THE MAIN IDEA
The power of Christ is found in the kingdom of Christ.
The passage has five sub-plots that all tied together by an emphasis on the power of Christ. The passage reveals two import truths about the power of Christ.
JESUS HAS POWER OVER SIN
Jesus has power over our personal sins, but Jesus also has power over the curse of sin that corrupts and ruins everything in this world and even in our lives. The curse of sin entered into the world when Adam and Eve did the one thing God told them not to do: eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. By doing so, they chose to live outside the kingdom of God, and that is how the curse of sin entered into the world. The curse of sin is manifested in this passage through the demonic possessions and through sickness and disease. Sickness and disease, and ultimately death, are a constant reminder of the curse of sin in this world. We should also recognize that the spiritual realm is real, and demon possessions are real. Of course, we should be careful not to draw that conclusion too easily. But recognizing its existence, we should use the resources God has given us to fight the “spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:10-18). Because, for sure, the kingdom of Christ has come (Luke 11:20)! And so we can be absolutely confident that we CAN stand against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms, because Jesus has power over the curse of sin.
JESUS HAS POWER IN HIS WORD
This is really the key point in terms of the power of Christ. His power came through His words (verses 32, 36, 43). The word of God is the good news of the kingdom of God in Jesus Christ, also known as the gospel, and it has power for salvation from the curse of sin (Romans 1:16). Salvation from the curse of sin comes through faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the word of God. When we receive salvation from the curse of sin, that is where we will find ultimate healing from every sickness and disease and ultimate protection from the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. And we receive that ultimate salvation from the curse of sin when we live in the kingdom of Christ where Christ reigns over us. In other words, we receive ultimate salvation from the curse of sin when we confess Jesus as our Lord, and we live our lives according to the word of God. God gave us the Bible for two reasons. First, God gave us the Bible to reveal who He is, so that in knowing who He is, we might confess Jesus as our Lord. Second, God gave us the Bible is so that we might live according to His word, because that is what means to actually follow Jesus as Lord. That is that it means to live in the kingdom of Christ. And when we live in the kingdom of Christ, when we live our lives according to the word of God, we find the power of Christ.
DISCUSSION QUESTION
If you want to have a consistent routine of reading the Bible, what can you do to make that happen. In you have a consistent routine of reading the Bible, how can you encourage others to read more consistently as well?
