WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.700 --> 00:00:06.700 Grace mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our 2 00:00:06.700 --> 00:00:08.100 Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 3 00:00:08.100 --> 00:00:09.500 Amen. 4 00:00:11.100 --> 00:00:17.100 The text we just heard is about authority. The word is used four times 5 00:00:17.100 --> 00:00:21.100 In those verses. it really has to do with questioning Authority. 6 00:00:23.400 --> 00:00:26.200 Please indulge this old man, 7 00:00:26.200 --> 00:00:30.100 I promise I try my best not to do this, but 8 00:00:31.400 --> 00:00:32.900 back in my day. 9 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:37.800 We talking the sixties and the seventies. 10 00:00:37.800 --> 00:00:44.300 Our country was politically as badly divided as we are today. 11 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:48.200 The Vietnam War was still raging. 12 00:00:49.300 --> 00:00:52.300 Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy were assassinated 13 00:00:54.400 --> 00:00:55.900 There was racial tension. 14 00:00:57.100 --> 00:01:01.900 There were demonstrations and violence in all the major cities and on 15 00:01:01.900 --> 00:01:03.000 college campuses. 16 00:01:04.900 --> 00:01:06.600 Churches were being burned. 17 00:01:07.500 --> 00:01:10.500 Rivers were so polluted that they caught fire. 18 00:01:11.800 --> 00:01:16.100 Climate experts was telling us that we were entering into a new Ice 19 00:01:16.100 --> 00:01:16.300 Age. 20 00:01:18.300 --> 00:01:23.000 There was a pandemic, the Hong Kong flu, claimed the lives of more than a 21 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:24.200 million people worldwide. 22 00:01:26.600 --> 00:01:30.300 Now obviously these were the days before the internet and social media. 23 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:36.300 But in those days we had bumper stickers and pins. 24 00:01:37.500 --> 00:01:42.400 Many of them were covered with flowers or cannabis leaves or peace 25 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:43.000 symbols. 26 00:01:45.300 --> 00:01:48.600 But they all carried a message. And the most popular ones 27 00:01:48.600 --> 00:01:53.700 the ones that everybody seemed to wear had a very simple slogan. 28 00:01:55.400 --> 00:02:02.000 Question authority and that slogan became the the definition of our 29 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:04.100 times. Today 30 00:02:04.100 --> 00:02:07.800 we've taken that slogan to a whole new level of question authority. 31 00:02:07.800 --> 00:02:11.000 We question all authority. 32 00:02:12.500 --> 00:02:15.600 From governmental authority of the president. 33 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:22.000 State and local authorities and the mandates that they made regarding 34 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:22.700 this pandemic. 35 00:02:24.800 --> 00:02:29.500 Scientists authority regarding the appropriate treatments for this 36 00:02:29.500 --> 00:02:34.600 pandemic and climate authorities on what's really going on and how 37 00:02:34.600 --> 00:02:35.900 long we have to survive. 38 00:02:39.600 --> 00:02:43.700 We talk about sports authorities and whether or not it's appropriate 39 00:02:43.700 --> 00:02:45.300 to play ball. 40 00:02:46.700 --> 00:02:50.900 And economic authorities question whether or not we can recover. 41 00:02:52.100 --> 00:02:54.900 So is it any wonder that there are people out there who are 42 00:02:54.900 --> 00:02:57.100 questioning the authority of the church. 43 00:03:00.500 --> 00:03:02.700 Today everyone with a cell phone. 44 00:03:04.100 --> 00:03:10.300 Everyone with a blog everyone with a hashtag or a bullhorn claims to 45 00:03:10.300 --> 00:03:11.300 be an authority. 46 00:03:13.100 --> 00:03:16.300 And they love to create these got you traps. 47 00:03:17.200 --> 00:03:18.700 And in 15 seconds 48 00:03:18.700 --> 00:03:23.200 they can label people as if we've been hearing the last few days as 49 00:03:23.200 --> 00:03:24.800 racists, 50 00:03:25.900 --> 00:03:26.900 or extremist, 51 00:03:28.500 --> 00:03:33.900 sexist, or leftist, or anarchist, conspiracy theorists, 52 00:03:35.500 --> 00:03:37.000 or fakes, 53 00:03:38.400 --> 00:03:39.400 or evil people. 54 00:03:41.100 --> 00:03:45.500 So they can discredit they can cancel anyone who dares to think 55 00:03:45.500 --> 00:03:46.500 differently than they do. 56 00:03:47.800 --> 00:03:54.500 As a seminary community as future Church workers as Brothers and 57 00:03:54.500 --> 00:03:55.800 Sisters in Christ Jesus. 58 00:03:55.800 --> 00:04:00.400 I believe that it's a good thing for us in these days to be asking the 59 00:04:00.400 --> 00:04:06.200 same kinds of questions that the Sanhedrin asked in today's text. 60 00:04:07.600 --> 00:04:13.600 By what Authority are you doing these things and who gave you the 61 00:04:13.600 --> 00:04:14.900 authority to do them? 62 00:04:16.200 --> 00:04:17.100 For to truly to honestly question authority 63 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:20.200 to 64 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:24.100 do the research as we've heard the last few days. 65 00:04:25.300 --> 00:04:26.300 To seek an answer. 66 00:04:28.100 --> 00:04:31.700 And to find and know and to believe the truth. 67 00:04:34.200 --> 00:04:37.600 The question of his authority had been an issue for Jesus from the 68 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:41.600 very beginning of his ministry. From the first time 69 00:04:41.600 --> 00:04:45.100 he preached in his hometown people recognize that there was something 70 00:04:45.100 --> 00:04:49.700 different about the way he taught he taught with authority not like 71 00:04:49.700 --> 00:04:50.700 their scribes. 72 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:56.100 Then he miraculously demonstrated his authority 73 00:04:57.400 --> 00:04:59.500 to drive out unclean spirits. 74 00:05:00.700 --> 00:05:02.100 The authority to heal. 75 00:05:03.300 --> 00:05:08.500 Authority over the wind and waves. He even claimed that he had authority to forgive sins. 76 00:05:11.500 --> 00:05:14.200 Now it was Tuesday of Holy Week. 77 00:05:15.700 --> 00:05:19.900 On Palm Sunday Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem and all of the 78 00:05:19.900 --> 00:05:23.600 authorities the Roman and the Jewish authorities watch very carefully. 79 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:28.700 For as he rode into town the crowds came out to meet him. 80 00:05:31.100 --> 00:05:32.700 They welcomed him like a king. 81 00:05:34.900 --> 00:05:38.500 Some claim that he was the Messiah the Son of David. 82 00:05:40.300 --> 00:05:42.100 Others said that he was a prophet. 83 00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:47.700 And then he went directly to the temple the house of God and he drove out 84 00:05:47.700 --> 00:05:53.300 the money changers and he disrupted the sacrifices. And he dare to 85 00:05:53.300 --> 00:05:58.800 accuse the temple authorities of discrimination prejudice against the 86 00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:02.400 the poor people and the Gentiles. 87 00:06:03.700 --> 00:06:07.600 The house of God was a house of prayer for all people, but they had 88 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:08.900 turned it into a den of robbers. 89 00:06:12.200 --> 00:06:14.700 Now he returned on Tuesday. 90 00:06:15.700 --> 00:06:20.300 And he was strolling through the temple courts, he still teaching when he was 91 00:06:20.300 --> 00:06:23.200 challenged by a delegation from the Sanhedrin. 92 00:06:24.500 --> 00:06:28.900 They thought that they had the right and the duty to question his 93 00:06:28.900 --> 00:06:29.100 authority. 94 00:06:30.200 --> 00:06:34.700 Because they believe that everything that went on in the temple was 95 00:06:34.700 --> 00:06:35.900 under their authority. 96 00:06:37.700 --> 00:06:40.900 They even claimed authority for the spiritual lives of the people. 97 00:06:42.900 --> 00:06:48.500 So they wanted to know what gave Jesus the right, the authority to 98 00:06:48.500 --> 00:06:49.700 teach in the temple. 99 00:06:50.800 --> 00:06:54.200 What gave Jesus the authority to drive out the money changers? 100 00:06:56.900 --> 00:07:00.000 Imagine he was in the temple of God 101 00:07:01.500 --> 00:07:03.800 treating like it was his own personal property. 102 00:07:05.500 --> 00:07:09.100 The real question they were asking however is one of identity. 103 00:07:10.400 --> 00:07:13.000 Jesus just who do you think you are? 104 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:20.300 They weren't being honest and asking their question. 105 00:07:21.800 --> 00:07:25.100 They weren't really interested in hearing his answer or knowing the 106 00:07:25.100 --> 00:07:25.600 truth. 107 00:07:25.600 --> 00:07:28.900 They'd already rejected his authority. 108 00:07:28.900 --> 00:07:31.900 They were looking for some opportunity to stop him. 109 00:07:33.900 --> 00:07:37.600 So they tried to create one of those gotcha moments. 110 00:07:39.000 --> 00:07:42.800 A trap to either discredit Jesus in front of all the people. 111 00:07:44.500 --> 00:07:47.900 Or they would discover all the evidence they needed to accuse him of 112 00:07:47.900 --> 00:07:48.100 blasphemy 113 00:07:49.700 --> 00:07:51.600 and exert their authority to put him to death. 114 00:07:54.400 --> 00:07:59.400 Jesus quickly demonstrated his authority for them. Just as he had 115 00:07:59.400 --> 00:08:03.100 turned over the tables of the money-changers now he turned the tables on 116 00:08:03.100 --> 00:08:03.300 them. 117 00:08:05.400 --> 00:08:09.500 Simply said I'll ask you a question, just one. 118 00:08:10.400 --> 00:08:14.100 Answer me, and I'll tell you by what authorities is I do these things. 119 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:17.700 Is the baptism of John from heaven 120 00:08:18.900 --> 00:08:20.000 or was it from man? 121 00:08:22.100 --> 00:08:23.000 Answer me. 122 00:08:25.100 --> 00:08:27.400 That's how theRabbi is often debated. 123 00:08:27.400 --> 00:08:31.500 It was question and counter question. 124 00:08:31.500 --> 00:08:33.600 You challenge my authority. 125 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:35.700 I'll challenge your authority. 126 00:08:37.100 --> 00:08:38.700 You answer me. 127 00:08:41.400 --> 00:08:44.000 Now they were the ones who were caught in the gotcha. 128 00:08:44.900 --> 00:08:48.800 And they quickly realized there wasn't any way out of this. 129 00:08:50.000 --> 00:08:53.300 And so they deliberated they calculated they debated. 130 00:08:54.900 --> 00:08:56.400 If we say from heaven 131 00:08:57.500 --> 00:08:59.500 he'll say then why didn't you believe him? 132 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:02.300 But shall we say from men? 133 00:09:03.800 --> 00:09:08.000 They were afraid of the people for they held the John is really a 134 00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:08.600 prophet. 135 00:09:10.500 --> 00:09:15.600 They never really stopped to address the question of authority. 136 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:22.700 Either their authority or John's authority or Jesus is authority. 137 00:09:23.800 --> 00:09:26.100 Was it from heaven or was it from man? 138 00:09:28.900 --> 00:09:33.600 What would this mean for them if they really looked at that question 139 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:34.100 seriously? 140 00:09:35.400 --> 00:09:39.700 And sought to do the research and answer the question, honestly. 141 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:45.100 Instead they were more concerned about how they would look in the eyes 142 00:09:45.100 --> 00:09:45.900 of all the people. 143 00:09:47.800 --> 00:09:48.800 So they feigned ignorance. 144 00:09:48.800 --> 00:09:50.200 We don't know. 145 00:09:51.700 --> 00:09:54.400 They refuse to answer on the grounds that they might incriminate 146 00:09:54.400 --> 00:09:55.000 themselves. 147 00:09:56.800 --> 00:10:01.900 They refused to face the authority of God's word the word with John had 148 00:10:01.900 --> 00:10:06.700 preached as he called them to repent of their sins and pointed them to 149 00:10:06.700 --> 00:10:08.000 Jesus the Lamb of God. 150 00:10:10.600 --> 00:10:15.600 The authority of God's word which Jesus preached and which he taught. 151 00:10:17.500 --> 00:10:19.800 And which he demonstrated by his miracles. 152 00:10:21.500 --> 00:10:25.400 Jesus was clearly claiming that his authority was from heaven. 153 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:31.000 The answer to the question was standing right before them in the 154 00:10:31.000 --> 00:10:34.000 temple of God, and they didn't know. 155 00:10:36.700 --> 00:10:38.500 So they questioned Jesus authority. 156 00:10:40.300 --> 00:10:42.000 But they refuse to hear the answer. 157 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:45.200 Refused to believe the truth 158 00:10:46.700 --> 00:10:51.800 Refused to repent of their sins and refused to live under him in that 159 00:10:51.800 --> 00:10:52.200 authority. 160 00:10:58.600 --> 00:11:01.200 Who struggles who questions authority, 161 00:11:03.400 --> 00:11:05.400 questions his authority? 162 00:11:08.400 --> 00:11:10.200 This isn't a gotcha moment. 163 00:11:11.400 --> 00:11:12.300 It's an honest question 164 00:11:13.900 --> 00:11:16.100 about Jesus's authority. 165 00:11:17.800 --> 00:11:20.100 His authority to teach you. 166 00:11:21.500 --> 00:11:23.900 His authority to heal you. 167 00:11:25.000 --> 00:11:27.400 His authority to drive out your demons. 168 00:11:29.000 --> 00:11:30.400 His authority to forgive 169 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:32.400 all your sins. 170 00:11:34.300 --> 00:11:40.100 The crucified and Risen Lord, Jesus graciously claimed all authority. 171 00:11:41.600 --> 00:11:45.700 All authority in heaven and on Earth has been given to him. 172 00:11:47.300 --> 00:11:51.400 Even the authority to give you everlasting life. 173 00:11:54.000 --> 00:11:55.800 You questioned that authority? 174 00:11:57.600 --> 00:12:00.600 I believe it's okay, honestly question. 175 00:12:01.600 --> 00:12:05.500 It's part of our lifelong formation as Christians. 176 00:12:06.900 --> 00:12:07.400 Really 177 00:12:07.400 --> 00:12:11.600 what does give Jesus the right to make the claims that he made? 178 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:16.000 By what authority did he do the things that he does? 179 00:12:18.200 --> 00:12:21.700 Just who does Jesus and who do you 180 00:12:21.700 --> 00:12:24.200 and I really think he is? 181 00:12:27.400 --> 00:12:32.100 By the power of the Holy Spirit work in the Word, you know. 182 00:12:33.200 --> 00:12:34.600 You don't have to feign ignorance. 183 00:12:36.200 --> 00:12:36.800 You know. 184 00:12:38.500 --> 00:12:41.300 You know the truth you've answered the question. 185 00:12:42.600 --> 00:12:46.000 You confessed your faith along with Martin Luther. 186 00:12:48.900 --> 00:12:49.800 I believe 187 00:12:50.700 --> 00:12:57.300 that Jesus Christ true God begotten of the Father from all eternity and 188 00:12:57.300 --> 00:13:00.100 also true man born of the Virgin 189 00:13:00.100 --> 00:13:03.600 Mary is my Lord. 190 00:13:05.100 --> 00:13:06.300 That gives him authority. 191 00:13:07.700 --> 00:13:12.700 The demonstrated he has redeemed me a lost and condemned person. 192 00:13:12.700 --> 00:13:18.700 Purchased and won me from all sin, from death, from the power of the 193 00:13:18.700 --> 00:13:20.500 devil. Not with gold or silver 194 00:13:20.500 --> 00:13:24.800 but with his holy Precious Blood and his innocent suffering and death. 195 00:13:26.300 --> 00:13:32.500 So that I might be his own and live under him in his kingdom. And 196 00:13:32.500 --> 00:13:37.500 serve him and everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness. That 197 00:13:37.500 --> 00:13:42.200 I might recognize his authority everyday of my life and all that I do. 198 00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:45.900 Even as he lives 199 00:13:46.900 --> 00:13:49.300 and reigns to all eternity. 200 00:13:51.100 --> 00:13:53.500 This is most certainly true. 201 00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:56.500 Amen. 202 00:13:57.800 --> 00:14:01.800 The peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts 203 00:14:01.800 --> 00:14:03.500 and Minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.