It is interesting to know the progressive power of the Word of God. The Lord was preaching, as related at the close of Luke 4, and in so doing, as well as in the miracles He wrought, He was manifesting the power of goodness. Thus, in performing miracles, two purposes had to be accomplished: confirmation of the testimony given and present deliverance from the power of Satan. But His great business was preaching the kingdom of God. He will set up the kingdom in power by and by, but His great object then was, and is, to bring the heart into contact with God, and the Word does this more than miracles.
“The people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God” (Luke 5:11And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, (Luke 5:1)). In a measure even the unconverted are sensible of the presence of God. Adam was when he tried to hide himself. When the gospel is preached with power, crowds may be gathered together by it, touched, perhaps, by something new, but without fruit. So it was with the Lord’s preaching and miracles. We know their [the crowds’] motives were selfish often, yet He went on all the same. Come for the blessing of man, He would associate others with Himself in this work of grace, but He calls them in such a way as leaves no glory to man.
J. N. Darby (from The Man of Sorrows)