Absolute Power Does Not Always Corrupt

The Sovereignty of Jesus. Just what does that mean? How does the sovereignty of Christ influence your existence, or is it influenced at all? What is your relationship to demons, disease, and death? Is there relevance at all?

We Know Who You Are

These are good questions; some answers are found in the Gospel of Luke. In Luke 4:41 ESV, Luke wrote, "And demons also came out of many, crying, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew he was the Christ." But why would Jesus silence them? I mean, these were brilliant proclamations. "You are the Son of God!" and Jesus says shut up? Why? This proclamation by the demons is a long way from the temptation where Satan said, "If you are the Son of God." This is "Hey everyone, look here, at the Son of God!"

Quiet Please

The answer to this question is at the end of verse 41, "because they knew that he was the Christ." Christ has become a proper name for Jesus, and that is Ok, and I don't see anything wrong with that. But "THE" Christ is a title. Christ comes from the Greek word Christos, the translation of the Hebrew word Mashiach, which means the anointed one or Messiah. So, because the demons know this about Jesus, they must be silent. It was the same reason Jesus told his disciples that they were also to be quiet. Jesus did not want anyone to know who He was until He was ready.

The Power of Christ

So, remember, Jesus had just preached in his hometown, and they wanted to throw him off a cliff. But they couldn't. Why? John 10:18, "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again." Jesus was in control. Jesus had come with a purpose as part of God's plan of redemption. They couldn't harm him because He was sovereign.

Crazy? Not!

Next, Jesus was in Capernaum, the hometown of Peter. He was preaching on the sabbath, and everyone was amazed at the authority of his words. Jesus told people how they should act, not as a surrogate for God. He was God. Jesus taught with confidence and knowledge, not as an ordinary teacher of the law. His authority was so prevalent that he stunned people because he spoke as an equal to God. An example of this authority is the parable of the house with no foundation. Jesus proclaims he is the foundation. If people listen to him or not, good things or bad will happen because He has the ability to make them happen. So people thought he was crazy because of this.

Compelling

In these verses, a demon-possessed man is present, and the demon proclaims Jesus is the Holy One of God. But Jesus didn't make him say this. The mere presence of Jesus compelled the demon to say this. I don't know how demons think, but I am sure they must process things, so I believe here the demon is so overwhelmed in the presence of God that it blurts it out. Here I am, Lord; go ahead and destroy me. Just the mere words of Jesus provoked this demon to expose itself. Jesus has control over demons and Satan. The power of Jesus is what applies to our lives today. Demons are irrational; sins are irrational. In 2 Timothy 2:24-26, The authority of Jesus over demons and Satan is made clear by Paul. "And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the devil's snare after being captured by him to do his will."

Don't Play with Demons

When we have God in our hearts and reflect him accurately to others, teach with kindness and love, and help others to repent and turn towards Christ, we can escape the actions of Satan and demonic principalities. The sovereignty of Jesus accomplishes it. The sovereignty and power of Christ is what Luke wanted us to understand in verse 41, and it applies to us today. Now don't go out and purposely try to engage Satan or demons. Don't mess with witchcraft, Ouija boards, mediums, astrology, or anything else because you can open the door to the demonic; if you are unprepared, it can be devastating.

There is authority and AUTHORITY.

When we walk through this world in the truth of Christ, boldly professing faith, speaking and teaching the word of God, Satan will clear out. He doesn't want to be around that.

God's sovereignty is unending. He commands the darkness, let there be light, and there was light. Lazarus, come out, and the dead man walks out, or demons shut up, and they shut up. He commands everything. There is another authority, right? The ten commandments and scripture have authority but don't have power. Jesus has power, absolute power, and it is incredible.

Absolute Power

No, not only does Jesus have power over demons, but he has power over nature. In Luke 4:38, we see this exampled by Jesus rebuking the fever in Simon's mother-in-law. What is a rebuke? It is like a reprimand. You did this, that is not good, don't do it again. That is a rebuke. No, a fever can't hear, it has no brain, it can't comprehend, yet Jesus told it to leave, and it fled Simon's mother-in-law. In Luke 8:22, on the lake in a storm, Jesus rebukes the storm, and it stops. Storms do not have ears, can't think, and yet, in this case, they died. Jesus has absolute power over everything.

Expect the Expected

The Jews did not expect the Messiah to be crucified, but that is what Jesus had come to do. Jesus came to die and rise again so our sins would be forgiven. I don't know how the Pharisees didn't realize it, especially the experts in the law, because the crucifixion is spelled out in the Old Testament. He rose, and he left. Jesus has the ultimate power, the power to erase your guilt and sin immediately without waiting and thinking about it. We know that Jesus' power over everything is what we, in the here and now, are awaiting. The Jews didn't know what to expect, but we do. We know what is coming. We know the power of the second coming, and there will be some major demon butt-kicking when he returns.

If you are in Christ, the power of the cross has eliminated sin's power over you, and the power of Christ has vanquished your guilt. The power of Christ in your life has taken away Satan's ability to accuse you of anything. Your past and present sins were nailed to the cross by Christ. That is power, and that is salvation.

If you don't know Jesus seek Him. Praise to our Lord Jesus, the Christ, the Mashiach, o Christos (o Χριστός).