Every facet of your life requires authority to exist and then for authority to be recognized and respected. Whenever authority is not accepted and submitted to, chaos results. All of this is true for every part of your life, but especially in the realm of religion.
It begins with an understanding that Jesus Christ has ALL authority (Matt. 28:18). We must “hear [Him] in all things, whatever He says,” lest we be “utterly destroyed” (Acts 3:22-23). So, where do I find Christ’s authority today? He’s not here “in person” (per se), so where do I go?
Wouldn’t you know that Jesus thought of that before He died, was buried, was raised from the dead and then ascended back into heaven? Did you know that He made arrangements for His authority to reside on this earth globally, cross-culturally and perpetually? He took His authority and He firmly embedded it in His Word—the Word that He received from the Father. Watch this.
When Jesus was on this earth, look at what He said in John 12:49-50 (pay attention to each word)—“For I have not spoken on My own authority…” What? Then on whose authority did you speak? “…but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak…” Oh, so Jesus spoke on the authority of the Father? Good! And since Jesus and the Father are “one” (John 10:30), then the full authority of heaven in His words. Jesus continues, “…And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.” Now, that’s authority! That’s assurance!
But, wait a minute! I didn’t live back then! I didn’t actually hear the words that Jesus spoke! What about me today? Back to the question: where do I find Christ’s authority today? Read the verse right before these verses. Did you see the word “For” at the beginning of verse 49? Jesus is tying into what He just said.
“He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (12:48). Grab that. Think about it. “The word” that Jesus spoke “will judge” us “in the last day.” Where is that “word” today? Interestingly, John depicts the judgment scene in Revelation 20, when he saw that “books were opened…And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books” (20:12).
Jesus took His Word and He put it into a book! He put His authority into the Bible! And on the day of judgment, His all-authoritative Word will judge us! But, how do I know that’s where His authority resides? Read next week’s article.