Divine Jurisdiction

Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?” 

But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: The baptism of John-was it from heaven or from men?”

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say. ‘From heaven, ‘He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him? But if we say, ‘From men, ‘all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” Luke 20:1-8 NKJV

As Jesus was preaching the Gospel, He was interrupted by questions about His authority in being there and telling them how to operate. The priests and scribes couldn’t care less about the message or learning about Christ. They just wanted to challenge Him. It was less about curiosity and more about being defiant, because they already knew the answer. 

When thinking about how they were questioning Him, I think about interviews with celebrities. A lot of times in these interviews the interviewer will completely take over and guide them in the direction they want them to go. They will start asking questions to steer them away from their primary purpose in being there. The celebrity could be there to talk about a new community service project they’ve taken on, but the interviewer will start asking questions about their personal life and this good deed they’re trying to do will never be brought up.

During the Great Commission, Jesus tells us a little bit about his authority. Matthew 28:18-20 says “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all the things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” Matthew 28: 18-20

Through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, the authority of Jesus Christ is established. That is the primary purpose of us being a part of this kingdom: To spread the word of God and to be doers of His word. Let us focus more on what He is saying rather than questioning where it is coming from.