I. Introduction
“Who is Jesus Christ?” Our Elder Jeff often says that’s one of two questions that must ultimately be answered by every human being. Jeff’s other question is, “What is the Bible?” Who is Jesus Christ and what is the Bible? Every true Christian well knows the answer to both of those questions.
The answer to the first is that Jesus Christ is God’s Son. He is literally God in human flesh. The answer to the second is that the Bible is God’s written Word. All other answers are wrong. It’s God’s Word that confirms the deity of Christ. It does so over and over again.
Now some will try to dance around those answers by saying things like, “Jesus led such a good life on this earth that God made Him His Son.” But Jesus Christ comes from eternity past and has always been God’s Son, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity.
John 17:5 (When Jesus prayed before going to the cross.)
5 “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory I had with You before the world was.”
Revelation 22:13
13 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
Some will say, “Well, the Bible contains God’s Word.” What they’re really saying is that much of Scripture is man-made. However, they’re usually willing to admit that there are at least a few parts where God actually did speak. But of course, the view that the Bible merely contains God’s Word is not what Scripture teaches about itself.
Mark 13:31
31 “Heaven and earth will pass away, by My words will not pass away.”
2 Timothy 3:16
16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.
This morning we will focus on who Jesus is, remembering that it’s God’s Word that tells us. We will be moving into the heart of Luke’s gospel. It is his intention to make Jesus’ identity clear to the Gentile world. Luke has already provided us with the testimony of a number of witnesses. Here are some of the statements those witnesses have made about the Person of Jesus Christ.
*Luke 1:31-32, 35 (Gabriel to Mary)
31 “And behold, you will conceive in your womb, and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.
32 “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High…”
35 “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.”
*Luke 2:10-11 (another angel to the shepherds)
10 And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people;
11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
*Luke 2:29-30 (Simeon)
29 “Now Lord, You (are letting) Your bond-servant depart in peace, according to Your word;
30 for my eyes have seen Your salvation…”
*Luke 2:49 (Jesus to Joseph and Mary)
49 And He said to them, “Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?”
*Luke 3:16 (John the Baptist)
16 “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”
*Luke 3:22 (God Himself)
22 …and a voice came out of heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”
But there is much more Scripture about the Person of Christ. Also in Luke 3 we see that Jesus is not only the Son of God but the Son of Man as well. In Luke 4 Jesus confronts Satan and defeats him, and then He proclaims His deity in His own city of Nazareth.
So we have heard Gabriel, myriads of unnamed angels, Simeon, John the Baptist, Jesus Himself, and God the Father Himself all testifying to the Person of Jesus Christ and to His identity as God’s own Son. But there are still others. I haven’t said anything about Zacharias, Elizabeth, Anna, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the Magi, or anyone else.
“Who is Jesus Christ?” Jesus Christ is God! This is the foundational truth of biblical Christianity. Listen, if Jesus Christ is not God in human flesh, there is no Christianity.
But the skeptic, the cynic, the unbeliever says, “All you’ve done is quote friendly wit-nesses. Those whose testimony you bring are all believers. Of course they say He is who He claimed to be. What about witnesses from ‘the other side’ of the argument? Let’s hear from one of them.” This morning we will.
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II. Text
After Jesus was rejected in Nazareth he went to Capernaum, a city on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
John’s gospel says that by this time Jesus had already called for Andrew, John, Philip, and Nathanael to follow Him. Matthew’s gospel tells us that Andrew’s brother Simon (Peter), and John’s brother James were called at Capernaum after Jesus had left Naza-reth. All four of those men were fishermen and when Jesus called them they didn’t ques-tion Him. They simply followed Him.
Matthew 4:19-20
19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
20 And they immediately left the nets, and followed Him.
How’s that for a short but profound lesson? Jesus speaks and we obey. “Follow Me,” and they followed Him. Do you live your life that way, Christian? God speaks and you say, “Yes, Lord,” and then whatever He says, you do. What could be easier?
Now please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not trying to be glib here. I know full well that living the Christian life in today’s world can be very difficult. But the scriptural principle here is so simple, so clear, and so plain that we often miss it. Has Jesus called you to be one of His followers? Then follow Him! With that, let’s read this morning’s passage.
*Luke 4:31-37 (Please stand with me in honor of reading God’s Word.)
31 And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And He was teaching them on the Sabbath;
32 and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority.
33 And there was a man in the synagogue possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,
34 “Ha! What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!”
35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him without doing him any harm.
36 And amazement came upon them all, and they began discussing with one another, saying, “What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
37 And the report about Him was getting into every locality in the surrounding district.
In his classic book “The Screwtape Letters,” C. S. Lewis said, and I quote, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unheal-thy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors…”
I think that much the same could be said of the holy angels as well, although God’s holy angels certainly cannot be pleased by our errors. In many Christian circles today there is an unhealthy preoccupation with both demons and the holy angels.
Some people even pray to angels. If something goes well or right, many will say angels were involved. If something goes badly or wrong, they will say demons were involved. In the case of the latter it often leads to attempts to exorcise the demon responsible.
However, there is one scriptural truth that, if understood and believed, would eliminate a tremendous amount of confusion and fear in the church. It’s simply this. Christians can- not be possessed (indwelt) by demons! Common sense should tell you that. The Holy Spirit lives in all born-again Christians. Do you think for a moment that the Third Person of the Trinity would allow a demon to take up residence in one of God’s own children?
Romans 8:9
9 …if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.
The point is that there are not some Christians who have the Holy Spirit and some who do not. God doesn’t dole out bits and pieces of His Spirit. The Apostle Paul’s point in Romans 8 is that if you don’t have God’s Spirit living in you, you are not a Christian.
The problem among many in the church today is they don’t believe all Christians have the fullness of the Holy Spirit living in them. They believe in what is often called a “second work of grace,” whereby the believer petitions God to send them the Holy Spirit, or to be filled with the Holy Spirit. For many of them the evidence of such filling is seen when the believer speaks in tongues. But the Holy Spirit lives in every Christian.
So if there is a wrong understanding of the Holy Spirit’s presence in God’s children, then there is often a wrong understanding of demon possession. Can you see why sound doc-trine and a proper knowledge of Scripture is so important in the church today?
Demons operate in the world with one primary purpose. They oppose God and His plan.
They are behind the world’s systems, whether they be social, commercial, or religious. Now I know that’s neither popular nor politically correct, but it is biblical. Demons dominate the lives of all those who do not belong to God through faith in Christ, no matter how pious or religious they may appear to be. Jesus said so.
John 8:44 (speaking to the religious leaders of the Jews)
44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him…”
1 John 5:19 9 (John speaking to the church)
19 We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
Starting with this morning’s passage and running through Luke 5 we will be introduced to a new theme. We’ll see the power and authority of Jesus manifested over demons, disease, nature, sin, and even death itself. Earlier I mentioned some of the friendly wit-nesses from whom we have heard and their testimonies as to Jesus’ true identity. A wit-ness from “the other side” of the argument will be found in Capernaum. But first…
*Luke 4:31-32
31 And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And He was teaching them on the Sabbath;
32 and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority.
Jesus taught in the synagogue at Capernaum. In v. 32 the implication is that the local scribes were not teaching with authority at all. But Jesus’ teaching was completely different than what the people were used to hearing and they were truly moved by it.
First, Jesus taught with authority about truth. The religious leaders were evasive and cor-rupt in their teaching. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus addressed six of the common false teachings.
1. *Matthew 5:21-22 (regarding murder)
21 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder…’
22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty…guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”
2. *Matthew 5:27-28 (regarding adultery)
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’;
28 but I say to you, that everyone who looks on a woman to lust for her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.”
3. *Matthew 5:31-32 (regarding divorce and remarriage)
31 “(You have heard) it was said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of dismissal’;
32 “But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the cause of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.”
4. *Matthew 5:33-34, 37 (regarding vows and oaths)
33 “…you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the LORD.’
34 “But I say to you, make no oath at all…
37 “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; and anything beyond these is of evil.”
5. *Matthew 5:38-39 (regarding revenge and personal retaliation)
38 “You have heard (been taught) that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
39 “But I say to you, do not resist him who is evil; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
6. *Matthew 5:43-44 (regarding enemies and persecution)
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.”
What the people have been taught by their religious leaders is conventional human wis-dom and earthly truth. But what Jesus is now teaching is divine wisdom and heavenly truth. Of course the people are astonished. They’ve never heard anything like it before.
Second, Jesus taught with authority about life and death. The religious leaders wasted time on trivial things.
Luke 11:42
42 “Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithe on mint and rue and every kind of garden herb, and yet disregard justice and the love of God; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others”
Religious duties and traditions are fine as long as they don’t become a religion in them-selves and crowd out eternal truth.
Third, Jesus taught as One who truly loved the people. It was obvious to all that the religious leaders lacked such love.
Luke 20:46-47
46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets,
47 (but) who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”
Fourth, Jesus taught with authority about God, Himself, and divine wisdom. The reli-gious leaders offered only man’s wisdom. In fact, they prided themselves by regularly quoting each other. (liberal judges) But Jesus spoke God’s own words, and to those who would hear them, it was obvious.
*John 8:25-26 (speaking to the Pharisees)
25 And so they were saying to Him, “Who are You? Jesus said to them, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning?
26 “I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.”
Who is Jesus Christ? In all of this Jesus is displaying and confirming His true identity.
But unbelief is blind, isn’t it? We know that blind unbelief can always be found in the world, but we don’t like to think of it in the church. Yet unbelief is present in the midst of the church today just as it was it the synagogues of Israel in Jesus’ day. So let’s hear that witness from “the other side” I mentioned before.
*Luke 4:33-34
33 And there was a man in the synagogue possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,
34 “Ha! What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!”
There is no one more hostile to God and His purposes than Satan and his demons. No one hates God and His children more than Satan and his demons. But they are con-demned already. There is no salvation possible for them. They can never be redeemed. They are without hope. Such is the condition of all who will not turn from their sin and receive Christ and His offer of eternal life. Such is the condition of all unbelievers.
But now here is the great irony. Satan and his demons are not unbelievers. Every single one of them believes – no, every single one of them KNOWS – who Jesus Christ really is. Furthermore, they know that He has complete power and authority over them. They hate it, but they know it.
James 2:19
19 You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe and they shudder.
James is stating the basic doctrine of the unity of God from the Jewish Shema (“Hear!”).
Deuteronomy 6:4
4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!”
Far too much of the church today ignores basic doctrine. But God’s people must know and understand the doctrines of the Bible because the enemies of our souls, Satan and his demons know doctrine and they know it well. They know it and they believe it!
Yet the so-called enlightened people of this world don’t believe the Bible and its doc-trines. They consider them foolishness. It is stunning when we realize that there is more belief in the Person of Christ in the world of demons than there is in the world of men.
Now it should be crystal clear to anyone that this so-called “belief” has nothing whatso-ever to do with salvation. It has been said that if you believe that Jesus Christ lived on this earth in human flesh, and believe He is who He says He is, and yet fail to put your faith in Him for your salvation, your belief is no more valuable than that of Satan and his demons. Holding to such a “belief” only means that one has come up to the level of demons. Obviously, such belief cannot save. It can only condemn. Do you see that?
“…the demons also believe and they shudder.” Few people today fear God, but there is fear of God among the demons. They know who He is. Luke 4:34 says it all. “…What do we have to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are – the Holy One of God!” This demonic recognition of Jesus is not limited to this instance at Capernaum. It went on throughout Galilee.
*Luke 4:41
41 And demons also were coming out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Son of God!”
Sometime later Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee to the land of the Gerasenes and confronted a demon-possessed man there. (“My name is Legion; for we are many.” v. 9)
Mark 5:6-7
6 And seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him;
7 and crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What do I have to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!”
The outcry from the demon in Luke 4:33 is the Greek word “anakrazō.” It literally means to scream in fear and terror. This demon is terrified of Jesus. Please let that thought sink in for just a moment. Listen, if you are a Christian you belong to Christ.
So here is a question. What do you have to fear from the powers of spiritual darkness? That isn’t a foolish question. We do not take Satan and his minions lightly. That would be foolish. But I’ve heard children’s songs in some churches that say things like, “We’ll punch Satan in the nose and kick him in the behind,” and other ridiculous things.
We do not make light of the second most powerful force in all of creation. But neither do we shrink away from it in fear. Granted, the enemy of our souls is powerful. He is far more powerful than you and I, but he shudders and cries out in fear in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ.
*Luke 4:35
35 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown (the man) down in their midst, he came out of him without doing him any harm.
Notice that there are no incantations or rituals performed here. Jesus speaks and evil doesn’t argue. Jesus speaks and evil doesn’t resist. Jesus speaks and evil obeys. Period! And so we see that Jesus is who He says He is, and all of creation knows it. You can have eternal confidence in Him. What an encouragement that should be for all of us!
*Luke 4:36-37
36 And amazement came upon them all, and they began discussing with one another, saying, “What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.”
37 And the report about Him was getting into every locality in the surrounding district.
Sometime later on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee Jesus encountered another demon-possessed man. This one could not speak.
*Matthew 9:33-34
33 And after the demon was cast out, the dumb man spoke; and the multitudes marveled, saying, “Nothing like this was ever seen in Israel.”
34 But the Pharisees were saying, “He casts out demons by the power of demons.” (the “unforgivable” sin?)
When I read things like Matthew 9:34 I cannot help but be amazed at the hardhearted-ness and depth of unbelief in anyone who could witness such a thing and remain uncon-vinced of Jesus’ true identity. And yet, that is the condition of most of the human race today. It is a testament to how far man has fallen since Adam and Eve sinned in the Gar-den of Eden.
But no matter how far you may have fallen Jesus Christ has the power and the authority to pick you up and save your soul. It is because of who He is.
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III. Conclusion
So we have heard from “friendly” and “unfriendly” witnesses. And their testimony is the same. Both the prosecution and the defense agree. Jesus is God!
But just like the demons you can believe in Jesus and still be lost. If your belief in Jesus does not lead you to the recognition and conviction of your own personal sin; if your belief in Jesus does not lead you to repent of your sin, that is, to turn away from it; if your belief in Jesus does not lead you to put your faith and your trust in Him and Him alone for your salvation, then your belief has no more power to save you than the demons’ belief has to save them. It is not saving faith. It is merely the intellectual assent of a fact and nothing more.
When you put your faith in Christ you will be delivered from false hope and be saved for all eternity. Christians share in Jesus’ victory over Satan and his demons. One of the greatest hymns of the Christian faith is “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” It says…
“The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His power we can endure,
For lo, his doom is sure;
One little word shall fell him.”
Who is Jesus Christ? He is God in human flesh! And He holds the supreme and final power over all of creation. Even His ultimate enemies, Satan and the demons of hell know it “…and they shudder.”