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“Aaron, do you know what an AHJ is?” Dwight, the architect, asked. The email stated we needed to get specific architectural drawings to the AHJ. I printed the email, hoping to address it, as I saw some days had gone by. “I need to ask Dwight about this later this afternoon,” I thought.
The convenient moment arrived. I got his attention, “Dwight, did we get these to the AHJ?” After discussing the email for several minutes, he perceived my ignorance. “Aaron, do you know what an AHJ is?”
“No clue.” I don’t know if I actually said those words…but I was thinking them. “Aaron, the AHJ is just a general acronym for the ‘Authority Having Jurisdiction.’” Of course. How could it be anything different…
The first book in the New Testament of the Bible is Matthew. Matthew is not a difficult writing to understand. He did not pen this work for the academic elite. He wrote them for people far less educated than you and me. For centuries, many couldn’t even read it—they had to listen to someone read it to them in a gathering.
What does Matthew want you to know about Jesus’ resurrection? At the end of this Gospel, Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” All which Matthew writes revolves around this statement. Why is it so significant? Because Jesus said these words after his death and resurrection. And these words are meaningful only because of his death and resurrection.
According to Matthew, Jesus is the king—the authority having jurisdiction. He has jurisdiction over heaven and earth. His resurrection secured it publically. His authority surpasses any earthly king.
Concerning the earth…Jesus is the AHJ.
Jesus having authority isn’t automatically good, however. Authority isn’t good in itself. How Jesus uses his authority is what matters. Jesus says of himself, “…the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus, the superhero, uses his authority for the sake of our good. And we love those stories.
In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is the CEO who leaves the top floor in order to come down to the bottom floor to put things in order—not by domineering force, but by sacrificial service. He did the work for his employees which they couldn’t do and he compensated for their losses which they couldn’t afford. The business was going bankrupt so Jesus liquidated his assets and gave it to his employees for their welfare. And he began restoring the business.
According to Matthew, Jesus uses his authority to regain on earth all that has been lost. The resurrection is not meant to merely take people to heaven. It is meant to produce on earth as it is in heaven.
Jesus’ current followers, the church, serve as a foretaste of what life will be like on the new earth. They display his sacrificial authority now by their own sacrificial lifestyle. One day, his authority will fully manifest itself as believers receive new bodies and his earth is recreated.
Thanks for Reading,
Aaron