The Authority of Jesus
by Zeke Flores
Authority is defined slightly differently depending on the definer, but it's usually considered to be "the right one has, by virtue of office, position, or relationship, to command obedience."
OK, that makes sense. We see it everywhere around us. Authority is invested in military commanders and police officers, yet soldiers go AWOL, and criminals flout the law. Teachers should have authority over their students, yet students rebel every day. Parents have an inherent authority over their children, but some children treat that authority with contemptuous disregard.
Now, consider Jesus. If anyone has inherent authority by virtue of “office, position, or relationship,” it would be Him. His office as the Messiah, His position as Lord, and His relationship as the Son of God surely establish His authority, which should, therefore, compel everyone to recognize it based on the way we recognize authority everywhere else in our lives. But many don’t.
Some don’t even see God as authoritative by refusing to believe in His existence in the first place. Others ignore Jesus' authority by dismissing His claims and the evidence for them entirely. Sadly, some who profess Christianity also fail to submit to Jesus’ authority simply by refusing, consciously or unconsciously, to obey His commands.
Yet, none of this excuses any one of us. If Jesus has all authority as He claimed—the evidence of His life affirms it—and obedience to Him is necessary—the reliability of the New Testament confirms it—then nothing we do, say, or believe negates the simple claim Jesus makes at the end of Matthew’s gospel.
Our best option, for now and forever, is to recognize and submit to Jesus’ unmatched authority.
"All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20).
