A Daring Move
An interesting thing is happening in our day. The Gen-Zs are doing something that many of us born earlier have not dared to think about. We grew up knowing that you cannot question authority, and those who did have interesting tales to recount. However, tables have turned and the unthinkable has become the order of the day, not only in the political space but in every other space where authority is exercised. Now, the truth is that when there is perceived and felt injustice, authority will always be questioned. However, those in authority do not like to be questioned and will always reiterate with questions of their own. Two thousand years ago, an established authority was being questioned, rightly so because they were carrying out injustice to the people. But it was not an injustice like we define injustice in the ordinary way, it went beyond violation of rights for it was spiritual in nature. The religious authority were the ones carrying out these atrocious violations, but then another mightier authority stepped in to the scene to question their established authority, and as you would expect, they pushed back.
Confronting Authority
Now, the Tuesday of the Holy Week is full of great drama as Jesus has a back and-forth with the leaders of Israel, that is, those who were in authority. It is important to state at the very beginning that the events that take place on Tuesday cannot be covered in a few words. The Gospel, according to Mark, covers these events from Ch. 11:20-13:37, while Matthew does the same from Ch. 21:18-26, and Luke from Luke Ch. 20-21, all of which include the Olivet Discourse which is an extensive recording of Jesus's teaching on Mount Olive. Each section during the events that occurred on that day necessitate a thorough examination of their own. However, there is a theme that occurs throughout the extensive record of events, and it starts with the questioning of Jesus's authority. What can be clearly seen from reading what occurs through the events of Tuesday is that there was an expectation from the authorities of Israel that Jesus would yield to their authority as they did not acknowledge or recognize Him as the true Messiah who had been prophesied earlier on from the Old Testament. We have three groups of people, we are told: the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders.
The Chief priests were the ones in charge of all spiritual worship in Israel and the affairs of the Temple; the Scribes influenced the matters of the law or otherwise the religious experts of the day, and the elders, just like the rest, sat at the Sanhedrin which was a powerful Jewish judicial and administrative body. There is no indication that these were not the ones in authority at that time. We are told that they approached Jesus, seemingly questioning Him for His recent actions in the Temple earlier on. This man, whom they had expected would not be a threat to the established authority, had done something outrageous in their sight. Earlier on, we are told by Matthew 7:28-29, "And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes." The people did not expect that such a man as Jesus would speak with such authority, and this is because they did not yet fully understand who Jesus Christ was. In the same manner, the authorities of Israel did not expect that He would not only speak with authority but also act with such great authority, especially in the territory where they wielded a great command of authority. Not only were they concerned at what kind of authority He exercised, but even where He had derived it from. It may be important to raise the question, who is Christ to you? The hearts of these authorities were hardened, and they could not clearly see the Messiah for who He was. Could you be accused of the same?
Forced to Submit
Once the religious leaders had asked Jesus to state His source of authority, He in turn asks them a question that sends them into confusion (Mark 11:28-30). He is pushing them to vouch for His authority through a question that, if they answered honestly and rightly, would provide the answer to the very question they sought an answer for. We are told that they had a discussion amongst themselves, and in the end, they concluded that they would not answer. Agreeing to John's Baptism would mean that they affirmed that it was from heaven, and this was not the issue for them; their issue was that if they agreed that what John was doing was from heaven, this same John held Christ at a high place of authority. In all that John did, He prepared the way for the Messiah; he pointed to the fact that he was not the Messiah but prepared the way for Him. In fact, we are told that John used the word Lord in John 1:23 to indicate authority, and as a prophet, He asserted there was one greater than himself, the very one he referred to as the lamb of God worthy to take away the sin of the world. To John the Baptist, Jesus was not like the rest of the authorities in Israel. Therefore, if they had answered honestly, they would have indirectly pointed to the authority of Christ and even one who was greater than the prophet John. We may think that Jesus also plays by their dishonesty when He also declares that He will not also reveal His authority, but in essence, what Christ is saying is that their hardness of heart, even though He reveals Himself to them, would yield no fruit.
It is then not out of the ordinary that He would proceed to reveal the condition of their hearts in the parable of the tenants in Mark 12: 1-11. Further, He would ask the people to beware of their religious leaders (Mark 11: 38-40). The religious leaders showed what was the true problem, and it is the same problem with those who are rebellious towards God. They do not want the authority of the one who exposes their hearts. The truth is that many do not want what is the true problem of their hearts to be exposed. Rather than holding on to the savior, we hold on dearly to our sinful hearts, and that is a pitiful state to be in. In the parable, we are told that the tenants, who, correctly interpreted, are the authorities described earlier, plotted and killed the prophets and messengers of God whom the Father had sent to expose the people's sin. Eventually, we are told that they killed the only beloved Son, who we know to be Jesus Christ.
These authorities, we are told in the unfolding of the events, were planning to find an opportunity to execute the Messiah and bring to the fullness of their evil. Notice the ones who claim to be the guides of the children of Israel are blind, a fact that Jesus would declare concerning them in Matthew's account (Matthew 23:16). These men were accused of having an outward appearance of righteousness, but their hearts were corrupt, and in that, they led the ones they were to shepherd astray. Christ will move to warn the crowds and disciples that they are to disregard those who obscure people from looking at the one who truly has authority over them. Sadly, many exalt themselves above Christ in our day and age, proclaiming to be ordained of God but obscure people from seeing the true Christ for who He is. We need to stand warned that in a culture of exalting spiritual leaders, we may lose sight of the one whom we should never turn our gaze from, Jesus Christ. As Charles Spurgeon says, "If you meet with a system of theology which magnifies man, flee from it as far as you can."
Our Response
Jesus Christ is no ordinary man. His authority was unlike that of the religious leaders because it was a divine authority. The religious leaders of the day were pointing people to themselves through burdening them with the law. In turn the people lost sight of the God whom they were to worship. Keeping the people enslaved was profitable for the religious leaders for it served their selfish interests. Looking around in our country, there is no shortage of such religious leaders, people who rather than serve God and point people to Him, serve their selfish interests. The truth is that no matter how much decorated a religious leader one is, they are never to obscure Jesus Christ. So, the question is to whom you have yielded your authority to, the one who exposes your greatest problem or the one who continues to enslave you in your sin. Jesus Christ died to set us free from spiritual bondage, that is, the authority of sin and its masters. Many continue to dare to question His authority, but true believers yield to His authority.
