Biblical Authority (3)

 The Authority of Christ

Mike Johnson

Many people today do not understand the importance of having Bible authority.  In previous articles, we have noted that we must follow divine authority instead of trying to direct our own steps.  Next, we discussed the authority of God and noted that God certainly has the right to reign over humanity.  We will now consider the authority of Christ.

To begin with, God recognized the authority of Christ.  At the baptism of Jesus, God said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mt. 3:17).  On another occasion, at the transfiguration, God said the same thing (Mt. 17:5), but added: “hear HIM.” Christ was the one they were to hear instead of Moses and Elijah, who had appeared with Jesus on this glorious occasion.  The Law of Moses was to be done away with soon (Col. 2:14).  Also, according to Matthew 16:17, it was God who had revealed to Peter that Jesus was His Son, and God bore witness to His divinity (Jn. 8:18).

Consider what Jesus Himself had to say.  When Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles, he told certain Jews, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me” (Jn. 7:16).  He later said, (Jn. 8:28) “I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things,” and He further said, “The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works” (Jn. 14:10).

Various ones recognized the authority of Christ. Many were astonished at his doctrine and noted, in contrast to the scribes, He taught “as one having authority” (Mt. 7:28-29).  In Matthew 16:16, Peter said of Him, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Please also note John 6:68-69.) Also, the centurion, who was involved in the crucifixion of Jesus, said, after Jesus’ death, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!” (Mk. 15:39).  Further, Thomas, seeing Jesus after his resurrection, with reverence, said, “My Lord and My God” (Jn. 20:28).

The devils, or demons, also understood his authority as James 2:19 says that even they “believe and tremble.” When Jesus was in the country of the Gergesenes (Mt. 8:29), demons, who had possessed two people, cried out to Jesus, “Jesus, You Son of God?  Have You come here to torment us before the time?”

Various other passages reveal the authority of Jesus.  After Jesus’ resurrection, but before his ascension, he said, in sending the apostles out to teach God’s Word, that all power, or authority, was given to Him in heaven and on earth (Mt. 28:18-20).  The Bible also teaches that Christ is the head of the church (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18).  His headship of the church certainly carries with it authority. Hebrews 1:1-2 further reveals that God had spoken unto the fathers by the prophets, but then says that He “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.” In another passage, we learn that God told Moses he would raise a prophet (Deut. 18:18).  Peter quoted these words in a sermon in Acts 3 and applied them to Christ.  Peter said ( v. 22), “For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren.  Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you.”

Understanding the authority of Christ is essential, and we must be subject to it.