LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 28:18, And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth.”

 

I read this in an article about the authority Jesus Christ was given. “Authority makes doctrine true. No doctrine is the truth unless it has the right authority, and no authority is valid unless it is based squarely on truth. Jesus Christ passes this test.” We need to define and understand the terms “authority” and “doctrine”. The word for authority is the Greek exousiav which is translated as power. Doctrine refers to the teachings found in God’s Word.

 

Authority is found in God; it is in His nature. John 1:1 states, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” There are several things to understand here. The Word was with God from the beginning and is God. That says to me that the Word had the same authority as God. To do what? Read further in John 1 and you will find out that the Word was with God from the beginning and had the ability or authority to create all things, “without Him nothing was made that was made”. We read next that, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.” If the “Word was God”, He had the attributes of God and the authority of God; there was no authority higher. Are you asking yourself who the Word was?

 

I hope you have your Bible open to make sure I am writing the correct things. If so, turn to Colossians 1:15-16 which says, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principles or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” Begin reading Colossians from the beginning and you will see Paul is writing about Jesus Christ. These statements were written so you and I might know that Jesus Christ, the Word, has the power to keep all things that are happening around us right now in His control. Jesus Christ has the right and ability to be Lord of all He has created, to hold all things together (Colossians 1:17). For you and me and all those who truly have made Jesus our Lord, there can be no limitations on His authority to do so.  

 

Jesus did not get this authority because of what He did at the cross for you and me. No, He had it from the beginning. This did not change when He came to earth in the flesh. That was why He was Truth and Grace and the way to eternal life. He remained fully God as He walked the earth in the flesh. God the Father did not take away Jesus’ authority while He was on earth. Because the Father did not take away the Son’s authority, the Son was always obedient to the Father. He fulfilled everything, every “jot and every tittle from the law till all was fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18). Every biblical teaching and prophecy – even the smallest and seemingly insignificant fulfilled – is fulfilled by Him.

 

The authority of Jesus Christ is an important and constant theme in the Bible. You and I need to hang on to His authority as we walk daily on the narrow way to His kingdom. It is the power we have as His followers to be obedient to His commands and as we serve Him. We need to do this with joy and with thanksgiving.