December 5, 2012 The Author's Authority

The Author’s Authority Luke 20:38-40 “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” 39 Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!” 40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions. WHEN someone writes a book on a factual subject, the author is often given immediate credit as an expert. Even those who write fiction novels must have a wide and varied knowledge of their subject to give credit to the story line and its characters. Luke 20 is about the authority of Jesus to proclaim the Word of God. He is challenged by chief priests, teachers and elders of the temple. They are appropriately asking him, “Who gave you this authority?” The trouble is, they weren’t ready to accept the authority of the author of life. As he answered them with a question, he wanted these men to discover the answers for themselves. It is likely they knew the answer but were unwilling to say it. That is essentially what happens here. Jesus answers the authority question by first pointing to John the Baptist. Then he tells the parable of the land tenants who disdained the authority of the landowner and killed his servants and son. He points to the authority of Rome to tax and the authority of God to receive a tithe. And the chapter concludes with Jesus pointing to the ultimate authority – the Living God. My question for you is this: Are you willing to accept the authority of the Living God in your life? If you’re not, you’re the same as Jesus’ questioners—always asking questions but never willing to admit to the authority of the author of life over your life. If you are willing to accept God’s authority, what will change in your life? It’s True! Jesus is the Living Word, and his words are the authority of Heaven. Listen.