In Luke 19:38 as Jesus makes His triumphal approach (I realized that the term, triumphal entry, was a bit premature because even in the next paragraph, He still hadn’t entered the city), the crowd yells, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!”

In my experience, congregants do not automatically think ultimate authority when they think about Jesus. That’s partly because they are more familiar with the term, Savior. “Savior,” however, does not carry ultimate authority into their ears. It needs to.

While preaching through the Gospel of Luke, I was amazed at how often the authority of Jesus was highlighted. There is a large section in Luke 19:11–20:18, for instance, that centers on Jesus’ authority and reactions to His authority. At the beginning of chapter 20 comes the challenge, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.”

I’m pretty sure we’ve got more than a handful of parishioners who don’t acknowledge the ultimate authority of King Jesus. They know He’s their Savior, but they don’t connect being saved with being obedient. That’s why they aren’t transformed into the image of Christ; that’s why the Church looks much like society in many respects.

So, before Sunday, see if the language in your sermon helps your listeners understand the ultimate authority of their Savior.

You might have to repeatedly add the concept of authority to any statements made about their Savior. Some, as you know, prefer the extended, “Lord and Savior,” or “the Lord Jesus Christ.” That’s not a bad start. But I think that even “Lord” no longer carries ultimate authority like it did in the first century church.

Then, whenever your preaching portion contains imperatives (explicit or implicit), spend a moment emphasizing the identity and authority of King Jesus.

Preach well for the sake of God’s reputation in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal