The Authority and Power of Christ (1)
Matthew 18:1-17
Jim Davis
When Jesus visited the earth the Jews had
devised a system to make themselves holy and separate from the world.
We read of some very distinctive groups within the Jewish religion in the
New Testament: Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes and the lawyers. The religious
lawyers’ job was to determine the righteous thing to do when a dispute arose
as to how a religious teaching should be kept. They came up with all sorts
of ways to keep the religious precepts of the Old Testament. Often they came
up with ways to get around the religious precepts and still remain righteous
in their own eyes. Often the very laws they made violated the very spirit of
God’s law.
Matthew 15:1-14
15:1 Then some
Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2
"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash
their hands before they eat!"
3 Jesus replied,
"And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4
For God said, 'Honor your father and mother' and 'Anyone who curses his
father or mother must be put to death.' 5 But you say that if a man says to
his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from
me is a gift devoted to God,' 6 he is not to 'honor his father' with it.
Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You
hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 "'These people
honor me with their lips,
but their hearts
are far from me.
9 They worship me
in vain;
their teachings
are but rules taught by men.'"
10 Jesus called
the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11 What goes into a man's
mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is
what makes him 'unclean.'"
12 Then the
disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were
offended when they heard this?"
13 He replied,
"Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by
the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a
blind man, both will fall into a pit." NIV
Through skillful manipulation the lawyers
thought they had figured a way around the command to honor father and mother
by giving what would have been given to parents to God. Their
efforts were condemned by Jesus. They were doing this with many of God’s
law. Jesus challenged their systematic approach to holiness with a new
teaching that had authority and power.
Jesus’ teaching went beyond splitting hairs over
what was legally right or wrong. Jesus’ authority was intriguing. He taught
as one having authority not as the teachers of the law. The authority of
Jesus was evident as he went about healing and casting out demons.
Mark 1:21-28
21 They went to
Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and
began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he
taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit
cried out, 24 "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to
destroy us? I know who you are-the Holy One of God!"
25 "Be quiet!"
said Jesus sternly. "Come out of him!" 26 The evil spirit shook the man
violently and came out of him with a shriek.
27 The people were
all so amazed that they asked each other, "What is this? A new
teaching-and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they
obey him." 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of
Galilee. NIV
What is the difference between a life based
upon reason and a life based upon faith in the supernatural God?
Power! One is a life built on the power of God and the other is a life based
upon the logical answers reason provides. One is based upon divine wisdom
and the other human wisdom. Logical reasoning may very well point us to the
reality of God without ever allowing us to experience the power of the
supernatural God. The wisdom of logical reasoning can point us in the right
direction, but it cannot overcome the fury of hell thrown at us as we seek
to take the right direction. In trying times human logic usually fails us.
This is where we must discover the authority and power of God’s divine
wisdom. Jesus’ authority had power over hell itself.
The Authority of Christ
Matthew introduces us to Jesus’ public
ministry through revealing the primary teaching of Christ in the Sermon on
the Mount. This sermon was the new authoritative teaching that held
the amazement of the multitude. The Sermon on the Mount is recorded in three
chapters of Mathew, 5-7. There are no three chapters in the Bible that
reveal the pure teaching of God more simply. If you want a condensed version
of the Bible go to theses three chapters and behold the heart of God.
The authority of Christ’s teaching in the Sermon
on the Mount is evident in the simple truths stated. Be humble, treat others
like you want to be treated, if compelled to go a mile go the second mile,
don’t be angry with your brother, spend your time getting the mote out of
your eye and stop judging others, love others as God loves you. Many who
deny Christ recognize their need to embrace what he taught in this great
sermon—they recognize that it is authoritative—because it is true.
There are no three chapters of the Bible that
reveal the purity of God’s law—the very heart of God and impurity of the
human heart with such impact. We come away frustrated every time we read
these chapters. It seems impossible to live up to the standards presented
there—yet we know the teaching is true.
This is why we desperately need to be
introduced to the supernatural aspect of faith. Human reason has a
tendency to leave God out. Matthew records Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, but
in the very next chapter he begins teaching about Jesus’ miracles—he not
only wants us to understand what Jesus taught, but also the power behind
what he taught. Do you know why? Matthew knows teaching what Christ taught
without introducing us to the supernatural power of God to salvage our lives
in our circumstances leaves us hopeless. Our faith must reside in God’s
supernatural power exerted on our behalf.
Matthew 8:1-22
8:1 When he came
down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy
came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make
me clean."
3 Jesus reached
out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"
Immediately he was cured of his leprosy. 4 Then Jesus said to him, "See that
you don't tell anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the
gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them."
5 When Jesus had
entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. 6 "Lord," he
said, "my servant lies at home paralyzed and in terrible suffering."
7 Jesus said to
him, "I will go and heal him."
8 The centurion
replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just
say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under
authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and
that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does
it."
10 When Jesus
heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you
the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say
to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their
places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the
darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
13 Then Jesus said
to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And
his servant was healed at that very hour.
14 When Jesus came
into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever.
15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to
wait on him.
16 When evening
came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out
the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. 17 This was to fulfill what
was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
"He took up our
infirmities and carried our diseases."
18 When Jesus saw
the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.
19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow
you wherever you go."
20 Jesus replied,
"Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no
place to lay his head."
21 Another
disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
22 But Jesus told
him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." NIV
I want you to look beyond the miraculous
supernatural works of Christ as you try to contemplate what makes his
supernatural power a reality for your life. Do you know what it is?
Faith!! The leper believed in Jesus’ authority and power to heal him. The
centurion’s faith was greater than anyone in all Israel—he believed the
authority of Jesus spoken word could heal his servant. Those in the
kingdom—the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had less faith—than those
coming to Jesus. Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law. They brought the demon
possessed to Jesus and he cast out their demons by the authority and power
of God.
Your faith cannot overlook the power of Christ as
you accept his authority, for his authority and power are actually one and
the same. If Christ has no power to carry our infirmities and heal our
diseases—he has no authority. Without power there is no authority, for
authority must have the power to make it happen.
Demons Shudder at the Mention of Christ’s Name
The demons recognized who Jesus was—they
knew him before he entered the world in human flesh. They had no
doubts about his power over them.
Mark 1:23, 24
23 Just then a man
in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 "What
do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know
who you are-the Holy One of God!"
When Jesus entered the region of the
Gadarenes, two violent demon-possessed men came to him asking, “What do you
want with us, Son of God?” “Have you come here to torture us before
the appointed time?” Their request recognizes Jesus authority as they asked,
“If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”
When Jesus sent out seventy-two disciples
under his authority the demons shuddered at the mention of Jesus’ name.
Luke 10:17-21
17 The seventy-two
returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your
name."
18 He replied, "I
saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 I have given you authority to
trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy;
nothing will harm you. 20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to
you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
21 At that time
Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father,
Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise
and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was
your good pleasure. NIV
To get a handle on the demons in your life
you must live under the authority of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ’s
authority is far above the principalities, powers and every dominion on
earth and in heaven. Whatever you do in word or deed must be done in his
name—under his authority.
Philippians 2:9-11
9 Therefore God
exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the
name that is above every name,
10 that at the
name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on
earth and under the earth,
11 and every
tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of
God the Father. NIV
The book of Acts reveals how first century
Christians lived under the authority of Christ. A phrase that stands
out throughout the book of Acts is “in name of Jesus.” This indicated what
they were doing was being done by the authority and power of Christ. If you
give someone a personal check with your signature it gives the recipient the
power to withdraw funds from their account. The power is in the name.
Without the name no funds would be forthcoming. It is living in the name of
Christ that gives our lives authority and power.
Salvation was in his name (Acts 2:21).
Salvation was found in no other name (Acts 4:12).
Baptism was done in his name (Acts 2:38; Acts
19:5).
Healing was done in his name (Acts 3:6).
Demons fled at the mention of his name (Acts
16:18).
Jesus taught his disciples that they were to
pray in his name (John 14:14).
Christ authority has the power to bring
unity where there is division.
1 Corinthians 1:10
10 I appeal to
you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree
with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you
may be perfectly united in mind and thought. NIV
When we are assembled in the name of our
Lord the power of Christ is present.
1 Corinthians
5:4-5
4 When you are
assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the
power of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so that
the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the
Lord. NIV
When we live our lives under the authority
of Christ we are assured of his power.
Colossians 3:17-25
17 And whatever
you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God the Father through him.
18 Wives, submit
to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love
your wives and do not be harsh with them.
20 Children, obey
your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
21 Fathers, do not
embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey
your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on
you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for
the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for
the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an
inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are
serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is
no favoritism. NIV
Jesus says, “Follow me . . .”
After hearing Jesus’ teaching a lawyer came
to Jesus saying, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”
Matthew 8:18-22
18 When Jesus saw
the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.
19 Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow
you wherever you go."
20 Jesus replied,
"Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no
place to lay his head."
21 Another
disciple said to him, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."
22 But Jesus told
him, "Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead." NIV
Jesus says, “Follow me . . .” The key to
living within the power of Christ is accepting his authoritative call to
follow him. It is hard for us to relinquish control of our lives to
the authority of Christ. Often we misinterpret Jesus’ call to follow him
because we think that following him will empower us to do miraculous works
Jesus was doing—heal lepers, heal the sick and cast out demons. This is a
mistake. When we follow Jesus we are trusting in his power to do the
impossible for us. The leper believed in Jesus’ power to heal, the centurion
believed in Jesus’ power to heal—they merely wanted him to speak a word to
make it happen. They knew the power resided in Christ’ authority.
Many of us are like Simon the sorcerer,
after his conversion to Christ he wanted the power of God for himself.
Acts 8:18-23
18 When Simon saw
that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he
offered them money 19 and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone
on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
20 Peter answered:
"May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift
of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because
your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to
the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your
heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." NIV
We are like Simon; we want God’s power for
ourselves. God is asking us to trust in his power exerted on our
behalf. There is a great difference. One approach leads us to seek personal
power, the other leads us to trust in God’s power. Jesus came to lead us
beyond devised human systems of religion as he calls us to leave the world’s
way behind us—let the dead bury the dead and come and follow me.
Jesus came to take up our infirmities and to
heal our diseases—it is Jesus power that salvages our lives. How
often do we think the solution lies within ourselves? We devise our own
system to make God’s power a reality rather than trusting in God’s authority
in Christ.
Conclusion:
What is the difference in a life based upon
reason and a life based upon faith in the supernatural God? One life
is based upon the authoritative power of God, and the other life is based
upon the powerlessness of one’s personal efforts. When God’s holiness sets
you apart to be holy, you can bet it is powerful enough to keep you separate
and holy. It is much different than setting ourselves apart to be holy
independent of God solely through human effort alone. Human effort is
essential, but without the authority of Christ it leaves us helpless.
To live with the power of Christ we must
live in him, and allow him to live within us.
1 John 3:21-24
21 Dear friends, if
our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive
from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases
him. 23 And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus
Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey his
commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives
in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us. NIV
To clothe ourselves with the power of Christ
we must put him on in baptism.
Galatians 3:26-27
26 You are all
sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were
baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. NIV
