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Mark 1:21-22 (NKJV)
21 Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught.
22 And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
What spurred amazement in people were not Jesus’ workings of miracles, though those were most certainly causing amazement and attracting crowds. However, before even Jesus performed any miracles in Capernaum He started teaching. We usually like to amaze people and show them some form of power to convince them that God confirms our words and then once we grabbed their attention we can go on teaching them assuming they will now receive our words. However, Jesus’s immediate action, before anything was to start teaching people. And this is exactly what produced such amazement. Healing or any miracle following His teaching was simply a result of His compassion and a reflection of His character, not a form of bragging, attracting attention, or confirmation. He knew His identity and His mission, and teaching people God’s Word was the best way to destroy the works of the evil (1 John 3:8).
It was the way, the what, the how Jesus taught that produced amazement. People felt authority: the authenticity and veracity of each word. None of Jesus’ words were spoken hastily, ironically, or jokingly. He clothed each Word with faith in God and His promises and proclaimed His coming Kingdom even when everyone around was against Him.
What are your words producing in people? Do people sense authority in them? Remember, your words come before your deeds.
