Jesus demonstrated unusual power. It astonished people. It was evident in his making the blind see, raising the dead, healing the lame, and so much more. Multitudes came to him from great distances, and he sometimes healed them all. Dismiss the Bible as the Word of God and regard it merely as a historical record, and the fact cannot be denied: Jesus performed miracles.
Some who witnessed this power were merely entertained. Others sought to get something from Jesus. But not for long. It cannot be avoided: these powerful works eventually compel you to conclude that Jesus possessed authority. And Jesus’ authority demands a response.
Two responses to Jesus’ authority
Some responded with humble faith. The centurion whose servant was sick to the point of death recognized Jesus’ authority. He understood it, being under authority himself while also having soldiers under his command. He was humble, unwilling to have Jesus come under his own roof. Jesus praised the centurion’s great faith. Why? Because he humbly recognized Jesus’ divine authority and trusted in him.
Some responded with prideful unbelief. The people of the synagogue in Nazareth marveled at Jesus’ gracious words and knew about his miracles in Capernaum. But Nazareth was a great sorrow to Jesus. The people of his hometown, whom he loved, turned against him. In the end, they rose up, drove him out of the town to the brow of a hill, and attempted to throw him off a cliff. They wanted his miracles, but they despised his words. Clearly, they were willfully blind to Jesus’ authority. They rejected him as Lord, and wanted him dead.
Authority demands obedience
There’s more. Jesus’ authority over the physical world (raising the dead, feeding the multitudes) extends into the domain of human lives. The one who said to the wind and the waves, “Peace, be still,” is the one who also says, “Follow me.” Jesus spoke of his right to judge and forgive, to command and demand obedience. When Jesus said, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Lk. 6:46), he placed himself on the same level as God the Father. He would say things like, “Man, your sins are forgiven you” (Lk. 5:20). The Pharisees understood his meaning and reacted, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (Lk. 5:21). And for all this, he was despised.
Jesus’ authority always drew a response. Some bowed the knee to him and believed his words; others wanted him dead. On the one hand, multitudes followed Jesus. On the other hand, the Pharisees and scribes could not admit that he was sent from God. They thought he was a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners, whose works were done by the power of Satan. Far from believing in him as Lord and following him, they wanted him dead.
As it was then, so it is now. The greatest barrier for a person’s salvation, anywhere and at any time, is his refusal to recognize and submit to Jesus’ authority. To declare that Jesus possesses divine authority—that he is the Judge of the living and the dead, whose commands stand above every earthly ruler and every human passion—is to invite trouble upon yourself. Just ask Paul.
Like Peter
Put yourself in Peter’s position. You’re a fisherman, and Jesus commands you, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch” (Lk. 5:4). Soon, your two boats are filled with fish to the point of sinking. What would you do? Would you be like those who, after Jesus fed the five thousand, came badgering him to be their personal chuckwagon (Jn 6:26)? Or would you understand the height and depth of Jesus’ authority and, like Peter, fall at his knees and say, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord” (Lk. 5:8)? Peter understood that the one who commanded the fish also had the right to judge his life, for which he fell short. Yet, this was the man Jesus chose and commanded to follow him (Lk. 5:13).