Choosing the Way of Life

KEY VERSE: “The people were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” —Matthew 7:28,29

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Matthew 7:13-29

THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS were very popular with the people, perhaps, in part, due to the personal charisma of our Lord. But they were also struck with the authority with which he taught, and the judgment which he seemed empowered to exercise as to their acceptance into the kingdom. “Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (vs. 21) And again, “Every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man.” (vs. 26) Such directness of doctrine astonished his hearers.

Ordinarily Jesus did not concern himself with the wrong practices of the people of Israel, except to call attention to them when fitting opportunities were presented for so doing. Jesus was not a reformer in the sense that we think of that term today. He realized that Israel, under the influence of selfish and corrupt religious leaders, had drifted too far away from God to be turned back by anything short of his coming kingdom of authority and power.

Jesus, of course, loved Israel, his people according to the flesh. Even when saying to them that their house was left unto them desolate, he explained that he would have liked to have gathered them together as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but they would not be gathered. Aside from cleansing the Temple by driving out the money changers, Jesus had used no other method for gathering the Israelites back into the fold of God than to proclaim to them the Gospel of the kingdom, and to call upon them to repent. His was not a ministry of force or coercion, but of persuasion based upon love.

“The chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority.” (Matt. 21:23) The question of authority, or of ordination, as it would be called today, is an important one. Jesus could easily have explained to his opponents by what authority he taught and preached, but apparently he felt that their hearts were not in the right attitude to receive the truth on the subject. In a synagogue in Nazareth, soon after he began his ministry, Jesus called attention to his divine authorization by explaining that the prophecy of Isaiah 61:1,2 was being fulfilled by him.

The opening statement in this prophecy reads, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.” (Luke 4:18,19) This is a statement of the true ordination by God, the ordination or authority of the Holy Spirit. Jesus received this directly from his Heavenly Father, and without the benefit of a college degree! Nor did he need the approval of the religious leaders of his day. His ordination by God needed no confirmation from them.

The authority of God through his Spirit to preach the Gospel is described as an ‘anointing’. (I John 2:27) The use of this word stems from the divine laws for installing the priests of Israel into office. A special oil was poured upon their heads, and this was described as an anointing. The anointing oil was symbolic of the Holy Spirit which was to come upon Jesus, designating him to be the great antitypical High Priest, the anointed of God.

The Apostle Peter explained that all the true followers of Jesus constitute a holy priesthood, and these likewise receive the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and are thereby authorized or ordained to preach the Gospel. (I Pet. 2:5,9) The Apostle John wrote, “The anointing which ye have received of him [God] abideth in you.” (I John 2:27) This anointing, John further explains, “teacheth you of all things,” meaning, of course, all things which a minister of Christ needs to know in order to preach the Gospel of Christ.

Thus, just as Jesus received his authority to preach directly from God through the Holy Spirit, so do all his faithful followers. Theological schools and human ordination are not prerequisites for the ministry of the Gospel. All consecrated Christians are authorized to be ministers of the Gospel, according to their talents and opportunities.

All who are faithful in carrying out their responsibilities as bearers of the good tidings of the Gospel, Jesus likens to those who build their house upon ‘a rock’, the sure foundation of the doctrines that he taught.

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