Jesus knew what He was talking about, because He is the great I Am. He said, “I Am. I know what I'm talking about because I Am.” He said, “Many will come from the East and the West. They will sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven, but there will never be any greater faith than that demonstrated through this centurion.”

The centurion whose story is told in Matthew 8 perceived a truth in Jesus Christ that was parallel to his own situation. He said, “Lord, look at me. Do you see this uniform of war? Do you see these Roman army captain's bars? When I say to a man, ‘Go,' he goes. When I say to a man, ‘Come,' he comes. When I say to someone, ‘Do this,' he does it. Do you know why? Because I am a man under authority, and when I speak, my soldiers obey my voice.”

He said, “It is not necessary for You to come to my house. When I look at You, Jesus, I see that all truth is parallel.” This man transferred his allegiance from a man to the Son of God right on that street comer. The only Lord that he had acknowledged before this time was Caesar. However, on the street corner before the multitude, he bowed before Jesus and called Him “Lord.”

“You don't have to come to my house,” he told Jesus, “because You are just like I am. I am a man of authority. I speak, and when I speak there is action. When I give a command, it is obeyed. Behind me is all the influence, power, and authority of the Roman Empire including Caesar himself and the military forces that I am a part of. When I speak, it is not just my word, but those who are under my command know and recognize where my authority comes from. They know and they recognize that I have been given this authority.”

The centurion continued, “Lord, You don't have to come to my house. If You will stand right here and speak the word, my sick servant who is stricken with paralytic palsy, unable to move, will be healed. You do not have to come. You do not have to lay hands on him. If You will just stand right here and speak the word, my servant will get up.”

A man given authority, a man under authority, the centurion recognized that in Jesus Christ there was a special anointing. Jesus had power. He had the authority of God Almighty. The omnipotent God, the only real God, the mighty Creator of heaven and earth was acting through Jesus Christ. He delegated the authority to His Son. Jesus said,

… All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (Matthew 28:18)

Whatever your need is today, remember that Jesus Christ has authority over it. He has delegated that authority to you, which means you also have authority over every situation, every problem, and every difficulty you encounter.

Jesus spoke the word, and the centurion's servant was healed from that very hour!

I have the authority to speak the Word and it will be done. I will speak the Word to every situation I encounter during this day.s