All Authority
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Matthew 28:18
All of mankind is subject to the authority of Christ.
This was the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy made centuries earlier (Dan. 7:13-14), and was the basis for Peter’s statement made days later on Pentecost: “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). Paul, Peter, and the writer of Hebrews also proclaimed the ultimate authority of Christ. Listen…
For God has put all things in subjection under his feet. (1 Cor. 15:27a)
That he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Eph. 1:20-23)
Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. (Phil. 2:9-10)
And you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (Col. 2:10)
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him. (1 Pet. 3:21-22)
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things… (Heb. 1:1-2)
You made him for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet. Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control… (Heb. 2:7-8a)
Isn’t it interesting how so many who claim to follow Christ choose to unrepentantly disobey him and rebel against his commands and teachings?
For example, most of the professed followers of Christ in Christendom deny that one has to be baptized in order to be saved…even though that was a command Jesus gave right after declaring he had all authority (Matt. 28:18-19), and even though Peter declared in the above quote both that baptism saves and that Jesus had authorities and powers subject to him (1 Pet. 3:21-22).
What did Jesus say?
Why do you call me “Lord, Lord,” and not do what I tell you? (Luke 6:46)
Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matt. 7:21-23)
Isn’t it interesting how we want Jesus to be our Savior…and we CALL him our Lord…but we like to pick and choose which of his commands to obey? Regardless of what we say to ourselves to fool ourselves, Jesus IS Lord. He HAS all authority. If we go to heaven, it will be both by his grace and because we penitently obey ALL of what he has told us to do.