“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’” Matthew 28:18
Authority is such an interesting word. It’s one of those words that can create both positive and negative reactions. When I have authority over something or someone, my response depends on the situation. I can feel prideful that I have that authority or I can feel scared that the buck stops with me. Or both. Similarly, when someone else has authority over me I can respond in different ways. My fleshly nature can chafe at that authority, especially when they do or require something I disagree with or don’t want to do. Or I can rest secure in submitting to an authority I trust. How is it possible to have such varying responses to the same word or situation? I think the answer can begin to be found when we look at the definition of the word. The first definition I saw was, “the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.” That sounds pretty dictatorial, doesn’t it? And scary. This makes it seem as if the person in authority can do whatever they want and require of us whatever they want. No wonder we have differing reactions! It depends completely on who has the authority.
What should my reaction be to this verse? It’s saying that Jesus is the One with the authority. So is that a good or a bad thing? What’s your response when you hear that? That will depend on your view of God. If you see God as a killjoy who just wants to suck all the fun out of life, then you’ll think that His authority will cause life to be boring and dull. If you see God as an uncaring, distant God, His authority will be unsettling because His requirements of us will be purely random. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. And if you see Him as a mean, vengeful God the thought of Him having authority will strike fear in your heart. But especially at this time of year, we see a God who was willing to clothe Himself in flesh and come to this earth as a helpless baby. It’s that same helpless babe Who spoke this verse 33 years later. That means that even while He had all authority – not some, all – He chose to completely humble Himself. Why? So we could have access to God through His life, death and resurrection. That’s how much He loves us. That’s an authority we can trust!
This Christmas season, as we prepare our hearts, minds, homes and lives for the coming of the Christ child, let’s remember that this little baby is the One who has all authority. Not just in your life or my life, but in all of heaven and all of earth. Even though He has all authority, He gives us a choice to submit to the authority or not. There’s no “enforced obedience.” Of course, there are consequences if we choose to disobey, but it’s still our choice. Because He loves us with an unconditional, never ending love let’s make a daily choice to surrender ourselves to that authority and that love.