As we resume our study in this Gospel, I want you to cast your mind back and remember that from Luke 9, 51, our Lord Jesus has been making His way towards Jerusalem. And as He made His journey there, we have seen the various miracles and words that have been uttered and events that have transpired, but the entire time there has been this motioning towards, this setting His face as a flint towards Jerusalem, and He has now arrived. In fact, he is now in the last week of his life. A few days from Calvary is where we find our Lord Jesus at this juncture in Luke chapter 20. Luke is pleased to give us, by inspiration, the various accounts of opposition that increase. There were difficulties in Galilee, but coming into Jerusalem is a different animal. There, the religious leaders feel that they own the territory, they feel very comfortable in their authority, they have grown accustomed to the positions of leadership and how life has been without this upstart. But every time Jesus has gone into the city, there has been trouble. And once again, He is there, and trouble again is arising. The animosity felt is palpable. People can sense all the tension that is there. In fact, the last verse of Luke 19, if you just look maybe at the last two verses, He taught daily in the temple But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, and could not find what they might do, for all the people were very attentive to hear him." Some, many, very attentive to hear him, while the few religious leaders, very attentive to kill him. That is the scene that we are brought to here as we enter into chapter 20, and our Lord Jesus is presented with this animosity, the expressions of it. They can't do necessarily what they would like to do to destroy Him, so they come trying to discredit Him. And that really is then what we see here and what unfolds before us. So, as we look at the verses before us tonight, I want us to consider under the title simply, A Question of Authority for Jesus. A Question of Authority for Jesus. We're going to see three primary thoughts here. First, His ministry continuing. We'll just think on that briefly. Then we'll see His enemies challenging. and then His wisdom countering, His wisdom countering. So that will be what we hinge our thoughts upon as we look at this portion of God's Word. So, His ministry continuing. Just a few brief remarks here, because as you look at verse 1, it says, it came to pass that on one of those days, these days where He is moving on His last week of His life, moving in and out to Jerusalem each day, And as he taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, just noting that again, they're those. And with increasing difficulty, you see the emphasis in our day You're only concerned about appearances, about miracles, about evidences of what they say the Spirit is doing, signs and wonders, and often what amounts to nothing more than subjective experience. There's this pressing emphasis upon that, that there's a desire to see something that they can claim is supernatural. outside the order of natural occurrences that cannot be explained by physics or science. Now, we believe that God is supernatural. The Word is filled with supernatural events. Having said that, as I have said before, when you look at God's Word, you realize that there are just these few kind of periods where you see the supernatural. You have, as I've said before, Moses and Joshua, you have then Elijah and Elisha, and then you have Jesus and the apostles. And really, those are the only generations where you have an intense expression of miracles and the supernatural occurring. The rest of the time, God is working through ordinary means. Good men are preaching and teaching the Word, raising their family in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and the gates of hell can't prevail against the kingdom simply by the normal activity of God's people doing what He has called them to do. But these people that often put this emphasis on signs and miracles and wonders and subjective experiences often, not always, but often give little attention to possessing a deep understanding of the Word, that which has for the most part been the driving force behind the thrust of the kingdom of God. It has been those who take seriously the Word, that imbibe the Word, that live out the Word, and see that through simple—if I can use that terminology—simple obedience to God, He advances His cause. It's not through great things and great people. It's through obedience that He propagates His name across the world. What was the issue that Israel and Judah constantly came to witness? It wasn't that they were lacking supernatural things. They were lacking simple obedience. They wouldn't obey. God just wanted them to obey and called them to obedience over and over again. As I was preparing this message and reading verse 1 and musing on it, it struck me that never once that I'm aware of, never once have I had the sense of desire for more detail regarding the miracles of the Lord Jesus. You read through the Gospels, you see the miracles. You revel in it. You try to understand the gospel significance of it. It's powerful. We see the compassion of Christ expressed and the gospel declared through it all. But I never, at least maybe you have, I've never desired, I wish that the gospel writers, by inspiration, had gone on to give more of the miracles. I've never felt that. But I felt it as I was reading verse one. He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel. I had this sense, I wish I knew what he said. And every time he uttered something, every time he declared something, oh, to have more detail. No, we have as much as we need. Just don't get me wrong, don't misunderstand. I'm not discontent with what God has given to us. We have what we need. But there was that sense that just, and I then reflected on that fact that I've never felt that about miracles, but I feel it about what he said. The power in instruction. the ongoing sense of significance in what a man or woman might say. Historical events are fixed in history, but divine words are applicable for eternity. And so, we value His Word. We value what He instructs us in, and we crave it more and more. I trust that you And I believe that the majority in this place, you do, you crave to be instructed. You want more, more of Christ, more of His Word, and you're not wanting me to put on some kind of performance. You're not expecting me. I just say, just, brother, do what Paul exhorted Timothy. Preach the Word. Be instant, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. Just do that. So as Christ's ministry continues, just very briefly, you see a reflection of His fearlessness here, because He's doing it one of those days. What days? The days where you go back to what we read in the previous chapter, the last two verses, when they're trying to destroy Him. Is He unaware of this? No. He knows what they're trying to do. He senses their hatred. He's conscious of this, and yet, again, there's this fearlessness of Christ. He just walks in to enemy territory, so to speak, every day. Now, I think the last time, some weeks ago, when we ended chapter 19, I did reflect on this there as well. And I have some memory, I don't know if I'm writing this, some memory of going to John 11, So I just stated it in case I didn't say that, but if you go to John 11, you'll see that the disciples are conscious of us as they move into Judea, move toward Jerusalem, their lives are in danger. And it's Thomas who said, let us go with them, we may die with them, let's go. He's resigned to the idea that if we go in that direction, death is imminent, but we're his disciples, let us go and suffer with him. So it's a reflection of his fearlessness. To see Christ come into the temple again and teach every day, we see the fearlessness of Christ. This is something that you and I need. We live in an increasingly hostile context. We're a little detached, a little sheltered, being in Greenville, South Carolina. But we feel it, don't we? very aware of it, just because the general feeling around the state and in the city may feel a little more secure and safe. It doesn't mean to say there are not people out there with an agenda to bring Greenville and South Carolina into line with all the other states and places that hate and despise the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. We feel it. Some of you feel it in your places of employment. You see the agenda, you see the language, you see the, you know, what are your pronouns and all this kind of thing. Christ was fearless. It's also a reflection of his fervency. What would you be doing a few days before your death? How would you be spending your time? Our Lord Jesus is fervently at the business that He always has been engaged in throughout His ministry, teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, good news, going in to the temple and declaring good news. Not sitting around, not wasting it, not reminiscing, just going from place to place, bringing good news to needy souls. Again, this is another characteristic that we see in Christ that is designed for us to reflect on and say, Lord, give me more of that. Text I often quote because it's so explicit in its language, 1 John 2, 6, to walk even so as He walked. That's the objective. Our context is different, our responsibilities may be different, but to walk as he walked means imbibing these kind of things, being fearless. in a hostile world, being fervent no matter what's going on in our lives, and keeping the goal in view. Why am I here? It's to make much of Christ. Why am I here? To propagate the fame of the Son of God, to make men aware there is good news despite all the bad news and headlines that so fill our minds. So his ministry continuing. Note also, is enemies challenging? This brings us to the heart of the passage. Is enemies challenging? Let me move along to see what Luke is leading us into here, because it says halfway through verse 1 that, "'The chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders and spake unto him, saying, Tell us by what authority doest thou these things, or who is he that gave thee this authority?' Now, in this chapter, there are a number of visits from the religious elite to use that kind of language. And they're seeking to attack the Lord Jesus each time. And they're going to fail every time, as you will discover. In fact, Christ exposes at least three things here. You can just look at your Bible and note it. First of all, He will expose their position. Verse 9 through 18 will get there in due course. And if you just look at the Last couple of verses there. Just look at verse 18. What we'll find out there is that they're being exposed in terms of what they believe themselves to be, how they view themselves before God. He's exposing them, their position. He will also expose their preaching. Verse 27 through 38, the Sadducees are on target this time discussing the matter of the resurrection. They will get exposed for their false theology. And then Christ will expose their piety from verse 45 through the chapter 21 verse 4. you'll see that there is this language of warning the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and so on and so forth. Yet they devour widows' houses and make a show, and for a show make long prayers. They'll receive damnation, and verse 1 of the next chapter, then, he will see the rich men casting their gifts, and a poor widow casting in thither two mites. So he exposes then their piety, or their false piety, to be more precise. So, every time He is witnessing their activity and their attack upon Him, He is able to expose them for who they really are. But note here, as we look at the opening verses, first, the position of those that come to Him. We're told the chief priests, the scribes, with the elders, come to the Lord Jesus. Three categories of leadership. Now, if you saw someone approached In any context, by leading clergy, leading academics, and leading judges, what would your thought be? Is this just, you know, a random occurrence? Or is this planned? And of course it's planned. And many have come to the conclusion because these categories really reflect what the makeup of the Jewish Sanhedrin And so, they conclude then that this is really a delegation of the Sanhedrin that's being sent to Jesus Christ. And they're being sent not to inquire sincerely about Him, but to try and expose Him. So, as we think then of their position, they're an official delegation of the Jewish Sanhedrin, but then consider their problem. Their problem. Verse 2, they come with this question, "'Tell us by what authority doest thou these things, or who is he that gave thee this authority?' The questions amount to simply, what kind of authority do you have, and who gave it? Now, if this was sincere, the angle would be something like, well, what school did you go to? What rabbi did you sit under? Who commissioned you? You see, these kind of things were important. They're important today, but they were important then also. The priests had their lineage. The scribes had their schools. The elders had their connections. And as they look at the Lord Jesus, they come with a question that wouldn't seem out of place, necessarily, for those watching on. But the question is not so much a matter of inquiry as it is a trap in order to attempt to discredit the Lord Jesus. They are trying to discredit Him. That's what's going on here. The Lord Jesus, as you go through the Gospels, you will find Him being very careful about explicit messianic claims. He doesn't just come out and say, I am the Messiah. In fact, when He does things that are very clearly messianic, on occasion at least, He will actually tell people, don't let this be known. When what He was doing so correlated clearly with what the Messiah should do, often there was an exhortation to keep it hushed. A few examples, we have the healing of the deaf and dumb. Something that was prophesied concerning Messiah. Mark 7, 36, He charged them that they should tell no man. When He cleansed the leper, another prophecy of what He should do. Matthew 8, 4, See thou tell no man. When He was on the Mount of Transfiguration, there's such a display of His glory that couldn't be questioned, that you're not dealing with Someone ordinary here. He told the disciples. Mark 9, 9. He charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen till the Son of Man were risen from the dead. So everyone is aware, and they're drawing conclusions. And the Sanhedrin know that they're dealing with someone with marks of Messiahship upon him. And they know that that is the sense of the people as well. And this will become the bottom line. Go to chapter 22. We'll get there in due course, but just so you see that this is really what it's leading to. They're trying to get him to say something, and then they're going to charge him with a particular crime. Luke 22, reading from verse 66. As soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together and led him into their council, saying, Art thou the Christ? Are you the Messiah? Tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, you will not believe. And if I also ask you, you will not answer me, nor let me go. Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit in the right hand of the power of God. Then said they all, art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, ye say that I am. And they said, what need we any further witness? For we ourselves have heard of his own mouth. Chapter 23, the whole multitude of them arose and led him unto Pilate. And you see what they're saying, perverting the nation, a charge of sedition. So the question then is really driving at that conclusion. If they can get him to openly declare that his authority is from God and he claims to be the Messiah, then they can make a claim of sedition to Pilate. If he denies it, that will diminish how the people view him and rob him of the authority that is arising around him. So that's the goal. That's the objective. he declares it, take him to Pilate. If he denies it, the people will say, oh, we thought it would be the one that we've been anticipating. You see all of this, and you ask, what's wrong with these men? Aren't they meant to be waiting for the Messiah? Don't they get up and teach that this is what their children are to look forward to? Pilate would later place his finger right on the driving motivation. Matthew 27, 18, he knew that for envy they had delivered him. They're envious. So, what are they asking here, going back to our passage? Tell us by what authority doest thou these things? What are they talking about? What's on their minds? These things. What things? Well, think of what had occurred around this time. We've had the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. We've had the cleansing of the temple. And we have Christ basically taking over the temple with regard to teaching. I would suggest those are the three things that are really nagging at them, and actually nagging upon each of the categories of those coming to Him in various ways. Think of it this way, Jesus had just cleansed the temple, thus the priests would have a problem with His authority over temple duties. This is our jurisdiction. We're the priests. He's coming in, cleansing, clearing the place out. By what authority? He kept teaching and everyone's listening to him. Everyone's very attentive to hear him, the end of the last chapter. Thus the scribes would have a problem with his authority over teaching duties. We're the ones that people listen to. And none of them, despite all their teaching and training, none of them had ever had such an audience as was gathered around Christ. And then you think of Christ entering into Jerusalem as the prophesied Messiah and Zechariah, and so the elders would have a problem over his territorial duties. They have territorial duties. We're over this. We're the judges of the area. Men don't walk in or ride into the city without our approval. I suggest to you then, those are the things that are bothering them. So, again, it comes back to them. They're bothered by this one who's just moving and teaching and acting as if they don't exist. It wasn't that our Lord Jesus Christ was rude or inconsiderate. It's the fact that He has all authority. He has all authority. And that is what he is going to send his church out with that note, that he has all power in heaven and on earth. And this is why, to this day, missionaries go into countries and they don't seek approval of those in power to do the work that they've been called to do. Now, they would go through all the legalities to get jobs and employment and visas and everything they have to do. All of that is right. But they go into places where they know the gospel is not wanted, where it is illegal. But they go anyway. They go because this one, our Lord Jesus Christ, did the same. What's he doing? He's going into a place that had hidden the gospel, that was bringing no good news, that you'd have to squint in order to try and see any real light or life in what they're declaring. And he's going in there, and he is telling the people what? The gospel. Good news. Good news. You don't have to live under fear. You don't have to be in bondage to the circumstances, even of Roman occupation and all of their power. You don't have to live in this way of depression and feeling like nothing can be accomplished because we're held in and we're all just waiting for some liberty to arise. No, if you look, if you look to the one that God has sent, if you trust in the one who brings salvation, there is liberty, there is life, there is light, there is peace, there is joy, there is purpose. It doesn't matter where you are. It doesn't matter what you're going through. There is good news for those who believe the gospel. Still it is to this day. Men don't need to be rich. They need Christ. They don't need to be healthy. They need Christ. They don't need to have all their problems deleted. They need Christ. Christ is the answer. So we can stand at any place, any time, in any generation and preach good news. Beloved, that's your calling too. We are to join together in every generation at any time no matter what is going on, and tell people there is good news. Thirdly then, His wisdom countering, His wisdom countering. Verse 3 and following, the Lord Jesus then responds, He answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing and answer me. The baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven he will say, why then believe ye him not? But, and if we say, Of men, all the people will stone us. For they be persuaded that John was a prophet. And they answered that they could not tell whence it was." The practice of answering a question with a question was not new. It was common in the ancient world. And you have, of course, the likes of Socrates and his disciples using Socratic questioning methods where the teacher adopts a posture in which my job isn't so much to give answers as it is to ask questions. and keep asking questions so that the class, the disciples, can discuss among themselves based on the questions that are coming. And by that method, they delve deeper into the subject and begin to understand it, not simply by a straight and concise answer, but by their own exploration through the guidance of a teacher who asks the right questions. But the context here, of course, is different. The rhetorical technique was used not only to teach, but to challenge the questioner, to make a point, and to avoid traps. And there's a sense in which Christ is doing all three of the latter there. He is challenging the questioner, he is making a point, he is avoiding their trap. And the response then in verse 5, they reasoned with themselves, saying, and the idea is that they quietly go to discuss, how do we respond to this? What are we to say in this battle of wits? Now, the Lord Jesus had put a matter before them, the baptism of John. Was it from heaven or of men? Now, just a point, and I think I have made this before, though it may have been a long time ago, the baptism of John was not Christian baptism. What he did was not what then the Lord Jesus commissioned his disciples to do. If you go through your Old Testament, you'll find a number of cleansing ceremonial rituals or practices within various contexts. You'll have priests being set apart through cleansing rituals. You'll have cleansing rituals for lepers as well, and other matters that are addressed. And there developed this practice in which those who were not born into, weren't born from the line of Abraham and so on, but they would believe later, they would come into the Abrahamic religion, as it were, at a later time, they would go through a cleansing ritual. They would be cleansed, washed. And there's a sense, I think there's a strong argument that what John was doing was essentially looking at Israel and telling them the reality that we are so far from God that we are like Gentile nations. We have so disobeyed, so rebelled, and He is calling them to repentance and to mark that repentance by a cleansing that would be identified with people who were like Gentiles. He's asking them to humble themselves and say, we're so far away, so cut off from God, so under divine displeasure that this is the kind of ceremony that would be right to do. Come and be baptized. And so many people did. They flooded in because they were encouraged at the prospect that He is the forerunner and Messiah's round the corner, as it were, on His arrival. And many, many gave themselves to it. But the religious leaders didn't. They opposed John. He had some choice words for them, ye generation of vipers, who have warned you to flee from the wrath to come. He was not slow to point out the real father that they obeyed, Satan himself. So, they didn't give themselves to it. So the question then arises, the baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men? Was John sent to do what he did? Was the ministry of John from God, or was it just something carnal, of men. And you see the dilemma they are in. They start talking. Hang on a minute here. So if we say that it's of men, then the people will stone us because they believe that John was a prophet. And yet, of course, we can't say it's from heaven because we didn't obey. So, there's this dilemma. And so, you see what they do. It's all very clear. Verse 7, they can't tell whence it was. Now, here's the thing. There was no neutral ground with the ministry of John. Not really for anyone. I doubt there was anyone who stayed neutral regarding John the Baptist. John the Baptist preached in such a way that he would call men to a verdict and opinion. And you either were with him or you were against him. To think that the religious leaders lived through His ministry without forming an opinion is impossible to believe. And yet this is the safest way out for them. In not answering, they discredit their own purpose and position. What? Did I just, you know, the crowds gathering around hearing this, they're going to be saying, huh? How can you not have an opinion? Everybody has an opinion. The vast majority who watched on knew that this man was sent from God. So Lord Jesus exposes them. So it closes, verse 8, Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. You know, as you read through this, It is, of course, a powerful reminder of the wisdom of our Lord Jesus. Never man speck like this man. Some of you learn debate, you enjoy debate. I tell you one thing, you would never want to come against the Lord Jesus in a debate. There is only one winner, and that becomes clear as you read through His ministry. And yet men do debate the Lord Jesus, they do. They dispute against Him all the time. And that's what I want us to consider because our whole focus here has been largely on these religious leaders and Christ dealing with them. But we come back and we ask ourselves, what does this have to teach me aside from don't debate the Lord Jesus? It is this question of whether or not We are sensible to see that He is from God and commands our allegiance, or we're going to spend our lives in opposition to Him, even to be exposed time and time again for the folly of it. Now, there are some here, and I don't know where you stand before the Lord Jesus. I don't know where you are. I don't know what your thoughts are. I don't know what your allegiance is to." And what I want you to go away with is not simply thinking and considering Christ going against this delegation from the Sanhedrin. I want you to think about, if I stand before Him, and I am asked the questions that He puts to men. Think of His interaction before the crowd, before all this unfolds. He's standing before crowds of people, and He is preaching the gospel. In preaching the gospel, He is calling men to a verdict. There is good news. God sent His Son to be a Savior of the world. He calls you then, in the midst of your thirst and your spiritual impoverishment, to repent and believe, to turn unto Him. He calls men to cast aside their lives, to be prepared to lay down their life for Him. He's asking them to give up every allegiance that would take priority and say, no, this is the one I live for, this is the one I give my heart to, this is the one I trust in, and no other. I surrender all confidence in my own righteousness. I have none. I cannot attain what is necessary before an infinitely holy God, so I don't credit my life to be good in any respect. I don't weigh it as if it has some value, salvific value before the living God. I abandon it all. I count it done with Paul that I might win Christ and be found in Him. And I submit my life to Him. I surrender to the One who has all power. so that I might live my life under His direction, give my life to His words and instruction, and even go to the ends of the earth, if He would have me do so, to tell the world the same glorious message." Where do you stand? Where are you before Christ? Are you saved, soundly saved? Do you give clear testimony to a life of obedience to Christ? Is it your desire to walk in holiness? To be holy even as God is holy? To walk even so as He walked? The desire to please Him? When you go astray, do you feel that in your heart, like, this is not for me, this is not what I want? Do you lament over your sin? Do you want to abandon the world? Do you say to yourself, I don't want to have any kind of touching of the appearance of evil, engaged in the world, giving myself to the things of sin? Are there aspirations for purity and holiness? Can you understand what Peter says when he says, "'Whom ye have not seen, ye love.'" Ye love! This is what Christ calls every person, everyone here tonight, as He did standing in the temple to an allegiance to Him. If you're not with Him, you're against Him and you're against God. No other religion will do. No other path will save. There is no other answer for your sin. So as we close tonight, I want that to be the impression on your soul. Where am I? Where am I? Go for a moment to John 5. Just turn over there. We'll close. A few verses here in John 5, because here John the Baptist is mentioned again. You'll find him also in John 1, a reference to him in a number of places. But here in John 5, look at verse 33. He went to talk to John. They sent a delegation to John. If you go back to John 1, you'll see this. They sent a delegation to figure out who John is. And he bear witness unto the truth. What was that truth? Behold the Lamb of God. I'm not that one, but I'm here to witness to that one. The latchets of whose shoes I'm not worthy to loose. He pointed to the one who could save. But I receive not testimony from man, but these things I say, that ye might be saved, that ye might be saved. He was a burning and a shining light, that's John. And you were willing for a season to rejoice in his light. But I have greater witness than that of John, for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me that the Father hath sent me." Think that the authority with which John spoke made it without dispute that he is from God, and yet he did no miracle, not one. His words, his ministry was enough to affirm he is sent from God. Now you have Christ. Of whom there were those who saw John, heard John, and said, Yet never a man spake like this man." And added to that are miracles that could only be from God. There can be no excuse. The Father himself which hath sent me hath borne witness of me, ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape, and ye have not his word abiding in you. For whom he has sent him ye believe not." You won't believe in me! Christ is the litmus test. You're either in him or out of him. with Him or against Him. There is no neutrality. And when you sit here tonight and you say, some other day, you're saying no. Let that be clear. If you delay, you deny. I'm appealing to you, friends. If you're not saved, seek Him. If you still are uncertain, verse 39, search the Scriptures. For in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me that ye might have life." Are you still in a condition of death? Are you lost, undone, perishing, trying to find happiness and contentment in a world that will just gobble you up and spit you out? not a care, while a compassionate Savior passes by tonight and says, if any man thirsts, let him come unto me and drink. But drink of the wells of the world, and you will thirst again. But if you drink of the water that Christ gives, you will never thirst again." May God write His Word on your heart. Let's bow together in prayer. Where do you stand, friend? This is decision time. Has the Lord drawn near? Is he speaking to you? In God's name, confess your sins, for he is faithful and just to forgive your sins and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. If I can be of any help to you, you need me to open up the word and Clarify some questions that remain in your heart. Be sure to let me know. God, we pray, bless Thy Word. Have mercy, save the lost. Perhaps there are those backslidden, cold, needing to be revived and brought back into fellowship, to walk in the light as Thou art in the light. God, bring them in. Bring them in now, we pray. Working hearts, in Jesus' name, We pray that You will suppress every argument, that You will silence every doubt, and You will so overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil, that sinners tonight can do nothing but bow the knee in repentance and faith. Bring them in, we pray. Bless our time together. Bless this church through this week. Make us to be salt and light. Fill us with the Holy Ghost and with power. May all of us be soul winners. We preach the good news to a perishing world. May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the love of God our Father, and the fellowship of the Spirit be with all thy people now and evermore. Amen.