“When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29).
When Jesus finished speaking, the people knew that there was something different about Him. He taught with authority. They could tell that His message was one to which they should listen. The same is true today – we must also listen to Jesus’ message and do what He instructed.
The reason why Jesus was able to teach with authority was because He was (and is) the Son of God. When Peter, James, and John witnessed the transfiguration of Jesus, they heard the Father speak from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5). When Jesus gave His apostles the Great Commission, He began by emphasizing His authority: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18). This was the basis for their work in making disciples and teaching them to observe His commandments (Matthew 28:19-20). If Jesus was just another man with a message that He invented on His own, we could choose to accept it, reject it, or follow some of it and ignore the rest without any lasting consequence. But since He is the Son of God and His message is of divine origin, we must accept His message and obey it. The choice is still ours to make, but it is not an inconsequential one. Our decision is a matter of eternal life or death (John 5:28-29).
If we are to be Jesus’ disciples, we must follow Him in all things. Our entire life must be devoted to Him. If we will do this, the rewards will be well worth it.
Links to each of the lessons in this series are available below:
- Introduction
- A Blessed Life
- A Righteous Life
- A Sincere Life
- A Focused Life
- A Just Life
- A Different Life
