Authority From Above.

Spring Game at the U of A took place this past Saturday. Football has been in the air for the past several weeks. And anytime a football game is played, in the NFL or in the SEC, you have three teams on the field: the home team, the opposing team, and the officiating team. It’s the job of the third team, the referees, to exercise the authority given them by the Commissioner. Their job is to enforce the rules found in the Book which governs the field of play. They are to bring the standards of another ‘kingdom,’ the authority found up there {in the case of the NFL: 280 Park Ave., NYC}, to the chaos on the field down here! You following me?

Matthew tells us when “Jesus came to” His Disciples, the first thing He “said” to them is, “All authority in Heaven and on Earth has been given to Me” {28:18}. Over and out. Why given to Him? Because He alone has conquered sin, death, and darkness! And because it honors the Father, as Jesus told us in John 5, to give all judgment and authority into the hands of the Son.

He’s not mincing words here, is He? Jesus of Nazareth, the Risen Messiah— whose historical Resurrection was so verifiable Jewish leaders had to bribe soldiers to spread the Lie that His Followers had stolen His body— is claiming, listen to it, “all authority in Heaven and on Earth!,” meaning ‘up there’ and ‘down here.’ Or to put it more plainly: “I’m in charge now. In Eternity and in History, My rule is the Rule!”

Now, two of the most common words for ‘power’ in the Greek are dunamis, from which we get the word ‘dynamite.’ It is dynamic spiritual power, explosive power. The other is exousia, and exousia is the kind of power a ruler would exercise; it means- official power, authoritative power {Eph. 6:12; Col. 2:10; 1 Pet. 3:22}. In our passage it’s used “of Jesus’ absolute authority” ...as the Sovereign over all sovereigns, all “rule... authority, power and dominion” {Eph. 1:21}.1 In a game, whether professional or collegiate, the players on the field are younger, stronger, and faster than the officials on the field, the coaches on the sidelines, or the fans in the stands. They have dunamis {explosive power}; the officials have exousia {authoritative power}. The players can take you down, the refs can take you out! They have the ruling authority of the Commissioner up there put into action on the field of conflict down here!

This is the basis of what we do, and why we go {offering Hope to the hopeless, baptizing them into eternal Community, and training them to follow the Spirit in faith}. It’s Jesus’ authority, not our own. “Go out in My authority. Wield it wisely, exercise it commandingly, display it in the way you live, the way you love, before a watching and wounded world!” This is the King’s Commission for each and every one of us who long to ‘follow’ in His footsteps. Are you a believer in the Message, or a maker of more Messengers? Believer in or Apprentice of-- that’s the choice.

Ric Webb, Shepherd
Heart's Journey Community
hjcommunity.org