“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’” – Matthew 28:18
This is a critical part of what it means when you call Jesus “Lord”. Lord isn’t merely a title like “Mr. or Sir”. “Lord” acknowledges this particular truth about Jesus. He has ALL authority both in heaven and on earth. He received it through His death and resurrection. Jesus doesn’t just have some authority. He doesn’t just have a lot of authority. He has ALL AUTHORITY. Jesus has absolute authority over the entire created universe and everything and everyone in it. Jesus IS King.
Think about that for a moment. Jesus has 100% authority over every aspect of your life. Do you believe it? Do you live like you believe it? Most of us prefer a “split-model” of authority. There are parts of our lives we’re happy to hand over to Jesus and other parts we want to firmly hold onto ourselves. If Jesus is Lord, then He has all authority over every aspect of your life.
Does Jesus have authority over your dreams? Your hopes? Your plans? Your relationships? Your family? Your friends? Your finances? Your time? Your music? Your entertainment? Your ambitions? Your education? Your career? Your retirement? Does Jesus have authority over the most intimidate details of your life (your health, your wealth, your sexuality, your identity)?
Jesus has that authority, but are you still fighting Him for it? Have you yielded every bit of your life to Him? It’s OK to be honest – most Christians struggle with this. As you’ve reflected on the authority of Jesus in your life, take time in prayer to turn over to Jesus whatever it is you’ve been trying to hold onto. Tell Him, “Jesus, you have authority over _____. Your knowledge is perfect. Your wisdom is perfect. Your power is perfect. Help me to respect your authority and stop fighting you for it.” #FollowJesus