Jesus’ Authority

28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

We started this month thinking about the crowd gathered around Jesus. Believers and skeptics alike listened to Jesus’ great teachings. And in response they recognized that he had authority and did not teach like the religious leaders of that day.

Jesus is one with the Father, and his teachings reflect the will and desire of God himself. His authority doesn’t come from his rhetorical skills or his fascinating stories. It comes from the divine presence of God, working in and through him as he points his listeners to the road of faith and full life.

I hope that you have heard a voice of authority speaking into your life this month. You may still have questions or doubts about what it means to follow Jesus. And you may struggle with the work that you sense God is calling you to do after reflecting on the Sermon on the Mount (I certainly do). But at the very least, you can recognize that you have heard the voice of God himself in this sermon from the Savior.

God invites you to know him, and to be known by him. He also invites you to take your next steps in following Jesus, trusting that he will lead you and guide you in his perfect love for you. “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Lord, help me to recognize you as the One who has authority over my life. Give me the courage to submit to your will and to do the work you are calling me to do. Amen.