THE JEWISH LAW OF AGENCY

In the Encyclopedia of Jewish Religion, “Agent (Hebrew Shiliach): The main point of Jewish law of agency is expressed as, “A person’s agent is regarded as the person himself/herself. In Jewish culture, the agent fully represented the one on whose behalf they were acting, so that the two are identified as one and the same person.

Jesus the Messiah was Yehovah’s authorized representative – His agent, speaking and acting his Father’s behalf. Or as Peter expressed it in his first gospel sermon on the day of Pentecost: “Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him… (Acts 2:22).

Jesus was constantly acting on behalf of his God by His authority.

Note: the following statement by the lord Jesus: “whosoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me…. Whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say” (John 12:44-45, 50)

Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been with you for such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say “Show us the Father”. Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and that the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father living in me, who is doing His work. (John 14:9-10).

We understand that Jesus fully identifies with, represents, and expresses the Father’s interests, intentions, words and ways, character and claims. He and the Father are completely harmonized and totally aligned in every way – in heart, word, action, will, purpose, so that Jesus is uniquely and completely expresses his Father on earth. He is Yehovah’s ultimate revelation, reflection, and representative.

Acting with divine agency, Jesus shares in the authority and prerogatives of the Father: to judge this world at the end of the age (Matthew 25-31); to give life (John 6:33) and resurrect those who belong to him (John 6:44); to be glorified along with the Father (Luke 9:26) etc.

How does this apply to us directly?

Notice: In the scripture, Jesus commissioned 72 of his disciples and sent them out as his agents representing him: “Whosoever listens to you listens to me; whosoever rejects you rejects me, but whosoever rejects me rejects Him who sent me”

The commission and agency from the Father to Jesus also operated through him to his disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). Appreciating this principle not only clarifies Jesus’ nature, calling, and authority but also the calling and authority his disciples have in him.

John 4:17 says, "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world."

What an amazing statement: “as he [Jesus] is, so are we in this world. As his disciples, his agents, he has sent us out to proclaim the good news message of the coming Kingdom of God to this sick and dying world.

We have this authority because we are acting as the agents of our lord and Messiah Jesus, as those who have become new creations in him, and have become by the spirit of adoption, sons of the only true God Yehovah, who has grafted us into the true commonwealth of Israel as spiritual Jews.

We have a tremendous responsibility to spread the message Jesus received from his God and Father and has given to us to proclaim to the world. We can only go so by the enabling power of Yehovah that indwells us.

Notice that Philip was doing exactly what all disciples of the Messiah Jesus should be doing as the agents that have been commissioned to preach the gospel.

Acts 8:12: when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus the Messiah, they were baptized, both men and women.

When it says Philip preached the things concerning the kingdom of God we know he included all that we know about God’s coming kingdom. And when he preached concerning the name of Jesus the Messiah he preaching about all the things we know Jesus to be as the son of the living God Yehovah, the one soon coming to take his seat on the throne of David, at Zion.

Notice: 2 Corinthians 5: 17-20:  Therefore if any man is in the Messiah, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new. And all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus the Messiah, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in the Messiah, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for the Messiah.....

Let us all carry out the 'ministry of reconciliation' that our God and Father has given us to do as ambassadors for the Messiah Jesus.

May our God and Father provide us with the strength, energy, and perseverance by His indwelling presence to preach the message of the coming Kingdom of God to the nations.