Daily Devotions
Matthew
The Authority of Jesus
Text: Matthew 21 : 23 - 46
Jesus carried about Him an authority that was rare and wondrous to behold. People knew that He exuded authority, but few dared to question that authority. Let us take time to review the authority that Jesus evidenced in His life and ministry.
1. Observations about His authority in teaching
Authority is easily recognized. Even in the simple matter of His teaching, authority was stamped all over.
“And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings,
that the people were astonished at His teaching.
for He taught them as one having authority,
and not as the scribes.”
MATTHEW 7:28-29
2. Authority to forgive sins!
Jesus not only had the power to heal people, He also possessed the authority to forgive sins! The latter is the more astonishing of the two phenomena.
“That you may know that the Son of Man has power (authority)
on earth to forgive sins…”
MATTHEW 9:6
The word “power” (NKJV) is better translated “authority” (same word in Matthew 7:29).
3. The Right to delegate authority
Jesus even possessed the right to delegate authority. This was noted by Matthew on the occasion of Jesus sending for the disciples to minister in His name.
“And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him,
He gave them power (authority) over unclean spirits,
to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds
of disease.”
MATTHEW 10:1
The word “power” is the same word as in the above texts. It is the word “exousias” which may be translated “authority”.
THE QUESTIONING OF THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS
Jesus had dared to ride into Jerusalem on a donkey, all the time receiving the acclamations of praise from the multitude. Their cries of “Hosanna to the Son of David” irked the chief priests and scribes no end! When Jesus chased out all the merchants in the temple, that was about the last straw! They could not stop the power and authority that Jesus exuded at that moment. But at the earliest opportunity when they felt they were able to confront Jesus, they came together and confronted Jesus openly.
“Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests
and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching,
and said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things?
And who gave you this authority?'”
MATTHEW 21:23
1. The chief priests and elders
The “chief priests and the elders” would form one of the highest expressions of religious authority in the land. This group of people could well be representatives of the Sanhedrin Council of Jerusalem.
2. The question of “authority”
The question concerning “authority” was an important one. Two aspects bothered the chief priests and elders.
a) What kind of authority did Jesus possess?
b) What was His source of authority?
The religious authorities certainly did not give Him the authority to teach anyone. All who ever taught were somehow linked up to them. Jesus had absolutely no linkage to anyone in authority! The chief priests and elders felt that they had put Jesus on the spot. How would He explain His “authority”. No matter how He answered, they would be able to challenge His statement – or so they hoped!
THE WISDOM OF JESUS
The chief priests and scribes were not prepared for the answer that they received from Jesus. He answered their question with a question.
“But Jesus answered and said to them,
‘I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me,
I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:
The baptism of John – where was it from? From heaven
or from men?’
And they reasoned among themselves, saying,
‘If we say, “From heaven,” He will say to us,
“Why then did you not believe him?”
But if we say, “From men,” we fear the multitude,
for all count John as a prophet.’
So they answered Jesus and said, ‘We do not know.’
And He said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority
I do these things.'”
MATTHEW 21:24-27