Gospel

Authority and Submission

by Roland Crim
05/16/18
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Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things." Matthew 21:23-27 NIV

Jesus had told the leaders before that He came from the Father, and that He did what the Father gave Him to do. So why did they keep asking Him by whose authority He did His works? They asked because they did not listen to that which He had to say to them.

How often has Jesus spoken to us through the Holy Spirit, and yet we have chosen some other route? Did we honestly believe we had a better answer than Jesus to handling a particular situation? Did we not like His answer? Oh, if we could and would only totally submit to Him. We have to sometimes find out the hard way that our way did not turn out to be the best, or even a proper way. Christ really does know what is best for us. What makes it so hard for us to totally submit to Him?

There is so much power released, and an accompanying sense of freedom when we do totally submit to Christ. We must do this to be at peace and to know that all our needs are provided for by Him.