SEPTEMBER 13, 2015
CHRIST CONFOUNDS HIS ENEMIES
INTRODUCTION:
1. Our Lord’s entrance into Jerusalem as foretold by the prophet Zechariah was a most remarkable event done with great publicity. Not only did the manner of His coming declare Him to be the long-awaited King Messiah, but in many ways His divine nature was revealed as well. His omniscience as well as His sovereign lordship over both man and beast is clearly seen. (Verses 2-7)
2. Once He was within the city He demonstrated His authority over His Father’s house. (Verses 15-17) Asking permission of no one, He repeated the very same actions that He did nearly three years before at the beginning of His public ministry. (John 2:14-16) As He did this, strangely enough, none resisted or challenged His authority. Only after the fact did His enemies muster up the courage to question Him.
3. After our Lord had purged the temple now for the second time, He departed and went again to Bethany. There He spent the night with His dear friends, and then returned the next morning. As He and the twelve were in route back to the city they passed the withered fig tree which He had cursed the morning before, this providing Him with the opportunity to teach them an important lesson in the mighty power that can be accessed by faith. (Verses 20-26)
4. It is at this point that we take up the story from Mark’s pen.
I. JESUS WAS AGAIN WITHIN THE TEMPLE PRECINCTS WHEN A GROUP OF JEWISH LEADERS CONFRONTED HIM. (VERSE 27)
A. HE WALKED CALMLY THROUGH THE COURT, HAVING THE EVENING BEFORE FORCEFULLY PURGED IT. “HE WAS WALKING IN THE TEMPLE.”
1. He was not in the least worried about the confrontation that He knew was coming.
2. These members of the Sanhedrin had likely been in council all night with the other members of that body deciding how they should deal with this matter. They had offered no resistance the evening before. Could they now save face?
B. JESUS NOT ONLY WALKED CALMLY THROUGH THE TEMPLE PRECINCTS, BUT LUKE TELLS US THAT HE WAS ENGAGED IN TEACHING AND PREACHING WHEN THE CONFRONTATION OCCURRED. “HE TAUGHT THE PEOPLE IN THE TEMPLE AND PREACHED THE GOSPEL.” (LUKE 20:1)
1. Jesus not only purchased salvation, but published it.
a) This is our greatest confirmation of the truth of the Gospel. Jesus preached it.
b) Let us not be surprised when the enemy tries to hinder us in this work.
c) Let us be emboldened. Jesus knew that He was in the mouth of danger, yet, “He taught the people…and preached the gospel.”
2. The Jewish leaders formed a body and burst upon Him while He was teaching the people. “The chief priests and scribes CAME UPON HIM.”
a) The word (itestasan) used only in Luke 20:1, suggests a sudden violent bursting in.
b) Never had this house been graced with such a teacher, yet these intruders had no respect either for the greatest of all teachers or for the wonderful soul-saving Gospel that He preached.
c) Their sudden appearance, if meant to surprise or frighten Him, did neither.
d) Considering the things they had now witnessed, what fools they were to try and challenge His authority. Yet, that is exactly what they intended to do.
II. THE RELIGIOUS AND CIVIL JUDGES OF THE JEWS HERE JOINED TOGETHER TO CHALLENGE CHRIST’S AUTHORITY. (VERSES 27b, 28)
A. THE MESSIAH’S CHIEF OPPONENTS WERE THOSE WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIS FOREMOST PROMOTERS. “THERE COME TO HIM THE CHIEF PRIESTS AND THE SCRIBES, AND THE ELDERS.”
1. Those who sat in Moses’ seat were responsible to open to the Messiah.
2. They, however, would not go in themselves, nor would they suffer others to enter. (Matt. 23:13)
3. It is a woefully degenerate generation when the leaders in both church and state will not hear the Gospel.
4. But, not only would they not hear, they showed the utmost disrespect to the Gospel, and to the Son of God Who preached it.
B. THE OPPOSITION, WITH GREAT INSOLENCE, CHALLENGED THE AUTHORITY OF THE SON OF GOD. (VERSE 28)
1. Time and again He had shown that He was a teacher come from God. (Ch. 11:29-32; Matt. 12:26-28) Nicodemus, who was a ruler and a master in Israel, had seen the proof and owned that He was indeed “a teacher sent from God.” (John 3:2)
2. They had witnessed His triumphal entrance into Jerusalem in exact answer to the prophetic Scripture.
3. He had driven the venders, who were licensed by the rulers, from the temple.
4. Now, they demanded to know by whose authority He had done these things. Was it by Caesar’s authority? Had He obtained permission from the high priest to teach His “new doctrine” in the temple?
5. The intimation in this question was that He had no authority, because He had it not from them.
III. JESUS RESPONDED WITH A COUNTER-QUESTION WHICH TOTALLY CONFOUNDED THESE PROUD RULERS. (VERSES 29-33)
A. THE COUNTER-QUESTION, WHETHER JOHN’S MINISTRY WAS OF GOD OR OF MEN, IF ANSWERED HONESTLY WOULD ANSWER THEIR QUESTION. (VERSE 29)
1. By John’s “baptism” Jesus is referring to John’s whole ministry; his preaching and his baptism. Was it from God or men? Gamaliel’s whole argument turned upon this hinge. (Acts 5:38, 39)
2. They had themselves sent a delegation to ask of John “Art thou Elias, or that prophet?” this supposes that they knew that John’s ministry was from heaven. (John 1:21)
3. John had clearly declared that Jesus was the true Messiah. (Matt. 3:11, 12; John 1:29-34; see also John 5:32-35)
4. Should they give an honest answer in good conscience, they would thereby answer their own question respecting Christ and by what authority He did and said these things.
B. THE RULERS WERE BAFFLED AND CONFOUNDED BY JESUS’ COUNTER-QUESTION. (VERSES 31-33a)
1. If they answered the question, it would answer theirs. If they refused to answer it, that would mean that Jesus would not offer proof on His authority to these obstinately prejudice men.
a) Thus, “He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.” (I Cor. 3:19)
b) We learn from our Lord to use wisdom in avoiding danger when possible. He, Who had all power over His enemies, did not tempt God in any circumstance. “The heart of the wise studieth to answer.”
2. They reasoned among themselves how to answer. They considered not the merit of the cause as to valid proofs about John’s calling. They only considered how they could save face and still pursue their plan to destroy Christ, and how they might secure their own safety.
3. Their final decision was not to answer the question.
a) If they should say John’s ministry was from heaven, then they would condemn themselves in that they had not believed Jesus – His claims, His Gospel.
b) If they should say of men, which would be to contradict their own previous confession, and which would go contrary to the people, they would be putting themselves in grave danger.
4. Thus, they were confounded. They were between the proverbial “rock and a hard place.” They simply said, “We cannot tell.”
C. HEREBY, JESUS AVOIDED THE SNARE THEY LAID FOR HIM. (VERSE 33)
1. He could have demonstrated His divinity and His authority, but He would not. Those who will not believe the Scriptures would not believe, even if one were to be raised from the dead in their midst.
2. It was not another sign that they lacked. They were not ignorant of the fact that Jesus had just recently raised Lazarus from the dead just two miles outside of Jerusalem.
3. Jesus would neither fall into their trap, nor would He gratify their seeking of a sign. He knew what was in their wicked hearts, and determined to let the ignorant be ignorant still.
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