Think on these questions as you dwell on Mark 11:27-33:

1. What incident from Jesus' earlier visit to the temple forms the backdrop for the confrontation with the chief priests, scribes, and elders? How does this incident relate to the question of authority that Jesus poses to them?

2. Why do the chief priests, scribes, and elders hesitate to answer Jesus' question about John the Baptist's authority? How does their response reveal their underlying concerns and priorities?

3. How does Jesus' response to their question about authority emphasize the importance of recognizing the true source of divine authority? What challenge does this passage present to believers regarding their willingness to take a stand for the truth of the Gospel, even when faced with opposition or the desire to please others?

Transcript:

So, to understand this passage for today, we need to think back. We need to remember what happened when Jesus came in for the triumphal entry. What did Jesus do? Where did he go? And what was the big deal about what happened when he went there? Well, he went to the temple. Now, remember, when we talk about Jesus going to the temple, he is not going to the temple and going into the most holy place. He wouldn't have been allowed there because he wasn't a priest and a Levite. So, when we say that Jesus went to the temple, he went to the outer court. He went to where people were allowed to go. He went to where even the Gentiles were allowed. And what did he do when he went there? Earlier on in Mark, what we looked at maybe a little over a week ago. Well, he cleared out the temple of the money changers and those who were taking advantage of people to make a profit. Well, now Jesus is back walking through this court again. It says he's at the temple. And so, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders see him, and they come up to him and they challenge him and they say, By what authority are you doing these things?

How come you think that you can clear people out of the temple? Who told you could do this? Did we tell you? Because we don't remember? Well, Jesus decides to answer their question with a question himself. He wants them to answer an important question. He asked them, Was the baptism of John from God? Was it from heaven or was it from man? Well, what is Jesus trying to trap them with? Well, the text tells us here. It tells us that the people, not the people, but the chief priests and the scribes and the elders, they didn't believe that John was from God. But the people did. The people believed that John was actually a prophet. And so these people are afraid because if they answer one way, they're caught. If they answer another way, they're caught. And Jesus knows this. And so they huddled together. I bet this would have been an interesting discussion, them going through their options. You might imagine them all coming together and getting a little help, talking about it and then turning around and giving their answer. And boy, isn't their answer profound here? We do not know. Yeah, exactly.

What must that have been like when it happened? These are the people who are supposed to have the answers. These are the people who are calling Jesus out for thinking he has the authority to clear up the temple, but they don't know themselves. And so, Jesus says, Well, then I'm not going to tell you by what authority I do these things. And the point here is, either they believe that He has authority from heaven, and He has the authority to do that, and He does because He is God, the Son, and human flesh, or they think He is just another person. He's just another man. And once again, they do not want to answer Jesus about John the Baptist because it's the same trap. Jesus is saying, You're not going to believe the authority that I tell you. If you didn't believe John, you are not going to believe me. We're going to see, as we get down to the parable of the tenants coming up, that Jesus is the one who has authority, that he is from heaven. He is the one who can say that the temple needs to be cleansed. But these people, the chief priests and the scribe and the elders, they don't believe that Jesus is from heaven.

They don't believe his message, and so they're going to reject it. So even if He gives them where His authority is from, they won't believe. And Jesus knows this. They are far too concerned, though, about pleasing people to answer Jesus truthfully here when they ask about John the Baptist. And so, that's where I would like to go for something for us to think about today. Do we answer truthfully? Do we really believe that Jesus is the Christ? Do we believe that His word has authority? And are we willing to say that in front of people? Or are we more concerned about pleasing men? Do we have the courage to speak out? Do we have the courage to take a stand for the truth of the Gospel? Or are we more concerned with what it sounds like? Are we more concerned with pleasing people? This is hard. We don't want, no matter how much we like to be rebellious, we don't like to take a stand away from people. One of the first things we do when we do take a stand on something, we look around for the other people who might be on our side, because deep down, we are people pleasers.

And so, we need to be willing to take a stand and not worry about what other people have to say, but instead be willing to trust in the authority of God's word. And so, may we do that. May we be ready to understand that the one who came from heaven and gave us his Holy word is the one who has authority. And may we stand by that today and every day.