I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall crush your head, and you shall bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)
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…. (Matthew 28:16-20, ESV)
The game of golf has always had “bombers.” The Golden Bear was undoubtedly a power hitter in his generation. Davis Love once smashed his drive 476 yards at Kapalua. One commentator remarked concerning Tiger, “He made the 300-yard drive the rule rather than the exception.”
Freddie, appropriately named “Boom Boom,” finished in the top ten in driving distance fifteen times in his career. As a rookie, Bubba Watson averaged 319 yards off the tee. And, of course, who could forget when John Daly burst onto the scene? These days, it seems as if everyone is “bombing it!”
For the rest of us mortals, we love power, too, don’t we? Of course, the long ball is a relative term. What was long for us in our youth is now a distant memory. I was playing with a father/son team a year or so ago when the dad said something about hitting it past his son. The son replied, “I’m afraid that ship has sailed.” He was right!
That we love “power” is no secret. The equipment manufacturers count on it. New technology (shafts, materials, and aerodynamics) has cast a spell on most of us. Why not? What we lack in physical power can, many times, be minimized through technology.
The idea of power has always allured the human race. Power in golf gives most players a distinct advantage. Having power in life is attractive as well. Sadly, having power is frequently abused. Corporate executives abuse their power of position! Many military leaders, the world over, tragically use their power to destroy lives.
However, power is not inherently evil. We are all well aware that power can be used for good or ill. Depending on the context, power can be synonymous with authority. Jesus says of himself, after his resurrection, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.”
Notice he doesn’t say, “it will be given to me in the future.” Nor does he merely say, “All authority in heaven has been given to me.” Nor does he say, “some power has been given to me.” No! Instead, he says, “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to me,” and it belongs to him now.
This is essential to grasp if we are ever to become bold in evangelism. Failing to realize who has all authority makes us timid and afraid. The disciples hid behind closed doors in fear until they saw and touched the resurrected Jesus! Timidity defined them before; boldness defined them afterward.
When we recognize that our big brother is in charge of the universe, a power conferred on him by the Father when Jesus willingly gave his life for his church and was raised from the dead, we, too, are emboldened. Remember, we are commissioned and deputized by the one who holds the scepter that governs the entire world!
When Jesus commissioned the disciples and us (Matthew 28:16-20), he did so as the one who had the authority/power to do so. Furthermore, as a demonstration of his enthronement, he sent the power of the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, his disciples (Acts 1:8; Acts 2; Galatians 3:1-6 et al.).
It is sometimes hard to get your mind around this. Nevertheless, it is true—if you have repented and placed your faith in Jesus Christ, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you (Romans 8:11).
Prayer: Father! Teach us to represent you as those deputized by your authority and in the power of the Holy Spirit!