Key Message:
Authority is a very important issue in today’s society, whether it is authority in the home, school, workplace or in and between nations. Of course we need the right type of authority that brings freedom and blessings.
In today’s increasingly divisive culture wars, so called woke pressure groups seek to assert their authority to determine morality and even to define genders. They reject the authority of the Bible and the foundational teachings of Christianity. Instead, they want to rule on what is or isn’t acceptable in speech, thinking and behaviour.
One of the biggest issues we need to face about living under the best authority concerns the authority of Jesus. In our series Discovering the real Jesus we come now to John’s gospel chapter 5 from verses 16 onwards.
In this passage, we see that Jesus found his authority challenged by religious leaders after healing lame man on the Sabbath, the day of rest. Jesus took the opportunity to assert that he was the ultimate authority in the world and over the world. Today each one of us has to decide whether or not this is true.
Points:
The claims of Jesus’ authority (John 5:16-27)
Jesus claims that he is equal with God
Jesus claimed that He is dependent on God
Jesus claimed that he had authority over life and death
Jesus claimed to be the judge over all
The confirmation of Jesus’ authority (John 5:31-40; Isaiah 53:1-6)
The witness of John the Baptist
The witness of the works of Jesus
The witness of the scriptures
The choice to accept his authority (John 5:22-24)
Apply
Jesus claims that he is equal with God. To religious authorities of the day, the mere notion of equality with God was blasphemy. To consider an association with God in such an intimate, familial way was absolutely forbidden in Judaism and was punishable by death. Yet Jesus boldly proclaimed that He was God. He was far more than just a religious leader.
Jesus’s authority is not independent of God but in unity with Him so that the character of the Father is revealed and the authority of the Son is confirmed.
So, Jesus makes big and far-reaching claims about himself which he frequently repeats in this gospel. And these are claims that we cannot ignore. You and each one of us has to make up our minds about who Jesus really is.
Do you understand that Jesus is the ultimate authority? Do you know Jesus for yourself?
The miracles of Jesus were signs of his divine authority. Not only were people amazed by the authority of the teaching of Jesus but they also saw that Jesus had the authority to heal sick bodies and set people free from demonic power.
In the Old Testament there are many instances of prophecy and other witnesses testifying to the authority of Jesus, including the prophecies of Jesus’s victory at the Cross described in Psalm 22, and the widely known Isaiah 53:1-6.
The life and ministry of Jesus was represented clear evidence of the fulfilment of many prophecies. He was and is the promised Messiah that the Scriptures spoke of.
Jesus made many claims about his authority, he gave witnesses to his authority and he gave us a choice of whether or not to accept his authority.
So here is the big question: do you honour Jesus? For if you do you honour God. To dishonour Jesus, to say he is just a good man or a prophet, is to dishonour God.
To believe in Jesus is to receive eternal life. To reject or even blaspheme Jesus is to face his judgement. But Jesus came so that you can cross over from death to life.
Perhaps you need to have a fresh revelation today of what it means to have Jesus as your ultimate authority where in every circumstance, even in the most challenging circumstances He will never abandon you.
