John 17:2

THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST

‘Thou gavest Him authority over all flesh.’

John 17:2 (R.V.)

‘All flesh.’ It is an expression often found in Scripture. It is a phrase which denotes man in his weakness and transitoriness, in contrast to the greatness and unchangeableness of God. The flesh of which all men are partakers has become, by reason of sin, our foe, not our ally. How can we hope to fight on, to conquer?

I. We have One Who has been given ‘authority over all flesh.’—He, too, was tempted in and by the flesh and He conquered. He has in Himself raised and dignified and sanctified the flesh and made it holy. To the cry of agony, ‘Who shall deliver me from this body of sin?’ He has enabled us to answer, ‘I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.’

II. Do you ask how He obtained this authority?—I answer, by the Incarnation. ‘He was made Man.’ ‘The Word was made flesh.’ ‘Since the children are sharers in flesh and blood, He also Himself in like manner partook of the same.’ ‘He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.’ This authority, claimed and fairly won by our King, is a great reality.

III. It was manifested all through, from the cradle to the Throne.

(a) In His life on earth, in His poverty, in His temptation, in His miracles, in His sinlessness.

(b) In His death. ‘No one taketh My life away from Me, but I lay it down of Myself’; manifested when, after hours of torture, ‘He cried with a loud voice and gave up the Ghost.’

(c) In His grave, for His flesh ‘saw no corruption,’ but He came forth from the grave ‘because it was not possible that He should be holden of it.’

(d) In His Resurrection. ‘I have power to take My life again.’

(e) It is manifested in glory, for still He is clothed in a human body, though spiritual and glorified. Still He gives His Flesh to His people after a heavenly and spiritual manner. Still in Holy Communion our sinful bodies are made clean by His Body.

Let us try and make this truth a reality in ourselves!

Bishop C. J. Ridgeway.

Illustration

‘The expression “all flesh” seems to denote all mankind. All are not saved, but Christ has power and authority over all. Some confine it to the “elect,” but I cannot see the force of their argument. To my eyes it is like John 3:16, where “world” and “believers” are in contradistinction. So it seems here, “all flesh” and “given ones.” ’