The Son of Man’s Authority to Seek Sinners

The Son of Man’s Authority to Seek Sinners
Luke 5:27-39
March 23, 2025

One of my favorite declarations of authority was given by poet Judith Viorst, writing in the voice of an elementary-aged boy named Alexander:  “If I were in charge of the world…”

If I were in charge of the world
I’d cancel oatmeal,
Monday mornings,
Allergy shots, and also Sara Steinberg.

If I were in charge of the world
There’d be brighter night lights,
Healthier hamsters, and
Basketball baskets forty-eight inches lower.

If I were in charge of the world
You wouldn’t have lonely.
You wouldn’t have clean.
You wouldn’t have bedtimes.
Or “Don’t punch your sister.”
You wouldn’t even have sisters.

If I were in charge of the world
A chocolate sundae with whipped cream and nuts would be a vegetable
All 007 movies would be G,

And a person who sometimes forgot to brush,
And sometimes forgot to flush,
Would still be allowed to be
In charge of the world. 

Fortunately, Alexander is not in charge of the world.  No man is a good candidate for ultimate kinghood and sovereignty.  But there is One who is supremely qualified to be the authority — the Son of Man, Jesus Christ.   In telling the story of Jesus Christ, Luke doesn’t just tell what Jesus did, but he begins his account by telling stories that demonstrate the authority of Jesus as the Son of Man to be the Messiah and Savior.  So, beginning in chapter four (and through chapter six), we observe multiple examples of the truth that…

As the Son of Man, Jesus is authoritative to seek sinners so He might save them.

There is nothing over which He is not authoritative.  As a reminder, we have seen His authority as a teacher, over the spiritual realm and demons, over illness, to compel men to follow Him, and to cleanse men both physically and spiritually, and to forgive sin.  But He not only forgives sin; He also seeks sinners so He might save them.  In this section, Luke demonstrates two more kinds of the Son of Man’s authority.

1. The Son of Man’s Authority Over Sinners (vv. 27-32)

• The kinds of sinners the Son of Man saves (vv. 27-30)
• The kinds of sinners the Son of Man won’t save (vv. 31-32)

2. The Son of Man’s Authority Over Ceremony (vv. 33-39)

• One kind of objection sinners have about the Son of Man (v. 33)
• The kind of man the Son of Man is (vv. 34-35)
• The kind of message the Son of Man declares (vv. 36-39)

Download the rest of this sermon on Luke 5:27-39.