Category Archives: Christian Life

HELP ME TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS – 1

Christian Life, ,

I remember reading, in my all-time favourite book, “Mister God, this is Anna”, the riveting account of one of Anna’s prayers. One night, Fynn, the author, awoke to the sound of Anna, his little “fellow traveller”, praying. Standing up on her makeshift bed, tears streaming down her face, Anna pleaded with Mister God, “Please help me to ask the right questions!”

It’s the right questions that produce profound answers. 

So, I have found, at a much greater age, that “Mister God”loves to answer questions, especially the questions that only He can answer. Of course, He has provided a book filled with answers but often His wisdom remains hidden in plain sight until the Holy Spirit, the supreme teacher, unlocks the truth to those who “ask the right questions.”

I have, for many years, loved, studied, and practised prayer, slowly progressing from my pathetic, childish understanding to writing a book on prayer that I considered to be “quite profound.” How wrong I have been! O, there’s nothing wrong with my book, as far as I understood prayer then but, after asking what I think might be “the right questions”, more truth has come to light that has profoundly influenced my understanding of this mystical subject. 

I don’t think, for one moment, that our loving Father rejects our bungling efforts to commune with Him but, at the same time, Jesus has given us pointers to aspects of prayer that we need to heed. For example, we must not follow the bad examples of hypocrites and pagans who either use prayer to impress people or babble to be heard. 

We must also remember that prayer is not primarily the way to get our needs met. Our Father, who knows our needs before we ask Him, wants us to concern ourselves with His business first, His kingdom and His righteousness, and He will take care of our material and temporal needs. 

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

True prayer is the way we make contact with our Heavenly Father in the secret place where He knows us, where we have nothing to hide and can be completely open with Him. In the intimacy of prayer, the Father plants the seeds of His word into the “womb” of our spirits where it grows until the time of its birth. 

So, let me get straight into my “questions” and the revelations that have deeply challenged my heart. 

I have recently been working my way through Mark’s gospel, daily blogging on thoughts and ideas that have caught my attention. Then, the story of Jesus’ transfiguration came up. To me, the central focus of this explosive incident, for the disciples, was the Father’s words, interrupting Peter’s foolish suggestion to memorialise this event with three structures. The Father had to set the record straight, once and for all, that Moses and Elijah, as great as they were in the Old Testament dispensation, no longer featured in the New Covenant. 

“Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV

The impact of the Father’s words is quite clear. “Moses and Elijah have done their work. Now Jesus must take centre stage.”

This instruction was not only for them then but also for us now. “Listen to Him!” Jesus has much to tell us, and especially about prayer and in prayer. 

The first question, then, is…”What  is prayer?”

Let’s ask Jesus!

To be continued…

HELP ME TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS – 2

To continue our  question…”What did Jesus say about prayer?”

Since Jesus was in constant contact with His Heavenly Father through prayer, of all people, He is most qualified to teach us about prayer. 

First, He is our teacher by example. 

When we work our way through John’s gospel, Jesus and the Father surface in such close partnership that Jesus said or did nothing without first hearing from the Father. 

“For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.”

‭‭John‬ ‭12‬:‭49‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Does this mean that even every word He uttered was the word of the Father? Was He relaying the Father’s words from heaven to earth to bring about God’s will on earth? By being in constant contact with the Father in prayer, He was staying connected to “headquarters” from where He received His instructions. 

Jesus taught His disciples to pray…

“…Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How do we apply this example to our praying? I think the answer is simple. Let’s connect the dots. God has equipped us with a plethora of promises that express His intention. Whatever the need, there is either an equivalent promise or a pattern that expresses God’s will. 

Two Scriptures clearly declare this truth. 

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these, he has given us his very great and precious promises so that, through them, you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So, first, God’s promises are His provision for our daily walk which clarify His will in detail, and were given to empower us to overcome our old sinful nature so that we became ever increasingly conformed to the image of His Son. 

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Second, Jesus has endorsed every promise for us. We, therefore, in partnership with Him, affirm His promises as and where they apply, so that earth joins heaven in bringing about God’s intention. 

“We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Third, the two ingredients in this process of bringing God’s will to earth are faith and patience. The first of these two requirements take up part of the answer to my next question… “What is faith?”

Let’s fast forward to my encounter with “authority” that will shed light on “faith”. 

To be continued…

HELP ME TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

The story that follows Jesus’ transfiguration poses the question, “What is authority”? 

“After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?” He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭9‬:‭28‬-‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus had just had an altercation with His disciples. While He and His three closest companions were up the mountain, the other nine were tussling with a stubborn and rather nasty demon. On His return, He soundly rebuked the nine disciples for their unbelief. 

In a quieter moment, they asked Jesus why they had failed to budge the demon. His reply was mystifying unless we begin to dig deeper. 

In our modern context, I think the “deliverance ministry” is badly misunderstood. It is, therefore, misapplied, by “taking authority” over demons and ordering them to go, even if they are not demons but manifestations of “the flesh”, such as anger, rage, jealousy, etc. 

Jesus did not tell us to take authority over anything simply by speaking it. Demons take no notice of such foolishness. Having authority comes from something far deeper. 

Jesus claimed to have authority but how and where did He derive it? He said, “By prayer!”

Now let’s check out a story that clearly teaches us the source of authority and by association, the meaning of faith. 

“When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replied, “Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭5‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This story is loaded with information about authority and faith. Did you notice how Jesus connected the centurion’s explanation of his source of authority with his faith? Let’s unpack it. 

“For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 

The centurion’s authority was derived from his submission to higher authority. This kind of authority demands humility, not presumption. His role was never to act presumptuously or independently of his superior authority. His role was simply to relay instructions, trusting that his word would achieve obedience because of the authority under which he spoke. The reality of his authority lay in the trust of his inferiors in him because he was relaying the will of his superior. 

The centurion recognised Jesus’ authority under God by the results of His words. So, he declared his faith by saying, “Just say the word…”

What a simple explanation of the meaning and purpose of prayer! Prayer is first, settling the issue of authority. Who is in charge? When I, in prayer, surrender myself to the absolute authority of Jesus, when I listen to Him instead of babbling about myself, I recognise and authenticate my partnership with Him. 

An incident in King David’s life perfectly illustrates this principle. David was determined to build a temple for God. He expressed his desire to the prophet Nathan who encouraged him to carry out his plan. That night, God spoke to Nathan. David was a man of war. God did not assign to him the task of building the temple. His son, Solomon, would have that honour.

Instead, God made David a promise…He would build a house for him, a dynasty that would never end. Unlike the kings of the northern kingdom of Israel, who were wicked and whose dynasties were repeatedly cut off,  David’s descendants would reign in one continuous dynasty that would culminate in the eternal reign of Messiah…the son of David. 

David was overwhelmed by this promise. He went into his sanctuary to commune with God,  first expressing his unworthiness for such a great destiny and then worshiping the Lord. 

“ ‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’ ” Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation. Then King David went in and sat before the Lord, and he said: “Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? ….“And now, Lord God, keep forever the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house. Do as you promised, so that your name will be great forever. Then people will say, ‘The Lord Almighty is God over Israel!’ And the house of your servant David will be established in your sight.”

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭7‬:‭11‬, ‭16‬-‭18‬, ‭25‬-‭26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In his words, “Do as you have promised”, David relayed to earth what God had spoken in heaven. 

The Apostle Paul also reiterated the same thought…

“It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak,”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Now let’s connect all the dots, the process of prayer as Jesus lived it and taught His disciples…

  1. Listen to Him. Jesus takes centre stage in everything. 
  2. Through prayer, we establish and affirm our submission to Jesus as Lord, our Supreme Authority. 
  3. When He gives an appropriate promise or instruction regarding an issue in earth, we are to relay heaven’s will to earth by speaking His word by faith. 
  4. By His authority through us, His will is carried out on earth as it is done in heaven. 
  5. God’s word guarantees that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 

Finally, the guarantee…

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭55‬:‭10‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

MOLLY AND ME – PRESENCE

Christian Life, ,

Molly and I are aging! You can see it by the whitening of our hair, Molly on her muzzle and paws and me on my head. However, with aging comes new experiences of togetherness and closeness. We’ve been together for almost nine years. 

Molly loves my presence. She doesn’t fuss when I leave her for a while but her “welcome home” greeting is extravagant to the extreme, no matter how long or short my time away might be. Time has no significance for her. She measures her desire for my return by the level of her delight, expressed in squeals and wriggles. 

Sometimes, in the evening, when I am in the shower and she is resting on her bed in the lounge, I hear her call…not in words but in her special bark, “Where are you?” or, “Please fetch me,” if she is in the garden. I answer with reassuring calls of my own…”I’m in the shower, baby,” or “I’m coming!” if I’m inside. She stops barking, and is content to wait for me knowing that I’m nearby. 

She likes to feel my closeness at night by resting her head on my leg or lying against my body. No matter how hot the night, my warmth, my presence comforts her. To her, sleeping in her own bed is a sign of my displeasure to which she reacts by sulking! 

Molly submits to the many times she needs treatment for one or other ailment. Her periodic ear infections are a particular trial to both of us, for me because I must treat her ear with drops, and for Molly because she hates the long nozzle and the cold stuff I must squirt into her ears. We have finally reached a truce because she trusts me. 

Sometimes, before it’s time for a bath, I rub her tummy with hand cream or sprinkle baby powder of her to mask her doggy smell. She lies in my arms like a small baby and submits to Mama’s “whims”with silent resignation. 

All these actions and gestures are part of the “presence” that is so special to both of us, even those things I do for her good if not for her pleasure. 

In the Word, I read of my Lord’s assured presence, of even greater significance than my presence in Molly’s life.  

“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How often, in times of crisis, have I looked for reassurance in the amount of money I have rather than in my God. How foolish is that! 

There is something about God’s promise that has recently become more real to me than ever before. Having watched, on YouTube, some of the the many stories of ex-Muslims who, in their crisis time of need, have met Jesus in person, I have realised that He didn’t just “show up” when they called on Him. He was there, with them until they called, but He only revealed Himself in their realm when they called. 

This truth has changed the way I respond to His promise…

 “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭20‬b NIV‬‬

I don’t need to ask Him to come when I call. He is already here, unseen, but with me, every moment, day or night. In fact, in the person of His Spirit, Jesus is in me! Get that! When Molly needs me, I must go to her. When I need Jesus, He is not even a heartbeat away. 

“Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.”…

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139‬:‭7‬-12, 17‬-‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Not even sleep can separate me from His presence. Amazing as it seems, I’m always on His mind… and so are you. 

JOHN’S GOSPEL…HIM THERE – 26

Christian life, ,

“Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle…. Later, knowing that everything had now been finished, and so that Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” …When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.”

‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭16‬-‭18‬, ‭28‬, ‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How inconceivable that this glorious, supremely perfect, unequalled human life should end like this! What had Jesus done to deserve this ignominious death? Naked, bloodied and battered beyond recognition, helplessly skewered to a Roman torture stake, suffocating under the weight of His own body, insulted and mocked by His tormentors, He died! 

Luke inadvertently expressed in two words the absolutely outrageous nature of this event…

“When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified HIM THERE, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭33‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What was He, Jesus, the Son of God, doing there…on a cross…outside Jerusalem…His own royal city…the King of heaven crowned with thorns?

From a human perspective, this was the worst possible way to end any life, let alone the life of God who came from heaven as a man to serve mankind! Was this the most terrible mistake ever made by the God of the universe? Did He lose control of an impossible situation? Did Jesus push His enemies too far? Did He end up the victim of His own ego?  

The Bible has a very different interpretation to an unintelligible event!

First, this situation…detail by detail, was planned before time…

“All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.”

‭‭Revelation‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and prophesied centuries before it happened. 

“Just as there were many who were appalled at him— his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness—”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭52‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭53‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

On the day of Pentecost, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and His glorious ministry of revelation, caused the truth to spill out of Peter’s mouth…

Quoting an ancient prophecy, Peter declared…

“ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭17‬, ‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Yes, dead on Passover…but alive three days later!

This Jesus, whom the Roman soldiers hung by nails on a cross and watched HIM THERE, is the same Jesus who sits on the throne of heaven, exalted to the right hand of God, the Father. To Him was given the title, KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 

No, the cross was not the end of a beautiful life but the beginning of a new species…sons and daughters of the living God through His mercy and grace. 

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

All this is possible only because the Jews condemned Him to death, and the soldiers carried out the Roman governor’s order, and Jesus was crucified there…on Golgotha…for our sins…and rose again…for our justification, and they watched HIM THERE!

  1. My song is love unknown– 

my Savior’s love to me; 

love to the loveless shown, 

that they might lovely be. 

Oh, who am I, that for my sake 

my Lord should take frail flesh and die?

  1. He came from His blest throne 

salvation to bestow; 

but men made strange, and none 

the longed for Christ would know. 

But oh, my Friend, my Friend indeed, 

who at my need His life did spend!

  1. Sometimes they strew His way, 

and His sweet praises sing; 

resounding all the day 

hosannas to their King. 

Then “Crucify!” is all their breath, 

and for His death they thirst and cry.

  1. Why, what hath my Lord done?

What makes this rage and spite? 

He made the lame to run;

He gave the blind their sight. 

Sweet injuries! Yet they at these

themselves displease,

and ‘gainst Him rise.

  1. They rise, and needs will have

my dear Lord made away.

A murderer they save; 

the Prince of Life they slay.

Yet cheerful He to suff’ring goes,

that He His foes from thence might free.

  1. In life, no house, no home

my Lord on earth might have;

in death, no friendly tomb

but what a stranger gave.

What may I say? Heav’n was His home;

but mine the tomb wherein He lay.

  1. Here might I stay and sing–

no story so divine!

Never was love, dear King,

never was grief like Thine.

This is my Friend, in whose sweet praise

I all my days could gladly spend.

(Author: Samuel Crossman, source: hymnary.org)

MOLLY AND ME…PRAYER PARTNERS

Christian Life, ,

Molly and I have been prayer partners for years. She sleeps on my lap while I pray! 

However, recently, the nature of our partnership has changed. Let me explain. 

A few months ago, Molly developed a chronic weakness in her hind legs. Being a dachshund, her long body is prone to a disc problem in her spine. In her younger days, she had two episodes of severe pain which resolved with rest and anti inflammatory medication, but the potential for weakness remained. 

Towards the end of February this year, her hind legs became so weak that they could not support her weight. I treated her with LifeWave phototherapy patches which greatly helped her for a while… but the problem persisted and her condition gradually deteriorated. 

So, Molly changed from being my ”sleeping” prayer partner to being the subject of my prayers. After trying everything I could do to help her, I knew that only God could do what I could not. 

For I few weeks, I focused my prayers for her on healing, trusting that, somehow, the Lord would intervene because Jesus promised that He would do anything we ask in His name.

Then, a little while ago, my daughter and I were having a coffee date. During our conversation, she told me about a customer whose husband is a vet. My daughter had discussed Molly’s condition with this lady who suggested that I take Molly to her husband for examination. 

I knew that this was my answer so I made an appointment for the following day. The outcome has been amazing! The vet isolated the lesion in her spine and prescribed the treatment that he has used to help many other dachsies, with no comebacks. The medication is the product of veterinary research and is made of natural ingredients, not drugs. 

After nearly a month of treatment, the improvement in her walking is remarkable. Not only does she walk and navigate steps with confidence but her appetite has improved and her interest in her outside world is returning.  She has even caught geckos again, which requires speed and skill, and chased a hadida, her favourite game. 

How great is our God! I have learned, through my partnership with Molly, how intimately my Father is involved in the tiniest details of our ordinary lives, how much He loves and cares for His creatures, and how He has even stopped the rain for a few minutes so that Molly can go outside for toilet purposes!

Surely, my love and care for Molly is only a faint reflection of our Father’s love and care for all of His creation. My compassion for my little dog is minuscule compared with His compassion for all He has made…not only us humans but everything that He has created for His glory. We, in turn, can care for His creatures because they are precious to Him.

SOME TANDOM THOUGHTS…AUTHORITY – 7a

Christian life, ,

Why is Jesus’ authority so important for us? What does His authority mean to us as His disciples in our daily lives? For a few days, we’ll be digging into this fascinating topic. 

The ongoing conflict between Jesus and His earthly opponents was the issue of authority. His words and works baffled them because, despite what they saw and heard, they refused to accept His claim that He was the Son of God and that His authority came from His Father. To them, this was blasphemy and blasphemy was punishable by death. 

Authority was everything in the Jewish religious system. The religious leaders claimed their authority from Moses except that the laws they tried to enforced came, not from Moses but from their esteemed ancient rabbis who had added protective prohibitions to the Mosaic law contained in the Mishna, a written collection of the Oral Tradition, called the Oral Torah. 

For example…

Jesus and the Pharisees clashed in their interpretation of Sabbath. To the Pharisees, Sabbath was about work, to Jesus…mercy! He claimed authority over the Sabbath, which did not sit well with them.   

“For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there. Some of them were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath. Jesus said to the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand up in front of everyone.” Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent. He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. Then the Pharisees went out and began to plot with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In Paleo-Hebrew, the ancient pictographic written language of the Hebrews, the  basic meaning of the name of God, “el” or “Elohim” (plural), was depicted in two pictures, an ox and a staff, signifying “strength and authority”. To the Hebrews, strength and authority summed up who God is and what He does. 

When Jesus claimed authority, by sound what H did, He was claiming to be God. 

In this first section, let’s examine Jesus’ claims. In what way did Jesus’ actions confirm His claim to be the Son of God?

  1. Jesus had authority over nature

He calmed a storm…

“He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭39‬-‭41‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He walked on water…

“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭14‬:‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus taught with authority

“They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.”

‭‭Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus had authority over the demonic realm

“Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!” “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.””

‭‭Mark‬ ‭1‬:‭23‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus had authority over sickness, disease, and disability

“When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus healed a man born blind. 

“As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth…After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.”

‭‭John‬ ‭9‬:‭1‬, ‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus also delegated His authority to heal to His disciples. 

“Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus had authority over death

“After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”…When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.””

‭‭John‬ ‭11‬:‭11‬, ‭43‬-‭44‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. Jesus had authority to forgive sin

“Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!” Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭9‬:‭2‬-‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

  1. The Father has given all authority to Jesus

“Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭28‬:‭18‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The gospel records show us that Jesus had complete authority over the earth during His earthly life and has been given, because of His obedience to the Father in His life and death, supreme authority over everything in heaven and on earth,  in His exaltation. 

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In our next section, we shall examine the implications of Jesus’ authority over His followers. 

To be continued…