1 One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2 "Tell us by what authority you are doing these things," they said. "Who gave you this authority?"
The religious leaders of that day posed two questions for Jesus – by what authority was He acting upon and Who gave Him that authority. Here we find people willing to dispute anything because they choose to shut their eyes to the light given them. His miracles spoke for themselves without using any words. Jesus also clearly states in Scripture His mission and from Whom it was received. Matthew tells us:
27 "All things have been committed to me by my Father . No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Matt 11:27 (NIV)
We find also in the gospel of John:
35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. John 3:35 (NIV)
37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. John 6:37-39 (NIV)
17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father." John 10:17-18 (NIV)
The Authority of Jesus was given to Him by God and for God. Even one of the Jewish ruling council – Nicodemus – realized Jesus’ miraculous powers had to have been given to Him from above:
1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." John 3:1-2 (NIV)
As believers in Jesus, we too are sealed with the Holy Spirit’s power and authority to be used to further God’s kingdom and bring glory and honor to Him. As “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1-2), we too have the authority to lay down our lives to take them up again in abundant life. He has work prepared for us to do and has equipped us with the achieving power to do these works. Hence Jesus’ words in the great commission:
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matt 28:18-20 (NIV)
“God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” Hudson Taylor
Just as He told His first disciples of the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit which would equip them to do every good work, He tells us:
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8 (NIV)
Jesus never forces His authority upon us, He leaves us free to choose obedience – forced obedience is slavery not sonship.
“Once His life has been created in me through His redemption, I instantly recognize His right to absolute authority over me. It is a complete and effective domination, in which I acknowledge that ‘You are worthy, O Lord...’ (Revelation 4:11). It is simply the unworthiness within me that refuses to bow down or to submit to one that is worthy...If our Lord insisted on obedience, He would simply become a taskmaster and cease to have any real authority. He never insists on obedience, but when we truly see Him we will instantly obey Him.” Oswald Chambers
1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. 3 Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. 4 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. 6 "I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. John 17:1-10 (NIV)
We bring glory to God through our obedience done in the power if the Holy Spirit.
“Thank God for the glorious and majestic truth that His Spirit can work the very nature of Jesus into us, if we will only obey Him.” Oswald Chambers