A Question of Authority

17 June 2018 Michael Cloete Malelane Baptist Church A Question of Authority Reading: Mark 11:27-33 (NIV) 27 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?” 29 Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!” 31 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From men’….” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) 33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” Introduction The title of my sermon this morning is “A Question of Authority.” Authority is a sticky subject in our day. Confusion abounds with regards to authority, not only in who is to exercise authority and when, but how to exercise that authority. Think of the extremes of the misunderstandings of authority. As good Bible-believing Christians we know that parents are to exercise authority over their children. However, in this one instance of authority, we find on the one hand parents that abuse that authority, and spend their lives dictating to the children, in completely unreasonable fashion, what they are to do, and they do so out of a position of superior strength and knowledge, with little regard for the children themselves. On the other hand, society has so turned a biblical authority on its head, that you’re not even allowed to use reasonable methods of discipline without being labelled a child-abuser! In every sphere of the exercise of authority, because of sin that has come into the world, there will be incorrect application of authority, or even perhaps an exercise of authority that has no basis whatsoever. There was a section on Carte Blanche recently on a “church” in Pretoria, whose leaders’ name is Xander Strydom. He believes that he is God’s spokesperson for today, amongst other things, but one of the things that the church he is involved with does (Christ in me international) is that they control what their members may spend money on, who they may marry – they get very much involved in the intricate and personal details of their members’ lives. Now this is very clearly an authority that this church thinks that they have, but clearly don’t. Well, today, we consider Christ in the temple in Jerusalem, walking through the temple courts, and the religious leaders are clearly of the opinion that He does not have the authority to do what he has been doing – and so they question Him on this. And we’re going to consider together this morning the dialogue that takes place between, and then what it is that we can learn for us today through the events that unfold. 1. The Enemies’ Questions (v27-28) As we begin our study of this text, we must notice firstly “The Enemies’ Questions,” and we’ll see these in verses 27-28. The first thing we see in verse 27 is that Jesus is in Jerusalem again, and more specifically, He is in the Temple. This is the Tuesday morning of the week leading up to the Passover Feast. Jesus and the disciples had arrived on the Sunday in Jerusalem – late in the evening. They had then gone out to Bethany, where they would be sleeping for the week. On the Monday morning, they had gone to the temple, seen the fig tree on the way which Jesus had cursed, and then gone into the temple where Jesus had overturned the tables of the traders and money changers, driven out the flocks, and spoken those words of judgment against those who ruled in the Temple. They had then gone out again to Bethany and slept. This was then the Tuesday morning – they’ve walked back up to Jerusalem, and they’re now back in the Temple. As Jesus and the disciples are now back here in the Temple, so are the religious authorities. This is the Sanhedrin – the ruling leaders of Judaism. In verse 27 we read: “They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him.” (Mark 11:27, NIV84) Now picture the tense scene that exists here. Jesus’ last visit to the temple has consisted of a dramatic demonstration of God’s displeasure and a pronouncement of judgment on the religious leaders themselves. Recall that Jesus quoted from Jeremiah 7:11, “you have made it a den of robbers” – and that passage in Jeremiah went on to proclaim judgment on the temple of the day, which again was directed at the religious leaders. Because of this, there is a massive sense of tension in the air. No religious leader of the day was going to take kindly to a self-designated rabbi coming in and creating chaos in the Temple. They were fuming mad with Jesus, to the point that they wanted to put Jesus to death. This event of the previous day in the temple was not the only cause of them wanting to put Jesus to death – this was a long and protracted animosity that had developed over time as Jesus had ministered in Galilee. But the event in the Temple of the previous day was the culmination of this animosity. Enough is enough!! And so, as Jesus enters into the temple, and is walking along – most likely teaching – the Sanhedrin have walked out to Jesus in order to confront him. And they walk out with a plot in hand, with the intention of finding sufficient reason to put him to death. This was their goal!! They have been seeking ways to condemn Jesus without getting into trouble with the crowds. The way in which they are hoping to do that is by trapping him by a clever use of words, or questions set to catch him out. And so, this group of powerful religious people comes out to meet Jesus. This council includes chief priests (the most powerful officials representing the priesthood and the ruling Sanhedrin). It includes the Scribes, who were the legal experts – those who knew the law backwards! This is like getting into an argument with our own constitutional experts, who would be able to quote every aspect of the law to you. Think about how intimidating that would be to any one of us!! Well, these Scribes were there in order to catch Jesus out from the perspective of the law. And then we have the elders – these were the influential members of the aristocracy, or upper class of society. A formidable force confronts Jesus with questions about his credentials. With this team of respected leaders and experts approaching Jesus, we find the challenge that they lay down to him in verse 28: ““By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”” (Mark 11:28, NIV84) There are two questions that the leaders pose to Jesus on this day, and they are both related. The first question is this: “By what authority are you doing these things?” The question is not that Jesus was doing certain things, and was able to do certain things, but rather it is what is the nature of Jesus’ authority? In other words, what right did Jesus have to do the things that he was doing? Jesus has been claiming and exercising authority all along throughout his ministry. One of the key places in which he exercised his authority, and that authority was directly questioned by some of the leaders, was in Mark 2, where the paralytic was brought to Jesus by some of his friends, and lowered down through the roof in front of Jesus, in the hope of getting healing. And we read in Mark 2:5-7… “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law [that is the Scribes] were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?”” (Mark 2:5–7, NIV84) The Scribes were questioning the authority of Jesus. As far as they were concerned, no one had the authority to say to anyone else that your sins are forgiven. But here is this fellow, telling a paralytic that his sins are forgiven – just who does he think he is?! And it was because they were asking these questions about Jesus’ authority, that Jesus then proceeded to heal the man, in order to prove to them that he wasn’t a mere talker – he truly did have the authority to do what he was doing. His response to them is in verse 10-11 of Mark 2: “But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.”” (Mark 2:10–11, NIV84) Well, that event clearly didn’t convince them of his authority. Despite the miraculous signs that accompanied the words and claims of Christ, they refused to believe. Hearts were hardened! Then later on, Jesus made that amazing claim regarding the Sabbath, where his disciples were walking through the grain fields, and as they walked, they were picking the heads of grain because they were hungry. The Pharisees saw this, and they asked how it was that these men could do these unlawful things on the Sabbath. And Jesus challenged them, and said that the Sabbaty was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath, and then finished off with these powerful words: “So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”” (Mark 2:28, NIV84) Here was a claim to authority! Jesus claims, there in front of the Pharisees, that He is Lord of the Sabbath. Wow!!! Over and over, Jesus laid claim to have authority, and over and over, the religious leaders tried to undermine that, and claim that he had no authority. They questioned his authority. They even went as far as to suggest that some of the things he was doing, he was doing by the power of Beelzebul – Satan was the one driving Him. The reason that this is so important, is because without the necessary authority, you would be in big trouble! The reason the religious leaders are approaching Jesus on this question of authority, is because for him to do what he is doing without authority was grounds for capital punishment. He could be put to death if he didn’t have the authority to act within these religious matters as he was acting. The Mishnah (which was a Jewish collection of oral traditions and written works – redacted about a hundred and fifty years after Christ) prescribed that appeal to a false authority in religious matters would lead to death. Obviously those prescriptions were in play already in Jesus day. There is evidence of this not only through the question that is posed to Jesus here, but also in what plays out just prior to Jesus’ crucifixion in Mark 14: “…Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” “I am,” said Jesus. “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then notice the response of the high priest to Christ’s words: The high priest tore his clothes. “Why do we need any more witnesses?” he asked. “You have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” They all condemned him as worthy of death.” (Mark 14:61–64, NIV84) The question that the Sanhedrin is posing to Jesus here, relates then to his authority to do these things because they want to use this as grounds for putting him to death. As the religious leaders, they were the ones who were vested with authority and power within the temple in terms of ruling and determining what was acceptable and what not. This authority was something which was only passed on to others after they had met certain requirements, and proven themselves to be worthy of acting from this position of power and authority. According to these religious leaders, Jesus didn’t have any kind of authority. He hadn’t been trained in a rabbinical school, under a recognized Rabbi. He hadn’t been educated as they had. They hadn’t given him authority to carry out his actions in the temple, or anywhere else for that matter. He was a renegade in their minds! They, on the other hand, were proud of their achievements and accomplishments. They were proud of all they had to go through and do in order to reach the level that they had. But who is this Jesus fellow, who just comes along and pretends to be someone, yet he hasn’t had any of the background and training that we have. They were filled with pride! The Second Question This leads them to the second question to Jesus: “…who gave you this authority?” This second question acknowledges that no one possesses authority on his own to do what Jesus does. They knew that it certainly wasn’t them that gave him authority. What they are hoping to do is to then trap Jesus. If he answers here that he doesn’t have authority, or that no one has given him authority, well then, he has no basis on which to do it, and thus he is liable for death. On the other hand, if he says that his authority comes from God (which is the only other possible option under the circumstances, since the religious leaders certainly hadn’t given him authority) well then, they are going to charge him with blasphemy, since they certainly don’t believe that he has any authority whatsoever from God! Either way, this works out pretty well for the religious leaders, because this is precisely what they are looking for. 2. Jesus’ Counter-Question (vv.29-30) So how then does Jesus respond? Well, this leads us to our second consideration this morning, and that is “Jesus’ Counter-Question.” The response is found in verses 29-30: “Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!”” (Mark 11:29–30, NIV84) Jesus doesn’t give them an answer to their question, but rather he asks them a question in return, and says that if they will answer his question, well then he’ll gladly answer theirs. To us, this may seem like some kind of a dodging of the bullet. But this was not an abnormal response amongst the Jewish rabbis. They would often answer a question by posing a counter-question. Jesus’ counter-question concerns John the Baptist’s authority. Where did his authority come from? What is important for us to realise is that this is not just a clever counter-question aimed at changing the subject. One of the go-to tactics for us as people when we’re under scrutiny and don’t particularly want to answer or give an account for ourselves, is to suddenly change the topic. We ask another question which is completely off-topic in the hope that it will take the attention off of us. That is certainly not what Jesus is doing. In fact, the question that Jesus poses to them has great relevance to the topic at hand. Jesus is linking their response to himself with their response to John the Baptist. They are rejecting Jesus because they have rejected John. If they had truly repented in response to John’s message of preparation, they would have recognized and accepted the Messiah. Instead, they rejected Elijah and so will also reject the Son of Man (cf. 9:12–13, notes). Remember that John came in the desert, baptizing a baptism of repentance. But of greater importance in this instance, was the fact that John came proclaiming that one was coming after him that was far greater than him! He came as one pointing the way to one greater than himself! He was the one of who it was said… ““a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ”” (Mark 1:3, NIV84) And so the work of John the Baptist was to make straight paths for Christ – to prepare for His coming. In John’s Gospel, we read these words concerning the work of John the Baptist (John 1:24-30)… “Now some Pharisees who had been sent questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”… The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’” (John 1:24–30, NIV84) Later on in John’s Gospel, we read about some of John’s own disciples that come to him and express their concerns that Jesus is getting more disciples than him. They’re jealous for their leader John. But we read of his response to them in John 3:27ff… “To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must become greater; I must become less. A little further on, John went on to say: The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.”” (John 3:27–36, NIV84) The entire point of John’s ministry, as he baptised in the wilderness, was to point out Christ’s superiority! He pointed forward to the Son of God! And Jesus, in posing this question that he does to the Sanhedrin, doesn’t do it as an off topic matter, but rather because this John pointed to Christ – it was of great relevance! Add to this, the Baptism of Jesus by John was a key event at the start of Christ’s ministry. Christ’s baptism marked the entry of Jesus into ministering…following went out into the wilderness…then started preaching the Gospel. It was at the baptism of Jesus that the heavens were opened, and the Spirit descended like a dove, and the voice of the Father came from heaven, saying this is my son, with whom I am well pleased. John was the one who came testifying concerning the Lord Jesus Christ – that this was the greater one. John simply pointed to Jesus. He was the one preparing the way, and obviously, the religious leaders didn’t like John, and they didn’t want to accept his message. If they had wanted to accept his message, they would have had to repent – something they were not willing to do. They simply didn’t see the need for it. On the other hand, if they accepted his message, and the fact that he was indeed a prophet (which the common people believed) well then they would have to accept the one that he pointed to – Jesus! 3. The Enemies’ Dilemma (vv.31-33) Well that leads us to the 3rd and final observation from the text, and that is “The Enemies’ Dilemma.” Jesus’ question puts his enemies in a very tricky situation. Verses 31-32… “They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’….” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)” (Mark 11:31–32, NIV84) Picture the situation now. These superior leaders, those well versed in the law. The respected elders. The great theologians of their day. And Jesus poses this return question to them, and they have to break away for a moment and discuss this amongst themselves. Do you think they were unsure of their own position on John? Of course not. It’s just that their position didn’t square up with the popular opinion of the people of the day. If they had to admit, as they should have, that John’s baptism came from heaven, then they would have to believe all that John proclaimed, including the superiority of Jesus Christ. They certainly weren’t about to do that. Furthermore, it would mean that they had to acknowledge that they needed repentance. To do so would be to convict themselves. If, on the other hand, they concede only human authority, they lose authority with the crowds, the very thing they are trying to uphold! By asking a question they cannot afford to answer, Jesus exposes their hypocrisy. More important to them than truth is their status with the crowds. Any answer (or no answer) is okay, as long as they can keep the people on their side (11:32). Mark’s view concerning Jesus’ and John’s authority has been clear from the start. John is a divinely authorized messenger sent to prepare the way (1:2). Jesus is the Christ. He is the one who “suddenly comes to his temple.… But who can endure the day of his coming?” (Mal. 3:1–2). The reader is challenged to adopt Mark’s views and to watch what happens as the religious leaders reject those views. Casual bystanders in the temple would be baffled, not knowing what Jesus is thinking or what the religious leaders are thinking. Would they even recognize that Jesus has just bested his opponents? After all, not one question is answered and some questions are not even asked. Mark’s goal is to provoke his reader to ask seriously and answer honestly the questions left unanswered here. Mark’s reader knows what Jesus’ enemies discuss in private and which questions the enemies cannot afford to have Jesus ask. The reader knows the answer to all the questions (those asked and those contemplated), and the reader knows why Jesus’ enemies respond as they do. The irony of this text is that Jesus has once again demonstrated the authority his enemies are challenging. He has evaded their question, embarrassed them, and proved a champion in debate. He has done it all without tricks or deceit. He has demonstrated why the authority they claim is nothing but a sleight of hand, to keep the crowds supporting them. Before God, whom they claim to serve, they have lost authority. They will soon lose their positions as well. Applications As we look at this passage, let us consider how this applies to our own lives today, about 2000 years after these events took place in the temple courts. 1. Christ still has ALL authority Firstly, we need to recognise, that Christ’s authority has not changed. In this passage, he didn’t reveal his authority to the religious leaders. But the reader of Mark’s letter is left with little doubt as to where his authority came from. Christ’s authority surpasses all authorities, and that has great relevance for you and I today. You don’t make Christ Lord, He is Lord. He is in charge. And all His children follow Him and seek to obey Him like a Master. If Christ is not Lord in your life, then you are not His. All genuine Christians submit to Christ and His Word. Don’t fall into living like an average believer.  An average believer compares Himself to other Christians, other families, and dangerously becomes content with a marginal compromising faith. Don’t be average. Be one who honours Christ as Lord! Who honours Christ as the one with authority over your life! When you recognise that Christ has authority, you will take God’s word, and you will compare yourself to that revealed and written word of God. You will not live your life trying to win the approval of the people around, like the Sanhedrin did. The one who has confessed Christ as Lord compares his life against God’s Word and realizes there is always more sin to repent of, and more character to develop—always. If Christ is Lord, then you will willingly submit to Him, not only when it suits you. There will be no area in your life where you intentionally reject His Word. If God’s word says “do not give up gathering together with the saints,” then you will not give up gathering with the saints. You gather with God’s people. If God’s Word says do not be angry, you deal with anger biblically. If God’s word says that you should live in peace with all people, as far as is possible, then you will do that in humble submission to Christ as Lord. If God says rejoice, give thanks, be filled with the Spirit, you want to obey even when you don’t feel like it, because Christ is your Lord (I know that’s hard!). Turn to Christ today. Submit to the Lord of all! 2. Christ’s Authority should lead you to action This flows directly out of what we have just considered, but takes it a step further. At the end of Matthew’s Gospel, there is a very well-known passage, where Christ expressly states his authority, and then uses that as a basis to give instructions to his disciples. In Matthew 28:18 we read: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18, NIV84) And what was the instruction that he gave which followed these words? “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:19–20, NIV84) Christ has given us the command to make disciples. We are to be disciples of Jesus Christ, who in turn make disciples. The problem is that so often we are afraid of what to say; what words to use! But that shouldn’t be the case! Listen to what Paul writes to young Titus in Titus 2:15: “These things speak with all authority. And let no one disregard you.” What were those things that needed to be taught with all authority? Well, in verse 1 of that same passage, Paul had begun by saying: “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.” (Titus 2:1, NIV84) I’m not going to spend the time to go into all the Scripture references for this now, but the fact is that this “sound doctrine” that Titus is supposed to speak with “all authority” is the Scriptures. And because it is the Scripture, it is God’s word, and can and should be proclaimed with all authority. Christian, your place in the world is to speak authoritatively when you say, “Thus says the Lord.” You are to be dogmatic. You are to be absolute. Of course, you can speak truth with grace, but speak the truth with the authority of Christ—thus saith the Lord. And that does not mean that you come with some new “revelation” from God, and then presume to speak on behalf of God. You use the Scriptures! God’s Word is not a suggestion, idea, sharing, a thought for the day. It is God’s authoritative, never wrong, always right Word. And when people say to you, “How can you possibly be dogmatic? You think you’re right about everything. How can you say that?” Say, “God already said it, I’m just quoting God.” We are never to say “Truly I say unto you,” but we are to say, “Truly God says to you” – and then to point out chapter and verse (and please do that in context). But the point is this: when we take God’s word, and we learn to read it and apply it in the correct way to people’s lives, that word comes with authority. That word comes with power! Hebrews 4:12-13… “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” (Hebrews 4:12–13, NIV84) That word of God is powerful. It cuts people; it exposes people; it shows them for who they truly are. And yes, very often that is uncomfortable! But that is the word of God. And that is God’s power for salvation. Friends, we need to use the word of God – this authority that is available, that we hold in our hands. 3. Christ’s authority should cause you to TRUST Him If Christ is truly the authority, He is sovereign, that means whatever you are going through in life, is by His design, and in keeping with his perfect plans. Note Psalm 135:6… “Whatever the Lord pleases, He does, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.” What about those bad things that just happened to me? What about all those circumstances I don’t understand? Romans 8:28-29… “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” (Romans 8:28–29, NIV84) God’s in charge–He saved you, He is sanctifying you, trust Him. He loves you, He is all-wise, and all-powerful. Therefore, nothing happens to you that is out of His control—He is the authority. 4. All your authority is DELEGATED Christ’s authority surpasses all authorities. Christ’s authority comes from his very nature as the second person of the Trinity. But when we get to any authority position on earth, we must remember that this is a delegated authority with a very specific purpose. You are to represent Christ and His authority. In any leadership position that you hold, you as a Christian holding that leadership position with the goal of honouring Christ, and thus reflecting something of his own authority. You do not possess authority in and of yourself. You do not possess that authority for your own benefit or gain. This goes for any position of authority. If you are a boss at work, or in a management position where you have authority over those under you, you have this position of authority for the purpose of honouring Christ. In the home context, husbands, you have been granted a position of authority over the family structure – that is the wife and the children – but always with the purpose of honouring Christ. Bringing order and stability and leadership over the family for their benefit and good. Mothers, likewise, you have authority over the children, but only to bring honour to Christ, not to exercise a heavy-handed kind of demanding authority, but rather a humble Christ-like authority for the benefit of the children. The list could go on. But the point is simply this: honour Christ with the authority that you have been entrusted with. In closing: Have you come to recognise the authority of Christ. And are you willingly submitting yourself under His authority – not just in lip service, but in genuine, deep conviction that He is Lord. He has authority. A day is coming where every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Have you done this? Are you living your life with Jesus Christ as LORD?!