Source

Jesus had a keen sense of "source." It is important to know where you get what you have. Does it originate with you, or did it come from somewhere else? Do you take credit for your words (responsibility is a different thing) or do you say, "Thus saith the Lord?" Do you believe truth and wisdom is generated from within each human being or do you believe it comes down from above? This is an important question in our culture. Many want to believe that we are our own source of truth, and teaching. How often do you hear: "Look within yourself for the answer." "Follow the dictates of your own heart." "Obey your thirst." It sounds wise, but it is the opposite of what Jesus said even about His own understanding and teachings. The Jewish leaders were impressed with Jesus' teaching in Jerusalem at the temple. They marveled. Remember after the sermon on the mount the crowds were amazed at His teachings because He did not speak as the scribes and Pharisees, but as one having authority. (Matt.7) Even later in this context the Jewish leaders sent men to arrest Jesus and they came back empty handed because they had never heard anyone speak like this man. (John 7:32,45,46) Even Jesus' enemies recognized His superior wisdom and abilities in teaching. They did not dispute His miracles nor His teachings. But, still they wanted to kill Him.

So why the big conflict? Why not just acknowledge that Jesus is from God, and His teachings are from God, and that truth was being revealed? This points up the problem. Who gets to be the source of authority and teaching? It is a Source-Authority issue. Jesus readily admitted that His teaching was not His teaching. "It is not Mine. It comes from above. It comes from the one who sent Me." This is a profound perspective and reality. It separates Jesus from all others. The origins of the Christian faith is not from the "bottom-up" but from the "top-down." Man's need rises upward toward God, but the answers come down from above. This is always the direction of the flow. Growing up, this emphasis on the inspiration of the Bible was huge. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 was just as much a part of our spiritual diet as bread is to a meal. "All Scripture is inspired by God..." Though we may have constructed a complicated method of interpretation of Scripture that did not lend itself to finding truth in Scripture or in Jesus, we did value the fact that we needed authority from above for what we teach and practice. Authority is not in the church. Authority is not in spiritual leaders. Authority is not in man-made creeds. Authority is in the Word of God. This was our staple diet. It was healthy. Though we must be careful how we establish our authority for what we do from the Word, we must not give up the truth that authority comes from the Word because the Word comes from God.

Jesus had God's words in His head. He had been taught by His Father, and He spoke only what His Father gave Him to teach. Perhaps we should be asking more often of others who teach us, "Where do you get your authority?" There are only two possible responses. It either comes from God or man.(Matt.22) "Did God tell you to tell me that?" If so, show me the note. Its too important to take your word for it. Show me where God wrote that down. I want to know your source. You cannot be your own footnote.