Scripture

They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?”

Observation
.Jesus and His disciples return again to Jerusalem. As they walk through the temple precinct, the Jewish religious leaders come to Jesus and demand to know by what authority Jesus had cleared the temple.

Jesus replies that He will tell them His source of authority if they will tell him whether John’s authority came from heaven or from man. This confounds the leaders because if they say that John’s authority was from God, Jesus would rebuke them for not listening to John. On the other hand, they would lose credibility with the people if they said John’s authority was merely human.

They confess they do not know the answer to his question. Jesus answers, he won’t answer their question either.

Application
After three years of powerful teaching, amazing miracles and even raising several people from the dead, it should have been clear to most people that Jesus had special power and authority from God.

In fact, that authority had been evident since the time when he was in the temple at the age of 12 years questioning the teachers of the law. Genuinely godly authority is obvious to those who are truly full of the Holy Spirit. There are some teachers who are wrong at some points, but they still carry the authority of the Lord despite their faults.

The problem with the Jewish leaders was not that they were unsure of Jesus’ mandate to preach and to represent the Lord. The problem was that they did not like that Jesus was rising above them in influence and power. If Jesus truly was from God, then where did this leave them?

They could see the truth that refused to confess it.

Listen
Lord, what would you say to me today about the source of authority in your kingdom?

Keith, to be a leader in the kingdom, means to be a servant to all. Authority is not about popular acclaim, fancy uniforms, or having a title. Authority comes through laying aside your own desires and ambitions in order to serve the least in the community.

A monk named Brother Lawrence was more influential than all the other monks in his order, because he chose to seek me at the kitchen sink. He wasn’t eloquent or highly educated, but he loved me with such a passion that he found me in the halls of the kitchen and showed others how to do the same.