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5 Reasons You Should Trust the Authority of Jesus

2017-Posts-Authority

Our culture is clashing more than ever over the issue of authority – political authority, social authority, moral authority, and more. Who has authority over what, and why? Who’s authority should we trust, and why?

As followers of Jesus, we trust the authority of Jesus. And this is what Jesus tells his followers about his authority:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18)

Jesus tells his followers that he has all authority over all things in all of life. He has authority over family, friendship, finance, education, science, politics, economics, health, and anything else that is part of our lives.

If you’re like me, although you confess you trust the authority of Jesus over all these things, and more, there are times when you doubt, or at very least forget, or overlook his authority.

If that’s you, here are five reminders of why you should trust the authority of Jesus:

1. World History

There is no one who’s authority has been more affirmed and accepted in the history of the world, than Jesus. More people have followed and worshiped Jesus, because of his authority, than anyone else in the history of the world. His authority has also inspired more books to been written about him, more poems penned, more paintings painted, more sculptures sculpted, more plays performed, more movies made, more songs written about him than anyone in the history of the world. World history shows us, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that more people have trusted the authority of Jesus than anyone else in the history of the world. How about you?

2. Personal History

But you don’t just trust Jesus because of world history. You trust him because of your own personal history. You have seen him display his authority over your family, friendships, finances, education, vocation, health and more. Your personal history tells you that he has delivered time and again. Even when, in his authority, he has seemingly said, “no” or “wait,” you have seen in the end that it was best – that he is a trusted authority on all things in your life. Has anyone demonstrated more authority in your life than Jesus?

3. Jesus’ Ministry

But you don’t just trust Jesus because of world history and your own history, or experience. You trust him because of the authority he demonstrated in his life and ministry – an authority that was verified in history, through eyewitness testimony.

You trust the authority of Jesus because he demonstrated his authority over natural things (Matt.8:26), supernatural things (Matt.8:32), sin (Matt.9:6), temptation (Matt.4:10), work (Matt.4:19-20), family (Matt.4:21-22), health (Matt.4:23), government and economics, (Matt.22:21), ethical and spiritual teaching (Matt.7:28-29) and more. Jesus proved, in his life and ministry, that the scope of his authority was unconstrained and unlimited. Has anyone’s authority ever been so unquestionable?

4. Cross of Calvary

But you don’t just trust Jesus because of world history, your own history or even Jesus’ life and ministry. You trust him because of the authority he demonstrated in his death, on Calvary.

On his way to Calvary, Jesus said he had authority over what would happen there: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down …” (John 10:18). Jesus says it wasn’t the authority of Pilate or the Counsel that took his life – in fact no one could take his life. Jesus said he laid down his own life, with his own authority (John 10:17-18), on is own accord.

The Apostle Paul would later tell the church that Calvary was the place of greatest authority for Jesus, even though it didn’t appear that way on the surface. Paul told the church in Colossae that at Calvary “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (Col.2:15). At Calvary, Jesus demonstrated his ability to strip authority away from any competitor to his authority, even in and through is death. Have you acknowledged the authority of Calvary lately?

5. Resurrection Glory

But you don’t just trust Jesus because of world history, your own history, His life and ministry, or even Calvary. You trust him because of the authority he demonstrated after Calvary, when he was raised in glory.

Jesus not only said he had the authority to lay down his life, he said “I have authority to take it up again” (John 10:18). Jesus’ authority to take his life up again was the act that affirmed his authority above all else. No one else has ever done it. Only Jesus. So only Jesus has the authority no one else has – the authority over death.

Why do you trust the authority of Jesus? Are you trusting his authority today?