Astounded by Jesus' Teaching

Astounded by Jesus Teaching Mark 1:21-28

Then Pilate said to him, So you are a king? Jesus answered, You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice. Pilate said to him, What is truth? After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, I find no guilt in him. John 18:37 38 ESV

And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. Mark 1:21 ESV

And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. Mark 1:22 ESV

And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God. Mark 1:23 24 ESV

But Jesus rebuked him, saying, Be silent, and come out of him! And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. Mark 1:25 26 ESV

And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him. And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. Mark 1:27 28 ESV

What is it about Jesus and His teaching that the people were amazed about? His teaching was with authority .

What does it mean to live with integrity? The word integrity means: to be unified, united, one, whole, an unbroken state. It also means to be of moral soundness or purity; uprightness; honesty. (Webster s 1828 An American Dictionary of the English Language).

What does it mean to live with integrity? To live with integrity then means to live united, whole, in an unbroken state with moral soundness, purity, and honesty.

The Hebrew word for uprightness is yashar which conveys the idea of being straight or level, symbolizing a life aligned with God s will.

The question: Am I living a life straight with God? Am I level with Him? Am I straight with people? Am I united with Christ, living with moral and ethical purity and honesty before God and His creation, as He desires?

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 ESV

Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, Philippians 2:14 15 ESV

holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Philippians 2:16 ESV

I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. 1 Chronicles 29:17 ESV

If we as believers are not united with God, how on earth do we expect non-believers to connect with Jesus through us, when we are living without integrity?

I may believe in Him, but that does not mean that I am unified with Him.

A proclaimed faith in Jesus that is not matched by a unified life, is not a real faith.

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. James 2:17 ESV

But someone will say, You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. James 2:18 ESV

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? James 2:14 ESV

If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, Go in peace, be warmed and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? James 2:15 16 ESV

For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead. James 2:26 ESV

A unified life of integrity is a life of both faith and works in Christ.

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 ESV

if we are faithless, he remains faithful for he cannot deny himself. 2 Timothy 2:13 ESV

Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not man who changes his mind. 1 Samuel 15:29 HCSB

God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it? Numbers 23:19 ESV

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1 ESV

And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. John 12:45 ESV

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. Isaiah 40:8 ESV

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16 17 ESV

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. John 17:17 ESV

knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:20 21 ESV

Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Proverbs 30:5 ESV

so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. Hebrews 6:18 ESV

What is truth Pilate asked? Truth is what is reality; what the essence of a matter is; it is purity from all error, all non-factuality [225].

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5 ESV

To be trustworthy, I need to walk as Jesus walked, live as Jesus lived, do as Jesus did.

Then Pilate said to him, So you are a king? Jesus answered, You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice. John 18:37 ESV