Authority

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 7th of September, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today. We go to the Gospel of Luke 20:2: “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?” I looked up the Oxford Dictionary to find out the literal meaning of the word “authority”, and one of the meanings is “recognised knowledge or expertise.” Folks, Jesus had it all. He had the ability. Whenever He walked into a place, people stood back. Remember when the soldiers tried to arrest Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, the night He was betrayed? When He spoke, they fell to the ground. Peter recognised who Jesus was. He actually said to Him, ”Get away from me, Lord, for I am an unclean man,” when he saw the miracle that Jesus performed with the fish at the Sea of Galilee. They asked William Carey, the man who took the Gospel of Jesus Christ to India. The theologians questioned him and said, "What qualifications do you have?” One man, being very sarcastic, said, ”I believe, you are just a shoemaker.” “ Oh no, Sir.” He said. ”I’m not a shoemaker. I’m a cobbler. I can’t make shoes, I can only repair them.” But I want to tell you that man translated the Bible into Sanskrit, into Hindustani, into languages that are so very difficult for anyone to understand. He became the Chief Interpreter in the High Court of Delhi. I want to say to you today, if Jesus Christ is your Lord and Saviour, if He has forgiven you of your sins, you have the authority, you have the power and the knowledge and the expertise to tell others about Him. Remember that song, I’ve sung it before, but I need to sing it again today with you. A beautiful song and I want you to sing it with me. He paid a debt, He did not owe, I owed the debt, I could not pay, I needed someone to wash my sins away. And now I sing a brand new song, Amazing Grace, Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay. He paid a debt for me and He paid a debt for you. If you love Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour, that will give you the authority to go into all the world and tell people that the Lord Jesus Christ has given you the authority, and you are born again and you belong to Him! Go out today and sing that song from the top of your voice, Jesus bless you and goodbye.