Before Pentecost Jesus gave 82 men the legal right to do things in His name. After Pentecost the legal right, or authority, was no longer needed, and therefore not given to anyone, because Jesus had overcome the world, and we now need only faith in His name. And we are to do as the Holy Spirit leads, not as we want.
Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel,” John 5:19-20 NASB1995.
Jesus worked as the Father worked. He did nothing on His own initiative; He followed the leadings of God. If this was true of Jesus, should it not be true of us? If Jesus had to follow the Father, it seems only right that we would also have to follow Him. Jesus received the Holy Spirit when He was baptized, and it was the Spirit who led Him into the wilderness, and it was the Spirit who led Him in the workings of God. Why should we be any different? Should we not allow the Spirit to lead us where He wills?
Some say that Jesus was given all authority in heaven and on earth, and He, in turn, gave it to us. The only problem with this is that it isn’t biblical. It is a fabricated doctrine false prophets feed to both egotistical and cowardly people —to the egotistical so they can jump to the front of the train and be the conductor, and to the cowardly so they don’t have to learn obedience through the things which they suffer. The egotistical can be #1 and the cowardly can escape the trials of their faith; thus the desire for authority to change the circumstances in their lives.
Consider this: And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth,” Matthew 28:18 NASB1995. He said this after He had been crucified and resurrected. Prior to this, during His earthly ministry, although He existed in the form of God [God’s Son], [He] did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men, Philippians 2:6-7 NASB1995. May I suggest that while we remain in the likeness of men, we, too, should not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but should empty ourselves, taking the form of bond-servants.
“For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him,” John 5:21-23.
After saying, “He has given all judgment to the Son,” several verses later Jesus said, “I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, becauseI do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me,” John 5:30.
Dear friends, we, too, should do nothing on our own initiative, but do only as the Spirit leads, for the Spirit knows the will of God, and, in obeying Him, we will do the right thing, that is, the will of our Father in heaven. May His kingdom come and His will be done.
Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant
jondavidbanks.com 