Astonishing Preaching

A preacher sat in the lunch room at a fellowship meeting, but he wasn’t eating.  Despite appeals to dig in, he would say, “No thanks. I preach this afternoon, I can’t preach after I eat.” A friend responded, “You just can't preach. Doesn't matter if you eat or not.” Whether this man could preach well is a matter of debate, but there is no doubt, Jesus could preach.

Matthew 7:28-29 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Everyone that heard Jesus preach the Sermon on the Mount was blown away. Jesus is the greatest preacher who has ever lived and this message left the people astonished. Jesus sermon astounds because God’s truth is amazing. Whether it be the plan of salvation, the condition of man, or the truth about sin and the world, God’s revelation of these ultimate truths is astonishing. The "big questions" about life, why we are here, what happens after we die, what's the meaning of life –  God has revealed the answers. The illustrations Jesus used, the metaphors and parables, the explicit doctrine, all were perfectly explained to reveal divine truth. Every illustration was on point. Every example was spot on. Every teaching was theologically accurate.

Jesus preached with clarity. Clarity can be a difficult to obtain. How much more difficult when covering such a wide array of information, speaking in the open air, correcting established (though wrong) teachings with no one in attendance confirming what you believe. It’s much easier to preach to the choir than to preach to people who you know disagree with you. And with unwavering clarity, courage, and conviction, Jesus astonished his hearers. It’s common to hear a man say a mouthful, but know one understand what he said. Jesus, with ultimate wisdom, condescended His Words and His Wisdom so the people He spoke with could understand Him. Jesus spoke with the courage of clarity.  And it’s a simple sermon. It’s not hard to understand, but the depth is amazing. You can come back to the sermon over and over again and never master his teaching or never come to the end of these truths. Something you can read in 20 minutes but take a lifetime to study.

Jesus preached with boldness. He preached with liberty and strength, and with kingly authority.  Everything He said was 100% unadulterated truth and He spoke with unflinching power. He didn’t suggest. Jesus didn’t speculate. Jesus didn’t find a favorite preacher and copy his mannerism and his message.  The scribes quoted each other, Jesus declared. The scribes based their teach from what other men had said about God. Jesus declared what God had said. Jesus is the greatest preacher, the prophet of prophets. What excuse do you have for not listening to Him? It's the height of folly to acknowledge Jesus as the greatest preacher, and not do what he says.