Verses 1-2 It’s a couple of days after Palm Sunday and Jesus is teaching in the temple. This is how he spent his last days. The religious leaders are really watching Jesus at this point.
Religious Enemies Turned Friends
Three groups make up the religious leaders. The Priests (Sadducees), the Scribes (Pharisees), and the Elders. All three make up the Sanhedrin, which is the Supreme Court (about 70 members). The Priests oversee all the priests. Experts of the law of Moses and in the traditional laws and regulations, like lawyers, are the Scribes. And then the elders are senior citizens or older men respected because they’ve been around the block.
These bitter- religious leaders are enemies of each other but also enemies of Jesus. Their bitterness brings these enemies together and makes them more like friends when confronting Jesus.
Without warning, this united group of jealous religious leaders rushes upon Jesus, interrupting his message of good news. With so much hostility, they confront the man being hailed as the Messiah, as if to intimidate him.
Jesus’ Authority Challenged
They question by “what authority”, or what source does Jesus get his authority from that he can say and do these things?
Satan will do all he can to hinder the preaching of the gospel. He stirs up fear, hoping to prevent the Word from accomplishing its purposes.
God’s Word weakens Satan’s kingdom more than anything else.
The problem was that their legalistic hearts hardened them to the truth of God’s Word and it blinded them to who Jesus really was. They were jealous of his power and the attention his teaching received.
A Bitter Soul Brings A Fight
The religious leaders are bitter because in the verses before this, Jesus cleaned out the temple and expelled the corrupt merchants as if he called the shots. Unfortunately, this significantly affected the religious leaders’ income.
And to think the people are praising Jesus as the Messiah. Now, this really infuriated the leaders.
Here’s a man who spoke with calm and unshakable authority, commanded demons and diseases out, and stilled storms. He could make blind men see, the lame walk, and raise the dead to life. But this group wants Jesus to produce some credentials, like what authority does he have and who allowed him to do these things? They think they have boxed him in with their question. If Jesus says he’s acting on his own authority, the leaders can say he is clearly out of his mind. If he says he is teaching and preaching on God’s authority, they can accuse him of blasphemy, basically offending God by his words and actions.
Jesus, The Author
When the scribes taught, they would quote others to back their authority in the teachings. In contrast, Jesus quoted only God’s Word and spoke as the ultimate authority on truth. He spoke simply, directly, with love (in contrast to the bitter hatred of the Pharisees), and without hesitation or consultation. He taught as if he was the Author and not the commentator. And that astounded the crowd.
His first public utterance (the Sermon on the Mount) is the most original and revolutionary address on practical morals the world has ever heard.
Waiting On The World To Change
It shouldn’t surprise us when we try to do good but find that the bitter, self-righteous, and worldly-minded don’t like Jesus’ ways. The world will look at believers as meddlers who get into other people’s businesses. They’ll question our motives, see us as offensive, and maybe even self-conceited. We will get nothing done if we have to wait for the world’s approval. So we should be patient, and if we are faithful, our works will speak for themselves.
Verses 3-4 Jesus answers their question with another poignant question. It forces the questioner to consider their own question at a deeper level. Was John’s baptism from heaven or from human authority? Did John act on God’s authority or his own?
Jesus knew His questioners were bitter and didn’t care about his education or what authority he had to perform these acts. They wanted to discredit Him in the eyes of people attentively listening to Him.
Knowing their hearts, Jesus asked the religious leaders a question that was also of great importance in the court of public opinion. Was John commissioned by God, or was he only a messenger from men?
Personal & Genuine Repentance
Jesus zeros in on the unique aspect of John’s ministry, which the Jewish religious leaders had rejected.
Before John, baptisms were a ritual, and not with genuine repentance and a radical change of one’s heart.
John’s baptism called for confession of sins (Matthew 3:6) and genuine repentance that produced spiritual “fruit”. This is not a verbal confession where we ask for forgiveness and then move on with our day. This is a genuine change of mind and attitude toward God. It symbolized a washing away of fleshly sins, as well as a new life following death to the old life.
True Heart Change Produces Spiritual Fruit
John’s baptism is about a genuine change in our hearts that produces spiritual fruit.
Abraham was the gateway to God for the Jews. They rested their eternity on the goodness of Abraham. This is how they settled their sin. They felt baptism satisfied God’s wrath and opened the door to having their prayers accepted. When John and Jesus preached the necessity of personal repentance, it startled the people.
With John’s baptism, a person repented of sin and was therefore ready to place his faith in Jesus Christ. John’s baptism foreshadowed what Jesus would accomplish, much as the Old Testament sacrificial system did.
If we expect forgiveness through Jesus, then God expects a changed life and a faith that clings to His promises.
Christian Baptism
Christian baptism is a mark of our identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Baptism represents a complete cleansing and commitment to Jesus. It is our outward display of a heart made new. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross completely washes away our sins and raises us to a new life empowered by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 5:17–21; Romans 6:1–11).
Their answer to Jesus’ question would answer their own question.
Who is the ultimate authority in our lives? What determines right or wrong? Have we answered it for our lives?
By what authority do you live your life?
“Our society used to agree that the Judeo-Christian standards of the Bible were moral absolutes. But now that we have rejected that moral base, our judicial system is in crisis. You often hear, “You can’t legislate morality.” Really? Aren’t rape, murder, molesting children, and racial discrimination moral issues? The crucial question is, how do we determine whose morals we are going to legislate and uphold in our courts? If we throw out God’s moral standards in the Bible, we have no basis for determining right and wrong, other than majority opinion. “By what authority” is a fundamental question of life each of us must answer. Will you live your life under God’s authority or under some human authority, be it yourself or someone else?” – Steven Cole
The Reasoning of Religious Leaders
Verses 5-6 The ESV Bible says they “discussed” how they are going to answer. This word, broken down in its original language, actually means to reason or calculate. The leaders couldn’t just speak what they truthfully thought in their hearts. Pondering all the possible answers and responses, they debated their options, which tells us they weren’t looking to give an honest answer. They wanted an answer that would manipulate the desired outcome.
If they say heaven, then Jesus will question why they didn’t believe him. John called all of Israel to repentance and baptism- something the religious leaders didn’t do. Luke 7:30 says, “the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John.”
To believe the baptism of John means they must believe in the One John pointed to, and that was Jesus, the one whom they were rejecting.
John had clearly testified that Jesus was the Messiah. (John 1:29-33) If John was a prophet whose words were true, then they should believe his testimony about Christ. But the religious leaders refused to believe this. (MacArthur Study Bible)
John was popular with the people. It would be a political upset for the Pharisees to attack the legitimacy of John the Baptist or deny his authority as a prophet of God. For the Pharisees to question John’s authority was like attacking a national hero, and they knew better than that. So they pleaded ignorance. (Luke 20:7) (MacArthur Study Bible)
Between a rock and a hard place
The bitter religious leaders are more interested in fighting Jesus and in holding onto their popularity than they are in learning the truth. They never consider whether John and Jesus are right in what they are saying. They have a bitter vested interest in continuing their unbelief.
If they say John received his authority from human hands, the people would probably stone the religious leaders for blasphemy because the people believed John was a true prophet. And if the religious leaders rejected God’s prophet, John, they would in effect be rejecting and blaspheming God Himself, which was considered a crime punishable by death by stoning. The religious genuinely feared the people.
Jesus Silences The Enemy
Verse 7 So the religious leaders settle on “no comment.” Pleading ignorance was the only way out. They lied instead of honestly saying, “we don’t want to answer.”
Once again, Jesus’s response silences the enemy. His question revealed the motivation of the religious leaders and exposed them for what they really were—hypocrites. Jesus knew that would be their answer because they were not interested in telling the truth. They were just looking for evidence to incriminate Jesus.
No matter what Jesus said in response to their question, they would not believe it and would use it against him. They were too bitter, cowardly, and corrupt to tell the truth.
After three years of teaching and performing miracles, Jesus had given them sufficient proof He was the Messiah.
“The Jewish leaders had willfully rejected all the light they had seen; there was no reason to give them more. There is a limit to God’s patience. Those who hard-heartedly reject the light will eventually be given over to judicial darkness.” (MacArthur New Testament Commentary—Luke 18-24)
Rejecting Truth Shuts Out The Light
Verse 8 And so Jesus gave the same reply, essentially saying, well, then no comment from me either. Jesus refused to give them more light, for they refused to accept the light that He clearly presented. (John 7:17)
If we want to receive spiritual truth, we need to receive and believe Jesus. So many people know so little about Jesus and about the joy of living the Christian life because they refuse to submit themselves to his will. A bitter heart refuses the light of God’s Truth about forgiveness and grace.
If we don’t speak the truth, we shouldn’t expect the truth. If we bury the Truth, Jesus will deny us further Truth.
‘Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return. Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt. So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you.’ Proverbs 9:7-8 NLT
Prayer
Jesus, I praise you for being the ultimate authority in my life. Thank you for the gift of your Word and your teaching. It is peace, power, and authority in my life. Soften my heart to hear your message and not reject the Truth. Help me hear with clarity and be receptive to change in my life. I pray against all fear of others’ opinions and self-preservation that prevents me from sharing the Truth with others. Help me be patient with the fruit of your Word to reveal itself. Soften a bitter heart and let your repentance sink deep into the marrow of my bones to bring actual change to my heart, my thoughts, and my actions. I speak against the pulls of popularity and worldly opinions that sway me from speaking and living the Truth. When the light presents itself, help me acknowledge you, Jesus, and accept your way. I receive your work in my life; my family, my work, my church, my community, and the sacrifice to live and share the gospel in all these areas. I surrender my heart to your will. Help me submit to your obedience in all areas, Jesus, for the glory of your name. Amen.