Hanging out with Jesus IV: His Kingly Authority

Hanging out with Jesus IV: Kingly Authority

Mark 1: 16 - 34

The book of Mark tells how Jesus was prepared for his public ministry for thirty years.   When he was ready he moved into action by preaching the gospel of the Kingdom of God.  The time, the kingdom and response were issues that mattered most in his ministry. Readiness and timeliness are crucial on God’s program of spiritual development.  He began public ministry after John was arrested (v14a). When Jesus was ready, time was ripe for John to go.  John had to complete his ministry of paving the way by baptizing Jesus. He had declared ‘I should decrease and he increases.’  The departure of John meant the rise if Christ.  Whose experience and life lessons are you learning from.   Who is your fore runner and mentor.  Fore runners and disciplers like scaffolds need to get out of the way at some point for  the disciples to flourish. Trees can not grow under a bush. A discipler plays John’s role  in presenting Jesus to people and make way for him and Jesus role to raise the people for their ministry and make way for them to be what God designed for their lives. 

When Jesus was ready, he moved into action.  Because he was ready he only needed three years to complete his task. God starts in order to guarantee the finish – the alpha and omega. Rome may not have been built in a day but  with God a nation can be built in a day. It always takes longer to prepare a person for great works. Preparation time is the foundation one lays in their character. But he took long so that the disciples could ride on what he had already done and they did not have to wait thirty years. He has become the foundation that is already laid out.

From preparation Jesus moved in his purpose. His purpose was a promise for humanity. Your purpose fulfills a promise to someone. When preparation is over embrace the purpose and become the promise fulfiller to others. Something good happened for those who hung around him with faith.  He comes with you where ever you are. Something wonderful is about to happen when you hang around Jesus and build your life around him. By just being there and abiding in him you have fulfilled the necessary conditions for your  miracle and destiny.

Jesus moved into action after the prophetic word  had gone before him, the written word was rich in his heart and the rhema word was received from above.  He received the fullness and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit follows the obeyed word.  Word plus obedience releases grace of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit works through obedience. He needs the word and your obedience to act on and act  with.  Jesus obeyed the instruction to be  baptized.  He obeyed the Holy Spirit into the wilderness.  He moved into action after he passed tests in the wilderness.  He commenced his ministry with demonstration of amazing authority. Kings must have authority to exercise power and rule. He was a king with kingly anointing.    The following are the foundational dimensions of authority in Jesus’ ministry and discipleship.

1) Authority to mobilize

The book of Mark is not just about the teaching and ministry of Jesus but also about the learning experience of his disciples who sat at his feet for three years.

Mar 1:16- 20 Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men.

Jesus was clear about his mission. Without a clear mission you cannot mobilize. His mission was to fish man from sin.  Jesus’ first priority was to proclaim the gospel. His second was to form a team for the task. He mobilized companions and protégés in this mission. Kings are people with  domains that they rule through teams.  Jesus ruled through disciple making teams. Authority can be shared or abused. He shared his authority by including and empowering people. Authority is abused when used to exclude, exploit and dominate others. Always remember that for any mission from God there is a team. The challenge is to find it. Discover the team for the task. Approach the team and invite them.  Authority to mobilize disciples to carry out responsibility and execute tasks is kingly authority. The quality of the team is the quality of the kingship. Discipleship is a kingly function. It is about forming a team with which to work and through whom to work and connect with a next generation.

Kingly authority begins with forming a team or mobilizing a labor force. He called people who were already busy doing something. Its easier to turn a moving vehicle that a stationery one.  The four initial people he called as recorded by Mark were fisher man.  He promised to them that he would not  discard their trade. Instead if they followed him, he would redeem and redirect that their  passion and personalities towards a higher purpose.  He approached people who were available. They immediately left their nets to follow him.  Ability would follow availability and a heart to follow. A commitment to be with him and to let him make able fisherman in a higher calling.  For some you leave your nets for others you use your nets for the same purpose to share the gospel.

Discipleship is not for lone rangers. Jesus was not a lone super ranger.   In mobilizing his team, Jesus would have asked questions such as  who do I work with, who will hold me accountable, who do I pass this work to, and  who do I help to do what I do.  He was a networked person and a great team player.  His team bore testimony of his work and character.  All we know of him is testimony of his team.  We know he was righteous because of what they wrote and how non of them offered witness to aggravate his case during trial.  Also all of them believed what he taught and died for so much that they were willing to die for his message. He recognized that sustainability requires a next generation.  He prepared them so well that at the end he could say ‘It is good for me to go.’ He was so confident that he declared they would do greater works than he did.

2) Authority in Speech

Jesus declared the word of the Lord with power and conviction. He had grace for utterance.  When he and his team went to Capernaum they taught in the synagogue. They started by sharing the gospel with people who had an openness to discussion about God.  People already reading the Bible but perhaps upside down.  People with unanswered quaestions about their faith.  He spoke to them in a way that was different from what they were used to.  He was Spirit led and untraditional. 

Mar 1:21 - 25  he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.

He had command and was compelling.  He was fearless about speaking the gospel. He spoke with such faith and conviction that they marveled. He spoke from the heart  not just what read or memorized but what's in heart. He was prophetically  about his mission (Luke 4:18) when nothing had yet happened to show.      He was unapologetic but  full of positive expectation and boldness about the effectiveness of the word of God.   Because he spoke with conviction his words produced conviction in the hearers. Because he spoke from the heart his word reached the hearts of the people. Unlike the others who spoke  from head to head.

3) Authority over enemies of  the kingdom

The kingdom of God is peace and joy, and righteousness in the Holy Spirit. It is the realm of human wellness. Jesus declared war on the causes of human suffering. He came to bring solution to human needs and suffering. He employed his authority and power to meet needs. He declared war with things that bother us – the  joy stealers and peace destroyers.

>>> Over evil spirits.

He amazed the people and embarrassed the leaders in the synagogue who were worshiping with a demon possessed person by casting out the evil spirit and setting the person free.  The demons knew who he was and trembled. They heard his command to go and obeyed.

Mark 1: 25 Hold thy peace, and come out of him.   

The obstacles we face are sin, doubt and spiritual barriers. The cure for sin is repentance. The cure for doubt is to believe. The way to deal with evil spirits is to stop them. They wait for a command or an order otherwise they remain and want to negotiate a truce.  ‘And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit ; and he cried out ,   Saying , Let us alone ; what have we to do with thee , thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art thou come to destroy us ? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.   And Jesus rebuked him …”   Jesus also had control over evil spirits. He sets the boundaries. For example he would not allow them to do what they wanted even talking.

>>> Over sickness

Mar 1:29  And he came and took her by the hand, and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. 

Mar 1:34  And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.

From the synagogue Jesus went to Peter’s house where Peter’s mother in law  lay sick of a fever. He exercised his authority to heal the sick.  When she was healed she ministered to them. What ministry are we being deprived of because of  ministers who are incapacitated by sickness.  Jesus is on the mission to  release their ministries for the benefit of all. As disciples of Jesus grab opportunities to heal the sick. The audience of Jesus caught the lesson that Jesus was the healer and deliverer from evil spirits. They brought unto him all that were diseased , and them that were possessed with devils .  

>>> Over nature

He also performed signs and wonders such as walking on water, calming  storms changing  water  to wine and raising the dead.   The last Adam was in action.

Message by Dr. Kurai Chitima.

Faith Ministries – Johannesburg Faith Life Center.

Ground and First Floors Sunset Bay Building,

204B Bram Fischer drive,

Randburg, Johannesburg, South Africa