Turn with me if you would now
to Matthew chapter 21. Matthew 21. You remember that our Lord has
come into Jerusalem and He is preaching in the temple, traveling
back and forth from Bethany to Jerusalem, preaching in the temple.
And we're going to pick up with verse 23. It says, when He was come into the temple,
The chief priest and the elders of the people came unto him as
he was teaching and said, by what authority doest thou these
things? And who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto
them, I also will ask you one thing. which if you tell me,
I in likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was
it? From heaven or of men? And they reasoned with themselves
saying, if we shall say from heaven, he will say unto us,
why did you not then believe him? But if we shall say of men,
we fear the people, for all hold John as a prophet. And they answered
Jesus and said, we cannot tell. And he said unto them, neither
tell I you by what authority I do these things. THE CHIEF
PRIEST AND THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE TEMPLE They came to the Lord and they
asked him, who gave you the authority to do what you're doing? Our
brother just read to us with authority. They said, he doesn't
talk like everybody else. The things he says it's with
authority. And they said, who gave you the
authority that you have? Where did your authority come
from? By what authority are you doing
these things? And the Lord said, you answer
me and I'll answer you. He said, the baptism of John
was that of God or man, John, people coming to John and John
baptizing them. Was that of God or man? They
said, we don't know. He said, then you're not going
to know where my authority comes from. And what that tells us is God
only reveals the truth of His authority to His people. That's
what that tells us. God only reveals the truth of
His authority to His people. God only reveals the truth of
anything and everything concerning Himself to His people. God only
reveals the truth of baptism to His people. True baptism is
of God. True baptism is of God. A man dunking another man underwater,
that's not what saves people. But it's a picture of what does
save people. The true baptism of God, which
is God immersing a sinner into Christ. God plunging a sinner into Christ,
immersing a sinner into the blood of Jesus Christ. God immersing
a sinner into the death burial and resurrection of the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's what saves men and women.
And that salvation is not of man. That's of God. That's of
God. And if we belong to Him, He will
reveal that to us. He reveals that to all of His
people. They're all taught of God. And if we belong to Him,
He will also reveal to us where His authority comes from. And
if He does reveal that to us, if He reveals why He holds all
authority, He will reveal that through His
Word. And that's what I pray He will
do today. Our subject this morning is,
by what authority Christ does all things. Why He holds all
authority. The authority of Jesus Christ. The authority of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now before we look at this, from the Word, Let me say
first that it is a very foolish thing to question God's authority. It's a very foolish thing. Romans
9 verse 20 says, who are we to reply against God? Who are we
to question God? Who are we to question God? You
know, people very foolishly make statements. You know, why would
God do this? When I get to heaven, I'm gonna
ask God, No, you're not. That's not going to happen. No
one's going to enter into his glory with that attitude. That's
just a very foolish thing to say. We do not question God. Who are we to reply against God? In Matthew 20, he said, is it
not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? He said
that in the form of a parable. Can I not do what I want to with
my own? In Isaiah 46, he said, I declare the end from the beginning
and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done saying
my counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. He said,
I have spoken it. I will also bring it to pass.
I have purposed it. I will also do it. In Isaiah 43, he said, I will
work. Who shall let it? Who will stop
me? Who do I have to get permission
from? Turn over to Job 33 with me. I want you to see this one. Job 33. In the middle of verse 12, a
man named Elihu said, I will answer thee that God is
greater than man. Now look at verse 13. Why dost
thou strive against him? For he giveth not account of
any of his matters. He giveth not account of any
of his matters. He does not have to give a reason
for anything that he does. He answers to no one. He does
exactly what he wants to do. All right. Now here's our question this
morning, and we're not questioning God, but here's our question
for the morning. Here's our question for the message.
Why? Why does Christ hold all the
authority? We're not questioning whether
He does or not. He does. He holds it. But I pray God will reveal to
us, and I pray He'll teach us why. I pray He will really teach
us why Christ holds all the authority. We're going to answer that from
the Word. We're going to let the Word do
all the talking today. From this Word, I have six reasons
why Christ holds all the authority, and I just want to tell you this.
In the Bible study a moment ago, I had you turn and turn and turn
and turn, and I do become concerned for overturning you. And normally when I have a message
where you turn and turn and turn and turn, I try to stay still
on the next one, but it didn't work out for me this time. So
we're going to let the Word do the talking. I want to show us
from the Word, and you're welcome to turn with me and you can read
them with me. You can listen to me, I'll read them to you,
you can write them down, look at them later, do whatever you
want to do, but we're going to let the Word do all the talking
today, okay? Why does Christ hold all the
authority? What gives Him the authority? What is the reason or the ground
for His authority? Here's where we're going to start.
Turn with me to Revelation chapter 1. Revelation 1 verse 1 tells us
that this is the revelation of Jesus Christ. This whole book
is about Jesus Christ. The purpose of the last book
in the Bible is to reveal Jesus Christ, the person and the work
of Jesus Christ. That's what all of the other
65 books of the Bible are about. Same thing. This is not the revelation
of Armageddon. This is not the revelation of
whatever else people come up with. This is the revelation
of Jesus Christ. Look at verse seven. It says,
behold, he cometh with clouds and every eye shall see him. And they also, which pierced
him. and all kindreds of the earth
shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen." Now watch verse
8. He said, I am Alpha and Omega,
the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is and
which was and which is to come. The last two words right there
say, the Almighty. The Almighty. People talk about
the Almighty. You've heard people talk about
the Almighty. Well, who is the Almighty? Jesus
Christ. Jesus Christ. Why does He hold
all authority? It's because He is the Almighty
God. I pray God will reveal that to
us. I pray God will cause us to see
Him to be that because that's what He is. He is the Almighty
God. John 1 says, in the beginning
was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God, Jesus
Christ. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. God, the Almighty. The Almighty. Isaiah 7, 14 says,
a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son and shall call his
name Emmanuel. What does Emmanuel mean? What
does the name Emmanuel mean? God with us. The Almighty God
with us. Isaiah 9, 6 says, for unto us
a child shall be born. Unto us a son shall be given,
and the government shall be upon his shoulder." The authority,
the government. Why? It's because His name shall
be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace. Why does Christ hold all authority? It's because He is the Mighty
God, the Almighty. It just slays me to listen to
people talk about Jesus Christ as a man like you and me. A good
man, a better man than you and me, but doesn't it just slay
you? Doesn't it just slay you? This is the Almighty. Turn over
to Isaiah 42. I want to show you something
here. I realize that every, every Bible, depending on who makes
the Bible, if it's the King James version, the words in the middle
are all the same, but the layout is different. And sometimes they
write different things at the top of the heading, but many
of you have a Bible like mine. And if you do, you see that the
heading at the top of Isaiah 42 says the office of Christ. You see that? Isaiah wrote of the Lord Jesus
Christ. I think that ought to be a light
bulb moment. If we've never realized that
Isaiah wrote of the Lord Jesus Christ, Isaiah 42 is talking
about the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at chapter 49 Isaiah 49. The heading at the top of my
page for Isaiah 49 says, Christ sent to the Gentiles with gracious
promises. Christ sent to the Gentiles with
gracious promises. Isaiah 49 is talking about Jesus
Christ. That's what it's all about. Look
at Isaiah 50. The heading says, Christ's patient
suffering. 51 says, an exhortation to trust
in Christ. 52 says, the welcome tidings
of Christ's kingdom. 53 says, the humiliation and
sufferings of Christ. Do we see that Isaiah wrote of
Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ is the God of the
Old Testament. Jesus Christ. Alright, turn to
Isaiah 40. This is why we came here. Isaiah
40. Verse 1, it says, Comfort ye,
comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to
Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished,
that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the
Lord's hand double for all her sins. That is in the Lord Jesus
Christ. God's people have received that
in the sacrifice and death payment of the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse
three says, the voice of him that crieth in the wilderness,
prepare ye the way of the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ. That's
the prophecy of John the Baptist preparing the way for Christ. Alright, now look at the end
of verse 9. The end of verse 9, the last
three words. It says, Behold your God. Behold your God. Verse 10 says, Behold the Lord
God will come with strong hand and his arm shall rule for him. Behold His reward is with Him
and His work before Him. That's Jesus Christ. Verse 11
says, He shall feed His flock like a shepherd. He shall gather
the lambs with His arm and carry them in His bosom and shall gently
lead those that are with young. That's Christ. The true and living
Almighty God, Jesus Christ. That's the first reason why He
holds all authority. Because He's Almighty God. That's
reason enough. But let's keep going. Turn over
to Isaiah 45. This is still speaking of Christ.
Isaiah 45. Look at the end of verse 21. There is no God else beside me,
a just God and a Savior. None beside me. This is still
speaking of Christ, Savior. He's our Savior. Look at verse
5, Isaiah 45, 5. He said, I am the Lord and there
is none else. There is no God beside me. I
girded thee though thou hast known me. that they may know
from the rising of the sun and from the west that there's none
beside me. I am the Lord and there is none
else. Now listen to the wording of
this. I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create
evil. I the Lord do all these things. Drop down ye heavens from above
and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open and let them
bring forth salvation and let righteousness spring up together.
I the Lord have created it. Woe unto him that striveth with
his maker. Let the potsherds strive with
the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that
fashioned it, what makest thou? For thy work he hath no hands. Woe unto him that saith unto
his father, what begettest thou? Or to the woman, what hast thou
brought forth? Thus saith the Lord, the holy
one of Israel, and his maker. Ask me of things to come concerning
my sons and concerning the work of my hands, command ye me. I
have made the earth and created man upon it, I, even my hands,
have stretched out the heavens, and all their hosts have I commanded."
Why does Jesus Christ hold authority over everything? It's because
He created everything. That's the reason why. You see
in those old Western movies, you know, they're about to have
a showdown, and one of them will say, prepare to meet your maker. Well, the correct meaning of
that is prepare to meet Jesus Christ. Prepare to meet Jesus
Christ. John 1 verse 3 says, all things
were made by Him. Without Him was not anything
made that was made. Colossians 1 16, it says, by
Him were all things created that are in heaven, that are in earth,
visible, invisible, whether they be thrones or principalities,
dominions, powers, all things were created by Him and for Him. That's why He has authority over
all things. It's what gives Him the authority.
He's the creator. He's the owner. He's the God
of everything. All right, turn to Isaiah 6. Verse 1 says, In the year that
King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne,
high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood
the seraphims, each one had six wings. With twain he covered
his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did
fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is
the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His
glory. And the post of the door moved at the voice of him that
cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, woe
is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and
I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for mine eyes
have seen the King, the Lord of hosts." Why does Christ have
all the authority? It's because He's the King. He
is the King. He is not the President or the
Senate or Congress or anything that's voted into a position. He is the King who sits on the
throne. He wasn't voted into that position. He is the rightful heir of that
position. Hebrews 1.8, God the Father said
to God the Son, Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever. The angel told Mary, the Lord
God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. He shall
reign over the house of Jacob of his kingdom. There shall be
no end. None. I was going to have you turn
to Daniel 4, but I'm not going to do it. You know, that's where
Nebuchadnezzar, the Lord took his mind from him. And after
the Lord gave it back, Nebuchadnezzar said, Don't listen to me anymore. Don't
listen to my pride anymore. He said, I praise, I bless the
most high and I praise and honor him that liveth forever, whose
dominion is an everlasting dominion and his kingdom is from generation
to generation and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And he doeth according to his
will in the army of heaven among the inhabitants of the earth.
None can stay his hand or say unto him, what doest thou? He
went on to say, now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the
King of Heaven. The King of Heaven. Who's he talking about? Jesus
Christ. You know Daniel wrote of Jesus
Christ? Nebuchadnezzar threw Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego in that fiery furnace, and he said, there's
a fourth man in there, and he looks like the Son of God. Jesus Christ. Why does Christ
hold all the authority? It's because He's God Almighty.
It's because He created everything. And it's because He is the King
who is and will forever be seated on His throne. Now, I'm going
to speed up, okay? The last three are not going
to take as long as the first three. Are you ready? Turn to
John 5. John 5, verse 22. This is amazing to see right
here. John 5, 22. For the Father judgeth no man,
but hath committed all judgment unto the Son, that all men should
honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth
not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth
on him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily,
I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is when the dead shall
hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall
live. For as the Father hath life in
Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself,
and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because
He is the Son of Man." Why does Christ hold all the authority?
It's because all judgment has been placed in His hands. The
Father judges no man. Everybody thinks they got to
go stand before God the Father. The Father judges no man. He
has put 100% of that responsibility in the hands of Jesus Christ. We must all stand before the
judgment seat of Christ. Turn to Philippians 2. This right here is the reason
why Christ holds the authority. This right here, Philippians
2 verse 5. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery
to be equal with God. But thank God, he made himself
of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and
was made in the likeness of men. and being found in fashion as
a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even
the death of the cross. Wherefore, because of that, God
also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is
above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of things in heaven and things in earth and things under
the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord to the glory of God the Father. Why does Christ hold
all the authority? It's because He is the Lord and
Savior of all of His people. The Father gave Him the work
of saving His elect people, and Christ did it. He accomplished
it. He finished the work. Because
of that, the Father has highly exalted Him. Because He did the
work the Father gave to Him, the Father has highly lifted
Him up, given Him a name above every name, and at the hearing
of His name, the wisest thing we can do is bow. and confess
He's the Lord. All authority be in His hand.
He's the Almighty. He's the Creator. He's the King. He's the Judge. He's the Savior. For our last reason, go back
to where we started, Revelation 1. This is the revelation of Jesus
Christ, the Almighty. Look at verse 17, Revelation
1 verse 17. John said, When I saw Him, I
fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon
me, saying unto me, Fear not, I am the first and the last.
I am He that liveth and was dead. And behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of hell
and death. Why is all authority in the hands
of Jesus Christ? It's because he's the one who
holds the keys. He holds the keys of life. He
holds the keys of hell and death that is in his hands, not in
ours. And I'll say again, the wisest thing we can do is bow
to Him. The wisest thing we can do is
come to Him begging for mercy. Mercy from the one who has the
authority to give it. The good news of the gospel is,
based on the authority of His Word, He said, all who come to
Him, bowing to His authority, begging Him for mercy, He said,
He will in no wise turn that soul away. He has the authority. He has the right. He has the
will to do that. The will to save to the uttermost.
Lord, this is what we say. Lord, we bow. We bow. We come to you. We bow to you.
By your work of causing us to, by your work of grace in us,
we bow to all of your authority. Amen. All right.