In The Name Of Jesus
I love how Mark recounts the Great Commission in the 16th chapter of his book. Certain phrases jump out at me, like: “…those who believe in my name they will…they will…they will…they will,” (Mark 16:17-18). Jesus was so confident that those who believe in Him would have the same authority that He has to do great signs and wonders. The only condition was to believe in His name and the results were guaranteed.
The Great Commission is a sending forth. It implies being under authority, for one cannot send oneself. The Great Commission is not the Great Suggestion. It is a commandment that is to be obeyed. One’s authority is determined by his obedience. By being obedient, even to the point of death, all authority was given to Jesus. He, in turn, gave us authority in His name. It is as if we were given a power of attorney so that we could do His work here on the earth. By using the name of Jesus, all is placed under our feet.
This was made clear to me some years ago when I was pastoring a church in rural Missouri, U.S.A. A tornado had come through our area and one of our member’s farm was destroyed. I went to help them get their cows to a neighbor’s barn for protection and to be milked. Just as we had the cows safe and the milking process was under way, another tornado touched down in a field adjacent to the barn. It was heading straight toward us. In a burst of faith, I yelled: “In Jesus’ Name, go from here!” Immediately the tornado lifted and the barn was saved. It was an awesome experience to see the power of God at work through the authority in the name of Jesus.
To have authority, one must be under authority. When Paul arrived in Ephesus, he found believers that had understood repentance, but that had not been baptized in the name of Jesus. As they believed and were baptized in Jesus’ name the power of God broke loose. Demons were expelled, signs and wonders occurred and a major revival resulted. Seven sons of a Jewish priest tried their hand at expelling a demon, but with negative results. They had no personal relationship with Jesus and so had no authority to use His name. The demon understood this and jumped all over those seven foolish, young men.
Because all authority has been given to Jesus, when we approach the Father we are to do so in His name. The authority we have is positional and relational. It is positional in that we are under the authority of God by being in Christ. It is relational because we are His children and heirs with Christ. Let us go forth under His authority to do great works in His name.
Scriptures to meditate on:
Mark 16:17-18; Mat. 28:18; Acts 19:11-20; John 16:23-24