The Authority of the Son of Man, Pt. 2
Luke 4:38-44
December 22, 2024
I suppose Elizabeth was a couple of months old the first time she got sick. I don’t remember all the particulars, but I do remember it was something respiratory and she was struggling to breathe. One night she was especially uncomfortable and was crying, so I got up with her and took her to a chair and held her on my chest and tried to rock her to sleep. I assumed that it was nothing life-threatening, but I also recognized in that moment that I was powerless to help her. I couldn’t reduce her fever, I couldn’t clear her lungs, and if worst came to worst, I couldn’t keep her alive. I recognized my dependence and weakness.
When we are healthy, it is easy to assume (and presume upon) health. But we live in a broken world where health will fail. We will get sick and we will get injured. For some there will be relative strength with only intermittent mild illnesses. For others there will be life-changing injuries or persistent and chronic illness. But all of us live with the reality that “birth is the first step towards death. Deformity, illness, weakness, injury, disease, and death form the universal biography of mankind.” [MacArthur]
In the middle of that suffering, we are prone to ask two questions: does God care about our illness? And can He do anything about our illness and suffering? This week we remember Christ’s coming to earth to atone for men’s sins; but when we and our family members are suffering significantly (and some of us are), we are prone to ask these questions. Can He help…?
In Luke 4, we see the beginning of Jesus’ formal ministry in Galilee. In His message to His hometown (Nazareth) He claimed to be authoritative to fulfill the Messianic promise of Isaiah to liberate those who are in bondage (4:18-19). When He was rejected by the Nazareans, He went to Capernaum to further manifest His authority — He is King (and a good King). Throughout His Galilean ministry in Luke 4-6, we will observe multiple examples of the simple truth that…
As the Son of Man, Jesus is authoritative.
He is the Son of Man. And there is nothing over which He is not authoritative. Last week we saw His authority over the spiritual realm and demons; in future weeks we will see His authority to compel men to follow Him, and His authority over leprosy and uncleanness, over sin (authoritative to forgive), and over the Law and the demands of righteousness. This passage reveals His authority over illness and His authority to heal. As the creator of all things, He has infinite authority over all things. Observe the three-fold progressive revelation of Christ’s authority to heal —
- Christ’s Healing of One Person (vv. 38-39)
- Christ’s Healing of Many People (vv. 40-41)
- Christ’s Purpose Beyond Healing (vv. 42-44)
Download the rest of this sermon on Luke 4:38-44.
Synagogue in Capernaum, second century A.D.
The audio will be posted on the GBC website by Tuesday.
Words of Grace 