Series: Sermon on the Mount
Lesson #33
Title: The Authority
Text: Matthew 7: 28, 29
Date: January 24, 2009
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
The sermon of the Lord began in chapter 5 and ended in the verse just before this.
Matthew 7: 28: And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
In Mark 11: 27-33 we learn how the scribes taught then and how they teach now. They reasoned within themselves and spoke only that which would not offend men. In doing so they denied the truth that John was come from God. The Lord Jesus Christ teaches us a good lesson about such men, he would not even answer them.
I. CHRIST JESUS IS THE AUTHORITY
God is Power. God is Wisdom.
The Power and Wisdom of God is revealed in the hearts of his people through the gospel. In whom? By whom?
“Unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ [is] the power of God, and [Christ is] the wisdom of God, of God is Christ made unto you…” (I Cor 1: 29, 30)
Christ Jesus is the Essential Word.
Christ Jesus is not only the object of the word of God he is the essential Word which was from the beginning, who is God and was manifest in the flesh full of grace in truth.
Christ Jesus is the Righteousness and Faithfulness of God.
In the righteousness and faithfulness of Christ Jesus his Son, God the Father manifests his own Righteousness and Faithfulness to each of children. In the law and the prophets the Holy Spirit declared what God the Father promised beforehand that his Son would fulfill in glorifying his holy name and saving his people from their sins.
Romans 1: 2: (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 3: Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 4: And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1: 2.)
Christ Jesus his Son fulfilled in righteousness every word promised. The Son of God, Christ Jesus, honored and magnified every command of the righteous God. And Christ Jesus satisfied justice for those chosen and given him of the Father to declare God just and the justifier of all who believe. This is the power and wisdom of God in Christ: those who are justified became justified by the righteousness and faithfulness of God the Father through the righteousness and faithfulness of his Son, Jesus, the Christ.
Paul said the gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; because through this truth of Christ, the righteousness of God is revealed from God who is Faithful, to those in whom he has given faith. What wisdom and power of God in Chrisy! By his faithfulness he justified his people making peace for us with God, and by his faithfulness he gives faith to each one so that by Christ we enter into this grace wherein we stand.
Romans 5: 1: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Christ is the Authority.
As Mediator, the Authority, the Right, the Privilege, the Excellency of the Power of God has been given to Christ Jesus over all flesh, so that nothing can hinder him from giving eternal life to as many as the Father gave him.
John 17:2: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
Ephesians 1: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23: Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
The Lord Jesus Christ stood before them that day, as bone of their bone and flesh of their flesh, declaring that all Power, Right, Dominion, is his over all.
Brethren, nothing shall interfere with him bringing his redeemed to glory with him.
II. MANY WHO WERE ASTONISHED WERE OFFENED!
His Authority offended the people of his own country.
Matthew 13: 54: And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? 55: Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56: And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? 57: And they were offended in him.
Why were they offended? They were accustomed to teachers who had received their authority from the religious leaders who were most esteemed among men. Jesus had not been taught in the schools of the scribes and the Pharisees. Without some religious credentials, some credibility from the religious men who THEY esteemed, they regarded the Master the same way they regarded his family, ignorant and base.
Joseph was a carpenter and Mary had no title and civil respect among the people; they were poor and despised. These brethren here are his half-brothers and cousins according to the flesh. They were nobodies as well. His brethren had no authority from the scribes. Christ could have received nothing from them. So rather than believe the Master to be the Christ, the Authority from God, they were offended at him.
Be sure to get this: They were offended at Christ because he had no form—no comeliness—no form of the religion they highly esteemed (comely) to men—that when they should see him—with the natural eye—they should desire him. Even in the Master, it pleased God to use none of the forms and outward attractions that men esteem by which he would cause men to believe on him. It is for the same reason that it pleased God not to call many wise, or noble.
Isaiah 23:9: The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.
I Corinthians 1: 28: And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Note the brethren which the Holy Spirit records here. Those offended at Christ used these brethren to justify their rejection of Christ. Yet, these men were taught of Christ and used of God. James was an apostle, who wrote the epistle of James. Joses is Joseph Barsabbas, a faithful man, who was in the upper room with the brethren on the day of Pentecost. Judas is also called Lebbaeus, and Thaddaeus, an apostle who is the writer of the epistle of Jude. Historians say, Simon the son of Cleophas, succeeded James as a teacher in Jerusalem.
Plainness of Speech
It was not that they did not understand his speech. He spoke with plainness of speech. But plainness of speech is not pronunciation, articulation, elocution of words, (look at I Corinthians 1: 30) Plainness of speech is the boldness God gives to speak the Truth.
1. God chooses whom he will,
I Corinthians 1: 30: But of [God] are ye in Christ Jesus,
2. Plainness of speech is declaring that the Spirit of God alone is able to bring a sinner to believe on Christ.
I Corinthians 1: 30:…who of God is made unto us…
3. It is setting forth clearly that Christ is the fullness of All that God requires to receive his children unto himself.
I Corinthians 1: 30:…who of God is made unto us…wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
4. Even in the Master himself, we see that it pleased God to save by the foolishness of preaching, and no other attraction whatsoever, that men’s faith might stand in the Excellency of the Power, and not in men. THE EXCELLENCY OF THE POWER IS OF GOD—CHRIST THE POWER AND WISDOM OF GOD.
I Corinthians 1: 31: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Get this: It is not merely the doctrine that offends it is, Christ who is the Power, the Wisdom, the Righteousness, the Holiness, the Redeemer, who has Authority to give life, to those given him before the world began who offends.
Religious Leaders were astonished and offended at him.
The Pharisees, Herodians and Sadducees, came to him in one day with foolish and unlearned questions, smoke screens, to entangle him in his talk, to defend their wisdom and their religious charade. Here is what he said:
Matthew 22: 18…Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?...29: Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God….33: And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine….41: While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42: Saying, What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43: He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44: The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45: If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46: And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
When the gospel of Christ is proclaimed every vainly religious man hears the Master saying the same thing to them: hypocrite, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.” Therefore the gospel of Christ doubly offends the man who is doubly blinded, first by his sin and secondly by the pride of his religious form.
Let me repeat: it is not merely the doctrine that offends men, any more than it is a doctrine that saves sinners, many will receive the doctrine who yet deny the Power. Christ is the Authority that makes sinners forsake all vain refuge, especially the golden calf men have named “jesus.”
John 5: 39: Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40: And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
Example: Consider those disciples who received his doctrine but did not continue? What proved them? They received his doctrine but when he said to them, I AM THE BREAD, He that eateth ME, drinks MY BLOOD. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more WITH HIM.
III. BY HIS AUTHORITY HE MAKES SOME REJOICE AND CAST ALL THEIR CARE ON HIM.
His Authority Makes Sinners To Follow Him.
You can rest assured that when the Spirit and Power come into a sinners heart they will renounce all for him—ALWAYS!
Example: The apostle Paul claimed to worship God. He was just like multitudes in our day who claim to believe on Christ. What proved his faith when Christ arrested him! He left those THINGS, counting them dung,--“that I might win Christ and be found in HIM,” with the righteousness of God which is by the faithfulness of Christ.
1. Christ the Authority opens the scriptures unto us.
Luke 24: 27: And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
2. Christ the Authority sends forth the Holy Spirit testifying of him.
John 15:26: But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
3. Christ the Authority makes us rejoice, to follow him, to be separated from our former idolatry to where we can hear the gospel that he is the One who is able to present us to God spotless and without blame.
Luke 24: 32: And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?
4. Christ the Authority makes his disciples never leave him.
John 6: 68: Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. 69: And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
5. In all this, God the Father well-pleased and rejoices in his Son. In the mount Peter beheld the Lord transfigured. He saw Moses (law) and Elias (prophets), Peter said,
Matthew 17: 4:…let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. 5: While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Peter hit his face and looked back up and saw none but CHRIST JESUS ONLY. In his epistle Peter wrote:
2 Peter 1: 16: We have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the Power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17: For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 18: And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. [But Peter said 19] We have also a more sure word of prophecy
The scriptures—Moses and Elias, the law and the prophets, are God speaking like he did on the mount of transfiguration, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
2 Peter 1: 19:…whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
It is my prayer that he will speak in Authority to you this day and that his word will astonish you—not in offense, but in rejoicing. You will be pleased with even as the Father, and you will obey him.
Amen!