Matthew 21:23-27 NIV
Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus replied, ”I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?” They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said, ”Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
While He was here on earth Jesus was doing His ministry with absolute authority. He was unlike any other religious teacher or religious leader of His time. Most of them inherited their offices through their family y lineage and others joined religious ranks for some benefit or artificial gain. However, Jesus came from the region of Galilee out of nowhere and started to teach with absolute authority and perform so many works of power.
This authority that Jesus was manifesting in His mission and ministry among men were clearly manifesting three powerful things. The first manifestation was disruptive manifestation. It was disrupting the status quo and tradition of His time. It’s not something that was deduced from culture or lineage, but it was something that came straight from heaven. So, for thousands of years the status quo that was established in tradition and culture of religious circumstances was disrupted by what Jesus was doing. The second nature of Jesus’ authority was revealing authority. This authority that was exercised by Jesus revealed the person and identity of Jesus. This authority clarified to everyone listening and watching the mission and ministry of Jesus that this Jesus was unlike any other religious leader. There was no one like him before and there is no one like Him now.
Therefore, the authority that was displayed in the mission and ministry of Jesus clearly indicated that He was the son of the living God. The third impact of Jesus’ authority was attractional authority. When He was teaching with that authority and when He was performing so many miracles, particularly miracles of healing, thousands and thousands of people were attracted to him.
The ultimate goal of Jesus’ mission and ministry was not for them to only benefit from the miracles that Jesus was performing but to bring humanity to the saving grace of God — disruptive authority, revealing authority and attractional authority. Even today that authority of Jesus is still working throughout the world disrupting the status quo, revealing the person of Jesus Christ and ultimately drawing people closer to the saving grace of God.