, Luke records what they thought of His teaching. They were astonished at what He said, because “His word was with authority” (v 32). They were highly impressed.

The reason for this reaction was that He did not teach what others taught and He did not teach in the way others taught. The rabbis of the day quoted past rabbis. Even the OT prophets in centuries past had spoken only words that they claimed came from God. They prophesied of things to come.

But Christ did not appeal to former rabbis. He spoke on His own authority. He claimed to be the fulfillment of prophecy. All those OT prophets were pointing the nation to Him. In Him, the kingdom of God was being offered to the nation. In fact, since He was there, it could be said that the kingdom of God was near (Mark 1:15). He could bring the kingdom to God’s chosen people.

Who could say such unique things? What power must there be in His words if they were true?

In these verses, Luke relates how Jesus did more than teach in the synagogue. As He was teaching, a man with a demon cried out. In spectacular fashion, at just His word, the demon was cast out.

Whatever exorcisms the people in the synagogue may have heard about, this one was different. There were no magical incantations. There were no rituals. The Lord just spoke, and it happened. He simply told the demon to “come out of him.” In the midst of all the people in the building, the demon, who had been crying out, did just what the Lord commanded.

The people’s reaction to this miracle was practically identical to the way they reacted to His teaching. They had never witnessed anything like this. They had been astonished at His preaching. After the demon is cast out, they are amazed. They attributed the miraculous event to His word which was given with such authority and power (v 36). He was showing through this miracle that His powerful word, which proclaimed the kingdom of God, was able to make the kingdom a reality by overcoming the power of Satan.

It is clear that Luke is saying that both Christ’s preaching and His ability to cast out a demon demonstrated that His word had the power to do what it said, due to His intrinsic authority.

Isn’t it great that He has directed that powerful and authoritative word to us as well? One of my favorite examples is: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life.” He promises that anybody who hears His word and believes in Him for eternal life will live forever with Him in His kingdom. That is a powerful word! It overcomes death itself.

No matter how long any of us has been a believer, how wonderful is His word! We who have believed it can respond just as the people in Capernaum did to what they heard and saw. In fact, we can do so to an even greater degree because we have believed in Him as the Christ. We are astonished and amazed at what His powerful word has done for us.