Shortly after Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem on a colt, he was teaching his disciples in the temple. The elders were surrounding him, listening to the gospel message (Luke 20:1). The elders knew Jesus was from Nazareth and from a questionable birth. They were jealous of his popularity and could not understand how he had such power and authority. They tried to discredit him with questions they thought would cause Jesus to say something against the Law. The elders were insidious in their scheming to disgrace Jesus; and in front of so many people would suit their needs.

Luke 20:1-2. On one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him, and they spoke, saying to Him, “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?”

As it still is today, it is very important by what authority someone speaks or who that person represents. The President of the United States sends his Secretary of State to go to other countries and negotiate on the President’s behalf. The Secretary of State has authority and checks in with the President as to how to proceed with his given tasks. The Secretary of State knows he is not in charge, but the President is, and he is the spokesperson. It was the same way with Jesus and Yahweh, his Father. Yahweh gave his Son, Jesus, the permission and power to preach the gospel, forgive sins, heal, cast out devil spirits, and do signs and wonders. The Jewish community knew very well the significance of a master giving his servants authority to do things in his stead. The Jews understood this principle of the emissary representing the power and authority of the sender.

In Luke we read that there is an owner of the vineyard (Luke 20:9-14). This owner repaired the vineyard and leased it to vine-growers, then he departed on a journey. When it came time for the harvest and the master’s payment, the owner sent not just one but three servants at different times to collect what was rightfully due. The vine-growers beat the slaves quite harshly instead of honoring the master and paying him what they owed. The master finally sent his son, whom he believed they would certainly respect and pay him, but the vine-growers were very greedy and killed his son.

The Jewish people listening to this parable understood the importance of the vineyard owner sending his servants to be his representative. The servants were his agents. When beating the servants and killing his son, they were disrespecting the master. The elders, listening to Jesus tell this parable, knew they were being accused of the same actions (Luke 20:19). Jesus knew he was given authority and power to preach the gospel and teach the Israelites about the coming Kingdom of God from his Father, Yahweh. The concept of being given authority by a master was well known and accepted in the Judean culture. The Books of Matthew and John talk about this authority.

Matthew 28:18. And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”

John 17:2. even as You [Yahweh] gave Him [Jesus] authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.

The first human, Adam, had authority over all flesh but by disobeying what Yahweh had set up, he gave away the incredible authority that he had. With Adam, death was ushered in. Jesus, in contrast, did obey Yahweh and was given authority over all flesh. He was given authority over all and even able to give eternal life! It is quite amazing that Yahweh would love His people so that He would give such incredible power and authority to a human.

What were characteristics of this power and authority from Yahweh? Jesus was able to forgive sins. Jesus was rebuked by the Scribes because they said only Yahweh could forgive sins. They were ignoring the well-known tradition of agency. Yahweh gave His Son permission to forgive sins to show the Father’s forgiveness.

Matthew 9:2-8. And they brought to Him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man who was paralyzed, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming!” And Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—then He said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, pick up your stretcher and go home.” And he got up and went home. But when the crowds saw this, they were awestruck, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Other times when Jesus forgave sins, the people present as well as the Scribes and Pharisees questioned how he could forgive sins. Not accepting that Jesus was the Son of God and that Yahweh had bestowed on him power and authority, they were dumbfounded. Luke 7:38-50 records the event at a dinner when a woman shows up and washes Jesus’ feet with her tears and dries them with her hair. The Pharisees are very upset at Jesus letting this kind of woman touch him and questioned his ability to know what sort of woman she was. After a conversation, Jesus says to the woman, “Your sins have been forgiven.” The Pharisees and elders were having a very hard time understanding he had authority from Yahweh to forgive sins (Luke 5:20; Acts 10:43).

Yahweh bestowed on Jesus the authority and power to teach and do miracles.

Matthew 7:28-29. When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching: for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

Jesus did not teach against the Law but improved it. He taught about love, peace, lovingkindness, and many other characteristics of Yahweh. When he spoke, people listened because he spoke with confidence that he was speaking the words of Yahweh to the people.

Jesus had authority and power over devil spirits:

Mark 1:27. They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.

Luke 7:21. At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind.

In the next verse we see clearly who gives Jesus this power.

Matthew 12:28. But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. A father with his spirit-possessed son, came to the disciples and they did not cast the spirit out. Coming to Jesus, the father begged Jesus to heal his son.

Luke 9:42-43. While he was still approaching, the demon slammed him to the ground and threw him into a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the boy and gave him back to his father. And they were all amazed at the greatness of God.

Jesus could have taken the credit. After all, he did the “heavy lifting” of sorts. But Jesus knew he was the emissary, not the master. Yahweh was to get the glory always and it was Jesus’ privilege and honor to be Yahweh’s servant.

Jesus has been given the authority from Yahweh to rule far above all rule and authority, power and dominion (Ephesians 1:20-21).

When Jesus was teaching at a feast near the Temple, the people were questioning if Jesus was a priest or the Christ, or a fraud from Nazareth. There was unrest among the people, and the Temple Guards were wanting to seize him, but no one would lay hands on him. The officers reported to the chief priests and received rebuke because they did not arrest Jesus. The officers answered, “Never has a man spoken the way this man speaks” (John 7:40-46).

We are given this authority and power with the gift of Holy Spirit. We can be agents, an emissary, an ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20) for the One True God in our everyday life. By whose authority do we do that? Yahweh’s authority!

What does it look like for yourself to be a sent agent by Yahweh and Jesus into this world?

For an in-depth discussion of agency see A Systematic Theology of the Early Church, Dustin R. Smith, Chapter 24.