The Believer's Final Authority

So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people (John 18: 12-14).

When we consider the power and authority that rested in the person of the Son of God… “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matthew 26:53), it is difficult to understand how a small band of soldiers and officers could so easily arrest Him and place Him in chains. It is hard to watch as the Son of God is dragged before Annas, a man with no legal authority, then Caiaphas, a man with a previously announced agenda of his own. On the surface this appears to be a clash of earthly and heavenly authorities, and it looks to the undiscerning eye like earth wins and heaven loses. But if we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us deeper here, we will discover some indispensable truth about the believer’s final authority.

Authority is all about control. Those with authority have real or perceived power to manage and manipulate others. Every group needs a leader who can share the vision, set the course, send the workers, and see the project through to its completion. Most of us feel better about contributing our time, talent, and treasure to something that is moved forward by strong leadership. But authority can corrupt the sinful heart. There are those who won’t be part of the group unless they are in control. There are those who use authority to achieve their own goals instead of the group’s corporate goals. There are those who make authority their primary goal. For such leaders as these, authority becomes an idol. What makes the difference? How do we recognize and submit to healthy authority and discern and avoid corrupt authority? Our Teacher, the Holy Spirit offers some vital truth in today’s review of the arrest of Jesus. In this scene truth seekers will recognize several types of authority.

There is the unhealthy authority of “the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews”. These men exercised no reason of their own but blindly followed the orders of their superiors.

There is the manipulative authority of “Annas”. Annas was no longer the official High Priest. The High Priest served for only one year at a time. But Annas figured out a way to maintain control beyond his legal tenure. He conspired with the Romans and manipulated others to place his son-in-law Caiaphas in the position as his puppet. Annas represents those who exercise authority that is not their own in order to maintain control over people and things through others.

There is the selfish authority of “Caiaphas”. Caiaphas was his father-in-law’s puppet, but he also had an agenda of his own. He did not care about justice. He had already declared that Jesus must die.

There is the final authority of “Jesus”. In this confrontation between earthly and heavenly authority, heaven won… “I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father” (John 10:17-18). Jesus was completely surrendered to His Father’s perfect will…. “Not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). He had no agenda of His own apart from His Father’s agenda. To exercise the power of heavenly authority we must imitate Jesus and be completely surrendered to glorifying God in every circumstance and relationship… “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:12-13). In every confrontation between earthly and heavenly authority, heaven wins… “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever” (Revelation 11:15). To experience the power of Christ’s final authority we must speak His name and imitate His God-surrendered and God-glorifying life at all times.

As we grow up into Christ, submitted to His will and seeking His glory we will know the power of…

The Believer’s Final Authority.