By what Authority?
Notes
Transcript
Opening Comments:
Opening Comments:
Please meet me in your copy of God’s Word this morning in Luke 20:1–8. You’ll find it on page ___ in our church-provided Bibles.
Over the last two weeks, we have followed Jesus as He entered Jerusalem during Passover week in what is often called the Triumphal Entry. He then immediately made His way to the temple, where He overturned the tables of the money changers and drove out those selling sacrificial animals and exchanging money. He confronted the leaders of the temple for turning the “Court of the Gentiles,” a place meant for prayer and instruction, into a religious marketplace. After that, He remained in the temple courtyard day after day, teaching with authority.
We saw at the close of Luke 19 that the chief priests, scribes, and principal men of the people decided they were going to kill Jesus. But they couldn’t act yet, because the people were hanging on His every word.
That tension between Jesus and the Jewish leadership comes directly into the foreground in our passage this morning.
Jesus is still publicly teaching in the Court of the Gentiles when He is approached by a delegation of leaders who confront Him about the authority by which He has been acting.
1 One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up
2 and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” 3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?”
5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’
6 But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”
7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Introduction:
Introduction:
Authority is something that most of humanity struggles with because it has a way of exposing our inherently rebellious natures.
Now, most people do not think of themselves as rebellious. We obey laws, follow the rules, meet expectations at work and generally do what is required from us. But, the moment authority interferes with our preferences, limits our autonomy, or calls us into question we buck up against it.
Think about it…
Have you ever had your boss unexpectedly correct you? How did you respond?
Have you ever had someone tell you “NO” and you responded with “who do they think they are?”
That’s your rebellious nature being exposed.
We don’t like authority because it forces us to answer the question: Who is really in charge?
This isn’t a new struggle. From the very beginning mankind has resisted rule. The argument has never been whether or not authority exists but if we’ll submit to it when it conflicts with what we want?
Adam and Eve in Gen 3
That same tension shaped the world of the first century. Especially in the nation of Israel.
Civilly: Rome ruled the world with visible and forceful authority. Soldiers were on constant patrol and taxes were imposed without negotiation.
Religiously: The priests, scribes, and elders governed worship, religous law, and access to God.
Authority in the region was structured, enforced, and unavoidable. And in Jerusalem, no place represented authority among the people more than the Temple.
We shouldn't think of it like we do a church building today as just a place where the people of God gather to pray, hear the Word of God taught, and admonish each other with songs, hymns and spiritual songs. The Temple symbolized the very presence of God among the people. It represented His covenants, His rule, and His claim over Israels life.
For Jesus to publically challenge authority in the Temple the way he did wasn’t just dangerous, it was provocative.
The question in this passage is not whether Jesus has authority. That has already been established.
The question is what happens when that authority is no longer theoretical, but personal; when it stands in front of us and calls us to submit.
Luke shows us that moment here, as Jesus’ authority collides with leaders who are unwilling to yield to it.
1.) Authority Is Challenged When Control Is Threatened (v. 1)
1.) Authority Is Challenged When Control Is Threatened (v. 1)
1 One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up
Chief priests- were responsible for the temple system. They oversaw sacrifices, finances, daily operations and benefited directly from the commerce taking place in the temple courtyard.
Scribes- were experts in the Law (most were Pharisees). They derived significant influence over the people from their interpretation of the Torah and their traditions.
Elders: functioned as local governmental officials. A teacher drawing crowds without their consent represented instability.
This interruption was likely an official confrontation from the Sanhedrin.
The Sanhedrin was the highest governing authority among the Jewish people. It functioned as Israel’s supreme court and ruling council, made up of the high priest along with leading priests, teachers of the Law, and elders. Rome allowed the Sanhedrin to govern internal affairs, but only long as order was maintained. Their power was real, but limited and fragile.
Together, this delegation represented religious stability, tradition, and control. And they approach Jesus while He is teaching and preaching the gospel. Not because He’s causing chaos, but because he’s calling their leadership over the people into question.
Their whole conflict with Jesus centered on the fact that they couldn’t contain him. And their control over the people was beginning to slip because of Him.
They couldn’t deny his power.
They couldn’t prove his teaching false
They can’t stop the people from listening to Him.
So they step in to reassert authority.
The issue is not, “Is Jesus right?” it’s, “Who gets to rule here?”
Application: Friends, that’s how resistance to Jesus often works.
Resistance to Jesus rises in our hearts when obedience to him, cost us comfort, control, and authority to govern our own lives.
Their Resistance to Jesus wasn’t because of confusion, it was because He threatened their authority.
2.) Authority Is Questioned Without Any Intention of Submitting (v. 2)
2.) Authority Is Questioned Without Any Intention of Submitting (v. 2)
2 and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.”
On the surface, that sounds reasonable. Authority should be accountable. Leaders should be able to explain where their authority comes from.
But there are two types of questions:
The kind that seek for truth.
And, the ones people ask to gain leverage.
This is a leverage question.
Luke has already told us these men want to kill Jesus. This is not a sincere attempt to understand Jesus. They’re trying to undermine Him.
If Jesus answers in a way they can challenge, they can discredit Him with the people. If He refuses, they can paint Him as evasive and illegitimate. Either way, their trying to regain control of the situation.
Understand they weren’t confused by Jesus, he spoke with clarity. They could recognize authority when they saw it.
But they are unwilling to submit to Him.
Think of it in terms of a family.
A healthy parent uses authority to guard and shape their children. A child doesn’t have to understand every rule in order to live under proper parental authority.
They may not like every boundary. They may push against them. But authority in a home exists for the good of the child, not the convenience of the parent.
Now imagine a child who says, “I’ll listen to you as long as I agree with you. I’ll obey when it makes sense to me. But when I don’t like what you say, I’ll decide for myself.”
That child may still live in the house.
They may still eat the food.
They may still enjoy the protection.
But they are no longer living under authority. They are negotiating with it.
That is exactly what this delegation is doing with Jesus.
They’re willing to engage with Him.
They’re willing to question Him.
They are even willing to hear Him, so long as they remain in charge.
They want authority to be something Jesus explains, not something they submit to.
Application: It’s worth asking where we may be negotiating with Jesus’ authority over our lives.
It’s possible to respect Jesus without obeying Him.
It’s possible to listen to His words without yielding control.
It’s possible to keep Jesus influential while resisting His right to rule.
That’s what these leaders are doing.
They are not asking, “Is Jesus right?”
They are asking, “Who gave Him the right to tell us what to do?”
And Jesus refuses to play that game.
3.) Authority Is Exposed by the Question We Refuse to Answer (vv. 3–6)
3.) Authority Is Exposed by the Question We Refuse to Answer (vv. 3–6)
3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?”
By asking about John the Baptist, Jesus forces these leaders to confront their own history with God’s authority. John’s ministry was not ambiguous.
Luke has already told us that John was sent by God to prepare the people:
2 …the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John:
Preached repentance.
Confronted sin.
Called Israel to prepare for the coming Messiah.
And pointed directly to Jesus as that Messiah.
So when Jesus asks: “Was John’s baptism from heaven or from man?” He immediately puts the men questioning His authority into a pickle.
And this is where their hearts are exposed.
They don’t pray.
They don’t search the Scriptures.
They don’t ask whether John was faithful to God.
Instead, they go into risk management mode.
5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’
6 But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”
If they affirm John’s authority, they indict themselves.
If they deny it, they risk the people’s anger.
They fear the people more than God.
They fear losing influence more than being disobedient.
They fear consequences more than rejection of truth.
This is evasion. They’re revealing that fear of man governs them more than fear of God.
Application: This is a warning we all need to sit up and pay attention too.
Fear of man doesn’t always show up as an outright rejection of God. It shows up as careful avoidance. It chooses ambiguity over obedience. It hides behind caution and avoids anything that might threaten our control.
The delegation works really hard at avoiding Jesus authority over them. And that avoidance leads directly to what happens next.
4.) Authority Is Claimed and Confirmed by Christ Himself (vv. 7–8)
4.) Authority Is Claimed and Confirmed by Christ Himself (vv. 7–8)
V.7 records their response
7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from.
They simply refuse to give Jesus an answer.
So he does the same thing:
8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Their silence was avoidance. Jesus’ was judgement.
There comes a point when persistent refusal becomes its own verdict. Those who consistently reject truth should not expect to be given greater clarity.
Luke’s been preparing us for this moment throughout his entire account of Jesus life. Authority is an ongoing theme throughout His gospel.
When Jesus taught early in His ministry, Luke tells us:
32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.
When Jesus commanded unclean spirits:
36 And they were all amazed and said to one another, “What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!”
When Jesus forgave sins, the leaders understood exactly what He was claiming:
21 And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
When Jesus calmed the storm:
25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”
Luke has shown the authority possessed by Jesus on display again and again. And now that same authority stands in the temple and the leaders of the people reject it in open rebellion.
Application: This moment is a warning.
When God’s authority is consistently resisted, judgment doesn’t always come with thunder. Sometimes it comes with silence.
When truth has been rejected often enough, God may confirm people in the path they have chosen.
Refusing Christ’s authority does not keep us neutral. It places us in opposition. We either submit to the authority of the Son, or we set ourselves against Him.
Jesus does not argue for His right to rule. He exercises it.
And Luke shows us that rejecting that authority is not harmless curiosity. It is rebellion, and rebellion meets judgment.
Conclusion
Conclusion
This encounter ends without resolution because submission to Christ authority was refused.
There is no repentance. No confession. Only clarity and refusal.
And that unresolved tension carries forward all the way to the cross.
Invitation
Invitation
These leaders refused Jesus because submission would have required surrender. And that same temptation is present for us.
The gospel does not call you to negotiate with Jesus. It calls you to trust Him.
The One who has authority over sin and judgment used that authority to lay His life down for sinners. He died for those who resisted Him. He rose again as Lord over all.
Today, the call of the gospel is to turn from ruling your own life and to submit to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith.
Not as a consultant. Not as a moral guide. But as Lord.
If you have never done that, I would urge you not to delay. Submission to Christ is not loss, it is life.
And for those who belong to Christ, this passage searches us as well.
It reminds us that it is possible to follow Jesus genuinely and still resist Him selectively. To obey where it’s comfortable and avoid where it costs us something.
Are there areas where obedience has been delayed?
Are there places where authority has been negotiated instead of embraced?
Are there commands we explain away rather than submit to?
So as we respond this morning, let’s ask the Lord to expose any area where we have resisted Him and to give us hearts that submit to Him in faith and obedience.
