The Authority of Jesus

JOHN 2:1-16

GOLDEN TEXT: “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.”—John 2:5

THOSE who select the Scripture passages and the Golden Texts for the International Sunday School Lessons do not always make a choice most suited to the subject. This is true of the present topic, “The Authority of Jesus.” The Master’s real authority for his ministry and miracles did not come from his mother, as is indicated in our Golden Text, but from his Heavenly Father. Jesus loved his mother, but in our lesson he makes it plain that he was not being guided by her suggestions, nor acting upon her authority.

Jesus’ ordination, or authority, for the service he came to earth to render, was that of God, and it reached him through the channel of the Holy Spirit—the Spirit or mind of God which spoke through the Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus recognized this, and called attention to it when in the synagogue at Nazareth. There he read the divine commission for service from Isaiah’s prophecy and applied it to himself. (Isa. 61:1-3) In this prophecy Jesus recognized the authority of his Father as covering his entire ministry.

The importance to us of the miracle by which Jesus turned water into wine is the explanation that “this beginning of miracles did Jesus … and manifested forth his glory.” From this we may properly assume that not only was Jesus’ first miracle designed to manifest forth his glory, but that all of them were to serve this purpose. The thought is not that the miracles manifested his glory at that time—although this also was true—but rather that they manifested “forth” his glory that was to come. This will be the glory of the messianic kingdom, when by miracle-working power all the sick will be healed, all the dead awakened, and joy will fill the earth.

Jesus’ miracles helped the disciples to believe on him. The reason is that the Old Testament Scriptures had foretold that the Messiah would be a worker of miracles—miracles so universal in their scope that death itself would be destroyed. The few recorded miracles performed by Jesus at his first advent were but a token fulfillment of the prophecies, but they did manifest “forth” his coming glory. They also assured his disciples that God was with him and that they could place their confidence in him as the One who was to rule and bless all mankind.

The turning of water into wine was a miracle which brought joy to the guests who attended the marriage in Cana; and we know that the miracle-working power of the Christ will yet bring abounding joy to all mankind. One of the prophecies of kingdom glory suggests this, saying, “And in this mountain [kingdom] shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.”—Isa. 25:6-8

Near the close of Jesus ministry, and following his triumphal entry as king into the city of Jerusalem, he went to the temple, and with a whip of small cords, drove out the money changers. John’s record of a similar occurrence may indicate that this was done twice, although this need not be the case. However, it would seem only fitting that this should be done both at the beginning and end of his ministry. The Gospels are not altogether sequential records of Jesus’ life. John may have seen an important lesson in the fact that Jesus drove the money changers from the temple, which influenced him to record the incident at this particular point in his narrative. He does say that it was at the passover season, which was true of the temple visit just before Jesus’ crucifixion.

However, it is of no great importance whether Jesus drove the money changers from the temple once or twice. It was another act authorized by his Father, manifesting forth in still another way the glory of the messianic reign. Christ must reign until all enemies of God and righteousness are destroyed. Sickness and death are among these. Everything, in fact, which contributes to unhappiness and misrepresents God will be brought to an end by the glory of the kingdom.

Among these enemies are false religious beliefs and practices. The worship of God is to be purified and put on an unselfish, non-commercial basis. Throughout the reign of sin and death man’s devotional nature has almost continuously been exploited by false religious leaders, but in the kingdom all the “money changers” are to be expelled, whether they be of Hindu persuasion, or professed Christian.

Yes, the true knowledge of God will fill the earth when the glory of the kingdom is fully manifested. The veil of superstition and ignorance which has made exploitation possible will be removed. A pure language or message will be turned to the people, and they will all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent, worshiping the true God in Spirit and in truth.—Zeph. 3:9; John 4:23,24

QUESTIONS:

By whom was Jesus authorized to serve God, and how did that authorization reach him?

What lesson can we draw from the miracle of turning water into wine?

When will exploitation in the name of religion cease?

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