The Authority of Christ is the complete, God-given right of the risen Lord Jesus to rule over heaven and earth.
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Him.
He exercises that authority in teaching, in commanding nature and spirits, in forgiving sins, in building His church, and in the final judgment.
Every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Throughout His earthly ministry Jesus taught as one who had authority, not as the scribes. He commanded the wind and the sea, and they obeyed. He rebuked unclean spirits, and they came out. He forgave sins, and the paralyzed man walked. After His resurrection He declared that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him, and on that basis He commissioned His disciples to make disciples of all nations. The Father has put all things under His feet and given Him as head over all things to the church. His authority is not borrowed or temporary; it is the authority of the eternal Son who became flesh, died, rose, and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. From that place He now reigns until every enemy is made a footstool for His feet. The church lives under His authority, proclaims His authority, and awaits the day when that authority is openly acknowledged by all creation.
- All authority in heaven and on earth belongs to the risen Christ.
- His earthly ministry already displayed that authority over teaching, nature, demons, sickness, and sin.
- The Great Commission rests on the fact that all authority has been given to Him.
- The Father has seated Him far above every rule, authority, power, and dominion.
- Christ’s authority is both present and future—already exercised and yet to be openly manifested.
- Believers live under His lordship and are sent in His name.
- No rival power—human, demonic, or political—stands outside His authority.
- Teaching Authority – He taught as one who had authority, and the crowds were astonished.
- Authority over Nature – Wind, waves, and creation obey His word.
- Authority over Spirits – Unclean spirits recognize Him and must leave at His command.
- Authority to Forgive Sins – He demonstrated on earth that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins.
- All Authority Given – After the resurrection He declared that all authority in heaven and on earth is His.
- Head over the Church – The Father gave Him as head over all things to the church.
- Final Judgment – The Father has given Him authority to execute judgment because He is the Son of Man.
- Matthew 28:18-20 – “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”
- Matthew 7:28-29 – “And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.”
- Matthew 8:26-27 – “Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, ‘What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?’”
- Matthew 9:6-8 – “‘But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’—he then said to the paralytic—‘Rise, pick up your bed and go home.’… When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.”
- Mark 1:27 – “And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.’”
- John 5:22, 26-27 – “For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son… For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.”
- John 10:18 – “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
- John 17:2 – “Since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.”
- Ephesians 1:20-22 – God “raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church.”
- Colossians 2:9-10 – “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”
- Philippians 2:9-11 – “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
- 1 Peter 3:22 – Jesus Christ “has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.”
- Revelation 1:5 – “…Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.”
- Revelation 19:16 – “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
- Daniel 7:13-14 – “And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”
- Matthew 11:27 – “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
- Luke 4:36 – “And they were all amazed and said to one another, ‘What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!’”
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus. He taught with authority. He commanded nature and spirits with authority. He forgave sins with authority. After the cross and the empty tomb the Father seated Him far above every power and gave Him as head over all things to the church. The Great Commission rests on that authority. The church lives under it, speaks in His name, and waits for the day when every knee bows. Therefore do not fear any rival power. Submit to the Lord who already holds all authority. Go and make disciples, because the One who sends you has all authority. And rest in the certainty that the same Jesus who spoke and the winds obeyed will one day be confessed by every tongue as Lord.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.