Lesson Four: The Power of Jesus Christ

Key passages:
1) Luke 8:45-46…
⁴⁵“Who touched me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you.” ⁴⁶But Jesus said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.”


2) Luke 6:17-19…

¹⁷He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, ¹⁸who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, ¹⁹and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.
3) Matthew11:1-6…
¹After Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples, he went on from there to teach and preach in the towns of Galilee.
²When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples ³to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?”
⁴Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. ⁶Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.”
4) John 20:30-31…
“³⁰In his disciples’ presence Jesus performed many other miracles which are not written down in this book. ³¹But these have been written in order that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through your faith in him you may have life.” (TEV)
It is important to note:
Jesus’ exhibition of power was no circus-like side show. It seems that it was intentionally exhibited for two specific purposes: 1) Convince His contemporaries He was the long-awaited Messiah of God; and, 2) Confirm for all generations to come that He is the Messiah, the Son of God. Thus, we understand the power behind such statements as:

“Then Jesus told him, ‘Because you have seen me, you have believed;
blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.’” —John 20:29

Now, we will see three specific things to treasure about Christ’s power:
1) Jesus’ comprehensive power as reported by John:

*Tenney, Merrill C., John, The Gospel of Belief. (adapted)
2) Jesus’ conquering power as revealed in the resurrection:
¹⁹Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
²⁰The Jews replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹But the temple he had spoken of was his body. ²²After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. —John 2:19-22
3) Jesus’ consoling power as remembered in the Lord’s Supper:
²³For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, ²⁴and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁵In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” ²⁶For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. —l Corinthians 11:23-26
Two Observations:

1. Christ’s power was exercised on behalf of those who follow Him.
2. Christ’s power is still exercised on behalf of His followers:

Colossians 1:9-12, “Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.” (MSG)
Ephesians 3:20-21, “God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.
Glory to God in the church!
Glory to God in the Messiah, in Jesus!
Glory down all the generations!
Glory through all millennia! Oh, yes! (MSG)

Six Provisions Christ has made for
strengthening His followers today…
1. Through His abiding presence (Matthew 28:18-20)
2. Through the Scriptures (Matthew 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3; Acts 20:32).
3. Through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16; Romans 8:26)
4. Through the church, His body (1 Thessalonians 5:14)
5. Through prayer (Philippians 4:6-7; 4:13)
6. Through our weakness…
⁷even though I have received wonderful revelations from God. But to keep me from getting puffed up, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from getting proud. ⁸Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. ⁹Each time he said, “My gracious favor is all you need. My power works best in your weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may work through me. ¹⁰Since I know it is all for Christ’s good, I am quite content with my weaknesses and with insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. —2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Therefore, let us remember…
²⁹[God] gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. ³⁰Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; ³¹but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. —Isaiah 40:29-31