Jesus' Authority and Our Response
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This section sets up Jesus' authority
This section sets up Jesus' authority
People from all backgrounds recognize it
Lepers
Roman Guards
Synagogue Leaders
Wind and waves
Illness
Demons
Death
Sin
Notice: so far his authority is seen through healing - taking on the sickness in himself. This leads to suffering.
For Matthew, Jesus' authority and Jesus' suffering go hand in hand.
His authority is seen in his healing, but his healing comes through taking on our deepest pains and sufferings...
Verses on Authority...
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law.
8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. 9 I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.”
18 When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.
27 The disciples were amazed. “Who is this man?” they asked. “Even the winds and waves obey him!”
6 So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!”
8 Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen. And they praised God for giving humans such authority.
32 When they left, a demon-possessed man who couldn’t speak was brought to Jesus. 33 So Jesus cast out the demon, and then the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed. “Nothing like this has ever happened in Israel!” they exclaimed.
1 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.
Not all accept the authority of Jesus
Not all accept the authority of Jesus
Some choose to follow, but not completely
They have other things to do first.
They have other priorities.
Some have immense faith in Jesus' authority that they secretly touch his garment.
Yet, not all are willing to accept.
The authority of Jesus clashes with the authority of our world.
The authority of Jesus clashes with the authority of our world.
The question is, how do YOU resolve the clash?
Do you follow Jesus?
Do you accept his challenge, and authority, to be sent into the harvest field and acknowledge Christ?
37 He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. 38 So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” 1 Jesus called his twelve disciples together and gave them authority to cast out evil spirits and to heal every kind of disease and illness.
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
What does that look like?
What does that look like?
18 As Jesus was saying this, the leader of a synagogue came and knelt before him. “My daughter has just died,” he said, “but you can bring her back to life again if you just come and lay your hand on her.”
19 So Jesus and his disciples got up and went with him. 20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe, 21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
23 When Jesus arrived at the official’s home, he saw the noisy crowd and heard the funeral music. 24 “Get out!” he told them. “The girl isn’t dead; she’s only asleep.” But the crowd laughed at him. 25 After the crowd was put outside, however, Jesus went in and took the girl by the hand, and she stood up! 26 The report of this miracle swept through the entire countryside.
Ultimately it looks like faith. Faith is NOT adherence to a system of beliefs. Faith is complete trust in the authority of Jesus over our lives and our world.
Jesus said to the Centurion
10 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!
And to the woman with the hemorrhage
22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
Or, about the man whose friend brought him to Jesus
2 Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.”
Or, when to two blind men followed Jesus, asking to be healed
29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “Because of your faith, it will happen.”
This looks like surrender to Jesus’ Power in our lives
It looks like allowing Jesus to heal what disease is flowing from us
It looks like Jesus taking us by the hand and leading us away from places of sin and death
Uprooting the impure and Healing what dis-eases.
It looks Social as it challenges the societal structures that bind
It looks political as it questions the power behind the governmental structures
It looks personal as we allow the authority of Jesus to challenge the evil impeded into us.
Ultimately, the authority of Jesus challenges sin at ALL levels
Ultimately, the authority of Jesus challenges sin at ALL levels
Do we allow, and welcome, Jesus' authority to challenge our sinfulness so His authority can bring healing?
Or, do we claim Jesus' authority, but hide from it when it addresses us?
Are we accepting of Jesus' authority as we follow Him, or do we make excuses to "work around" the challenges that His authority brings?
May we surrender fully to Jesus' authority.
May he uproot the sin in our lives and may he use us to uproot the sin in our world.
May His authority challenge us, and change us, so His authority can use us to challenge and change our world!
So, what about you? What about me? What about us? Does Jesus authority lead to a great faith - an ultimate trust and obedience - in Jesus. Or, does it leave us questioning, or worse yet, scoffing.
Questioning isn't wrong - but the whole point is to lead us to faith.
N.T. Wright questions pg 91 @ the bottom.
“In the process he wants us to ask two questions for ourselves. First, how do we regard Jesus? It’s all very well to say in church, or in private devotion, that he’s the son of God, the Lord, the Messiah, or whatever. Do we actually treat him as if he’s got authority over every aspect of our lives and our world? Second, are we as his followers acting in such a way, on our confrontations with evil, our bold announcements of the kingdom, that other people say of us, What sort of people can they be?
May we surrender, in faith and by faith, to Jesus’ authority.
May we allow him to send us out into our world bearing witness to his authority in our lives!