After my daughter and I had stood in line for thirteen hours to show our respects to Queen Elizabeth II and her reign, it led me to consider the sovereignty of God. Who is this sovereign God, and what does his power and authority look like so that we can worship him with complete reverence? The answer, I discovered, is best seen in Jesus and his life on earth.
AUTHORITY OVER CREATION
They went to him, woke him up, and said, “Master! Master! We’re going to die!” Then he got up and ordered the wind and the waves to stop. The wind stopped, and the sea became calm. Luke 8:24
A raging storm obeyed the voice of Jesus.
We may question why God doesn’t stop storms today that bring fear and havoc and take the lives of many people. But, Jesus did not still every storm in his lifetime. Jesus told his disciples they would experience famines, earthquakes, and pandemics during their time. All of those terrible things were still under God’s authority and control.
It is the same for us, even though we don’t understand why God allows them to happen, as Jesus told his disciples:
- They would be protected, not a hair of their heads would be harmed,
- They were to keep trusting him and not be afraid.
- They were to stand firm and be determined not to worry. (See Luke 21:8-18).
AUTHORITY OVER EVIL
Everyone there was spellbound, buzzing with curiosity. “What’s going on here? A new teaching that does what it says? He shuts up defiling, demonic spirits and tells them to get lost!” News of this traveled fast and was soon all over Galilee. Mark 1:27 MSG
Whatever spiritual battles we or others are facing, God has supreme power and authority over them. When we face temptations, we can pray in Jesus’ name for sure victory, to be freed from all that threatens to harm us.
AUTHORITY AND POWER IN HIS WORDS
The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. Mark 1:22
Jesus’ teachings as the words of God were not ordinary. Likewise, the Bible, the Word of God, is no ordinary book. When we read it, we too can be astonished at its power to change our lives. I hope that is the experience you have had.
AUTHORITY OVER PEOPLE
“But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” Luke 7:7-8
Jesus has the power to change lives if we believe in him and let him.
AUTHORITY OVER SIN
“But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Matthew 9:8
Forgiveness of sins restores our relationship with God. It frees us from the consequences of sin. Sin is a condition we all suffer and one that only Jesus has the authority to reverse. “You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.” Matthew 5:8 MSG.
AUTHORITY OVER DEATH
And now he has made all of this plain to us by the appearing of Christ Jesus, our Savior. He broke the power of death and illuminated the way to life and immortality through the Good News. 2 Timothy 1:10 NLT
This is the good news for all of us. Jesus has defeated death. Death that has the power over every person, and brings us so much pain and fear, has been conquered by Jesus.
Take comfort in these words of Jesus: “The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?” John 11:25 MSG
Use this prayer to worship God and his Son, Jesus, to give him respect and reverence. We do not have to bow our heads before a coffin, as I did with the Queen, but we can lift our hands and heads in thankfulness for God reigns now and forever.
