In the Bible the expression “fear of the Lord” is used quite often. For instance, in the Proverbs this fear is called “the beginning of knowledge” (1:7, NASU). In describes the particular attitude of a people, such as Abraham’s description of the people of Gerar: “there is no fear of God in this place” (Gen. 19:11). It also describes obedience and choosing to serve God, such as Job when Satan asked, “Does Job fear God for nothing?” (Job 1:9).
In our last article, we introduced the idea of Jesus’ greatness being proven by those who were opposed to Him. Although this concept may at first seem somewhat backwards (why do we care what Jesus’ enemies think?), what those who are against you have to admit to be true about you can be very telling. It is the purpose of this article to examine the accusations made against Jesus authority.
The things which qualified Jesus to be the promised Messiah are those qualities that no other man could possibly have. We will continue our look at these unique qualities by examining Jesus’ authority.
God by definition of His very nature is limitless. His presence is infinite, His power is absolute, His knowledge is utterly complete. Despite this, however, man has in different ways attempted to place limitations upon God. These limitations are not always intentional, but are the by-product of attempting to understand God in man’s own terms.