“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” — Matthew 7:28-29
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“Hot takes” and strong opinions get tossed to and fro all day in the sports media world. Writers routinely publish their lists of the most overrated and underrated players while television personalities emphatically declare which teams will make the playoffs next season and which teams won’t. Seemingly everyone in sports media has shared their thoughts on the never-ending Jordan vs. LeBron debate (I’m a Jordan guy myself).
But it’s something else entirely when former players and coaches, who’ve competed and had success at the highest levels of their sport, share their opinions publicly. They’re not just some other talking heads spouting opinions, fans think. They’ve been there. They’ve lived it. They know what it’s like. So when they tell us what they think, we’d better listen, because they know what they’re talking about.
Their opinions are considered and valued more highly. They carry greater weight, not necessarily because of the opinion that was shared, but because of who was doing the sharing. In short, former athletes and coaches speak about their sport as ones who have authority.
Jesus was described in Matthew 7 (above) and elsewhere as teaching with a type of authority unlike anything the people had encountered at that time, not even among the scribes or other so-called experts of the Old Testament law. Jesus wasn’t just a commenter on the Old Testament; He was its divine Author. He was the fulfillment of the Old Testament, the Word made flesh. Whatever He said about the Old Testament — and He said a lot — wasn’t just another opinion but was actually truth itself, because He is God.
Not only this, Jesus also has the authority to speak into our lives as human beings on earth. He was human, just like you and me. He knows exactly how we feel when we’ve been rejected, when we’re tired, when we’re angry. He knows exactly what it’s like to grieve and to love. He even knows what it is to be tempted (yet He never gave in to temptation).
Fully God. Fully man. Jesus has the ultimate authority. So how are we to respond to this incredible truth? Hebrews 4:16 tells us.
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
We run to Jesus with confidence, as children run into their parents’ arms, because in Him is abundant and eternal life. We rejoice that we know Him, and even more so, that He knows us. And, we accept and obey His words in Scripture as they are — as truth itself — because of His perfect authority. So when He talks about Himself and when He talks about our lives, we’d be wise to listen.
— Kevin Mercer
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