Himself the Word of God, Jesus’s words were like the words of no other man, before him, in his day, or since. He opened his mouth to teach, and soon “all the people were hanging on his words” (Luke 19:48).
“No one ever spoke like this man!” Even his enemies had to admit it.
Jerusalem was teeming with travelers during the Feast of Booths, and Jesus was teaching in the temple. A new excitement was in the air. And controversy. Some said he was a good man; others thought he was leading people astray (John 7:12).
The Pharisees overheard the muttering and conspired with their political rivals, the chief priests, to send officers to arrest Jesus, if he were to misspeak. The officers were there, on the last day of the feast, when Jesus stood up and cried out, like no one else would dare,
If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” (John 7:37–38)
The people were first stunned, then divided. Some wondered if this was the Prophet who was to come. Or even the Christ himself. Others argued back that David’s heir would not come from Galilee. The officers, equally stunned, returned with empty hands, and open mouths, to the chief priests and Pharisees who ask, “Why did you not bring him?”
John then reports, as he loves to do, a word on the lips of Jesus’s enemies that is even more true than they know: “No one ever spoke like this man!” (John 7:46).
All Things Well
Indeed, the words and teaching of Jesus are unparalleled, even as a tension runs through his ministry, from start to finish. Time and again, his fame spread because of his miracles. Word spread like wildfire because of his works. People wanted to see what the Gospel of John calls “signs.” Yet Jesus never self-identified as a miracle-worker. He was a teacher whose words amazed his hearers as much as his healings. And more.
Nicodemus captures it well, even though he still has much to learn, when he comes to Jesus at night in John 3: “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him” (John 3:2). The signs point. The works that dazzle the eyes are meant to open ears to words from a teacher come from God.
Himself the Word of God, Jesus’s words were like the words of no other man, before him, in his day, or since. He opened his mouth to teach, and soon “all the people were hanging on his words” (Luke 19:48).
Amazed and Astonished
Even at age twelve, two decades before he went public as a teacher, his words amazed and astonished as he sat among the teachers in the temple: “all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished” (Luke 2:47–48).
When Jesus spoke, his words, not just his works, were arresting. Not only did he “amaze” the crowds with miracles (Mark 1:27; 2:12; 5:42), but he “amazed” his disciples with his teaching (Mark 10:24, 32). As the masses were “astonished” at his works (Mark 7:37; Luke 5:9; 9:43; 11:38), so even more, for those with ears to hear, they were “astonished” at his words (Mark 1:22; 6:2; 10:26; 11:18).
Significantly, Matthew reports, at the end of his famous Sermon on the Mount, “when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:28–29). And when he taught in his hometown, Nazareth, “they were astonished, and said, ‘Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?’” (Matthew 13:54).
When he moved on to the next town, Capernaum, “they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority” (Luke 4:32). And when it seemed to matter most, during his passion week, with the chief priests trying to trip him up, he not only answered flawlessly but went on the offensive. “And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching” (Matthew 22:33).
They Marveled
Even more than “amazed” and “astonished,” the Gospels report that Jesus’s hearers often marveled. The people, and his own men, “marveled” not only at his displays of power (Luke 8:25; 9:43; 11:14) but also his teaching. They “marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth” (Luke 4:22).
When the Pharisees “plotted how to entangle him in his words” (Matthew 22:15), they did not yet know what a fool’s errand that would be. They thought they might get him with the politically dangerous question, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” (Matthew 22:17). Jesus, aware of their malice, called them on it: “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?” (Matthew 22:18).
