Who's In Charge Here? A Series on Authority
Saturday, January 10, 2004
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My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, Thank You for Jesus! Thank You for His willingness to lay aside the awesome power that went with being co-equal with You in heaven in order to come to the earth for my sake. Thank You for His great authority, which was evident even in His taking on human form. Thank You for His attitude—the attitude of a servant, that shows me and all humanity that in the end, it isn’t how much we have or control that is important, but how much we are willing to submit to You! Fill me with Your Holy Spirit in this moment that I may always know and obey Your will. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Bible Verses
Matthew 9:1-8
1Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. 2Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Take heart, son! Your sins are forgiven.”
3“Blasphemy! This man talks like he is God!” some of the teachers of religious law said among themselves.
4Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why are you thinking such evil thoughts? 5Is it easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Get up and walk’? 6I will prove that I, the Son of Man, have the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, take your mat, and go on home, because you are healed!”
7And the man jumped up and went home! 8Fear swept through the crowd as they saw this happen right before their eyes. They praised God for sending a man with such great authority.
Reflecting on God's Word
As we conclude this week of focusing on “the ultimate authority” what have you learned about authority in general, and about Jesus’ authority in specific?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word
Who in this story holds authority and/or power (9:1-8)
How is authority used in this story? (9:1-8)
What is the end result of the application of authority? (9:1-8)
Understanding God's Purpose for Us
What is God’s purpose for authority in our lives?
How do we know when we are exercising authority rather than power?
Applying God's Word to Our Purpose
What one action do you want to continue to carry out as a result of this week’s study on Jesus as the ultimate authority?
Thoughts
This interaction between Jesus and the religious authorities made it abundantly clear that Jesus’ authority was different in kind than theirs. They sought to keep people in line through the rigid application of the Jewish Law, and to get folks to do what they wanted through threat of punishment. (As we have learned this week that is actually a use of power rather than authority.) Jesus, on the other hand, sought to gain followers by speaking the truth in love, and by applying the truth of Scripture in the nitty gritty of life. The Scriptures spoke of the release of captives, the recovery of sight to the blind, the good news being preached to the poor—and Jesus DID all of those things. True authority is always backed up by action. Jesus’ authority was authenticated by His action. The same is true for us. The world awaits a Christianity that is authoritative rather than authoritarian. The religious teachers were authoritarian in their approach to life—they sought to “lead” through intimidation. Jesus is authoritative—he backs up His words with action that BENEFITS those around Him. May we as well!