Copyright © Two Journeys Ministry

Andrew M. Davis
Sermon Notes
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The Perfect Authority of Jesus

Mark 11:27-33

In today’s passage, the religious leaders challenged Jesus concerning

his authority. By doing so, they bring us immediately to the
most vital issue in the universe… the authority of Almighty
God.

I. The Center of the Universe is a Throne

A. John’s Vision

Revelation 4:1-2 After this I looked, and there before me was a door
standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to
me like a trumpet said, "Come up here, and I will show you what
must take place after this." 2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there
before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.

Everything revolves around the sovereign rule of God. Created

beings sit on lesser thrones which encircle that throne. Some
angels are established in authority over other angels and are
therefore called “arch-angels”. The angels rule over various
domains, such that they are called “rulers, authorities, powers”

Man was created in the image of God to rule over the earth.

But God reigns over all these lower authorities with absolute power:

Psalm 103:19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his
kingdom rules over all.

At the center of the universe is the throne of God

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Therefore, at the center of our sin is rebellion against his authority,

his right to rule

And at the center of our salvation will be recognizing the absolute

authority of Jesus the King

II. Jesus’ Enemies Question His Authority

A. The Jewish Leaders Confront Jesus

1. The chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders of the
people were the religious leaders of the Jewish nation

2. Their authority was established by the Laws of Moses as well as by

Roman law

3. Yet, despite their authority, they were blind leaders

Matthew 15:14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a
blind man, both will fall into a pit.

4. Their central blindness was their hatred of anyone who pointed out
their sin… so utterly convinced they were of their own
righteousness

John 7:7 [The world] hates me because I testify that what it does is evil.

5. They were steeped in pride… spiritual pride; but also pride of their
position, their power

6. Anyone who challenged that was their enemy

7. And Jesus openly challenged their authority and their righteousness

8. So they were Jesus’ most violent foes; their hatred of him went
marrow-deep

9. They were constantly opposing him, debating him, laying traps for
him, scheming against him, plotting to take his life

10. Here they try the frontal assault method

Mark 11:27-28 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was
walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the
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law and the elders came to him. 28 "By what authority are you doing
these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?"

11. What did they mean by “these things?” What were they upset
about?

B. Jesus’ Recent Shocking Actions

1. The Triumphal Entry: Jesus was acclaimed by the crowd as the Son
of David; they were calling out to him “Hosannah!” (“Save now!”)
Jesus accepted this worship, even defended it

2. Then on the second day, Jesus cleansed the Temple

Mark 11:15-17 Jesus…began driving out those who were buying and
selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and
the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to
carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught
them, he said, "Is it not written: "'My house will be called a house
of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it 'a den of robbers.'"

3. Look specifically at the statement (16), “He would not ALLOW

anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts.” He
stopped merchants who were using the Temple court as a
thoroughfare for their caravans, like he was in charge of the place

4. Those buying and selling in the Temple worked directly for Annas,
the High Priest and his son in law, Caiaphas

5. So, Jesus’ authority to do that was specifically in their minds

6. Here the chief priests and elders assumed they were operating from
a position of strength… by this, they could humiliate Jesus

a. They were the religious authorities in Jerusalem; they ruled the

temple and everything to do with it

b. They had absolutely NOT given Jesus the right to overturn those
tables, still less to walk around the Temple court teaching the
people as though he were an accredited teacher of the scriptures

c. Even Roman governor Pontius Pilate was under direct orders

from Caesar himself to respect the Jewish religion; so he had
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put up signs restricting the Temple from all Gentiles, including

Roman soldiers, on pain of death

d. So these men truly were in charge of the Temple… and they

were demanding from Jesus, “Show us your credentials!”

7. The Jewish leaders thought they had trapped Jesus; they figured
they had Jesus either way

a. Either he had to acknowledge that he had NO AUTHORITY to

do what he had done… in which case he would be humiliated in
front of the crowd

b. Or he would claim to be operating directly under God’s

authority, in which case they would have grounds to execute
him for blasphemy

8. Tragically, they never stopped to consider that Jesus might actually

be the one he claimed to be… the Son of God, the Messiah, and the
Savior of the World

9. They were not truly religious men, seeking genuine spiritual truth;
they were hardened hypocrites, whitewashed tombs, seeking to
protect their power and their money

C. Understanding Authority

1. So, it is reasonable to probe this issue of authority

2. A definition: the God-given right to command thought and/or

behavior in a certain area/realm

3. All genuine authority comes ultimately from the throne of God

Romans 13:1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities,

for there is no authority except that which God has established. The
authorities that exist have been established by God.

Two assertions about Jesus:

1) No man in history so perfectly submitted to authority as Jesus

Christ
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2) No man in history had as much authority as Jesus Christ

D. No man in history so perfectly submitted to authority as Jesus Christ

1. Why do I say this? Because Jesus never sinned… and all sin is
lawlessness, or a rejection of God’s authority

2. Jesus was born under the Law of Moses and perfectly submitted to
it every moment of his life

3. He was perfectly submissive to his parents while he was growing

up in their home; the only perfectly obedient child in history

4. He was perfectly obedient to every Law of Moses every moment of

his life right up to death

5. Jesus was even submissive to the authorities that killed him… he

was led like a lamb to the slaughter and never resisted or fought or
even opened his mouth to defend himself

6. BUT SUPREMELY at every moment, he was completely

submissive to his heavenly Father

a. Jesus’ fundamental submissiveness was predicted in Psalm 40

Psalm 40:7-8 "Here I am, I have come-- it is written about me in the

scroll. 8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my
heart."

b. Philippians 2

Philippians 2:6-8 [Jesus] made himself nothing, taking the very nature of
a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in
appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to
death-- even death on a cross!

c. John’s Gospel

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do
the will of him who sent me.

John 5:30 I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.
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John 8:28 I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has
taught me.

John 8:29 I always do what pleases him.

d. Ultimately Gethsemane

Mark 14:36 "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you.

Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

Hence my assertion that no one in history has been as submissive to

authority as Jesus

But the real issue here is Jesus’ wielding of authority… did he have
the RIGHT to cleanse the Temple? Did he have the RIGHT to
do all the amazing things he was doing? By what authority was
he acting like this? And who gave him that authority??

E. No man in history had as much authority as Jesus Christ

1. Authority displayed in his TEACHINGS

Jesus taught like no man they had ever heard, on his own authority

Jesus quoted NO rabbis, none of the elders… not once!

75 times in the four Gospels he said “Truly, truly I say to you…” or

simply “I tell you…”

Matthew 5:21-22 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago,
'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to
judgment.' 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his
brother will be subject to judgment.

Matthew 5:27-28 You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit
adultery.' 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman
lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

You have heard… but I say to you…

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, the crowds marveled more
than anything else at the absolute certainty of his teachings… of
the tone of AUTHORITY in his words and manner
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2. Authority displayed in his MIRACLES

a. Authority over demons: he commanded them and they instantly

obeyed him

b. Authority over sickness: there was no disease he could not cure

c. Authority over fish: he compelled them to swim into Peter’s net

d. Authority over matter: he created loaves and fishes and human

ears out of nothing by simply his word

e. Authority over weather: he literally spoke to the wind and the

waves and said, “Peace, be still!” and they obeyed him

f. Authority over life and death: he raised Lazarus from dead with
a powerful command: “Lazarus, come forth!”

3. He claimed authority that only God has

a. His decision to dispense with the traditions of the elders

(handwashing)

b. His power to declare all foods clean

c. He claimed absolute authority over the Sabbath

Mark 2:28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.

d. His authority in sending out the apostles with power and

authority to heal, drive out demons, and preach the word

e. His authority to forgive sin (Mark 2): “Who can forgive sins but
God alone?” “I have authority to forgive sins.”

f. His authority ultimately to judge the world

John 5:22-23 Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all
judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son just as they
honor the Father.

4. Authority over his own life, death, and resurrection

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John 10:18 No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own
accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up
again.

5. Authority to give eternal life to whomever he chooses

John 17:2 you granted him authority over all people that he might give
eternal life to all those you have given him.

6. On trial before Pontius Pilate, he makes this stunning claim:

John 19:10-11 Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free
you or to crucify you?" 11 Jesus answered, "You would have no
power over me if it were not given to you from above.

7. Final Claims… his supreme authority COMES FROM GOD

Matthew 28:18 "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to
me.

WHAT A STUNNING CLAIM!!!! But it is true!

Psalm 110: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool”

Ephesians 1:20-22 [God] raised him from the dead and seated him at his
right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and
authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not
only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God
placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over
everything for the church

So… that is the true answer to their question, “Who gave you this
authority??” Almighty God!!

III. Jesus’ Challenges His Enemies

A. Jesus Knew They Could Never Accept the Truth About His Authority

1. They would consider his claim to be blasphemous

2. When he said to the paralyzed man, “Your sins are forgiven”, they
thought he was blaspheming; “No one can forgive sins but God
alone!”
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3. When he defended his healing on the Sabbath by saying “My

Father is always working and I too am working,” they picked up
stones to stone him

4. So he asks them a question instead

B. Jesus’ Amazing Counter-Question

Mark 11:29-30 Jesus replied, "I will ask you one question. Answer me,
and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30
John's baptism-- was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!"

1. Jesus seizes control; he is never REACTING to them; they have to

react to him; he sets the terms of the discussion

2. Notice that though they thought to trap him, yet the shoe was on the
other foot—Jesus ended up trapping them in their own cowardice

3. Jesus sets them a condition… if they meet it, he will answer their
question; if they don’t, he won’t

4. Jesus’ question is not a diversion or a tactic… it actually goes to the

heart of the issue

C. The Origin of John’s Baptism

1. Jesus zeroes in on John’s baptism as a symbol of his entire ministry

2. Baptism was a new thing in Israel’s history… there is no command

or pattern for this ritual in the entire Old Testament

3. It was a prophetic innovation by John under God’s orders

4. Scholars tell us that, in the intertestamental period, Jewish rabbis

would require Gentile converts to Judaism to be immersed in water
to cleanse them from all their pagan defilements

5. But John was doing this to JEWS… in effect saying that Jews were
no better than Gentiles, that Jews should not say “We have
Abraham as our father” as if that alone would save them

6. Jesus wants to know, “Who gave John the authority to do this

ministry? Who sent him to baptize??”
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7. John the Baptist: was an enigmatic, shocking and divisive figure

a. Appeared in the foreboding spirit of Elijah, dwelling in the

desert, wearing camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist,
eating locusts and wild honey

b. Like Elijah, he was utterly devoid of love for worldly comforts

and luxuries

c. Like Elijah, he was utterly fearless, a preacher of the truth no

matter what

d. Like Elijah, his words were fiery, calling on all his hearers to
repent

e. Like Jesus… he singled out these same religious leaders as

particularly toxic, in need of forgiveness

Matthew 3:7-8 when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees

coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of
vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce
fruit in keeping with repentance.

D. The Trap in Jesus’ Question

Mark 11:31-32 They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say,
'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' 32
But if we say, 'From men'...." (They feared the people, for everyone
held that John really was a prophet.)

1. Rather than trapping Jesus, it was Jesus who trapped them!!

2. They had hated John as much as they hated Jesus

3. But the crowds LOVED John, especially now that he had been
martyred

4. They were afraid the crowd’s reaction

IV. Jesus’ Enemies: Unbelieving Lying Cowards

The Truth: God Sent John the Baptist

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John 1:6-7 There came a man who was sent from God; his name was
John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that
through him all men might believe.

John 1:32-34 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come
down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not
have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with
water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and
remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' 34 I have seen
and I testify that this is the Son of God."

The Truth: God Sent Many Prophets Who Were Resented by the
Authorities

Amos 7:12-15 Then Amaziah said to Amos, "Get out, you seer! Go back
to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your
prophesying there. 13 Don't prophesy anymore at Bethel, because
this is the king's sanctuary and the temple of the kingdom." 14
Amos answered Amaziah, "I was neither a prophet nor a prophet's
son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.
15
But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me,
'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'

So it was with John the Baptist… God sent him, like he sent all the
other true prophets

A. Unbelief

1. These Jewish leaders DID NOT believe John!

Jesus told us what they said about John:

Matthew 11:18 John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He
has a demon.'

Therefore none of these religious leaders of Israel had submitted to

John’s baptism:

Luke 7:30 But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God's
purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.

2. What didn’t they believe about John?

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a. That he was a true prophet, sent from God

b. His message that the Kingdom of God was near, and his
command that they needed to repent and bring forth fruit in
keeping with repentance… and that they also should be
baptized as a display of their repentant hearts

c. Especially, his message about the Christ whose forerunner he was

Mark 1:7-8 "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of
whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize
you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

To believe John was to believe in Jesus… they were linked together

John testified that Jesus was “the Lamb of God who takes away the
sin of the world” and “the Son of God”; they did not believe

B. Cowardice

These chief priests, elders and scribes have to pull away and discuss
their answer

They don’t have the courage of their convictions… they have to

scheme and figure out the best way to wriggle out of Jesus’ trap

They were terrified of the crowd’s reaction

Luke 20:6 But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, because
they are persuaded that John was a prophet."

C. Lying

1. They lied and said “We don’t know.” What cowards!

2. They were utterly convinced that BOTH John and Jesus were false
prophets, deceivers, demon-possessed

3. But they couldn’t speak their convictions for fear of the

consequences; so they lied saying they didn’t know the answer
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4. Despite the fact that they were the spiritual leaders of Israel whose
job it was to know the answer to exactly these kinds of questions…
who is a true prophet from a false one

D. Jesus’ Judgment On Them: Silence

Mark 11:33 Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am
doing these things."

1. It is a privilege to hear the word of God

2. Jesus is judging them by refusing to answer their question

3. A powerful judgment from God is his silence, what Amos calls “a

famine of hearing the Word of the Lord”

4. There is a window of opportunity to respond to the clear teaching

of the Word of God

Isaiah 55:6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he
is near.

V. Lessons

A. Recognize the Heavenly Origin of Jesus’ Authority

1. The Jewish leaders should have seen in Jesus’ miracles clear

evidence that God was with him

2. Jesus also pointed to the way the Scriptures testified about him

3. This is sufficient evidence for US as well to believe in him, to

know that God sent him, and to submit to his authority

4. What authority?

a. His right to forgive sins

b. His right to command you to obey him

B. Recognize the Nature of Jesus’ Yoke… and Gladly Yield to It

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from
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me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for
your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

C. Loving Obedience

Luke 6:46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?

John 14:15 "If you love me, you will obey what I command.

Christ has the right to rule everything in your life

i) In how you spend your money

ii) In how you spend your time

iii) In the calling of your life

iv) In evangelism and missions

Live each day as a bondslave of Jesus Christ:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a
price. Therefore honor God with your body.