Tue Sep 29

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the words astonished, amazed, authority.

Reading

Luke 4:31-44—Astonished by His Authority

Optional Reading

Psalm 93

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

The crowds could hear and see Jesus’s authority.
Even the demons could.
Jesus uses His authority to preach and demonstrate the gospel.

Questions

(Some read the ?s before the notes/ ask them after.)

How did the people respond to Jesus’s authority?
How did His authority demonstrate that the Spirit of the Lord (v18) was on Him?
How did Jesus use His authority?

Catechism

WSC 82

Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?

No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deed.

(Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8, 10; Galatians 5:17; Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21; Romans 3:9-21; James 3:2-13)

Notes

(See Saturday for authors.)

Luke tells us that the crowds were astonished (v32), amazed (v36), and marveled (v22) at Jesus’s teaching. I hope you are too.

Jesus taught with gracious words (v22) and with authoritative words (v32, v36).

He demonstrated authority over demons and sickness. This was some of the evidence of the year of the Lord’s favor that Jesus said was fulfilled in Him. The people saw His authority and were astonished and amazed. The religious leaders saw His authority and were threatened. Who gave you this authority, they would ask him later in His ministry (Lu 20:3). But He refused to tell them. Satan offered Jesus authority over all the kingdoms of the earth if Jesus would but worship him (Lu 4:5–6). But it wasn’t Satan’s to give.

So, where did Jesus get His authority? He would tell His disciples after He was raised from the dead that He was granted all authority by His Father (Matt 28:18). Even though He hadn’t yet been raised, His authority did come from His Father. As the Son of God, He was given authority to preach and to heal, and even to forgive sins (Mark 2:10).

What will you do with Jesus’s authority? Will you marvel and be amazed and astonished? Will you submit to His authority?

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday notes for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 93a, 119v

Prayer

Ask God to help you submit to Jesus’s authority.
Give thanks for something from last Lord’s Day’s sermons.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.