By What Authority

Because next Sunday is Palm Sunday, I have been reading again the passages in the Bible that record what happened between Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, in triumph, at the beginning of the week, and the crucifixion and resurrection at the end of the week. I noticed one of the moments where temple leaders were trying to entrap Jesus with a question.

…the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?” Mark 11:27b-28

They were not asking an honest question to try to understand how and why Jesus did what He did. I am wondering whether you have ever asked a similar question but from honest motives? Have you wondered and wished God would answer questions like these: Why is this happening to me? Why have you let this happen? Why haven’t you changed things? What do you think you are doing!? What am I supposed to do now? Underneath these is some version of the same question the chief priests asked: by what authority have you acted to interfere in my life like this?

We have a bit of an advantage over the priests, teachers and elders in this scene. We know how the week ended. Jesus died. Jesus lives again! He is Risen. That’s a fact. Jesus demonstrated that He has authority over Death since it couldn’t hold Him. But they didn’t know that yet.  

I was wondering about this when I noticed that Jesus really does not answer their questions. Instead He responds to them with a question that reveals their motives. While trying to entrap Jesus, they become entrapped. I don’t think your motives for asking your questions are suspect in any way. You believe you’d be better at this grief business if you just knew some answers. You honestly want to know more. But I wonder whether He plans to give you the answers you seek. Or will He also deal with you in such a way to help you know more about who you are as you stand before God or who He is in your life. He may be dealing with you to accomplish deeper things in your heart than a direct answer could accomplish. He has authority over Life and Death, and He wants to give you Life. Eternal, abundant Life.

Here is the rest of the passage that describes this scene:

Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!”

They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’…” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)

So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” Mark 11:29-33

I say: ask your questions freely. Examine your motives. Then ask good questions. And finally, accept God’s dealing with you. Accept when answers come. Accept when they don’t. Both conclusions are created by Him for your good. Either way, trust His authority. Trust that He uses His authority for Life and for good purposes.

Isaiah 40: Comfort for God’s People

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. Isaiah 40: 1-2

These specific words were written at a specific time to a specific person to comfort a people in specific circumstances. Yet they are God’s words for eternity to His people, all His people. You and I are not in that other time or place, yet these words tell us about God and His interaction with His people, us.

Our God wants to comfort us. He speaks “tenderly.” Can you hear or feel His tender message of comfort? He knows how fragile you are, so He uses just the right gentle voice so you won’t be broken or alarmed into a panic reaction. He knows you need tenderness in your present circumstances.

He says your “hard service” has been completed. Yes, He knows it is very hard service, indeed, this grieving. It takes so much energy. It robs your attention from other responsibilities, so you can’t always carry all the responsibilities you used to carry. And it’s hard service to be faithful through the grief. This trying to grieve and “not sin” (Ephesians 4:26) is difficult. This grieving yet being “thankful in every circumstance” (I Thessalonians 5:18). This is a sacrifice and it’s a hard service to Him.

But He says it’s complete. Now, I’m not sure it is completed for each of you at this moment. But this verse does imply that there is an end eventually. That thought alone brings a little comfort – it won’t always be this bad!

The Word says “her sin has been paid for.” That’s a comfort. If you sometimes feel you did something wrong with or to your child, if you feel you failed to do something you should have done or wanted to do but hadn’t gotten around to it yet, your “sin has been paid for.” If you are feeling like you are not grieving like a good, believing Christian should, your “sin has been paid for.” If you said words to someone a couple days ago that you never would have said without the grief weighing on you, your “sin has been paid for.” If you are having trouble believing God is good, your “sin has been paid for.” If you can imagine any other offense that I haven’t mentioned here, your “sin has been paid for.” It does not need to be a burden to you any longer because your “sin has been paid for.”

This Word says you have received double for your sins. Now I’m not exactly sure what that means. But since the line above says your “sin has been paid for,” it can’t mean you’ll get a double dose of punishment for each of your sins. I think it means you’ll get a double dose of His grace, abundant grace, for each day’s challenges.

What a tender, forgiving, understanding Comforter we have access to. You are invited to “come boldly before the throne of grace to get help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Whatever your need is now, there is grace for it, and a tender Comforter.

Death – is the evidence that something is terribly wrong.

What brought death? As much as I hate to say it, God did. He imposed death as a sentence of punishment because of Adam’s disobedience. Have you ever thought about that? How serious was the offense that death was the proper sentence? God has laid down the principle of equal punishment for the crime – an eye for an eye, and no more. We are not to punish with a sentence of a 7 (on a scale of 1 to 10) for an infraction of a 2. God’s principle: the punishment should fit the crime. So disobedience to His directions is enough of an offense to qualify for death! In other words, sin is much more important to Him than I thought, and than it has been to me! I figure my behavior deserves a slap on the proverbial wrist. But evidently, I’m not seeing it from His perspective.

You know from first-hand experience how terrible death is. You know how profound it is to see the life in a person you care deeply about come to an end. Possibly, you have witnessed the last breath. You know the impenetrable gulf of separation that death makes between one who has died and those who survive the loss. Why would the God of creation think death, and the separation that implies, is the right treatment for his creatures who sin? Because the offense against the Lord and Creator is so great.* All disobedience calls His authority into question and that is sin. All sin seeks to diminish Him and His role in our lives. It is more than just disobeying a rule. It is really questioning His right to tell me what to do in any way. It is putting myself above the Lord God Almighty! And that can not be. So sin is punished by total and eternal separation from the Creator. We are made for fellowship with that very Creator-God. But, without outside help, we can never fulfill that destiny. Sin is sin and the sinner deserves to be removed from His presence permanently. Indeed, the sinner has indicated he wants to be out of His presence anyway. The Father is giving sinners what they want!

(*I have said it before but here it is again: I am not saying your child sinned therefore he died. I’m not saying there is a specific sin and so death is his sentence. NO. The general truth is that we all sin and we all die. It is specifically true that one man, Adam, sinned, therefore all die. There is another specific truth too: one completely righteous man, Jesus, died and God sees his sinlessness applying to all who come to Him to have their sin covered by His righteousness. But there is no one-to-one relationship between anything you or your child did that brought death as its punishment from God. See the story of the blind man in John 9.)

That’s why death exists – because sin deserves punishment. So I can never be where I’m supposed to be –with God-Creator. There is a profound loneliness in me because of this. I will never be what and where I was created for. But the same Creator, Punishment-pronouncer, also made a different thing. He made a way to reconcile the present separation with what should be –being together. God sent His Son to communicate what God is like and to take the punishment people deserve, so that creatures can be back where we belong.

Death is profoundly terrible. You have seen it. It’s a sign how profoundly terrible sin/disobedience is. I have done it. God has taken necessary steps to repair the brokenness created by sin and death, so I/we can fulfill the purpose for which we have been created – to be in His presence. It cost Him a lot – the life of His own Son. It cost me nothing, just to submit to His definitions of what sin is and what the solution is. I am reconciled to fulfill my original destiny. I am grateful.

Where’s the comfort in this message this week? It’s found in the fact that the Creator is also the Solution to the problem of Sin and Death. He entered in. He redeems all who submit to His definitions and accept His invitation to love. You can fulfill your original destiny to be with Him at His home which is heaven. In heaven there is a happy reunion for all who also believe these things.