The Authority of Jesus - Mark 3:1-19

2022-03-01

Every time our president has addressed the nation during this lockdown, we all gather around the TV, in eager anticipation of what he’s going to say. Why is this? Well, being put in lockdown by the government, we know that our only way out of lockdown will be by our president, who is the head of the government, declaring to us by that it’s over. When he pronounces something to us, we can expect things to change. When he speaks, things happen. When he says we will go down to level 3 by the end of the mon...

If any of us declared that the lockdown was over, or that we were moving to the next level, would anything change? Of course not! Why? We have no authority over the government of South Africa, unlike our president who does.

In a similar way, when it comes to God, who is the ruler and creator of the entire universe, when he speaks, things happen. Things happen - obviously in an infinitely greater and more significant way than when our president speaks. Because God is sovereign, because he is in control, all-powerful and rules and governs over all, when he speaks his Word, it always accomplishes its purpose. God spoke a word and all of creation came into being (Gen 1:3ff). He will destroy Satan with “breath of his mouth” (2 Thess 2:8).

This is why God declares in Isaiah 55:11: “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

The nature of God’s Word is that it carries authority. It always accomplishes God’s purposes, it never fails in its intent.

In this morning’s passage, we see something of the power of God’s Word at work in Jesus’ ministry. When Jesus speaks, things happen. He says a word and people are healed, demons flee and people follow him. Why is this? We are going to see that it’s because Jesus is really God, that when he speaks his Word, he always achieves his purposes.

Preacher: Rev. Antonio Coppola.

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