True Authority
Luke 20:1-2
Who comes to mind when you think of a person in authority? Likely you may think of people who have positional authority. Their position – whether in the home, the workplace, government, or the church – gives them a certain level of authority. But perhaps you can also think of someone who is not in a position of authority but nonetheless commands great authority … a faithful person at your church or an uncommonly wise person in your workplace. Where does this kind of authority come from?
The word “authority” means the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience. The word appears 78 times in the New Testament (NIV) alone.
Jesus Himself was regularly challenged regarding His authority.
One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” (Luke 20:1-2)
While the religious leaders of the day challenged Jesus’ authority, the crowds who followed Jesus recognized His true authority. And it stood in stark contrast to the positional, yet false, authority of those who opposed Him.
And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes. (Matthew 7:28-29)
Jesus possessed true authority that was given by His Father.
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18b-20)
True authority comes from God and is in alignment with His will and His purposes. Believer, you have been commanded to go – in The Name and Authority of Jesus – into all the world to make disciples. Go today in the confidence of this true authority!
