📖 Sermon 143 – The Authority of Jesus Questioned
Date: [no date given]
Text: Luke 20:1–8
Introduction
As Jesus teaches in the temple, the chief priests, scribes, and elders confront Him, asking by what authority He acts. Jesus responds with a counterquestion about John the Baptist, exposing their hypocrisy and revealing His divine authority.
A. They demand: “By what authority…?”
They refuse to recognize His works,
His teaching,
and His fulfillment of prophecy.
B. Their motive is hostility
They fear losing influence over the people.
C. They ignore the evidence
Miracles, Scripture, and holiness
testify plainly of His divine mission.
A. “The baptism of John — was it from heaven or of men?”
A question that exposes their unbelief.
B. They reason among themselves
If they say “from heaven,”
they condemn themselves;
if they say “of men,”
the people will stone them.
C. They answer: “We cannot tell.”
A cowardly evasion.
A. “Neither tell I you…”
He withholds truth from the willfully blind.
B. His authority is self-authenticating
Those with open hearts see it clearly.
C. Rejecting Christ’s authority is rejecting God Himself
Conclusion
This encounter teaches that no amount of evidence will convince those who are unwilling to submit to Christ. Yet His authority remains absolute and divine. Let us bow to His Word, receive His teaching, and acknowledge Him as Lord.
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