Jesus' Authority: sermon

I preached on Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. I’m not going to repeat that sermon but to go on from it. We have been following Jesus’ last walk to Jerusalem and we have mostly heard Jesus teach his disciples. Now in this last week we will hear Jesus confront the religious leaders. It seems like a pointless activity as he is not going to change their minds BUT he needs his followers to know that in spite of opposition from people they respect he IS the messiah and he has God’s authority unlike his opponents. 

Jesus’ Authority

Having explored what the messiah is and thus what it is to be his follower, that is to have

a) faith in THIS messiah

b) servanthood like THIS messiah

c) suffering as THIS messiah will have

Jesus has come to the centre of orthodoxy. This week in Jerusalem is full of confrontations with the Jewish authorities.

Why?

Why not simply bypass them? He has been working in the boondocks/backwaters of Israel.

Why such produce such a heated debate that would lead to his death?

1)      To enable the Messiah to be recognised

In spite of the entry into Jerusalem

                *with its messianic symbolism

                *and yelling out of messianic titles - (all of which may have been by country hicks who'd followed him from Galilee)

·         the city slickers, the religious elite, the legal experts needed to be saved because

·         Jesus had great love for those who were in so great a danger. (see Luke 19:41)

2)      Revealing the true nature of the teaching of the city slickers, the religious elite, the legal experts was important

as they were established authorities and they could mislead the general populace.

The discussion between Jesus and the chief priests, scribes, elders

Verse 28               “By what authority are you doing these things?”

“And who gave you authority to do this?”              etc. Mark 12:28-33

The discussion sounds at first sight like a petty tit for tat children's dispute.

The religious leaders were not wanting to change or acknowledge the arrival of the messiah. They didn't want to hear it. They wanted to maintain their positions and rid themselves of a challenger.

They were wanting to trap and discredit Jesus. A NOBLE AIM. Religious leaders always want to defend their faith against impostors. eg Archbishop of Sydney Election Ordinance as amended 2019

The first priority of the Archbishop of Sydney is to be a guardian of ‘the faith that was once for all delivered…’

Do you remember Mark 8:14-21?

14 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.15 “Be careful, ”Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”…21He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

It isn’t easy to see what was wrong with the religious leaders.

You have 2 apparent adherents to the Old Testament faith:

             Jesus who says the religious leaders are NOT adhering to the OT faith.

             Religious leaders who say Jesus is NOT adhering to the OT faith.

The problem was that the religious leaders had THEIR faith

It kept God at a distance. It involved

                                knowing the Bible by heart

                                regular prayer

                                obedience to the law

                                standing steadfast against heresy – all good things.

BUT it didn't actually involve God in any real sense so they couldn’t recognise God at work

                                it didn't involve dependence on him

                                it didn't involve recognising HIS messengers

                                                It involved putting God in their debt.

The Parable Mark 12:1-10

·         A man establishes a vineyard and lets it out to tenants.

·         He sends messengers to collect the rent. They are all killed or badly beaten.

·         He decides to send his son who they must recognise.

·         They killed the son.

·         The owner kills them and gives the vineyard to others.

We often interpret the story to be about our treatment of God’s creation but it is not about that.

When Jesus talked about the vineyard his hearers knew exactly what he meant. He was talking about his people in the place that he had put them. See Isaiah 5:1-7.

·         But the parable is not criticizing the common people, it is aimed at the leaders. It is clear that Jesus is being heavily critical of the leaders.

AND

·         It contains a claim to messiahship (son, cornerstone) that is only just short of a public declaration.

The leaders were not happy They looked for a way to arrest him (Mark 12:11)

They knew he was saying that like the OT religious leaders, they rejected God’s messengers and went their own way.

The Stone the builders rejected (Mark 12:10-11 quoting Psalm 118:22-232)

Is a clear statement that in rejecting him they are rejecting the one who will be the cornerstone of God’s new temple, a spiritual house – his people. Compare 1 Peter 2:4-10; Exodus 19:6

To be rejected and replaced is a terrible threat.

Authority and Knowing God

Our God reveals himself – primarily in his Son. He continues to reveal himself and as his people we continue to be dependant on that revelation. “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1