Day 28: Authority
“As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came and asked him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do these things?” Mark 11:27-28
The false religious leaders of Israel were in full panic mode. Why? Because of what Jesus was saying and doing. The day before he had cleansed the temple. He had put a stop to the immoral, greedy business by which the high priest’s men were extorting the people as they came to sacrifice. Jesus called them thieves. Why didn’t they grab him right then and kill him? Because “They were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was astonished by his teaching.” What was he teaching them? Mark just tells us that he was walking through the temple. But Luke tells us that Jesus was proclaiming the good news, preaching the gospel. His message would have no doubt included the truth about man’s sinfulness, God’s holiness, the hopelessness of trying to work your way to heaven. He would have warned about the certainty of hell and the need for repentant faith. With tremendous compassion, he would have included the hope of forgiveness and reconciliation with God based on His compassionate love for the sinner. In a nutshell, Jesus covered everything necessary to communicate the good news of salvation.
Consider the authoritative manner in which Jesus did these things. He didn’t ask permission to throw out those buying and selling, or to overturn tables and chairs, or to permit people from carrying goods through the temple. He did not need to ask for permission. Jesus is God, he is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He has all authority in heaven and earth. His is undeniable, irrefutable and total authority. So, He just did it. He preached the same way. When he preached the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, the conclusion of it says, “The crowds were astonished at his teaching, because he was teaching them like one who had authority, and not like their scribes.” Jesus was undoubtedly the most compelling preacher ever, more compelling than C.H. Spurgeon, even more compelling than our Petes! And every word that Jesus has spoken is not merely true, but is the voice of God Himself. What absolute power and authority is that!
How must we respond? The authoritative teaching of Jesus should have the final say in every aspect of our lives as believers. The Word of God is our only authority. Regardless of anything that is culturally proclaimed or accepted, we hold to the truth of God’s Word. That is our standard, and that is what we obey. Cry out to the Lord today. Ask Him to anchor His truths in our hearts and make us obedient to the authority of King Jesus.
Written by Reagan Eddins
Passage for today: Mark 11:22-33
A thought to remember: All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Jesus.
A question to ask: Is there any area of our lives that we have not submitted to the authority of Christ?
A song to sing: Speak, O Lord