Tag: power

  • The Last Word on Authority – Jesus Son of God

    The Last Word on Authority – Jesus Son of God

    John 19:

    Yesus facing Pilate

    Previously, Pilate had questioned Jesus apart from the crowds and asked if He is a king. Now, after having had Jesus scourged 39 times and coming out to the barely controlled crowds of Jerusalem, Pilate will question this ‘man’ a second time in his judge’s chambers within the palace.

    What has prompted Pilate’s new interrogation of Jesus?

    1. This ‘man’ kept silent during all 39 lashes, confessing no crimes to receive some mercy from the whip.
    2. When Rome’s Prefect had asked why Jesus should be crucified, the Jews answered Pilate, ‘.. because he made himself the Son of God.’

    Pilate may have also been a religious man, though as we pointed out previously the Romans had many gods.

    Could this man Jesus be one of them?

    In a private appeal

    Pilate said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to Him, “Are you not speaking to me?

    Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?”

    John 19:10b Pilate’s claim of authority to ‘the man’ Jesus

    Roman Authority

    Before we hear Jesus breaking the silence of Roman interrogation, let’s consider briefly an earlier encounter of Jesus in Galilee with a Roman officer.

    This healing by Jesus not only illustrates an absolute no questions asked authority of Roman Legions, but by his own high position, Pilate might have heard from this Roman leader who helped build a synagogue in Capernaum.

    Matthew 8:

    When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him..

    Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

    And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

    The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.

    For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me.

    And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

    When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

    Judean Authority

    Make no mistake about the authority of Rome’s governor Pontius Pilate. Rome revoked the kingdom of Herod Archelaus of Judah just two years after he failed to govern as Rome expected. They renamed the new Roman province Judea and placed a Roman Prefect in charge.

    Pilate governs with political authority similar to Antipas in Galilee to the north. Jesus of Nazareth is technically a subject of Herod Antipas. Pilate, however, may have heard of Jesus from a fellow Roman legion in the region of Galilee.

    Authority – Pilate’s understanding

    Pilate said to Him, .. Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?”

    ἐξουσία, the Greek word for authority simply means, power. I am in charge. I can do whatever I please.

    It could mean, I have influence and the privilege of judging you. In Pilate’s case, authority means: the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed). And specifically, the power of judicial decisions and authority to manage domestic affairs.

    And Jesus remains silent, Pilate must have thought? Silent even when scourged 39 times and questioned by the Prefect with authority to sentence the ‘Man’ to a Cross?

    Finally the Lord answers the authority of the governor in charge of this high Judean court.

    The Authority of Christ

    Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above..

    John 19:11a NASB

    Don’t miss this: Jesus in essence refers to a higher authority (from above).

    Pilate is a religious man with many gods. Rome acknowledges these higher authorities as had Greece. These are gods defined as: the leading and more powerful among created beings superior to man, spiritual potentates (that is, kings and Caesars).

    Again, perhaps Pilate has heard the buzz of the crowds witnessing Jesus healing the sick and even raising the dead. Romans kept close to the everyday happenings in Judea. Had he perhaps heard about the Galilean legion’s servant who Jesus healed?

    Some dilemma, that a human judge should judge a god!

    12 As a result of this, Pilate made efforts to release Him..

    A Greater Sin

    Perhaps, in a sense, Pilate considers or acknowledges the Higher Authority of Jesus. To some extent Jesus’ answer actually exonerates Pilate, but convicts another.

    Listen to the second part of the Lord’s answer to Pilate:

    Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over Me at all, if it had not been given to you from above; for this reason the one who handed Me over to you has the greater sin.”

    John 19:11 NASB

    A greater sin than Pontius Pilate? For Christ-followers remember by our creeds the the Lord Jesus “was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate?”

    Yet Jesus says that one who handed Him over to Pilate has the greater sin.

    Does the Lord mean to say that Pilate’s sin is forgivable? Perhaps.

    We assume here that Jesus refers to Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Him to the Jews, is the one with the greater sin.

    • Have you ever considered that Annas or Caiaphas are truly the ones who handed Jesus over to the gentiles?
    • These High Priests of the Jews handed Jesus over to Pilate for crucifixion.
    • Annas, Caiaphas and other Jewish officials of the Sanhedrin, who betray their own Messiah, have greater sins than Pilate!

    Had you have not known of the Highest Authority of Jesus until now, you may be forgiven for not knowing. But now that you know Jesus, you must accept Christ or oppose God Almighty.

    Who will rule over you now?

    Opposition to Authority

    12 As a result of this, Pilate made efforts to release Him; but the Jews shouted, saying,

    “If you release this Man, you are not a friend of Caesar;

    everyone who makes himself out to be a king opposes Caesar!”

    Pilate their Governor rules over those in the crowds and as Judea’s Governor. He appoints their religious authorities (who have consistently incited the crowds against the Authority of their Messiah) and outranks every member of the Sanhedrin in all civil matters.

    But the Jewish authorities cite a technical argument, not a religious reason – a political reason for Pilate to condemn their messianic opponent.

    • Jesus claims to be a king.
    • Caesar, a king and a god to the Romans also commands their loyalty.

    Will Pilate actually oppose the authority of Caesar by releasing a Man who makes claim as a king of the Jew?

    Of course, the Governor cannot allow the crowds to think that. Now he must sentence the Man. Rome’s judge returns Jesus to the public court of crowd justice.

    13 Therefore when Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called The Pavement—but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

    From the hour of Jesus’ betrayal by Judas under cover of darkness in Gethsemane until now, these trials, interrogations and cruel punishments have all been completed by morning’s end.

    14 Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour..

    The Jewish Authorities Prevail

    No one likes to see the opposition win — not you, not me — and not even Pilate.

    But in fact, here it would seem that evil prevails. Evil destroys its opponent in the agenda of those religious leaders who have stoked the hatred of the crowds.

    So they shouted, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” - John19:15 - collage of Jesus and Pilate with first and 21st century crowds

    Then he told the Jews, “Here is your king!” They shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Should I crucify your king?”

    The chief priests answered,

    We have no king but Caesar.

    John 19:15b KJV

    16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. KJV

    Who are ‘they’ who crucify Christ?

    We will explore the verdict, which would seem to suggest that the majority rules.

    Who crucified the Man of God, Christ Jesus? This we must ask NEXT as we follow Christ with His Cross to the skull where criminals hang from a tree.

    To be continued...

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  • Jesus’ Power to give Eternal Life

    Jesus’ Power to give Eternal Life

    … and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

    John 10:28 NASB

    Power and Authority

    From the Gospel John 17 we have begun to study the Lord’s High Priestly Prayer in The Hour Is Come and also recently addressed The Authority of Jesus, His Power over all flesh.

    Jesus preached about eternal life in synagogues, on hillsides and in homes of the Jews. The Gospels also include several scenes where His authority over life and death had always been questioned by Jerusalem’s leaders.

    The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?”

    Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

    The Gospel of John 2:18-19 NASB

    This temple of Jesus is not the fortress of flesh or whitewashed walls of symbolic religion, but the Living and Holy Image of the Son of God!

    cut away holy of holies
    Interior of the Temple with High Priest facing the Holy of Holies

    Jesus has never in-person entered the Holy of Holies. The Son of Man never entered the building as a temple priest with the sacrifice of worship.

    Our Lord simply showed grace and clearly taught truth from the Temple’s public courtyards, Jewish gathering places walled in from the world and its gentile Roman captors, the public square of faithful Jews.

    Solomon's portico with view of the Temple and crowds

    Jesus preached in Solomon’s portico, a place remote enough from a public face of the Sanhedrin’s seventy religious rulers.

    POWER!

    He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said,

    “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? G1411

    Matthew 15:34 NASB

    ‘Who is this Jesus of Nazareth,’ the powerful religious leaders would have always asked as they had also of John the Baptist?

    δύναμις – dynamis – strength power, ability

    • Used here for both words: ‘miraculous’ & ‘powers’
    • Also used in this way in Mark 6:14 where speaking of Jesus and His Disciples ‘…people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous G1411 powers G1411 are at work in Him.”

    We are not talking political or military or religious power, but true and miraculous power over creation and the created – power of the Son of Man, the Messiah Jesus from the LORD God!

    Authority

    So many Jews had hoped that Jesus would use such power to overthrow Rome in Jerusalem, Judea and Galilee.

    The image of a shepherd may be that of a powerful king like David or Solomon, but more commonly seen as one saving vulnerable sheep from wolves.

    “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

    from the Good News of John 10:18 the promise of the Messiah Jesus

    Although the Apostles knew their Lord and Master as a humble man, the Messiah Jesus also spoke of His authority as Master and Shepherd of His disciples many times.

    John 10:

    Parable of the Good Shepherd

    14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep…

    ἐξουσία – exousia – authority

    Jesus claims the authority to lay [His Life] down and also sais, “I have authority to take it up again.” This was a remarkable claim of Jesus that He had the authority to cause BOTH His own death and resurrection. (We have addressed ‘The Authority of Jesus’ in our introduction to John 17.)

    “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative.

    I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

    The words of the Messiah Jesus – John 10:17-18 NASB

    19 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words.

    No wonder the Jews became divided because of these words about their Messiah’s authority.

    Consider the common definition of authority Jesus coveys:

    • power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases
    • physical and mental power
    • the power of authority (influence) and of right (privilege)
      • (Here’s one no religious or political leader willingly gives up.)
    • the power of rule or government (the power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed)
      • (Again, Herod, Caesar, Pilate, Pharisees, Sadducees, Scribes, priests – all have a stake in maintaining their tenuous authority & limited power.)

    Power over death and life

    Cling to this fragile flesh; for what little power we exercise over it.

    To some degree of authority: a king, our president, any judge of man’s courts — Rome’s Prefect, any governor and all authorities of man exercise power over other mortal men.

    We have NO choice in some matters. Yet these authorities of the flesh cannot give life, but grant mercy in its extension.

    Those who sought to seize Jesus of whom the crowds of Jerusalem had shouted, ‘Hosanna, Son of David; save us, blessed king,’ challenged many crowns. For the implied mortal and immediate authority of Caesar, of Herod, of Pilate, of Jerusalem’s political/religious leaders (the Sanhedrin, its priests and temple police) — all authority was threatened by the popularity Jesus.

    ALL could have lost their power of the day IF Jesus is crowned the “King of the Jews!”

    It MUST NOT HAPPEN.

    Therefore, show the crowds that THIS KING JESUS is no MAN of authority — for this claimant of Power from one High cannot even save His own mortal life (let alone that of the Jews). These same crowds will turn on Him when we have demonstrated our Authority over HIM.

    High Priest before the Altar of the LORD

    From an upper room in Jerusalem, Jesus prays to the LORD GOD our Father for many things. Yet the Lord’s purpose is not to preserve any MORTAL life, but to SAVE select SOULS for ETERNAL LIFE.

    Though praying from an upper room in Jerusalem, Jesus enters the most sacred place on our behalf – the Holy of Holies as our High Priest before God. Jesus stands before us praying for His authority to grant eternal life!

    From Death to Eternal Life

    Does this Jesus, Son of Man, really have such authority before the LORD GOD?

    For if He does, the Messiah of God IS everything He says that He IS.

    John 17:

    The High Priestly Prayer

    Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, 

    “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 

    This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

    … Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, that they may be one even as We are…

    ἀγάπη

    I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

    John 17:22-23 CSB

    The Love that is the Glory of Eternal Life

    Aug -awp’-ayagapē one of several Greek words for LOVE we fail to understand as men of flesh and as spirits given life by God. Yet Jesus Christ uses it on our behalf in His closing High Priestly Prayer.

    “…that the love  G26 wherewith thou hast loved me..” from the English of the King James Version: Jesus states the Father’s love for His only Son — this is the love for which Jesus intercedes for us in eternal life.

    And Jesus had recently told the Apostles, “Greater love G26 hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

    • affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love
    • love feasts

    An eternal life of relationship: Personal Relationship like that of Jesus with the Holy Father God — a glory of festive love as personal as the wedding, where the love of the bride and groom are celebrated by all who are invited to the feast.

    Christ Jesus our High Priest intercedes and asks His blessing on what is about to take place.

    Will you take up your cross and follow Him?

    To be continued...

  • The Authority of Jesus,  His Power over all flesh

    The Authority of Jesus, His Power over all flesh

    He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh

    John 17:1b-2a NASB

    Let us pray:

    LORD, help us to understand the Person of Your Son Jesus Christ through His prayer to the Father.
    Amen.

    We have begun our look at Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer made corporately before the Eleven just prior to the Lord’s departure for Gethsemane where He will be betrayed. The Hour Is Come – Glory to the Son AND the Father

    Jesus stands before the Apostles, looks up (probably with His arms extended as later they would be on the Cross) and His open hands of flesh turned heavenward and prays,

    “Father the hour has come … glorify your Son, so that your Son may glorify you—

    Jesus, the faithful only Son of God always prayed to the Father; but listen once more to a most familiar prayer and hear along with this High Priestly Prayer a connection you may have missed.

    For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.

    Amen.

    Jesus’ closing from ‘The Lord’s Prayer’ – Matthew 6:13b KJV

    Did you catch that Jesus connects ‘the power‘ to ‘the glory’ of the LORD God – a glory we examined at some length previously in our study of John 17:1?

    Our prayer to Heaven’s King

    Now beloved believer, you will not have had much cause to consider so far anything less than glorifying this humble Servant Son of God made flesh; for Jesus epitomizes everything peaceful in mankind. Our Lamb of God is submissive in His love of God and approachable by His fellow man.

    But this temporal nature of Emmanu-El, born humbly in Bethlehem, though His humble nature will continue to the Altar of the Cross, Jesus will not continue as servant until the judgment of the world, but ultimately as its ruler and Lord!

    We pray to GOD because HE IS THE LORD GOD, and the humble must confess that we are NOT.

    • Does your daily life witness your own humility to bow down to GOD in prayer as did Jesus the Son?
    • Will the created acknowledge the authority of Jesus, WHO WITH THE FATHER IS the creator of all things and Judge of all flesh?

    This is why we pray.

    Jesus now prays for us as the Perfect High Priest. The Messiah Jesus therefore intercedes before the Father for those who willingly seek eternal life with Him in glory — disciples in spirit seeking grace for a dying flesh from dust rather than the judgment we deserve of sinners refusing the authority and mercy of the LORD God.

    Christians of these last days speak lightly of grace given as if any claim of Jesus is fruit of a sinful spirit saved. Yet does our witness of Christ glow in the glory of His High Authority?

    Roger Harned – talkofJesus.com

    Authority

    Jesus is not praying about anything new here, for authority in relationships both earthly and between the created and Creator appear throughout Scripture.

    When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice.
    But when the wicked are in power, they groan.

    When the wicked are in authority, sin flourishes,
    but the godly will live to see their downfall.

    Proverbs 29:2 & 29:16 NLT

    The authority between those on earth ought to be immediately evident since Jesus provided much guidance and many examples to the Disciples and crowds of Jews so well schooled in the discipline of Scripture.

    In this prayer, however, Jesus speaks directly to God the Father not only as their Authority but about His and the Apostles authority.

    John 17:

    Jesus spoke these things, looked up to heaven, and said,

    “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him.

    What does our Lord and High Priest pray?

    Glorify your Son; that is, Jesus prays in essence, ‘Father glorify Me!’ Yet what reason does Jesus offer?

    Jesus prays that HIS glory will be necessary “so that [He, Jesus] the Son may glorify you [the Father]. The Lord restates His own authority recalling an action of the Father which had already taken place.

    Jesus then offers through this granted authority a higher reason for His intercessory request:

    “… So that he [Jesus] may give eternal life…”

    Note that Jesus does not promise eternal life to all, but to only to those the Father has already given to the Son our Savior. He becomes our perfect Priest and Sacrifice.

    As for those who refuse Christ? Justice will find the dust and ashes of unrepentant souls who will stand before Jesus’ authority at the judgment.

    Authority of The Word

    John opens his Gospel with Jesus’ preeminent authority.

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

    John 1:1 KJV

    14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

    John 5 excerpt:

    [We shall stick with the King James Version for the moment to remind our long-lost 21st century perception of the authority and appropriate approach of a king.] – RH

    For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

    For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

    Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

    You with ears to hear, LISTEN to this previous proclamation of Jesus our King! Jesus clearly proclaims:

    • God the Father raises the dead to life (quickeneth).
    • Jesus the Son gives life (quickeneth) to whom He will.
    • The dead will hear the voice of Jesus, Son of God.
    • Those dead souls who Jesus chooses shall live again.

    Did we overlook one point of power of the Lord Jesus’ authority?

    In our too-near familiarity with the humble Lamb of God made man we often lose His authority to come in the wrath of God:

    and He [the Father] gave Him [Jesus] authority to execute judgment, because He [Jesus] is the Son of Man.

    John 5:27 NASB
    • The Father gave Jesus authority to execute judgment!

    WHY? Because He IS the “Son of Man,” as well as the “Son of God.”

    Returning to the Upper Room

    Do you recall what Jesus had said after Judas left the room to go to Jerusalem’s religious leaders to betray his Lord?

    Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said,

    “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately. – John 13:31 NASB

    Now in His High Priestly Prayer Jesus prays, “you gave him authority over all people.

    “I have revealed your name to the people you gave me from the world. They were yours, you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.

    (or from the more formal King James Version🙂

    I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. – John 17:6 KJV

    Power over all flesh

    Once again returning to the kingly language of the King James Version as introduction once more to Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer:

    As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

    And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

    Prayer of Jesus Christ from the Gospel of John 17:2-3 KJV

    Jesus prays of His Power over all flesh, over creation, over you and me, even power over all authority of this world.

    Is Jesus your Lord, a High Priest interceding for your sinful flesh before the HOLY LORD GOD ALMIGHTY?

    To be continued...