Clean Power
Imagine walking into a
place and instantly feeling something powerful—something beyond yourself.
That’s exactly what happened to a well-known spiritist in London. She was used
to supernatural experiences in her spiritist meetings, but one day, she stepped
into Westminster Chapel, where Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was preaching.
As she sat down, she felt
a power in the room—just like in her spiritist gatherings. But there was
something different. She later said, “I was conscious of a supernatural power,
but this time, it was a clean power.”[1] That one moment changed her life. She
realized that the power she had known before was nothing compared to the
holiness and purity of God's presence. This raises an important question for us
today: What kind of power shapes our
lives? Let’s explore what it means to live under the true power of Christ.
Power of Christ and
His Word
While on earth, Jesus
focused on three things – teaching, preaching, and healing. “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching
the good news of the kingdom, and healing
every disease and sickness among the people.” (Matt 4:23, NIV) Jesus brought
God’s kingdom among the people as he taught, preached, and healed them.
Today’s passage was one
of the examples. Jesus went to Capernaum. There he taught the people each
Sabbath. On one Sabbath as he was teaching, demons were exposed. Christ’s word
has power to expose darkness and transform lives. “The word of God is living
and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to diving
soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the
heart… Everything is uncovered and laid bare before his eyes.” (Hebrews 4:12-13).
Many of us tend to think the
heart of the Gospel is the forgiveness of sin – and it is. But remember, Jesus
also came to destroy the powers of evil
and set us free. In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus announced His mission: to bring good
news to the poor, free prisoners, restore sight to the blind, and liberate the
oppressed. Hebrews 2:14-15 also proclaims that through his death Jesus
conquered the powers of evil and freed all who were in bondage.
Word
and Power
Jesus is sovereign
over all things. His
word has authority and power. No demon can disobey. In today’s passage, Jesus
rebuked the demon, saying, “Be silent and come out of him!” The demon threw the
man down before the people, then came out of him without harming him. 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!” (Luke
4:35–36)
Luke also wants us to see
that the power of Jesus’ word extends not only to the world of demons, but also to the world of nature. Jesus
went home with Simon. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a high fever. Luke
uses the same word for how Jesus spoke to the fever that he did for how Jesus
spoke to the demon. Verse 35 says, “Jesus rebuked
the demon.” Verse 39 says, “He stood over her and rebuked the fever.” Jesus is talking to a fever, and the fever
obeys. Luke wants us to see – Jesus is
sovereign over all things. All demons. All nature.
Power through
Suffering
In
today’s passage when the demons saw Jesus, they screamed, “I know who you are--the Holy One of
God!" (4:34) Again, in verse 41, the demons recognized Jesus and shrieked,
“You are the Son of God!” But Jesus rebuked them and would not allow them to
speak. Why? Because the people expected a “warrior” Messiah (distorted image of
the Messiah). But Jesus came to destroy the powers of evil, not through military
might, but through suffering. In Luke 9:22 Jesus says, “The Son of Man must
suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests
and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”
Colossians 2:15 also proclaims the same truth – the victory through suffering: “[Jesus] disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them
publicly by his victory over them on the
cross.” (NLT)
Today,
we face similar temptations: the lure of glory without the cross, or the promise of health, wealth, and prosperity
without sacrifice or suffering. The
enemy whispers, “If God is good, why do you suffer?” But we know the truth—our
suffering has a purpose when it draws us close to Christ.
Power through Prayer
Let me bring this
home with a modern illustration from the movie Rango. Rango is a quirky character who looks
like a chameleon. He stumbles into the town of Dirt, a place desperate for a
hero. At first, he just tries to fit in, pretending to be brave, and talking
big. By good luck he becomes a hero – a new sheriff. But when a real challenge
comes, his true identity is exposed. He isn’t a hero—he’s a fraud, a nobody.
So, he runs away. But then, something happens. While wandering in the desert,
he encounters the Spirit of the West, a God-like figure. After this, instead of
pretending to be somebody, Rango figures out and embraces who he really is. As
an ordinary, flawed, and uncertain “nobody,” he returns to face the enemy,
risking everything for the town. And in doing so, he becomes a true hero.
This
story resonates with us because we, too, wrestle with identity, weakness, and
fear. The world (the enemy) tells us to pretend until we become “somebody”
(distorted image of God’s children). But the Gospel tells us something greater:
Jesus, the true Hero, defeated the enemy,
not with force, but through suffering and the cross. Because of Him, we
don’t have to pretend—we are already
loved, chosen, and called. So, like Rango, we step forward in faith and
face the giant. But unlike Rango, we don’t rely on ourselves. We follow Jesus
who has already won the victory through his suffering on the cross.
How did Jesus overcome ongoing
temptation and discouraging voices to stay the course? There answer is found in
Luke 4:42: “At daybreak, Jesus went out
to a solitary place.” (NIV) Mark 1:35 gives even more detail: “Very early in
the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off
to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (NIV) Every morning, before anything
else, Jesus listened to the Father’s voice.
How can we overcome the
enemy’s voice and live a victorious life? By listening to God’s word first – daily.
From the very beginning, God knew what he was doing. He chose us to become like
his Son. He called us, gave us right standing, and gave us his glory. By God’s
grace we are “predestined, called, justified, and glorified” – a divine chain
of grace that no one can break. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?”
(Rom 8:35) And the answer? “Nothing in all creation will ever be able to
separate us from the love God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v. 39)
Jesus, sovereign over all
things, is for us, not against us. May we listen to God’s truth every morning.
May we trust Jesus fully, finding our identity, calling, and purpose in His
word. Amen.
[1] Douglas
Banister, The Word and Power Church: What
Happens When a Church Seeks All God Has to Offer? (p. 147). Zondervan.
Kindle Edition.
No comments:
Post a Comment