Seeds for 12/14/2023 - Matthew 21:23-27
Scripture: Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while He was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
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, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Observation: Authority is the focus of the exchange between Jesus and the chief priests and elders of the people: who has it and from where does it originate?
This episode is a good example of what Dallas Willard once wrote about Jesus: “He is not just nice, he is brilliant. He is the smartest man who ever lived.” Instead of being pushed into answering the question put to Him, Jesus turns the inquiry around by agreeing to answer, with a condition—they answer His question first. Two can play at this game.
The heavenly or humanly origin of John’s baptismal ministry would seem straightforward. If it was leading people to God, it’s from heaven; if it was leading people into idolatry or some sort of false religion, it’s from humanity. But that isn’t their calculus. They are the ones in a tricky spot. They did not believe God was with John, but they lack the courage of their convictions to own up to it in the face of John’s popularity with the people.
The dynamics of this conversation connect with a broader theme of the Gospels and the New Testament—that we must decide who Jesus is and whether His authority is legitimate. That decision was presented to the disciples at Caesarea Philippi in the question, “Who do you say that I am?” Here it surfaces in the back and forth over the origin of Jesus’ and John’s authority. Will the chief priests and elders own the question for themselves and take a side on the authority of Jesus, and John too for that matter? Or will they keep passing it around like a hot potato, trying to trap Jesus? Will they assess the truth about John’s ministry for themselves, or just lick their finger and stick it in the air?
As easy as it is from where we sit as readers of scripture, those religious leaders know something we must remember too. If they ascribe legitimate, divine authority to Jesus’ life and teaching, that has profound consequences. They must be keenly aware of the response owed by their life if the pronouncement is made by their lips. The question is, do we?
Application:
If you are a Christian, what percentage of your life is under the authority of Jesus today?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, match up my words and my living so that I might recognize your authority in spirit and in truth. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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