What sort of new religion is this?

Mark 1: 21-28

Jesus and his companions now arrived at the town of Capernaum and on Saturday morning went into the Jewish place of worship—the synagogue—where he preached. The congregation was surprised at his sermon because he spoke as an authority and didn’t try to prove his points by quoting others—quite unlike what they were used to hearing! A man possessed by a demon was present and began shouting, “Why are you bothering us, Jesus of Nazareth—have you come to destroy us demons? I know who you are—the holy Son of God!” Jesus curtly commanded the demon to say no more and to come out of the man. At that the evil spirit screamed and convulsed the man violently and left him. Amazement gripped the audience and they began discussing what had happened. “What sort of new religion is this?” they asked excitedly. “Why, even evil spirits obey his orders!” The news of what he had done spread quickly through that entire area of Galilee.

Food for thought!

Jesus and His men went to the synagogue on the Sabbath Day. The synagogue was much like the local church in those days. We are told that Jesus spoke as an “authority”. This means that Jesus spoke as a man who knew what he was talking about. The scribes could only quote one another, but Jesus spoke with power and understanding.

A quick glance at how the scribes taught against how Jesus taught reveals why the people were so amazed by what they heard.
The scribes, as many preachers today do, majored on trivial things. They elevated the traditions of men above the Word of God. They were worried about things like tithing mint leaves and how far a man could walk on the Sabbath, Matt. 23:23. Jesus, on the other hand, spoke of weighty matters such as life and death, Heaven and Hell, life, death and eternity. When they heard Jesus preach, they knew they were hearing words of eternal value.
The scribes rambled on and on, quoting one another and never saying anything about the Word of God. Jesus taught differently, in that he read or quoted the Word of God and explained it, applying it to people's life in simple understandable language. The scribes' sermons were dry. They spoke of things that no one cared about in terms that no one understood. 
The scribes did not care about the people to whom they were preaching. They used the people for their own advantage and profit, (Mark 12:40). Jesus spoke as a lover of people. He cared about every person he spoke to and he pointed them to the love of the Father.
When the scribes taught, nothing of eternal value took place. Their teaching was dry and shallow and it did not bring about life change in the people who heard them. When Jesus preached, he used the Word of God as a sharp sword. When he spoke, hearts were pierced, souls were saved and lives were eternally altered, including of devils. The gospel says that when Jesus preached a man possessed by a demon was present and began shouting, “Why are you bothering us, Jesus of Nazareth—have you come to destroy us demons? I know who you are—the holy Son of God!”

That is how preaching should be in our churches. Too much of today's preaching centers not on the Word of God but on trivial matters, like laws and rules of the church. Preaching about men wearing tie chains, women wearing open toed shoes, or people wearing wire rimmed glasses is not biblical preaching! Biblical preaching takes its text from the Word of God and declares the massage of the Word clearly and boldly. The preacher’s mandate is to “preach the word”, 2 Tim. 4:2, and nothing but the word! If any preaching goes beyond the Word, it goes beyond the will of God!

Jesus was an amazing preacher and he preached an amazing message. Although his message was preached 2,000 years ago, it is a message you and I need today. Jesus is still offering his message of hope to all those who will believe it and receive it. The message Jesus preached then is the message we preach today(?).