#15 Question: What’s up with questioning Jesus?

Our society functions on rules and regulations. Occasionally someone errs and must pay the penalty. Remember the time your uncle talked about a policeman stopping him for speeding? No one asked if the policeman had the right to stop him. The uniform and flashing red light made it plain that the policeman had the right to give out tickets for infractions.

The chief priests and elders of the people acted as if they alone controlled the temple and what occurred therein. They questioned Jesus about His authority, Matthew 21:23:

“And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

Jesus had just entered the city to the praise and acclaim of the crowd, Matthew 21:9:

“And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Then, Jesus went into the temple, drove out those who bought and sold, and upset the tables of the money changers. This act is, no doubt, what irritated the chief priests and elders and caused them to ask Jesus as to who gave Him the authority to cleanse the temple and teach.

Significantly, this incident occurred late in the preaching ministry of Jesus. Already He had performed many miracles and healings. John the Baptist had earlier publicly proclaimed Him to be the Lamb of God and pointed to the prophecies that He had fulfilled. Even the recent triumphant entry into Jerusalem had been prophesied by Zechariah and Isaiah. Jesus had all the signs of the expected Messiah. Although the chief priests and elders could see the miracles and knew the prophecies, they did not believe and were now questioning His authority. They should have known that He was Deity.

But Jesus did not answer them directly, Matthew 21:24-25:

“Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?”

Immediately, the chief priests and elders were in a quandary, Matthew 21:25-27

“And they discussed it 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 man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”

Instead of a direct answer, Jesus told them a short parable and asked them another question, Matthew 21: 27-31:

“And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things…

…What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?”

This was a question they could easily answer, Matthew 21:31-32:

“They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.”

Note that in this story Jesus recognizes only two groups, both sinners: 1. Sinners who hear and repent, and 2) sinners who hear and will not repent. The tax collectors and prostitutes comprise the sinners who heard, believed, and repented. The chief priests and elders are the sinners who heard and would not believe or repent.

 Jesus, the Son of God, had the authority to teach in the temple and cleanse it. The chief priests and elders had the miracles and fulfilled prophecies in front of them but refused to believe and acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah.

The lesson for us is to recognize the authority of Jesus to command our lives and reward us with a home in heaven after death. This means we need to read, study, believe, and obey the New Testament. All authority is found therein.

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