By What Authority?
Our Bible passage, introduction to Sunday 15th May’s service and hymns are below.
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Our verses are:
Mar 11:27 And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,
Mar 11:28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?
Mar 11:29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
Mar 11:30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.
Mar 11:31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
Mar 11:32 But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.
Mar 11:33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
By What Authority?
It is two days since the Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem and the day after the cursing of the fig tree. Our Saviour, with His disciples, has returned to the city from their accommodation in Bethany, or somewhere near the Mount of Olives. Jesus is walking with the disciples in the temple precincts and teaching a large group of followers and hearers.
The Jewish Sanhedrim
As the Lord brings His message a delegation arrives from the Jewish Sanhedrim, the main council of religious leaders, comprising ‘the chief priests, and the Scribes, and the elders’. Full of their own self-importance these men do not hesitate to interrupt the Lord as He speaks. This was not a random meeting but an attempt to silence the Saviour by challenging His authority to teach and preach in the temple, and His recent acts of cleansing the temple of those who bought and sold there.
A plan to ‘destroy’ Jesus
There is context here. Remember what Mark told us previously. When the Lord accused the authorities of making ‘his house’ a den of thieves Mark tells us, ‘the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine’. This is the Saviour’s first engagement with the scribes and priests since that occasion and it is part of their plan to ‘destroy’ the Lord.
By whose authority?
The question posed by these men to the Lord Jesus was designed to ensnare Him and publicly humiliate Him. Previously, the Jewish authorities had tried to counter what Jesus was doing and saying. Now they attacked His person and the whole legitimacy of His ministry. They asked by what authority He taught, preached, did miracles and cleansed the temple. They wanted to know who gave the Lord Jesus Christ authority to do these things!
A charge of blasphemy
If the Lord should answer His authority was from God, these men would charge Him with blasphemy for claiming to be sent directly from God. Everyone knew the established order of the priesthood. Rules for teaching in the temple were settled long ago. Alternatively, if Christ should claim He had His authority from men, they would promptly deny He had it from them, as custodians of the temple. Either way, He must be an imposter.
‘Answer me’
Make no mistake, this was a crucial face-off between the Lord and His enemies. He knew their hearts and intentions. Though He paused from teaching to respond, the Saviour gave them no respect by taking their question. Instead, He met their question with one of His own. In fact, His reply asserted dominance over them. There was power in His ‘answer me’. The Lord would have no politician’s evasion. He was holding them accountable. They should speak honestly without dodging the issue.
The legacy of John
Of course, they could not. The Lord’s question concerning John’s ministry was not difficult but the priests and scribes realised they could not answer without condemning themselves. The Lord asked, ‘The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?’ They knew if they said John’s ministry had divine authority they would condemn themselves because then they ought to have honoured and followed John, and believed on the One whom John identified as the Messiah. This they did not do.
We cannot tell
Yet publicly stating John was no true prophet was problematic. It was also dangerous. John was highly esteemed among the common people and continued to have admiration and strong support amongst Jesus’ own followers, many of whom were present. So what to do? Feigning ignorance was not easy for men with an answer for everything, but it seemed the best option.
Hypocrites
The prevarication of the priests exposed their hypocrisy. They were neither honest nor sincere. They knew it, and the Lord knew it, too. Christ had agreed to answer their question upon their answering His but when they could not, or rather would not, the Lord justifiably withheld His answer from them concerning His own authority.
Implied, if not stated
Yet, such was the wisdom in Jesus’ words concerning the ministry of John these men were left in no doubt about what they had been told. Like John, Christ’s authority came not from man but from God; and just as John had divine authority and did not need man’s leave to preach and minister, neither did Christ. Christ was neither dependent on, nor accountable to, these men or their religious hierarchy, but had His commission directly from God Himself.
Rubbing salt in the wound
The scheme of the priests and scribes to silence Jesus had fallen at the first fence. They had all marched in proudly to confront the Lord before the people, and now they must all creep out ashamed. Before they did, and as they stood, rooted as it were to the spot, the Lord preached a number of parables to the gathered crowd in which He exposed and judged the dishonesty of these religious hypocrites.
Resolved to murder
As they listened and understood that Christ spoke of them, their resolve to destroy Jesus increased. Matthew describes an event that took place later that night. He says, ‘Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill him.’
Our hymns are below.
Hymn 1
Gadsby selection 227
Faith takes Comfort in Christ’s Atonement. Isa. 53. 5
A. M. Toplady 8.8.6.
1
From whence this fear and unbelief?
Hast thou, O Father, put to grief
Thy spotless Son for me?
And will the righteous Judge of men
Condemn me for that debt of sin
Which, Lord, was charged on thee?
2
Complete atonement thou hast made,
And to the utmost farthing paid
Whate’er thy people owed;
How then can wrath on me take place,
If sheltered in thy righteousness,
And sprinkled with thy blood?
3
If thou hast my discharge procured,
And freely in my room endured
The whole of wrath divine,
Payment God cannot twice demand,
First at my bleeding Surety’s hand,
And then again at mine.
4
Turn, then, my soul, unto thy rest;
The merits of thy great High Priest
Speak peace and liberty;
Trust in his efficacious blood,
Nor fear thy banishment from God,
Since Jesus died for thee.
Hymn 2
Gadsby selection 117
Intercession. John 17. 24; Heb. 5. 7; 1 John 2. 1
A. M. Toplady C.M.
1
Awake, sweet gratitude, and sing
The ascended Saviour’s love;
Sing how he lives to carry on
His people’s cause above.
2
With cries and tears he offered up
His humble suit below;
But with authority he asks,
Enthroned in glory now.
3
For all that come to God by him,
Salvation he demands;
Points to their names upon his breast,
And spreads his wounded hands.
4
His sweet atoning sacrifice
Gives sanction to his claim:
“Father, I will that all my saints
Be with me where I am.”
5
Eternal life, at his request,
To every saint is given;
Safety on earth, and, after death,
The plenitude of heaven.
6
Founded on right, thy prayer avails;
The Father smiles on thee;
And now thou in thy kingdom art,
Dear Lord, remember me.