Matthew 21:23-27 Jesus’ Authority Questioned
“Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”
But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”
And they reasoned 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 men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”
And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
The Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes are furious. Not only has this upstart carpenter from Galilee ridden into Jerusalem to popular adulation, but now he is teaching right on the teaching steps on the east side of the temple. The nerve of this man! Certainly, this despicable Galilean deserves to be publicly humiliated and shut down as quickly as possible. But shutting down Jesus turns to be a much tougher proposition than anticipated. This morning the chief priests and elders are planning a confrontation, but they are about to get a rude surprise.
“Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” There! That ought to take this gadfly down a few notches! Surely this carpenter will be unable to answer and will slink back where he came from. But things seldom work out as anticipated.
“But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?” Now the attackers must defend themselves and they are caught in their own trap. John the Baptist brought hope and restoration to thousands, perhaps even millions, of the common people. Many are still quietly grieving John’s tragic murder by Herod and are absolutely convinced that John was a prophet. Now the authorities go meet in a corner to strategize.
“And they reasoned 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 men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.” So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” By now, the common people are chortling with glee. These haughty religious leaders are forever parading around with their noses in the air, obviously certain that they are much better and much holier than everyone else. But Jesus’ simple question has left them speechless.
“Hmph!” says one man in the crowd as he elbows his neighbor, “Why can’t these guys simply admit that John’s ministry was from God and be done with it? There’s no real shame in realizing you’ve made a major mistake.” “What? These guys? Are you kidding?” sneers the neighbor. “As far as these guys are concerned, they’re never wrong. Admitting a mistake is the very last thing these fellows will do.”
Meanwhile, Jesus is standing there, smiling, and waiting for an answer. All Jesus has done is to ask a basic question, but it’s one these men cannot possibly answer. These men scorned John’s preaching when he was alive; now that he’s dead, they must maintain their position or appear foolish, the very last thing they are willing to do.
Finally, after giving his questioners plenty of time to change their minds, Jesus responds. “And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
While the religious authorities of Jesus’ day might not have wanted to publicly admit his authority, the disciples and the crowds realize that authority must come from God. The disciples particularly are going to need that assurance, for in a few days they will be witnessing Jesus’ death at the hands of these same religious leaders. A few days after that, the disciples will be rejoicing in the resurrection, realizing that Jesus has far more authority than they ever imagined. But what about us?
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Jesus will promise his disciples power and authority to be his witnesses throughout the world. They will encounter innumerable dangers and many of them will be martyred; yet, the Gospel will continue to go forward.
Today, many believers are tempted to “go along to get along;” however, this attitude leaves one in the unenviable position of being a mugwump. As illustrated, a mugwump is someone trying to compromise by sitting on a fence with his back side on one side while his front is on the other. Mugwumps frequently try to defend themselves by talking about compromise and conciliation; however, disciples must go in the authority of Jesus, and there’s no room for mugwumps in the Kingdom of God.
It’s easy to be a mugwump if you have never had an encounter with the One True Living God, for then you can easily blather on, making fine-sounding but meaningless statements. But when God has touched your lips as He touched Isaiah’s in Isaiah 6, you must speak with God’s authority or remain silent. When God begins moving in your life, He does so with His authority as Creator of the universe, and there’s no room for mugwumpery.
May all of us aspiring to be disciples realize that our authority never comes from men, but from God and it is God to whom we must answer. May we speak truthfully and with fidelity!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to acknowledge Your Authority and to be careful to say and do only what You want us to, nothing more, nothing less, and nothing else. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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