The Attributes of Jesus: Sovereign
Jesus’ Attributes
“All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.” Matthew 11:27
Sovereign. This is such a big word that is used in churches all around the world. Sovereign means a person who has supreme power or authority. The definition for sovereign right is supreme; preeminent; indisputable. Keep these definitions in mind as we study Jesus’ sovereignty.
Can you think of a person on earth who has supreme authority or who is indisputable? I cannot.
Sovereignty is possessed by God alone and the fact that Jesus displayed this kind of power as a man brought up many questions. I want us to look at a couple of ways Jesus displayed this attribute while He was God in the flesh.
Jesus forgave sins. Mark 2:5-7 says, “And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’ Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, ‘Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” When Jesus had the last supper with His disciples, He said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Jesus was able to forgive sins before His death, and because of His atoning death all sins are forgiven. In the Old Testament, only God was able to forgive sins, and that was only through sacrifice. Jesus was a man that was able to heal illnesses and disfigurement and also forgive sins. A man with this power had never been seen before.
Jesus’ words have authority. In the Old Testament, prophets would say “Thus says the Lord” when they would state the wisdom and understanding God had given them. Jesus had the authority to say, “But I say to you” when He spoke to the people. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus states six times that “He says” something. The information is coming directly from God Himself. Jesus is not God’s translator; He is God Himself.
Jesus has “all things.” All things were in Jesus’ control. This can be hard to understand when bad things still happen today. But let’s look at what this means on a deeper level. Jesus possessed all knowledge, complete authority, the totality of existence, and everything needed to carry out the ministry of His work. Matthew 28:18 says, “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’” This authority is used to complete the will of God. The reason we pray in accordance with God’s will is that God’s will be done in all our circumstances because that means our lives are in accordance with His eternal plan.
Jesus determines our future state. Jesus’ ultimate validation of authority is His resurrection. Ephesians 1:20-21 says, “that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.” Not only was Jesus sovereign over all when He walked the earth, but He is sovereign today. Because of His resurrection and ascension, Christ is supreme over everything. John 3:36 tell us that His authority is so great, that our future eternal state depends on whether we believe in Him or reject Him.
This kind of sovereignty does not seem like it would come as someone who is a friend to us. But Jesus is our friend. One of the greatest scriptures in the New Testament is John 15:13-15. Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Can we accept Jesus’ friendship and also not forget His sovereignty and vice versa, can we accept Jesus’ sovereignty and not forget His friendship?
When we are reverent to Jesus and who He is, we are remembering His sovereignty. He is our friend, yet He controls all things according to His good and perfect will. His will is the will of the Father’s. Jesus’ will places God’s eternal kingdom over all. What is good for the Father is good for His children. He looks out for His children first and foremost because everything He created is for our good and His glory. Let’s not become so enamored in the friend Jesus is that we forget who Jesus really is. The Jesus who is our friend is also “The King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” The friend we speak freely to and tell our deepest darkest secrets to is also the creator of the universe.
Remember this Christmas season as you celebrate the birth of baby Jesus, that you are also celebrating in anticipation of the Ruler of all the universe coming back to rescue His people from a life of sin and death.
Digging Deeper:
Where is your heart? Do you sometimes forget Jesus’ sovereignty and only focus on His friendship?
How can you celebrate Jesus’ sovereignty this Christmas season?
How can you encourage others through the attribute of Jesus’ sovereignty?