Matthew 21:18-46 The Authority of Jesus Christ

Intro:

I was sitting in a coffee house studying this week and there was a large family next to me that had at least four generations at the table

The oldest was the grandfather who spent most of the time acting like he understood what his great grandchildren were saying

The next were the grandparents, who were obviously the Matriarch and Patriarch

There were three grown children with their spouses

Finally a couple a grandchildren who were not sitting next to their parents

When it came time to eat the grandchildren didn’t want to eat their main food, they wanted the sweets

When the parents attempted to get them to eat their food the grandparents intervened

Leave them alone. They are fine. Let them eat what they want

One parent told their child to put the sweet down until they ate their food

The grandma shot her daughter a look and the siblings erupted in laughing

The daughter replied “Who are you? You would’ve never let us do that.”

The grandma replied “I don’t have to worry about taking them home now.”

You can have authority that comes with a position

Then you can have authority that comes with experience

Read Matthew 21:18-22

Transition:

Jesus has cleansed the temple and now the scribes are challenging Jesus’s authority

Instead of arguing with them He asks them questions and shares two parables

Both of the parables are about people who are doing what they should be doing even though they know better

Jesus is obviously doing the will of God by ministering to the poor and healing the sick

This only illuminates the scribes shortcomings and triggers their insecurities

When you are working in the power of the Holy Spirit you will do the same to other supposed Christians

They may react the same way as the Pharisees

I. Cursing the Tree vs. 18-22

Jesus shows his authority by dealing with a fruitless fig tree

This is actually a two-part story

On the way in to cleanse the temple Jesus was hungry

When he discovers a fig tree that should’ve have fruit and doesn’t, he curses it

Jesus then uses it to teach several lessons

First, he has authority over nature

That is going to be necessary for the disciples as he in confronted Scribes

Sometimes when confronted people lose their courage and heed to leaders even when wrong

Seeing Jesus deal with a tree and have it shrivel gave them resolve

Second, Jesus used as an illustration of the fruitless leaders

In this acted-out-parable, Jesus warned of coming judgment upon an unfruitful Israel.

It showed God’s disapproval of people who are all leaves and no fruit.

“The story is clear and simple, and its point obvious, that what counts is not promise but performance.”

Colossians 1:10 ESV

so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Third, It was an opportunity to encourage their faith

How did the fig tree wither away so soon?

Jesus explained that this miracle was really the result of a prayer made in faith

(if you have faith and do not doubt).

He then encouraged His marveling disciples to also have this kind of faith, trusting that God would hear them also.

This promise of God’s answer to the prayer of faith was made to disciples, not to the multitude.

This is a promise to those who are following Jesus.

John 15:7 ESV

If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

II. By What Authority? vs. 23-32

Jesus shows his authority by dealing with the authorities

Exposing Their Motives vs. 23-27

When we think of the extraordinary things Jesus had been doing we cannot be surprised that the Jewish authorities asked him what right he had to do them.”

The religious leaders raised the question of Jesus’ authority, and He answered by raising the question of their competence to judge such an issue.

Their ability to judge John the Baptist and his ministry was a measure of their ability to judge Jesus as well

They answered only after carefully calculating the political consequences of either answer.

They didn’t seem interested in answering the question honestly, only cleverly.

This showed they were more interested in the opinions of the multitude rather than the will of God, so Jesus didn’t answer their question to Him.

Rejecting the Way Vs 28-32

This parable shows us two different kinds of sons.

They were in the same house, and we could say that the father had a right to the services of both his sons.

Perhaps they wished that the father would just leave them alone, but he did not.

It was good and right for the father to expect that the sons would work for him.

By general Biblical principle, we can say that it is not our duty to separate them except through exhortation and appeal to conscience.

Their sure separation must await the end of the age; until then, the tares and the wheat grow together.

Proverbs 28:4–5 ESV

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law strive against them. Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely.

III. Authority from Above vs. 33-46

Jesus shows his authority comes from His Father

Rejecting the Son vs. 33-41

Acts 7:52 ESV

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered,

Cornerstone Rejected vs. 42-46

Isaiah 28:16 ESV

therefore thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, of a sure foundation: ‘Whoever believes will not be in haste.’