Authority recognised, challenged and practised
Every day we’re asking four questions about part of the Bible. Today Bern Leckie answers:
What did I like about today’s passage?
I love that God had been preparing his people for centuries to meet Jesus, but that it fell to one weird-sounding man to recognise both God’s prophetic guidance and his provision of Jesus in the flesh.
John’s baptism ministry showed that people wanted a new purity that they were not finding through their religious observances. I love that John’s clear understanding of God stopped him from thinking that his water baptisms were God’s ultimate answer to this. He knew that they were only a sign of something much greater to come, and I love that he got to see heaven opened as he recognised and (after a bit of persuasion) baptised Jesus.
But how can anyone else that isn’t already Spirit-inspired recognise Jesus and his authority? This is what Matthew’s stories show us – lots of examples of Jesus’ authority in action so that we might come to trust and accept his authority too. John’s recognition of Jesus’ authority is just the beginning. I love how Jesus quoted scripture with authority to overcome opposition from the devil himself. Useful for believers to know, but Jesus reached further.
Can you see how recognition of Jesus started to go viral? It wasn’t just talk about God, it was action to right wrongs, restore health to the sick and make life worth living. It took incredible authority for Jesus to pronounce kingdom victory over disease, and who would not tell their friends about that? From small beginnings with a few believing followers, I love how God’s power backed up Jesus’ claims of authority so that large crowds came to him.
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
God’s kingdom, announced as good news by Jesus, brings huge changes to our world. It requires a change of authority because there has been no other power capable of ridding the world of suffering.
God knows that we don’t just need clever ideas or a charismatic leader to bring about the changes we feel and know that we need. What will work instead? We need closeness to God to be restored, so he offers himself. This is not just good news, it’s huge, breaking news.
What am I going to do differently as a result?
I don’t like to think about “the devil” very much, but he stands out here as a competing authority. I should pay more attention to the influences in my life which may be opposed to God. I often feel tempted to be self-sufficient, but I need to renew my commitment to depend on God and his promises, including those already written in the Bible.
Who am I going to share this with?
In “The SHAPE of you” course, we clarify pictures of who we are by seeking how God sees us. I will share here how we need to live under Jesus’ authority to know who we really are.