Introduction
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus did more than perform miracles. He also taught His disciples about the spiritual authority available through faith, prayer, and the power of God.
In these teachings, Jesus explained how His followers should approach God, how they should pray, and how faith could influence the world around them. He spoke about asking and receiving, believing prayer, authority over spiritual forces, and the work of the Holy Spirit.
Some of these teachings were given privately to the disciples. Others were spoken publicly to crowds. Together, they reveal that the supernatural ministry seen in the life of Jesus was not meant to end with Him alone. He repeatedly taught that those who followed Him would also participate in the work of God through faith, prayer, and the power of the Spirit.
The following passages record some of the key teachings of Jesus about spiritual authority and the supernatural life of faith.
The Foundation of Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer
Matthew 6:9–13 (KJV)
Also recorded in: Luke 11:2–4
After this manner therefore pray ye:
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Ask, Seek, Knock
Matthew 7:7–11 (KJV)
Also recorded in: Luke 11:9–13
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone?
Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?
Authority Given to the Disciples
One of the most remarkable aspects of the ministry of Jesus is that He did not keep supernatural authority to Himself. At several points in the Gospels, He explicitly gave authority to His disciples to continue the work of the kingdom of God.
These instructions included authority over sickness and unclean spirits, as well as the proclamation of the kingdom of heaven.
Authority Over Demons and Sickness
Matthew 10:1 (KJV)
Also recorded in: Mark 6:7; Luke 9:1
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.
Heal the Sick, Raise the Dead
Matthew 10:7–8 (KJV)
And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Teachings About Faith and Prayer
In several teachings recorded in the Gospels, Jesus emphasized the power of faith and prayer. He spoke about faith that could overcome obstacles, prayer that receives answers, and the authority given to believers who trust in God.
These teachings were often given in response to questions from the disciples or as explanations following miraculous events.
Faith That Moves Mountains
Matthew 17:20 (KJV)
And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Binding and Loosing
Matthew 18:18–20 (KJV)
Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Faith and Prayer
Matthew 21:21–22 (KJV)
Also recorded in: Mark 11:22–24
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
Believing Prayer
Mark 11:22–24 (KJV)
Also recorded in: Matthew 21:21–22
And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God.
For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.
Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.
Teaching About the Spiritual Realm
The Return of an Unclean Spirit
Luke 11:24–26 (KJV)
Also recorded in: Matthew 12:43–45
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.
And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.
Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.
Teachings About the Work of the Holy Spirit
Greater Works
John 14:12 (KJV)
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
Ask in My Name
John 14:13–14 (KJV)
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
John 14:16–17 (KJV)
And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
The Spirit of Truth
John 15:26–27 (KJV)
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.
The Spirit Sent
John 16:7–15 (KJV)
Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
Of sin, because they believe not on me;
Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth:
for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.
Closing Reflection
In addition to performing miracles, Jesus repeatedly taught His followers about the spiritual authority available through faith, prayer, and the work of the Holy Spirit.
He taught them how to pray, how to believe, and how to trust God to act in response to faith. He spoke about authority over sickness and unclean spirits, and He commissioned His disciples to continue the work of proclaiming the kingdom of heaven.
These teachings also pointed forward to a future moment when the Holy Spirit would be given to believers. Jesus explained that the Spirit would guide them, teach them, and empower them to continue the work that He had begun.
Taken together, these passages reveal that the supernatural ministry seen in the life of Jesus was not meant to end with His earthly ministry. Instead, He prepared His followers to continue walking in faith, prayer, and the power of God.
In the next article, we will examine the final and greatest supernatural event recorded in the Gospels: the resurrection of Jesus and the miracles that followed after He rose from the dead.
Next in the series:
The Resurrection and Post-Resurrection Miracles (KJV)
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