They rejected Jesus this way because – among the other authorities that He had – Jesus only revealed the authority to save. He has not yet revealed the authority to judge. If He revealed the authority to judge, the cunning Jewish leaders would have acknowledged the Lord too early just to escape punishment. If they did so, the Lord’s will could not be fulfilled, as He is looking for those who repent with sincere hearts and give thanks for the Lord’s grace.

The Lord uses the church to reveal the authority to save. He also uses His servant to lead the church. But unfortunately, the authority to save is still disdained in the church today. The Lord ministers the authority to save through the church. Even this is disdained because the authority to judge cannot be seen with our eyes, like the Jewish leaders did previously.

Let’s not abuse the Lord’s will while He looks for those who are sincere, who repent and who love the Lord. The Gospel rests on the fact that there will be fearful judgement. If we reject the Lord when He shows the authority to save, we will face a fearful reality when He later shows the authority to judge. Let’s understand the Lord’s heart while He conceals the authority to judge and is now being patient. Let’s unite our hearts to build a church that powerfully demonstrates the authority to save.