9 Oct 2014 by Jason Law CM –
From where does a Christian’s authority come from? As a Christian, it is extremely important to know these things, for although we’ve been called His children by God Himself, we’re still flesh and blood and we struggle daily with our personal battles. Sometimes these challenges may come from an external source, at other times, from an internal one. And until we understand where our authority comes from, we will always be struggling in defeat.
On the 28th of September 2014, I heard a message from Reverend Juining Babia about where we derive our authority from. The reverend based his message from the passage in Matthew 21:23-27, in which Jesus’ authority was being questioned. From this passage, Jesus taught us how to handle situations and challenges like these.
The Foundation to Possessing Authority
The foundation to possessing authority is by knowing the concept of rights and what they mean to us. Many sources give the definition as a special privilege to achieve certain things. For example, as a citizen, we are given the right to reside in a country in peace and earn our income legitimately without any impediments. As family members, we have the right to reside with our family under one roof and receive love from the other members, as well as care and nurturing until we come of age.
The world fights for self-rights. It is one of the central concerns of mankind, and today there are many types of such struggles; against apartheid, for women rights, for education rights, and so on. The reverend shared that there is nothing wrong with this because it is inherent within the human condition. However, there is a difference when we speak about our Spiritual rights as a Christian, and it derives from a different motive.
While the other struggles mentioned above are, to an extent, inward-directed, the Christian authority is always active and outward-directed. The Christian authority is derived from both the Christian’s identity as God’s ministers, as well as their ministry and work for God’s Kingdom. It is not enough just to know where your authority comes from. We must know how to exercise it in its proper role.
Jesus’ Response to the Challenge to His Authority
The context of Matthew 21:23-32 occurred within a challenge to Jesus’ authority. In the passage, we read that this challenge was raised because the chief priests of the temple were trying to trap Jesus. The priests had had authority for many years before Jesus came along, and the fact that Jesus came from a rural area but was gaining great and momentous influence seemed a threat to them, especially since His teaching was so revolutionary and unlike anything they had encountered before.
The priests probably knew that there was something extraordinary about Jesus but they either could not or did not accept who He was. Now they were intentionally trying to trap Jesus so that they could get rid of Him, very possibly by throwing Him in jail. This raised an issue and the way Jesus responded is significant.
Jesus astutely threw the question back at the chief priests. In Matthew 21: 25, He asked the chief priests from where they thought that the prophecy from John the Baptist that presaged the work of Jesus came from; from Heaven or from Men. This stunned the chief priests for if they said ‘From Heaven’, they would provide acknowledgement for the work of Jesus, but if on the other hand, they said ‘From men,’ they would dispute the accepted knowledge that John was a prophet.
Lessons From Jesus’ Response
There are many things we can learn from the way Jesus responded. First of all, we need to recognize that while it was the chief priests that were trying to trap Jesus, the real enemy was not the priests. The real enemy of Christians is a spiritual being, and the priests were under the influence of this enemy.
Secondly, it also teaches us that while many of us look to leaders for guidance, the ultimate place we should turn to is God, and not earthly leaders, even the spiritual ones. An irony in the situation within the passage is that the ones who were supposed to lead the community to God were instead impending His work.
Thirdly, Jesus’ question raised a tension in the minds of the chief priests, so that they could see the answer for themselves. It was unfortunate that they remained stubborn, refused to accept the truth, and tried to escape by evading the question. Many times God may raise such questions within us so that we could rise from the bondage of myth, half-truths and prejudice, to the unfettered realm of objective appraisal and truth, either of oneself or even to Spiritual realities. Sometimes, we may also try to escape the truth in the same way the chief priests did.
Our Authority Is Derived From God
Jesus’ response was quick as a flash, but within it there was a course of development. We need God’s wisdom to answer the challenges of faith. When we are challenged by the devil, it is important to practice discernment and open a prayer before God. If God give us wisdom, nothing can defeat us, and just as the example of the chief priests showed, right motive always defeat evil motive.
The chief priests thought they were exercising their authority as spiritual leaders, but their motive was clearly on the wrong end, and our motive matters greatly to God. Jesus ultimately responded as He did in Matthew 25:27, that He would not tell them where His authority was from, because He knew that the chief priests were still trying to trap Him, and because He knew that He still had things left to be done on Earth. His response teaches us about living according to God’s timing, and like Jesus, be purposeful to the mandate and tasks that God has given to each of us.
Our God-given Authority
How can we be assured about our God-given authority? One way is to be reminded that faith comes from knowing and hearing the Word of God. Learn to listen to God and in whatever work we do, do it with faith, for work without faith is dead.
God’s Word is also sharper than a two-edged sword. It pierces the hearts of men and exposes our motives. Is our ministry in order to gain the praise of men or greed, or is it because of our obedience to the Word of God? It is therefore important to examine our motives in our relationship with people. Humans are fallible but by walking in the Holy Spirit, He will help us by lending us His righteousness.
Through this passage, Jesus showed us that He had authority. We are reminded that Jesus still has that authority, and in the End Days, He will come again as the King of kings.
Matthew 21: 23-27
The Authority of Jesus Questioned
23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
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NOTE: This reflection is inspired by a sermon given by Reverend Juining Babia.
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