These words close the section in Matthew's Gospel, which contains the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Jesus had spent a great amount of time addressing many issues:
- The Beatitudes
- Salt and Light
- He Came to Fulfill the Law
- Anger
- Lust
- Divorce
- Taking an Oath
- Vengeance
- Loving our Enemies
- Giving to the Needy
- Prayer
- Fasting
- Laying Up Treasures in Heaven
- Don't be Anxious
- Judging Others
- Asking and Seeking God
- Do Unto Others
- A Tree is Known By Its Fruit
- Not All Who Claim to Know Him, Do Know Him
- Build Your House on the Rock
What does it mean to be astonished? The word employed here literally means to be struck with terror or panic or to be amazed or shocked.
After hearing all that Jesus had to say on each of these topics, this was the response of the crowd. Funny thing about crowds is that you can always seem to get one with the promise of some great speaker or selling them on the fact that there will be something in it for them. While there certainly was much for them in Jesus' teaching, I can't help but think that what they heard was not what they were expecting to hear when they went to the mount.
Had the crowd never heard teaching on these topics before? I believe they did, because the teaching Jesus gave them was in stark contrast to the teaching from their scribes (Matt. 7.29). His teaching was like nothing they had ever heard before. It wasn't that it was just different from what they had been taught before; this teaching brought conviction.
As the crowd listened to Him, God's word was doing its work. Think about it. They were not merely hearing God's word from a good teacher. They were hearing it taught by the Son of God. When I was in college, I took a history course in which the professor was also the author of the textbook for the course. I will never forget how that professor taught the book he authored. How much more should this crowd have been amazed at the fact that the very one who authored the Word of God, was before them teaching it.
This is why they were astonished. Not merely astonished as we would think, but struck in terror and shock as they had to search their hearts and understand that perhaps all they had been taught up to that point was, just that, merely teaching. The words of Jesus penetrated their hearts, brought conviction and brought them face to face with their sin nature and their need of a Savior (Hebrews 4:12).
As they were searching their hearts regarding each of these topics, they recognized that Jesus was teaching like no other. He was teaching with authority. Webster's defines authority as the power to influence or command thought, opinion or behavior (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/authority). They completely understood that these teachings were truth, because Jesus possessed the authority to teach them. His teaching influenced their thoughts. Perhaps not all changed, but they were confronted by the Word of God being taught by the Son of God. Every dark and sinful thought they had ever had was being exposed. If you are a child of God, you have experienced this. While all the dark secrets and dreadful thoughts of our hearts may be hidden from the world, they can never be hidden from the Word of God!
As we observe the rampant sin and deceit in the world around us, I can't help but wonder where are the men of God, who will teach the Word of God with authority? Certainly, a man cannot teach as the Son of God taught, but Jesus promised that the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, would guide us unto all truth (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit would also come to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgement to come (John 16:8-11). Where are the men of God who will be completely surrendered to the Holy Spirit - so much so that they will teach with authority? Where are the men of God whose teaching of the Scriptures results in the Holy Spirit guiding their listeners into all truth? Where are the men of God who will teach with authority that results in the Holy Spirit convicting their listeners of sin, righteousness and the judgement to come?
Lord help me! Lord help us all! "...even so, come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20)."
He must increase, I must decrease.
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