Matthew 7:28-29
When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Lord had just finished bringing the Sermon on the Mount, then the single most radical teaching on living according to God’s plan and will. One of the reasons that the people were in awe of the Lord's teaching was that He was just a carpenter's son, uneducated as the scribes and Pharisees had been. They did not recognize that He was the Son of Almighty God the Father who is THE Author of everything. The words 'author' and 'authority' have the same etymology, come from the same root. And of course, all authority comes from the same place: For there is no authority except from God. {Rom.13:1}
The righteous shall live by faith {Rom.1:17} for without faith it is impossible to please God. {Heb.11:6} So assuredly faith is singularly important. So when a Roman Centurion came to Jesus seeking healing for his servant he said that he was not worthy for the Lord to come into his home and then continued by saying that he also, like Jesus, was a man under authority. He knew that all Jesus had to do was to speak the healing and it would be done. Jesus marveled and said to those around them, 'I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.' {Mat.8:10}
Shortly after, people brought Jesus a paralytic man. The Lord said to him, "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven." {Mat.9:2} Seeing that, some of the scribes said that Jesus had blasphemed. So He responded saying, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins, He then said to the paralyzed man, 'Get up, pick up your bed and go home. So he did! {Mat.9:3-7} It was all about authority!
Pontius Pilate, who was the Roman governor of Judea under Emperor Tiberius, entered the Praetorium to confront Jesus, put Him on trial—although he had already said that he found no guilt in Him! Jesus at first was not speaking to Pilate at this mock trial, a political move of the Jews who opposed the Lord.
So Pilate said to Him, "You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?" To which Jesus responded, 'You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above." {Jn.19:9-11} All true authority is from above, from the Father. And it is always about the will of the Father—His plan, His purpose, and His will—just as here today.
The prophet Isaiah wrote, speaking for God, foretold the ministry of Jesus saying that He Himself would bear our griefs, be stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. pierced through for our transgressions. He was to be crushed for our iniquities; and the chastening for our well-being would fall upon Him. {Is.53:4-5} And, praise God, by His scourging we are healed. Jesus would therefore pray: 'My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.' {Mat.26:39}
Jesus understood authority! And He understood, as we must, that it is all about God who is at work both to will and to work for His good pleasure. {Php.2:13} I think at times when we are reading the anointed, wonderful words of David we often miss the fact that the Lord, our shepherd who protects us from want, makes us lie down in green pastures, leads us beside still waters, and restores our souls, does all of that for His name's sake! {Ps.23:1-3}
God is the author, the owner and the authority. The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell in it. {Ps.24:1}
“Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (Matthew 6:9-13)
HEAR AND OBEY THE WORD OF GOD
|