September 27 Daily Devotional

Never man spake like this man

The people listening to Him [said] ‘This man teaches with authority, not as the Pharisees and scribes.’ ‘Did you notice’, they said, ‘that He did not spend His time saying, “Well, now, Hillel has taught this, but on the other hand Gamaliel suggests that”?’ He did not quote a lot of authorities, explain their positions and then end with some kind of deduction of His own. Not at all. He just spoke directly with authority.

Do you remember the soldiers who were sent ... to arrest Him? They came back without the prisoner, and their leaders looked at them and said,’... where is the prisoner?. The only thing they could say in reply was this, ‘Never man spake like this man’ (John 7:46). There was something about [Him] ... that kept them from laying hands on Him....

Sometimes the disciples themselves reacted to a miracle by being filled with fear.... Why? They had sensed the power and the presence of God.... A sense of awe spread over the people.... But we are told that even the devils acknowledged Him.... They knew Him, and they were afraid of Him and of His authority. Think of the devils tormenting the man in the country of the Gadarenes.... At once they recognized Him. They proclaimed Him, and... they trembled at His authority....

Indeed, even His enemies recognized it clearly. They saw that He claimed to be God. See, for example, John 10:33.... His stumbling, fumbling disciples themselves eventually confessed it. Peter made the great statement at Caesarea Philippi, ‘Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God’ (Matthew 16:16). On another occasion, our Lord ... turned to the disciples and said, ‘Will ye also go away?’ Peter answered, again perhaps not knowing fully what he said, ‘To whom shall we go?’ Where else is there an authority? (John 6:66–69) ... the apostles recognized, ‘There is no one else. You are the last, the final Authority.’

Authority, pp. 22–3