The King's Authority (Part 1)

Matthew's quotation in verse 17 is from Isaiah 53:4, a part of the prophecy of Jesus as the suffering servant in Isaiah 53. In the verses that immediately follow, Isaiah prophesies,109

Isaiah's prophecy concerns Jesus' substitutionary death in the place of sinners, which causes many to wonder how this prophecy relates to Jesus' physical healing ministry. Does Christ's death on the cross ensure that believers won't have to endure sickness in this world anymore? This is an important question, for we can't afford to be confused concerning what it means that Jesus has authority over disease.

Some people have read these verses and concluded that as a Christian, God's will for you is to be healthy (even in this world), because Jesus has taken away your sicknesses. This kind of thinking is at the core of health-and-wealth teaching, or prosperity doctrine as it is sometimes called, both here in the United States and around the world. For example, here's well-known pastor and author Joel Osteen's advice:

Osteen is not the only person putting out this kind of unbiblical teaching. Health, wealth, and prosperity teachers are all too common in Christian circles today, as people flock to hear these men and women speak, and they buy their books by the millions. This is most certainly not what Matthew 8:17 or Isaiah 53:4 is teaching.18110

By connecting Jesus' healing authority to Isaiah's prophecy, Matthew is showing that He has the power to overcome all our suffering. In light of the larger context of Isaiah, Matthew attributes this power and authority to Jesus because He paid the price to overcome all our sin. That is the point of the cross. And this truth makes sense if we consider the larger context of redemptive history.

All suffering in the world ultimately goes back to sin, for before sin came into the picture, there was no suffering, according to Genesis 1-2. But when sin entered the world in Genesis 3, suffering entered the world, and as a result, we live in a world marked by evil and suffering, sickness and pain. So when Jesus came to die on a cross, He came to address the root problem, which is not suffering; the root problem is sin. And He paid the price with His life to overcome our sin, so that you and I could be free from sin's penalty.

If, therefore, God has dealt with the root of sin through the death of His Son, does that mean His will for us in this world is that we would no longer experience pain, sickness, and suffering? Absolutely not! The miracles in Matthew's Gospel are intended to give us a picture of what is to come in the fullness of God's kingdom, that is, when Christ fully and finally asserts His authority and reign over the earth. But that time is not yet. In the meantime, we still live in a world of suffering and pain, and we will see later on in this Gospel that our suffering actually increases in this world as a result of trusting in Jesus for salvation. Two chapters later, Jesus is going to tell His disciples that they will be flogged, betrayed, hated, and persecuted in this world for following Him (10:16-25). And this is not just an isolated verse or theme. Listen to Paul's consistent testimony to suffering in the lives of believers:

We could list a host of other verses on the theme of suffering, but let it suffice to say, the Bible nowhere says that because you have been saved from your sins, you will not get cancer or some other illness. Instead, the Bible says that Jesus has overcome the root of all suffering—sin itself—and that He has paid the price to conquer sin so that you don't need to be afraid of cancer or tumors or Alzheimer's or anything else. Regardless of what happens in this decaying world, there is a day coming when death, mourning, crying, and pain will be no more (Rev 21:4). As we wait for that day, we don't run from suffering; we rejoice in suffering. Paul, the same apostle who wrote so much about the reality of suffering in the lives of Christians, also wrote about the joy that we can experience in the midst of suffering.

Before moving to the next section, it's important to recognize at least two kinds of suffering. Some suffering is simply due to the general effects of sin in the world. Job experienced this kind of suffering, which was not directly tied to a particular sin in his life. God brings about suffering like this for His own purposes, though those purposes are often hidden from us, and we should humbly embrace this kind of suffering with trust in God. But there's another type of suffering in the Bible, and that's suffering that happens due to a particular sin in someone's life. When a Christian continues in sin, he will inevitably suffer, for God disciplines those whom He loves (Heb 12:5-11). A person may suffer112 physically, emotionally, relationally, or in other ways, but in the end sin inevitably leads to suffering. The proper response in that kind of situation is not to rejoice in suffering, but to run from your sin.

Following this section on Jesus' authority over disease, Matthew inserts a story of two potential disciples in verses 18-22. A similar passage is found in Luke 9:57-62, where three men approach Jesus, and there too we find out the steep cost of what it means to follow Jesus. It may not be immediately obvious how this teaching on discipleship relates to Jesus' healing in the previous section, but Matthew purposefully places these events alongside one another. Jesus has authority over disease and Jesus has authority over disciples.

The first man comes to Jesus in verse 19 in seeming over-eagerness, saying, "Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go!" but Jesus knows this man hasn't counted the cost of what is involved in discipleship. Jesus tells the man that following Him will not even guarantee a roof over the man's head. In other words, "If you follow Me, I'm all you've got." This potential disciple needs to learn that Jesus is worthy of unconditional trust, even if it means giving up earthly security and comforts. We too must know this if we want to follow Jesus.

Following Christ may mean losing everything in this world. This is another problem with the prosperity gospel—it makes Jesus a means to an end. You come to Jesus to get health, wealth, or anything else you want; just fill in the blank. The problem is that you shouldn't come to Jesus to get stuff; you come to Jesus to get Jesus. You may lose everything in this world, but He is enough.

The second potential disciple learned an equally valuable lesson in verses 21-22: Jesus is worthy of undivided affection. This man said to Jesus, "First let me go bury my father." Commentators disagree over what is actually being requested here. Does the man just want to give his father (who is deceased) a proper funeral, or does he want to wait until his father (who is alive) dies and he gets his inheritance before he agrees to follow Jesus? Regardless of the precise meaning of the request, Jesus' response is direct: "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead." More important than honoring your father or receiving an inheritance is following Jesus. The Savior wants undivided affection.

Recognizing Jesus' sovereign authority in the world should lead to giving Jesus total allegiance in your life. His authority is not to be toyed113 or trifled with. J. C. Ryle once said, "Nothing, in fact, has done more harm to Christianity than the practice of filling the ranks of Christ's army with every volunteer who is willing to make a little profession" (Ryle, Matthew, 59). Remember, Jesus is not begging for followers in Matthew 8. He's actually turning them away because He warrants unconditional trust and undivided affection from those who follow Him. When Jesus speaks, leprosy, paralysis, and fever obey. The question is, "Do you obey?"

Jesus' authority over His disciples sets the stage for three consecutive miracle stories that come next in chapters 8-9, the first of which appears in 8:23-27. In this brief and miraculous account, we see that Jesus has authority over disaster. It's at this point that many sermons on this text launch into extravagant promises about how Jesus will calm the storms in your life. As the question usually goes, "What storms are you facing in your life—in your marriage, in your home, or in your health?" We are then assured, "Jesus will calm those storms." The only problem is that's not the point of this story. The point is much deeper than that, which becomes obvious when you pay attention to the question the disciples ask at the end of the story in verse 27: "What kind of man is this?—even the winds and the sea obey Him!"

The disciples were good Jewish men, and they knew that only God (Yahweh in the Old Testament) is able to direct the wind and the waves. Psalm 89:9 says, "You rule the raging sea; when its waves surge, You still them." Likewise, in Psalm 107:29 the psalmist announces, "He stilled the storm to a murmur, and the waves of the sea were hushed." Jesus' disciples marveled because they began to realize that the man in the boat with them was not just a man. God Himself was in the boat with them! That's the point of the story: Jesus is God. The authority that belongs to God is the authority that belongs to Jesus.

Having seen the point of the story, we also need to see the promise in the story. The promise is not that all the storms in your life will end soon. The Bible does not guarantee this, nor can anyone else. Your cancer may not go away, and that struggle in your marriage may not end this week, or even this year. As a believer, your confidence is not that these storms will end very soon, but that in the midst of the storms in your life, you will never be alone. God Himself, in the person of Jesus Christ, will be with you every step in the midst of the storm.114

Faith is not confidence that trials won't come your way. Faith is confidence that no matter what wind and waves come your way in this world, the God of the universe will be right there in the boat with you. His power and His presence will see you through. Christian, you are not alone, and ultimately you are safe in the presence of the One who has ultimate authority over all disaster.

The second miracle story that occurs at the end of chapter 8 occurs in verses 28-34. Jesus has authority over disaster, and Jesus has authority over demons. In this fascinating account, we have a portrait of demons who violently possess two men, yet they are deathly afraid of the Son of God. Knowing that Jesus has absolute authority over them, the demons plead for Him to cast them into a herd of pigs, and He does. It's quite telling that these demons hate and loathe everything about Jesus, yet they are powerless to do anything apart from His permission! Satan can do nothing in this world, and nothing in your life, apart from the sovereign permission of God. Satan is a lion (1 Pet 5:8), but he is a lion on a leash. And God holds the leash. Demons decidedly do not have all authority; Jesus does.

Do you see how passages like this encourage us not to fear? We don't have to be afraid of what may happen in this world, because Jesus has authority over it all. Many Christians, in the midst of a world of pain and suffering, live in fear and anxiety and worry, wondering what will happen in this or that situation. This tendency to fear is why we must remember the authority of Jesus. Sometimes we lack even the faith of demons, for the demons have fear because of their belief. They know who Jesus is, and they are scared out of their minds (Jas 2:19). But we are just the opposite: We often have fear because of our unbelief. If we realized what the demons realize, we would know that we have no reason to fear.

Jesus is the Son of God, with all authority over disease, disaster, and demons, and nothing can touch us apart from His sovereign power and in accordance with His sovereign will. We, as followers of Christ, are the most secure people in the world, and our security is not based on how big our house is, how good our job is, how stable our economy is, or who our president is. We are secure simply because we are in the hands of the One who has all authority in the whole world, and because this One with all authority loves us and cares for us. God is committed to providing for us in the midst of struggles with sin, demons, natural disasters,115 and various diseases. Hear, then, Christ's question in verse 26: "Why are you fearful, you of little faith?" How can we not trust such a Savior?

Did you notice the question the demons shouted out in verse 29? They said, "What do You have to do with us, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?" Notice that phrase, "before the time." The demons know that there is coming a day when they will be fully and finally judged by the Lord and cast out completely into utter darkness (Matt 25:41). As believers, we look toward that day with great anticipation. Leprosy, paralysis, fever, and natural disasters will be no more. Demons will no longer tempt or torment God's people. The authority of Jesus will be fully and finally asserted; His kingdom will come and His will be done on a new earth as it is in heaven. And all of this is possible, all of this is guaranteed, because of what Jesus has done on the cross. This is our great hope.

Jesus' power and sovereignty are not simply there to be observed, but to be relied on and rejoiced in. In light of the realities of Jesus' authority in this text, we should respond in a number of ways: