Mar 1:22 And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

Mark records the deeds of Jesus in fast sequences. Here, we find Christ teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum (v.21). When the people heard Him, they were astonished because “He taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes” (v.22). For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. What does it tell us? It tells us that the messenger is as important as the message. Some preachers have this false notion that the power is in the message and not the messenger. Hence, if they preach and nobody gets converted, they blame it solely on the hardness of hearts of the hearers. True, the power is in the message: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth” (Romans 1:16). But the message needs a messenger to deliver it: “How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14). The message can be made ineffective by the messenger. For example, when he delivers it half-heartedly; when he does not understand the message himself; when his life is a shame; when his speech is unclear; or when his message is disorganised and tardy. How did the scribes deliver the message of God? Read Matthew 23. 1. Inconsistent: “They say, and do not” (v.3). 2. Vain: “All their works they do for to be seen of me” (v.5). 3. Proud: “And love the uppermost rooms at feasts….. and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi” (v.6, 7). 4. Hypocrites: “Devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer” (v.14). 5. Ignorant: “Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?” (v.19). The scribes were just doing a job. They thought too highly of themselves. Preachers can sometimes commit the same sin as the scribes and forget their vocation. Some stand up with an air that just because they graduated from some Bible seminaries and possess a string of theological degrees, they are better than others. They need to take heed to Romans 12:3: “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” The scribes could only read and keep on reading the Law of Moses. Remember that they did not have the same kind of revelation and understanding of the Scripture that we have. How could they explain Daniel’s vision or Isaiah 53?  Whereas, the evangelist Philip could explain to an Ethiopian eunuch Isaiah 53 because it was revealed to him (Acts 8:30-38). Jesus taught with an authority lacking in the other teachers in His days because He could explain the Law and the prophecies. People were astonished at His explanation of the Scripture: “And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?” (John 7:15). Jesus taught with authority because He knew what He was talking about. Jesus taught with authority because He walked the talk. His life was unlike the scribes and Pharisees. People saw His humility and His good deeds. He preached with passion and compassion. You can't teach with authority if you aren’t familiar with your material. You can’t teach with authority if you are not respected by your hearers. You can’t teach with authority if you don’t walk the talk. When you truly believe what you teach and live it, it will come through to your audience with authority. Think about it.