Lent Day 35
Matthew 21:23–27
And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
The temple in Jerusalem was the center of Jewish worship. It was believed that Yahweh, God, met with the chief priest in the most holy place, behind the curtain, once a year, to demonstrate his presence with his chosen people. The chief priest and the elders of Israel were considered the authority on the things of God because they were in charge of the temple.
But Jesus came performing miracles, healing, casting out demons, and teaching the things of God, sometimes contrary to the way that the elders taught. So they challenged him, “By what authority are you doing these things?”
Jesus often responded to the challenges of the religious rulers with a question. He asked them if John’s baptism came from man or God. That was a tricky question. They had rejected the teachings of John, so if they say from God, then they have been unfaithful. But, if they responded that he was only from man then they feared the crowds of people would turn on them and strip them from their positions in the temple–the crowds of people loved John the Baptist and believed he was from God.
They chose not to answer, so Jesus refused to answer their questions about his own authority. They resented him for making a mockery of them and began to consider how they might kill him.
The problem in the hearts of the religious elites was that they loved the praise of men and the power of the temple more than they loved God. They acted as though they had authority in themselves when they only had authority because God gave it. They were like the gods of the nations in Psalm 82, who ruled unjustly for their own pleasure and were condemned to die like men for their misuse of power. Likewise, we do well to remember that any authority we have–whether in our homes, workplaces, or in Christ’s church–is Christ’s authority. He entrusts it to us. But in everything we submit ourselves, our wills, our desires, our motives, to his glorious and eternal purposes.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, let us not be like the rulers of Israel who ruled unjustly for their own pleasure, but let us rule as you would rule, submitting ur desires, motives, and wills to your perfect and eternal purposes. Amen.
But Jesus came performing miracles, healing, casting out demons, and teaching the things of God, sometimes contrary to the way that the elders taught. So they challenged him, “By what authority are you doing these things?”
Jesus often responded to the challenges of the religious rulers with a question. He asked them if John’s baptism came from man or God. That was a tricky question. They had rejected the teachings of John, so if they say from God, then they have been unfaithful. But, if they responded that he was only from man then they feared the crowds of people would turn on them and strip them from their positions in the temple–the crowds of people loved John the Baptist and believed he was from God.
They chose not to answer, so Jesus refused to answer their questions about his own authority. They resented him for making a mockery of them and began to consider how they might kill him.
The problem in the hearts of the religious elites was that they loved the praise of men and the power of the temple more than they loved God. They acted as though they had authority in themselves when they only had authority because God gave it. They were like the gods of the nations in Psalm 82, who ruled unjustly for their own pleasure and were condemned to die like men for their misuse of power. Likewise, we do well to remember that any authority we have–whether in our homes, workplaces, or in Christ’s church–is Christ’s authority. He entrusts it to us. But in everything we submit ourselves, our wills, our desires, our motives, to his glorious and eternal purposes.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, let us not be like the rulers of Israel who ruled unjustly for their own pleasure, but let us rule as you would rule, submitting ur desires, motives, and wills to your perfect and eternal purposes. Amen.
Posted in Lent 2024
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