The Authority of Jesus
Who has authority in Your life?
God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him.
—Jim Elliot
1- The Source of His Authority (16-20)
The religious leaders regularly quarreled with Jesus over His apparent lack of respect for the Sabbath prohibitions
The Father’s work in maintaining and redeeming the world has continued from the creation until the present moment (ἕως ἄρτι): until now, not interrupted by the Sabbath.
Because Jesus is “lord of the Sabbath,” He is not limited by their interpretations of what was not allowed
‘God never ceases working, but as it is the property of fire to burn, of snow to chill, so of God to work’ (Holtzmann).
The Sabbath controversy was enough to cause them to hate Jesus, but the implication of His claim that God is His own Father was impossible for them to accept. To them, God has no equals. Jesus’ claim, in their thinking, was a monstrous blasphemy. To be equal with God suggested, they thought, two gods and therefore polytheism. To make oneself “equal with God” was a claim of arrogant independence.
Jesus asserts His dependence on the Father and His distinct role subordinate to the Father’s will and plan. It is impossible for Jesus to act in any way that would somehow place Him in opposition to the Father.
2- The Strength of His Authority (21-27)
Jesus’ life-giving power can call a person out of the grave (11:43), everyone from their tombs (5:28–29), or anyone in spiritual death (v. 24) to eternal life.
3- The Seriousness of His Authority (28-30)
16 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began to persecute him. 17 In his defense Jesus said to them, “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working.” 18 For this reason they tried all the more to kill him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
19 Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, and he will show him even greater works than these, so that you will be amazed. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. 22 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him.
24 “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life. 25 Very truly I tell you, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.
28 “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned. 30 By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
Application:
Be Honest
Give yourself permission
Surrender
At a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson, former New York Yankee second baseman, offered a prayer that is a classic in brevity and poignancy: “Dear God, Your will, nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen.”
—Biblical Recorder