Luke 20….The Authority Of Jesus
We have seen the triumphant entry of our Lord in presenting Himself as the king of kings.
The Jews were looking for a political leader to save them from the Roman Empire but, were getting the Saviour of world.
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We’ve seen Jesus as He cleaned the temple of money changers and thieves as He called them.
This was Passover week the streets were filled with people and the temple was crowed....many were trying to make all the money they could while the Passover was going on.
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Tonight we are going to look at Jesus authority…..who gave it to Him?….but, most importantly ..what does our Lords authority mean to you and I?
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ILL:….I heard a story about a government official with the Department of Water Resources down in the state of Texas.
Seems the official made a surprise visit with an old rancher.
He tells the rancher, "I need to inspect your ranch for your water allocation."
The old rancher says, "Okay, but don’t go in that field over there."
********The government official gets out his ID card and says:
"Mister, I have the authority of the Federal Government with me.
You see this card? This card means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I WISH on any agricultural land in the state of Texas No questions asked or answered.
Have I made myself clear?......... Do you understand?"
The old rancher nods politely and goes about his chores.
****Little later, the old rancher hears loud deathly screams and sees the Government Official running for his life because …close behind him was the rancher’s 1500 lb prize bull and the bull was gaining with every step.
The Official was terrified, so the old rancher immediately throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs,
*****"Your card! Show him your card!"*******Thanks to Pastor Ed Vasicek for posting Illustration
Human authority is abused lots of time…but, God should never have to prove His authority.
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Turn your Bibles to Luke chapter 20 and lets read a few verses starting in verse 1
1 And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,
2 And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?
3 And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:
4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?
5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?
6 But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.
7 And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.
8 And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
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Remember it was Passover week the temple and the streets were full and Jesus had just caused a great disturbance the day before by cleaning out the temple by turning over tables and calling the money changers and those who bought and sold inside the temple “a den of thieves.”
The religious leaders had been plotting against Jesus and arresting Him before this but, being Passover week and drawing crowds like He was….. they really wanted Him out…done away with and so they confronted Jesus and tried to corner Him.
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These were no ordinary religious leaders… chief priests, scribes and the elders.
Some of those no doubt was part of the Sanhedrin….a council like our Supreme Court…..great authority and prestige.
So, they had no problem getting through the crowded temple and asking Jesus 2 questions. by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?
Our Lord comes to the defense quickly …not with an answer but, with a question.
*******************Jesus said…Let me ask you one thing
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?
They couldn’t answer that without condemning themselves….
They went into a huddle and tried to decide on some kind of answer.
So, after reasoning the Bible says.….they came up with a highly educated answer…..(we don’t know…..they played it smart by being dumb.
So, Jesus says in verse 8 Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
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They just completely rejected Jesus as being the Messiah and the authority that He claimed to have.
But they also rejected John the Baptist because; he was the forerunner for Jesus….
John the Baptist introduced Jesus as the truth and when you present the truth ….there is nothing else to introduce except a theory, lie or a manmade religion.
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I want us to look back a few days to see some evident of Jesus authority.
As a matter of fact back up a few days in time and go forward a book in the Bible to John chapter 12….verse 1
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In Jerusalem they were plotting and planning on how to put Jesus to death .but in Bethany, His friends planed a dinner party for Him.
Now let’s see who is there…in verse 1…. 1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Stop there.
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Lazarus, the man who has been raised from the dead by Jesus was there…alive and well setting at the table with Jesus waiting for supper to get done….just like a man ain’t it?
And there was Martha ..you know Martha was a witness to the Lords authority….when Lararus her brother got sick and died back in chapter 11 of John…….Jesus was away… go back 1 page to Chapter 11 of John and verse 21…
They had place Lararus in a tomb so they must have had a service for him.
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But, Jesus was away at the time and heard the news of His friend Lararus death so He was on His way there and was close by. Martha ran to meet Him and said in Verse 21 of John 11…Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died.
Jesus told her that Lararus would raise again……..then Martha said verse 24 I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
Jesus said in chapter 11 of John and verse 25 I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live
And in verse 26 Jesus ask Martha a question… And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
And Martha answered…verse 27 of John chapter 11… Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
NOW…..That’s the right answer…that’s what those chief priests, scribes and elders should have said in Luke chapter 20
We know you are the Son of God so we don’t question your authority….we even know that John announced your coming.
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But.. most Folks today are….still rejecting the Lord….they are trusting in their own goodness ….trusting in their own works to get them to some good place when they die.
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Have you ever watched a movie and noticed how the director directs the cameraman that sets in a cherry picker type of vehicle to get a shot over the entire event that’s going on?
*******I want to take you back to the supper party that was going on in John chapter 12 and zoom out on that event and let’s look at each person and event that’s going on.
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There was Lararus and Jesus setting at the supper table in fellowship and waiting on supper to get done.
Martha and Mary were cooking and Martha probably was humming a hymn or maybe even singing out loud a Psalm of David.
Then Martha began to serve and maybe Mary went to her bag and took out a whole pound of ointment that she could have just bought at the market place and poured it on our Lords feet and began to wipe His feet with her hair…..the whole house was filled with that anointed expensive perfume oil….
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There is Lazarus who was raised from the dead by Jesus and in fellowship with Him at the table….celebrating a new life.
Then we see Mary sitting at Jesus feet…worshiping and praising Him.
Then we see Martha serving a meal. That’s her gift….that’s what she does for service for our Lord.
This should be in every church today: celebrating new life in Christ, ….worship and praising God …..and serving Him.
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***********But, how can a man have such power as Jesus to raise someone from the dead….cause people to worship Him and serve Him? Because He is no ordinary man…..it’s because of who He is….
I sing a song once in a while call Because Of Who You Are….
because of who you are I give you glory…because of who you are I give you praise…..because of who you are I will lift my voice and say….Lord I worship you because of who you are.
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It’s because of who He is ......no human name gives Him justice………………...It’s because of who He is.
Jesus is God in the flesh….there are many names in the Bible for Jesus.
the king of kings..The Comforter ..the Lion of the tribe of Judea.
Prince of Peace….Saviour…..Redeemer…the Good Shepherd
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But, none of these names would mean anything if you can’t call Him the Lord of your life.
Who else could create you and I and everything seen and not seen……loved us enough to give us free will to think for ourselves …besides making us in His image…
but, we are so sinful and rebellious in nature it broke our Lords heart to judge us…because all God ever wanted from us was a relationship ..but, sin got in the way and sin always has a price.
And we can’t pay that price by works and get forgiveness.
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So For God So Loved The World
He left heaven…stepped out of eternity…stepped into time by coming to Earth…born in the flesh as baby Jesus…grew to a man for one purpose in mind….to die for every man…woman and child that would believe on Him….but, He is still being rejected.
So the last and final judgment upon the nations of the world and mankind are coming to those who still reject and don’t believe.
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Right after Jesus told the religious leaders… the chief priests, scribes and the elders.
He wouldn’t tell them were His authority came from….He tells them a parable about wicked vinedressers or farmer that was given land by a land owner ……it’s about Israel who God gave them land that they might go and bear fruit.
God now wants the fruit, and they can’t produce it.
Jesus is telling them that God requires fruits of righteousness and new life, of peace and joy.
He reminds them they have killed all the prophets and servants God sent and they may even kill His son …the heir… but they could never destroy the purpose of God.
Of course they got mad.
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Those religious leaders thought that the fruit belong to them….
***The fruit doesn’t belong to any religious organization...human leader…servant ..deacon…preacher, pastor ….evangelist or anyone else.
It belongs to the one who planted it belongs to our Lord Jesus the corner stone…
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*****In closing……. lets go back to Luke chapter 20 and verse 17
And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?
18.Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
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Today folks can still fall on that Stone, who is Christ Jesus, and be saved.
We have to come to Him as a sinner, broken in spirit, broken in heart.
When we do, we are on the foundation that no man can lay, which is Jesus Christ ……the Stone.
(1 Cor. 3:11) “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ”
***************** *“On this solid Rock I stand …all other ground is sinking sand….all other ground is sinking sand”
*******The book of Daniel chapter 2 says that Stone will fall in judgment one day and “grind to powder” the nations that reject Him….everyone will meet Him face to face one day…..either as their Saviour or as Judge.
But, for those who fall upon that Stone looking for grace and mercy will find it in Jesus….because there is no higher authority.
