Sermons

Good morning. Can I ask you please to open your Bibles to Luke chapter 20? Luke chapter 20, and could I ask you please to stand for the reading of God's Word? Should say if there are any here who are going to the Christianity Explored course, we're not going to Herb's house, we're actually going up the stairs and going into the boardroom of the offices upstairs. So, if you're not sure how to get there, don't worry, we'll help you find where you need to go. We're going to meet just outside the building and we'll walk over together. So, you'll have time to get your donut holes and coffee and all those essentials. And about 20 after, we'll meet outside and walk up together to make sure those who want to be there are able to take part. Luke chapter 20 and reading from verse one.

(Scripture reading) "One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up and said to him, tell us, by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority? He answered them, I also will ask you a question, now tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? And they discussed it with one another, saying, if we say from heaven, he will say, why did you not believe him? But if we say from man, all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet. So, they answered that they did not know where it came from. And Jesus said to them, neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." (End)

Let's pray.

(Prayer) Our Heavenly Father, we thank You that we have been able to read the words of the King. For every word in this book is inspired by the Holy Spirit is a word from God Himself. And we thank You that it comes from the one who has all authority, but also who perceives every issue, every need, every spirit of rebellion that exists in the hearts of every man and woman in this world, and indeed, every man and woman in this room. And so we ask that You, the God who knows us fully, would use the sword of the Word to pierce us where we need to be pierced, to expose our folly where it needs to be exposed, and ultimately to bring us to a place by the power of the Holy Spirit where we bow the knee even more fully to the Master, to the King, to the Lord Jesus Christ. So, work amongst us, we pray in these moments, for we ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. (End)

Have a seat.

The gospels are consistent in their assessment of who Jesus was. He was the Messiah, the promised one of the Old Testament, but He was also, as the Messiah, the King. The promised King who came with all authority. And every gospel writer takes great care to spell out for us that His authority was an all-encompassing authority. One of the things we're going to talk today about in the Christianity Explored course is that reality, that Mark's gospel portrays Jesus as the one with all authority.

Well, it's not just Mark that does that. Luke does exactly the same. Luke has, through the pages of this comprehensive story about the Lord Jesus Christ, has sought to make clear to the reader that this man that walked in this world was not like any other man. For he possessed full authority. Turn back to Luke chapter four to see this. Luke chapter four, and we're gonna quickly move through just a few chapters till you catch this theme. Luke chapter four and look at verse 31. Luke chapter four and verse 31.

"And Jesus went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and he was teaching them on the Sabbath. And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word possessed authority."

There were many people who taught in the days of Jesus, many rabbis, many teachers who would stand and speak. And most often what they would do is they would tell you what rabbi so-and-so said, or some other person had said, or some other illustration that somebody had you know, come up with at some stage in the past. They taught like a good, you know, academic research paper today.

Everything was in quote marks. Everything was supported by something somebody else had said, but not Jesus. When Jesus spoke, there were no quote marks. When Jesus spoke, He stood on His own testimony. He came with His own authority. He taught as One who was in control. His words were altogether different because He taught with authority. Now that wasn't empty. Those words were real and you see that immediately afterwards because not only did He teach with authority, but that authority extended even over Satan and his demons.

Look immediately at what happens next. Look at chapter four, verse 33.

"And in the synagogue, there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, ‘ha, what have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’” Verse 35, "but Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘be silent and come out of him.’ And when the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done them him no harm. And they were all amazed and said to one another, ‘what is this word? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.’ And reports about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region."

Why were people talking about Him? Well, they were talking about Him because His words had authority. It was a teaching unlike any other, but even the demons acted and moved and left at a word from this man. So, He had authority in His teaching. He had authority over the evil spirits. He had authority over sickness.

Look at what happens next in Luke chapter four, look at verse 38.

"And He arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now, Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. And He stood over her and rebuked the fever."

Now, can you imagine that? Isla had a fever on Wednesday. You know what we didn't do? Yeah, that's right. We did not rebuke the fever. We got the doctor's advice and got the right medicine and gave it to her and, you know, 36 hours later, it broke and she started to pick up. Nothing happened from here because my words are wishful thinking at best. But look at what happened when Jesus spoke. Verse 38 again,

"Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever. They appealed to Him on her behalf, and He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she rose and began to serve them." She's so well, she becomes the hostess. Verse 40, "now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him. And he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them."

It wasn't one thing. He wasn't just able to heal COVID. You know, it was any and everything, all the various diseases. They were all brought, and it was no problem for Him because He had authority when He taught. He exercised authority over the evil spirits. He had full authority over sickness. Turn to chapter 8. Look at chapter eight and look at verse 22. Look at chapter eight and verse 22.

We're so familiar with this story, but it should astound us that there's certain things in this world that, you know, we talk about them being animate. You know, they move, they breathe, they live, they act. There's life about them. And then there are other things we don't really fully understand because they don't live and move and breathe the way we do. Those molecules that make up the sea, at least with it, it's wet. What about the wind? Last night there was a lot of wind. Have you ever tried to catch the wind? You can't. There's nothing to grab ahold of. Hey, we know it's there, we get its presence and yet it's so aloof. But it's not aloof to one.

Luke chapter eight, verse 22. "One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and he said to them, let us go across to the other side of the lake. So, they set out. And as they sailed, he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake. And they were filling with water. And we're in danger." Now, please bear in mind, Jesus has His twelve disciples. We know at least four of them were fishermen. In other words, their daily occupation was to be on this same lake.

They'd done their time. You know, they weren't apprentices. They'd served their time already. They were experienced men. They were men with calluses on their hands from pulling the nets back into the boat. They knew what it was like on the sea. They could distinguish from, you know, a bit of rain, a bit of wind, and something that would sink the ship.

But look at what happens next in the story, verse 24. "And they went and woke him, saying, ‘Master, Master, we are perishing.’ And he awoke, and there's our word again, and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased. And there was calm. He said to them, ‘where is your faith?’ And they were afraid, and they marveled." Talk about an understatement. "They marveled,” saying to one another, who then is this? That He commands, even winds and water, and they obey Him. Like, He speaks...

I don't know if you've... you know, whenever you were a small toddler, you played with the water in the bath and you used to push it to try and make the waves or kick your feet at one end of the bath so that the waves would kind of float the way up. Or if the sponge kind of floated down and you were feeling really lazy in that bath, you would kick the waves to get the sponge to move up to your hand. We know how water works. And what happens is when that splash happens, the waves keep going, don't they?

It doesn't immediately stop. But it does immediately stop when Jesus speaks. He speaks. He says, “be still.” And there is an eerie calm. Immediately the water is like glass because He has authority when He teaches. He has authority over the evil spirits. He has authority over sickness, authority over nature, and authority even over death, the great enemy. That thing that fills us so much with fear and sadness, and even its prospect, the one that causes so many to grieve and to feel incredible loss, look at Jesus as He engages with death.

Look chapter eight, verse 40, just down a few verses.

"Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed Him, for they were all awaiting for Him. And there came a man, named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue, and falling at Jesus' feet, he implored Him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about 12 years of age, and she was dying." Skip down to verse 49. "While he was still speaking, someone came from the ruler's house and said, your daughter is dead."

And the conclusion of that servant and the conclusion of any ordinary, normal human being is what is proclaimed next. "Do not trouble the teacher anymore." Like what can you do after death? You can comfort the family. You can express your sympathy. You can weep with those who weep, but not Jesus. Look at what He does, verse 50. "But Jesus, on hearing this, answered Him, ‘do not fear, only believe and she will be well.’ And when He came to the house, He allowed no one to enter with Him except Peter and John and James and the father and mother of the child and all were weeping and mourning for her. But He said, ‘do not weep.’ She is not dead but sleeping. They laughed at Him, knowing that she was dead. But, taking her by the hand, He called, saying, ‘child, arise.’ And her spirit returned, and she got up at once." This is my favorite part first of all of Scripture. "And He directed that something should be given to her to eat." You know, Jesus believed in snack time. You see that?

You see, obviously there's compassion and kindness, but don't miss the fact that primarily what is happening in this narrative is Jesus shows an authority that nobody else could even imagine. They brought to Him those who were sick with various diseases because there was a hope that he could do something while they're still living. Nobody in this chapter has any hope. There is no hope in the face of death apart from Jesus. In fact, go back to chapter 7, chapter 7, verse 11, because you see the same type of story. Chapter seven, verse 11.

"Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and His disciples and a great crowd went with Him. As He drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother. She was a widow, and a considerable crowd from that town was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, ‘do not weep.’ Then He came up and touched the biers, and the bearers stood still. And He said,” and these would be the cruelest words if Andrew Curry spoke them, but the most amazing words when Jesus spoke them, because look at what He said, "’Young man, I say to you, arise.’ And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him to his mother." Isn't that amazing? But look at what happens next, verse 16.

"Fear seized them all and they glorify God saying, ‘a great prophet has arisen among us and God has visited His people.’ And this report about him spread through the whole of Judea and all the surrounding country." Now, Judea is the place where Jerusalem sat. Jerusalem was the capital. Jerusalem was the main city of this region.

And so, what we need to know coming into Luke chapter 20 is everybody has been talking about the one with authority when He teaches, with authority to cast out demons, authority over sickness, authority over nature, and even an authority over death. They're all talking about this. Who look all the way through has been linking this idea of authority to the fact that He has authority because He is the anointed one. Because He is the Messiah. Because He is the greater son of David that was promised. And so, it shouldn't surprise us that He comes and He exercises that keenly authority.

In chapter 19, as we came towards the end, we saw how that was proclaimed. Even as He rode into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey, the king comes to the capital city. And yet we saw last week at the close of chapter 19, that as He came and indeed as He entered the temple, the place where God's authority most should be recognized. What He found was not worship, an embracement of His authority, a bowing of the knee in homage, but the worst sort of hostility. The man who ruled the temple that day hated the fact that the king had arrived.

In fact, verse 47 of chapter 19 says, "they were seeking to destroy Him." And so now those same religious elite, according to chapter 20, verse 1, "the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up." These same elite come up and they question Jesus, the audacity. They question Jesus on the reality of His authority, by what authority He acts. And in particular, they're annoyed because he had acted in the temple.

He turned over tables. He'd driven out their profit margins by driving out the commerce from the place of worship. And as they question Him, Jesus, the all-wise God, He responds in turn by questioning them. In particular, where John the Baptist got His authority, was it from heaven or from man? And Jesus is making a very clear point.

He's making the very clear point that His authority isn't based on the high priest giving Him permission. It's not based on the Sanhedrin saying He can teach. It doesn't even come from the Roman authorities. Rather it comes from a far higher court. It comes from heaven itself. And so that's the spirit that we enter into Luke chapter 20.

The first thing I want you to see in the text is what is presented are two types of authority, a broken one and a true one. There are two types of authority that appear in verse 1. "One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up."

What we have here is the true King and all His authority, and then we have this man-made system of bribes and control that at least aspire to have authority and acted as if they were the ones in charge that day. And which one is real? Which one is true is revealed in the words spoken? The one that speaks good, the servant king, is the one with authority.

Look at how His language is described. Jesus was teaching the people. Here is one who brings instruction. Here is one who informs people on how they ought to live and what they must do to please God. Here is one whose words can be measured against the book, for the book itself is the very Word of God. Here is one who every time He speaks, it is rich with clarity and instruction and insight. But even more than that, look at what else verse one says. "He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel." The word gospel simply means good news. He was preaching the good news. Good news.

He was preaching that message by which guilty people could be reconciled with God. Good news about how sinners condemned because of their sin and transgression could be cleansed and made right before God, could be unified with Him once more. Those who were guilty could know mercy. And it was to be found in Jesus Christ throughout Luke's gospel as He teaches time and time again. We read about Him preaching the gospel, preaching this message of good news by which sinners can be brought into the kingdom of God.

And that's the message He brought. He came to seek and to save the lost, Luke has told us. He brought a message for the outcast, for the widow, for the child, for the Gentile, for the sinner. His message was not good news for those who were righteous in their own eyes. It was good news for those who knew they fell short of God's standard. Because His words were the words by which you may be saved.

And so, what is true about this King with all authority is that when He spoke, His words were good. That doesn't mean they were affirming. Sometimes that's the way people today want to think about the words of Jesus. They're affirming words. It makes me feel good. That's not what we're talking about. These are words that are good in themselves because they give you a true perspective of how far you fall short of the glory of God.

And yet the glorious reality that redemption is found in no other name than that of Jesus Christ our Lord. Not by your work so that no one can boast, but by His act alone. His sacrifice alone, His work that upon the cross He was able to say of it, it is finished. There is nothing more to be added. By that alone are individuals saved. He brought a message of good news.

But there was another type of authority in the temple that day, and it was an authority. It was a false authority. It was an authority under pretense. And it was revealed because the words that they spoke were words of destruction. These are the words of selfish crooks.

You see the three groups that are described there, the chief priests, the scribes, with the elders came up. We've seen that already in verse 47. He was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people, what were they doing then?

Were seeking to destroy Him. Now, think about that. We're seeking to destroy Him, and then all of a sudden, a couple of verses later, sometimes we separate out our chapters too much, it's a couple of verses later, they come up with a question. Do you think that that question come from a earnest desire to know? Did you think that that question come from a place of curiosity about the things of God? No, that question was raised in a spirit that sought to destroy Jesus Christ. That's what's driving this. If you turn back to Luke chapter 9, look at Luke chapter 9 and verse 22. We see these titles used in another place as well. Luke chapter 9 verse 22.

"The Son of Man, Jesus said, must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, there they are, and be killed and on the third day be raised." It was predicted. It was known. They would reject. And so, when you come to chapter 20 and verse 1, know these are wicked men who have rejected Jesus, and according to chapter 19 verse 47, are seeking to destroy Jesus. Why? Because He'd hurt their profit margin. He was ruining their income stream.

So often when it comes to broken forms of human authority, the problem with it boils down to money, doesn't it? It's very rare you find corruption that isn't tied to money. That's what's going on here. People around the world are always drawn to authority.

I think I've said it before to the church, it's not hard to gather people around you. There's so many cults that are examples of that reality. There's so many politicians that are examples of that reality. So many non-profits that are examples of that reality. People gather around a cause, around a dynamic personality, around persuasive speech.

It's not hard to gather a following and it's not hard to find those in our world who claim to have authority. But so many of them are corrupt. And the systems that they propagate are broken. And so, the question that we need to think about this morning is, are you following selfish crooks? Or are you following the servant king? Well, you'll know which one you are following by the types of words they speak.

The Bible says, doesn't it, out of the heart the mouth doth speak. Here with Jesus, He spoke altogether differently, and that said something. Notice as well then three questions about authority. There's three questions that immediately spring up in the text. There is a question, first of all, about why he has done. I know that sounds like terrible grammar, but it's purposeful, okay? A question about why he has done. Look at verse two. “And he said to Him, ‘tell us by what authority you do these things.’ ‘By what authority you do these things.’”

Notice nobody is asking questions. Did you really feed the 5,000? Did you really calm the storm? Did you really raise Jairus' daughter? Do you know why they're not asking that question? Because you can go and visit Jairus' daughter. Like Peter's mother-in-law, she is fit and well.

The evidence was obvious. Nobody is disputing, and sometimes critics today, they struggle with this. Nobody in the day of Jesus was debating, did He actually do miracles? Because there was a mountain of evidence everywhere, even secular historians of the day, other external historians outside of Christianity that talk openly about the fact that He was a miracle worker. He taught differently and He was a miracle worker. That is testified to in secular history, not just Christian history.

So, nobody is disputing, does he have power? Is he actually doing miracles? What they are disputing is the why. It is a question about why he has done it. And again, the people who are asking it are those who are seeking to destroy Him. And they're seeking to destroy Him because He's taken away from their following.

They loved having control. They loved having the people do their bidding. They loved having people under them. And the reason Jesus threatened them is because the people were listening to Him. People were beginning to follow Him. He was building a following. And so, they concluded, if we build the following for unrighteous purpose, He's probably building it too.

Jesus, why are you doing it? Is it to make money? Because we like making money. Is it because you love the power? Because we really like the power. Is it because you get to indulge in that power and lots of aggressive sin without ever getting caught? Because that's what we do. You see the way they're thinking. Why are you doing these amazing things? Because it's working.

And they conclude that He's doing it for selfish motives. They're trying to embarrass Him. They're trying to take Him down. So, they ask a question about why He has done it. And they just don't get that He does it because, well, Scripture's consistent. He is so compassionate. He's rich in mercy. He's a generous savior. He's a lovely king. There's a question about why He has done.

The second question is about the source of His authority. There's another part to that question. It's really another question in verse two. “He said to Him, ‘tell us by what authority you do these things or who it is that gave you this authority.’ It's a question about source. And we immediately, you're answering the question in your head, I know you are a good Christian. You're saying, “well God gave Him the Father, His Father, He's acting under the authority of His Father, submissive, obedient to the cross, even death on the cross.”

That's not what they're thinking. What they're asking there is, why didn't you ask us first? We're the Sanhedrin. We're the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Hey, it has to come over our desk first. And you're in our temple, turning over our tables, stealing or ruining our ability to make money, and you didn't even ask us first, by what authority do you act? Really, what they're saying is, you didn't check this with us, and we are the people in charge. Now, do you see the irony of it? Where are they having this conversation?

According to the text, the temple, which is the house of God. Now, they didn't have authority. We said last week, this is the first time since Ezekiel 10 that the glory of God returned to the temple. It came when He was an infant and now it comes again. The glory of God is in the temple for Jesus God Himself is standing there before them. And they have the audacity to expect that the King of kings and Lord of lords should have their permission to act.

It reminds us, doesn't it, of how gross our rebellion actually is. We act as king of our own world. We've talked about that before as well. Ultimately, sin is an authority issue. That's what it is. It's a rejection of His innate authority. He is the one with authority. He is authority. And yet we think we do what we want. We think we have independence. We think our choice matters.

Friend, you don't have authority over your decisions. He has authority. You're either one who obeys His authority or rebels against His authority. But you don't get to decide what authority is. He does. It sits with him. So, there's a question about why He has done what He's done. There's a question about the source of His authority. And then there's a question in return that Jesus asks about the need for repentance a question about the need for repentance. Look at verse 3 and 4. He answered them, I also will ask you a question. Now that was a very, you know, rabbinic kind of way of approaching this. Rabbis often sought to outsmart other rabbis by asking a clever question that wasn't you know, taking away from the original direction was a question that actually answered the source of their problem.

It's getting at what's really going on. Why, you know, instead of answering your question, let me highlight why you're asking it and that in itself is broken. And that's what Jesus is doing. By asking this question, He is highlighting that the original question is broken. So, He answered them, verse three, “I also will ask you a question.

Now tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” Now again, because John the Baptist isn't alive and running around Dallas today, we sometimes don't get and fully understand all that Jesus is saying here. But John so often is nicknamed John the Baptist because he baptized people. But his baptism was particular.

If you turn to Acts chapter 19, you can see it in the Gospels, but I want you to see it in the second book that our writer Luke wrote. Luke chapter 19 and verse 4. Luke chapter 19 verse 4. Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of, what does it say?

Repentance. John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who is to come after him, that is Jesus. So, John's ministry and Jesus's ministry are tied together. And John's ministry primarily was to proclaim the need for the coming one. The need for the Messiah. The need for a Jesus. And so, Jesus here, He asks a question that highlights that.

Now tell me, was the baptism of John, that baptism of repentance, from heaven or from man? In other words, is that baptism that symbolized repentance, the acknowledgement that I am a sinner before God, that I am guilty, did that come by the authority of God in heaven? Or was John just trying to create a following for himself the way you think I'm just trying to create a following for myself?

So, Jesus is particularly asking a question about why they don't have authority. Why do you do this, Jesus? Who is your source of authority? Because it didn't come to us. And He's asking a question, you know, when John highlighted that you are guilty. and you need to repent." Was that true? That's what he's saying. Was that true?

Now, do you see how much that would make arrogant men squirm? Because these men don't repent. They have no desire to repent because their confidence is in the flesh. Jesus is really with all wisdom getting at the heart of all human rebellion. Remember the issue isn't ultimately does Jesus have authority or do you? The issue is Jesus has authority and you're rebelling against it and need to repent. That's what Jesus is getting at.

So, they ask a question about why He has done what He has done. They ask a question about the source of his authority. And with profound wisdom, He responds by asking a question about the need for every man and woman in that temple that day to repent. And so, the third thing I want you to see in the text because these people don't do it, are three marks of rebellion against that authority.

Notice quickly how they respond, verse 5, "and they discussed it with one another saying, if we say from heaven, he will say, why did you not believe him?" So, again, follow the logic. Jesus is asking a question about, was repentance valid? Was that coming from God, or was John just making it up? And they say, if we say it's from God, from heaven, Jesus is going to say, well, why did you not believe? Why would Jesus know that? Why would the crowd know that?

Because they'd never got baptized. They never got wet. There was no record. There was no witness of that taking place because they never did it. And so, what we have here is a mark of their rebellion against His authority ultimately as they failed to repent. They wouldn't go through the act of repentance baptism because they never thought they needed to repent. They thought they were right. They were the religious leaders. Of course they were right in their own eyes.

And so, one of the marks that Jesus highlights to show their rebellion against His authority was they never repented. The second mark is in verse 6. "But if we say from man," if we say, you know, John made up this thing about repentance, "But if we say for a man, all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet." That word convinced is in the perfect tense.

In other words, this was a settled disposition. This wasn't up for debate. Nobody was running around asking the question, you know, was John really a prophet? The crowd believed that clearly. That was established in their mind, that John's message was a good message. It was a message from God.

And so, these men who aren't going to repent, who don't believe that John came from God, they won't do anything because they're controlled by a fear of man. Human rebels are marked by those two things. They will never repent; they'll never say they're wrong. And they are ultimately controlled by the fear of man. Sometimes they don't shout, but it's because they want the crowd to follow them. They want the crowd to like them. They're worried that the crowd would attack them.

You know, why in a society full of sinners does everybody not murder the other person? Well, because they're scared about what will happen. If I murder somebody, the police will get me. If I murder somebody, my life's gonna be shaped significantly afterwards. They're controlled by a fear of man. It's not a fear of God. It's a fear of man. And that's these men here. They feel to repent. They have a fear of man. And that's these men here, they fail to repent, they have a fear of man. But the third mark of their rebellion is a false ignorance. A false ignorance. Look at verse seven. So, they answered, that they did not know where it came from.

Well, that was a pretense, wasn't it? Oh, do you know, I just don't know. I'm sitting on the fence on that one. There's not enough evidence that would lead me one way or the other. I'm not opposed to God, I just, I'm open, I'm open. That's not the way it works.

Verse 7 is saying that the issue wasn't that they didn't know. The issue was they were unwilling to know. That's your issue this morning. If you don't know and love Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, the issue isn't a lack of evidence. The issue isn't a lack of a persuasive argument. It's your defiance. That's the issue.

The historian of the Middle Ages, Bede, he said about this particular verse, “these men fear the possibility of being stoned to death by the crowd, but they fear a true conversion even more.” Yes, you know, they're scared of the crowd, but what they're scared of even more is having to bow the knee to Jesus, having to give up their arms, having to step down from their rebellious self-serving spirit and humble themselves before God.

Let me just be very candid, ignorance cannot be an excuse. You will stand before the throne of God, you cannot put up your hands and say, I just didn't know. If only there was a little bit more evidence. Ignorance can never be your excuse. Sometimes people, they feel there's a safety net there and just being open. Friends, there is no being open. You are either in the family of God or you're condemned, that's it. There is no in between. There is no openness to whatever may be true.

When it comes to the issue of Christ's authority, you are either for Him and under Him, or you are against Him and about to be squashed by Him. The last thing I want you to see in the text is true authority will act. Look at verse 8, true authority will act.

How does Jesus tie the whole thing up? It says, "and Jesus said to them, ‘neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’" Jesus stops talking to them. Now He'll talk to the crowd, He'll still reach out and preach and explain to them, but He stops addressing these men. Remember He was, at the beginning, verse one, preaching good news, these men don't get to hear good news anymore.

It's done. Their exposure to that message is over. Instead, according to verse 17, what Jesus begins to preach is a message of judgment that is about to fall on their head, and we'll see that mount through the rest of the chapter. And though they came, chapter 19, verse 47, to destroy Jesus, ultimately what happens in this moment is there is a silence that condemns them to destruction. Now what happened? Well, Jesus said, enough is enough.

They hadn't died. Jesus didn't walk out of the temple. There wasn't Scripture that they could not take off the shelf and unroll and read. All of those things were still the same, but here's what changed. The one with all authority said, it's over. And silence is their lot from this point forward. There is a time, there is a time and it's not at death. There is a time where Jesus says, enough is enough, rebel.

You've had opportunity to respond. And your ongoing defiance has resulted in silence. Friend, if you hear the need this morning to lay down your arms, to give up your rebellion, and to repent and turn to Jesus Christ, do it now for tomorrow may never come. Hebrews chapter 3 verse 7 says, "therefore as the Holy Spirit says, “today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion on the day of testing in the wilderness where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for 40 years.” Therefore, I was provoked with that generation and said, they always go astray in their heart. They have not known my ways. As I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter my rest. Take care, brothers, lest there be any of you an evil, unbelieving heart leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another, and every day as long as it is called today, that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion. For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was he provoked for 40 years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, but to those who were disobedient? So, we see they were unable to enter because of their unbelief."

Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart, for it may be the last time you hear it.

Let's pray.

(Prayer) Heavenly Father, we pray and ask that You would not steal from us the conviction of the Word. But we ask that by grace, You would press that reality of our need to make our calling and election sure. Our need to cry in repentance for Your mercy knowing that it is available because of Jesus Christ, that we would seek Him while He may be found. We pray, Lord, that you would protect every man and woman in this room from that ultimate sin of unbelief and the rejection of the one with all authority, who graciously redeems a people unto Himself, not because they are deserving, but because His sacrifice is all-encompassing. Give us the grace to believe. For it's in Jesus' name we ask it. Amen. (End)