Responding to Christ’s Authority

Being amazed at Christ’s teaching and responding appropriately is what Matthew 7:28-29 is all about. Being amazed is one thing, submitting to someone’s authority is quite another. We have a love/hate relationship with the concept of authority. We love it when we have it; we hate it when we have to submit to someone else’s. We’d rather call our own shots. But God makes it clear that growth in Christian character comes through learning to submit (Eph. 5:21-24; 2 Cor. 9:13; James 4:6-10; Heb. 13:17). So this is something very important to understand.

The people’s initial reaction to Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount was this: “When Jesus was finished with all these words, the people were astonished at His teaching, for He was teaching them as one having authority and not as their scribes.” They were struck with amazement, wonder, and astonishment. They were dumbfounded; even panicked. The Greek word is Ekplesso comes from 2 words: Ek, from, from out of; plesso, strike, struck. It means to strike, to expel with a blow, forcefully drive away. What was being driven away? Their focus on themselves and their concerns; they were overwhelmed to the point of focusing on what Jesus said, they were at a point of decision; had to decide what to do about it. Jesus said they’d be like wise builders if they heard & obeyed. We do not know who believed or who rejected Jesus right then and there. But no one stayed neutral. Not deciding to go one way is deciding to go another.

When I see or hear something out of the ordinary I am amazed. Sometimes I am easily amazed. I am amazed every time I watch Kobe dunk or make some amazing shot. I am amazed when an airplane flies in the air. But those things are nothing compared to being amazed at who God is and what He does. When I see the beauty of God's creation; when I saw our 5 children being born; blown away by the greatness of God; when I became a believer, amazed that God would choose to save me, forgive me, give me His undeserved favor. When I have seen others come to faith in Christ. The 1st time I led someone to Christ (Big Bear 1984); when our eldest daughter Alexandra, at age 4 told me to stop the car so I could pray with her to receive Christ as her Savior. In 2000 when our son Michael was 6, in McLean, Va. on a cross-country trip, his then 9 year-old older sister explained the gospel once again the light going on for him. When I see God at work, I am shaken from self-centeredness to focus on Him. I want to live continually amazed at who God is and what He does.

Why were the crowds that first heard Jesus struck out of their own zone and into thinking on Jesus’ words? They recognized something different about Him. They recognized His identity and authority. He was teaching, instructing, tutoring them in the ways of discipleship, how to be followers of Jesus and He did it with authority. The Greek word exousia means the power and freedom of choice, the right to act, decide, the liberty of doing whatever you want. The power to add and the power to take away at will. It is hard for us to understand how shocking this was to the Jews, The Jews held the Law as the final authority and now Jesus quotes the Law, and reinterprets its meaning, You have heard, but I say…5:21, 27, 33, 38, 43. He showed how the Law really pointed to Him. He was blowing their minds! What was it about Jesus’ authority that was so amazing? His teaching was an outflow of who He is. We see it in His identity as teacher, Christ, Lord, Savior, Judge and God.

Jesus as Teacher.
The crowds were astonished at His teaching, because He was teaching as one who had authority and not as their scribes. The scribes claimed no authority for themselves; they relied on the authority of others. The prophets would say thus says the Lord, the scribes would say, there is a teaching that says…but Jesus spoke on His own authority. He assumed the right to teach absolute truth. A.B. Bruce correctly contrasted the scribes and Jesus with this thought, the scribes spoke by authority, Jesus spoke with authority. His message was for all. He interpreted Moses to show how the message was God’s. He did not have a scribe’s education, but He swept away the establishment by cancelling the tradition of their teachers. He spoke with a freshness and boldness all His own.

Jesus as Christ.
Jesus knew He was the predicted Messiah OT prophets spoke of and the people expected. Jesus knew He was on a mission from God. He came into the world for a purpose. All predictions of a Messiah were fulfilled in Him. The first words of His ministry were the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand 4:17. He had made it, He had the right to admit people into it, He could give out the blessings that came with it.

Jesus as Lord.
Not merely someone to be respected but the sovereign Lord to be obeyed. He has the right to rule over us just as a potter has the right to make clay into whatever he desires (Rom. 9:21). He did not want them to only take in His teaching, He wanted them to be personally devoted to Him. To believe and obey. Like in John 13:13 where He says He is their Teacher and Lord.

Jesus as Savior.
1 Jn 4:14 The Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. He didn’t just teach salvation, He gave it. His practical ministry is highlighted after the sermon. We see His love in action. He claimed ability to forgive sins, gave forgiveness to the paralyzed man 9:2-6; as savior of sinners He was physician to the spiritually sick 9:12. He was the light of the world. He claimed to know the way of salvation. He pointed to the narrow gate that led to the hard way that led to life. He knew what kind of life would survive the storms of judgment. Able to declare who was blessed and who was not. The savior of the poor in spirit & those who mourn. Only through Jesus can we come to God. Jn. 14:6.

Jesus as Judge.
He will sit on His throne to judge mankind. Matthew 7:22-23, 25:31; Rev. 22:14.

Jesus as God.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus reveals God as the Creator, the living God, who gives sun and rain, and supplied animals and people with food. He is the King, whose righteous reign and saving rule has appeared to mankind. He is our Father. But Jesus goes further and alludes to being equal to God. How He spoke and what He claimed implied it. He claimed to do what God does. In the last beatitude Matthew 5:11-12, He mentions the prophets. Jesus expects His followers to have to suffer for His sake and then compares their persecution to that of the prophets who suffered due to faithfulness to God, the disciples would suffer due to faithfulness to Him. Calling Him Lord and doing the will of the Father are equivalent to Jesus. He equates Himself with God, says people will come to Him making appeal & He has the right to pass judgment on them.

What effect does Christ’s authority have on those who know Him (true believers who have been saved by grace through faith in Christ)? Those who respond to His authoritative teaching by believing and obeying have these 3 assurances:

1st, God is at work in you.
He is doing something & He is choosing to do it in and through your life. He is in control, He is orchestrating things and you are one of His instruments, He is building His house and you are one of His tools. Jesus Christ is Lord but life is hard & if you are a believer, you have assurance that God is at work in you to will and do His good pleasure Phil. 2:12-13. That He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ, until Christ returns Phil. 1:6, He has called you, chosen you to live in such a time as this. You should be confident. He has overcome the world. You have His support. What He expects of you is trust & obedience.

2nd, Your name is in the Book.
I don’t mean your name is in the Bible, I mean your name is in the Book of Life. In knowing Jesus your name is in the Book of Life of the Lamb who was slain Rev 13:8. Rev. 20:12, 15 if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Rev. 21:22-27 picture of heaven only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter. Eternal security is the truth about what God gives us in Christ. Assurance of salvation means you know & are confident in that truth. Rom. 8:9-11, 16-17. No enemy can barge in and take over. You can know for sure. So tell yourself the truth of 1 John 5:13. In Luke 10:20 Jesus said do not rejoice in the fact that spirits are subject to you, rejoice that your names are written in heaven. In Phil. 4:3 Paul refers to his fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life. Rev. 17:8 calls it "the book of life from before the foundation of the world". God has a book, written before the world was, that contains the names of all He will save. Only God knows whose names are there.

3rd, You are never alone.
You many 'feel' all alone, but Jesus is always with You Matt. 28:20. God said Heb. 13:5 never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. Christ in you, the hope of glory Col. 1:27. The Holy Spirit indwells you. You are secure, protected, & sustained in Christ. You may feel alone at times, but it is merely an illusion of aloneness; the truth is you are indwelt. Sometimes Christians repel or reject other Christians; knowingly and unknowingly. Sad that family would do that to one another, but it is nothing new. Paul tried to hang out with fellow believers after coming to faith in Christ but no one believed he was for real Acts 9:26-27 they wouldn’t accept him until Barnabas, son of encouragement, helped him. In Christ, we are to do life together by God's grace.

What amazes you? Are you in awe of Jesus’ teaching? Are you in awe of Him to the point of submitting to His authority? to the point of surrendering your life, your agenda, your bitterness, your anger, your forgetfulness, your needs, your opinions, your success, your failure, your hopes, your fears, your present, your future, all to Jesus? Stake everything on Him. Trust Him completely and obey Him unquestioningly? I hope so.

If so, Jesus will do for you what He promised. He will bless you like in the Beatitudes, He will make you salt to benefit others, light to this dark world, He will enable you to know and understand the Bible, He will teach you to pray. He will carry you through all the issues of this life and into eternity with Him in heaven.

Soli Deo Gloria