The Amazing Authority Of Jesus Christ Series

The Amazing Authority of Jesus Christ

The Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 7:13-29

Sermon by Rick Crandall

(Prepared June 19, 2021)

MESSAGE:

*Today in Matthew 7:13-29, we will get to the end of the Lord's Sermon on the Mount, and in these verses, Jesus told four short parables. Remember that a parable is simply an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, and the Bible includes about 40 parables that Jesus told during His earthly ministry.

*Today's parables can help us have a life worth living, but the big picture in this Scripture and throughout the Sermon on the Mount is the amazing authority of Jesus Christ. Verses 28-29 say "and so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."

*Those people were astonished. They were shockingly amazed by what Jesus said. And it shouldn't surprise us because they were listening to the one true God who had humbled Himself to become a man. That's why Jesus was able to speak with divine authority. The same original word for "authority" is often translated as "power" in our Bibles. We see in this in Matthew 9:6 where Jesus said, "That you may know that the Son of Man has POWER on earth to forgive sins'' then He said to the paralytic, 'Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.'" And that's exactly what that paralyzed man did!

*This word for "authority" is also the same word in Matthew 28:18 where Jesus said, "All POWER is given unto me in heaven and in earth." Ephesians 1:20-21 tells us that God the Father raised Jesus "from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come." And Colossians 2:9 tells us that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Jesus bodily! No wonder those people were amazed!

*Acts 10:36 tells us that Jesus Christ is Lord of all. Our Risen Savior is King of Kings and Lord of Lords! He is always in control. Even when it came to the cross, Jesus was in control. In John 10:17-18 Jesus said, "My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

*Jesus Christ has the ultimate authority. And the more we really listen to Him, the more we will submit ourselves to Him and begin to do the things He tells us to do. That will give us a life worth living.

1. SO, LISTEN TO JESUS AND LET HIM PUT YOU ON THE RIGHT ROAD IN LIFE.

*Jesus wants to help you find the right road in life. That's why in vs. 13-14 He tells us to:

13. "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

14. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

*In other words, of all the many ways we could go in life, there is only one right way. There is only one way that works. There is only one way that will give us a life worth living. There is only one way that will give us eternal life. And that is the Jesus way.

*That's why in John 14:6, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." This is also why in John 3:36, John the Baptist said, "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.''

*And in John 8, Jesus said:

12. . . "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.''

21. Then Jesus said to them again, "I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.''

22. So the Jews said, "Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?''

23. And He said to them, "You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.

24. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.''