Christ's Credentials

Don’t Tell Me What to Do!

We do NOT like it when somebody tells us what to do. Not one bit.

Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, is gonna boss me around. I’ll do what I want, when I want, how I want, and where I want. 

Don’t Tread on Me

That’s pretty much the way most of us think, especially here in the good ol’ US of A, the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave. And if you don’t believe me, take a good long look at my “Don’t Tread on Me” bumper sticker.

Now let me get this on the table from Jump Street. I’m NOT opposed to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But when I think I’m the captain of my ship, I’m on a collision course with Almighty God. And it never ends well. Never. Ever.

Jewish Rulers

I invite you to sit back and let Mark tell us a little story about a group of guys who made this very same mistake (Mk 11:27-33). They’re “the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders” (v27). 

That’s one way of describing the folks who make up the Great Sanhedrin in Jesus’ day. That’s just a fancy word for the rulers of the Jewish people. These are 71 men who function kinda like a combo of our Supreme Court, Congress, and President, all rolled into one.

The Hebrew Home Office

They’re Hebrew home office in Jerusalem. They run it all for the Jews. Well at least they THINK they do. The crazy thing is they’re actually under the thumb of a local, two-bit Roman governor named Pontius Pilate at the time.

They’ve also conveniently forgotten that they’re also under God’s authority. That’s going to become glaringly apparent to us when they confront the Christ just days before His crucifixion.

A Crazy Few Days

The best estimate by biblical experts is that this all goes down on Tuesday of what we call Passion Week. Let’s just say it’s been a crazy few days. As they say on Netflix, previously on the Gospel of Mark…

There was Sunday’s parade and celebration (Mk 11:1-11). On Monday, Christ curses a figless fig tree (Mk 11:12-14) before kicking butt and taking names at the temple (Mk 11:15-19). 

Tuesday begins with the guys seeing what’s left of the shriveled fig tree and Jesus turning it into a lesson on the connection between forgiveness and prayer (Mk 11:20-25).

Priests, Teachers, and Elders

Later that same day, we pick up the action as the radical Rabbi/Carpenter and His disciples roll into the city. “Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to Him” (v27). Okay, boys and girls. It’s on.

So just who are these guys? Let’s take a closer look at the starting lineup of the Sanhedrin.

Repping God to the People

Batting leadoff are the “leading priests.” According the writer of Hebrew’s, this “is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins…he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as others” (Heb 5:1-2, 3).

Notice how they rep God to the people but they need His forgiveness just like everybody else. While priests have a special role, there’s nothing special about them.

The Ultimate Leading Priest

The “leading priests” would not just the current high priest but every man who had ever served in that role. Once the high priest, always a high priest.

If that’s the case, Annas and Caiaphas are here. Sound familiar? Yup, THAT Annas and Caiaphas who led the kangaroo court to kill Christ.

Well, little did these “leading priests” realize that they’re talking to the Ultimate Leading Priest (Heb 2:17; 3:1; 4:14-16; 5:5, 10; 6:20; 7:11-8:2; 10:12).

Scriptural Go-To Guys

“The scribes” (v27) are learned experts in Old Testament Law. Their very title in the original Greek (Gr. γραμματευς/grammateus) means one of the writings or letters. 

Scribes are the go-to guys for answers to those sticky questions about Scripture. They probably have huge chunks of the OT memorized. Yeah, one of THOSE folks! The modern equivalent would be theologians and seminary types. 

They probably don’t have a clue that they’re standing in the presence of the very One the OT is talking about (Lk 24:27; Jn 5:39, 46). These experts in the Word of God are face-to-face with God the Word (Jn 1:1)!

Powerful Lay Leaders

And we can’t forget “the elders” (v27). These aren’t so much religious professionals but wealthy and powerful lay leaders. These seasoned senior leaders have been around since the days of Moses (Ex 3:16, 18).

Despite their position of privilege and power on earth, we read how the elders in the heavenly kingdom fall humbly before the Lamb of God is worship (Rev 5:6-14). Not exactly what’s gonna happen here on this Tuesday at the temple.

Never Good for the Son of God

Anytime Mark mentions when these three teams join forces, it’s never good for the Son of God. They’re behind His arrest in Gethsemane (Mk 14:43). 

They railroad the innocent Jesus and sentence Him to death (Mk 14:27). They beg the Roman governor to crucify Him as a traitor to the empire (Mk 15:1-2).

And get this. Christ went so far as to predict to His crew that these three groups will team up to kill Him. But He also predicted that He wouldn’t stay dead (Mk 8:31)!

Religious Undies in a Bundle

So it should come as no shock that they get right in the Son of God’s grill from the get-go. “They demanded, ‘By what authority are You doing all these things? Who gave You the right to do them?’” (v28).

Can’t you just see them hustling His way, robes flying, faces scowling, with their religious undies in a bundle? How dare You step on our turf without our permission?!? Somehow, someway, they think they’re in charge. Please.

They want to know whether He’s gone rogue and is doing all this on His own or because someone gave Him the idea. They demand to see His credentials.

The Power to Rule and Act

The key word in this passage is “authority.” This is the Greek word εξοθσια/exousia. It actually shows up four times in just seven verses in the original language.

The term describes a right, jurisdiction, license, the decision-making ability, and the power to rule and act.

Out of the Original Stuff

In his book “Jesus the King,” Tim Keller explains the literal meaning of authority as “out of the original stuff.” The term comes from the very same root as author. Keller says Christ has original rather than derived authority.

Think of it this way, Jesus has authority because He came up with the idea in the first place. Anyone else who has any authority at all gets it from Him (Rom 13:1-2; 1Pet 2:13-4; 1Tim 2:2).

If you’ve got any authority, you got it from God. So let’s not get too big for our britches. That’s the problem with these goobers. They want to know where Jesus gets off doing and saying what He wants without them signing off on it.

Asking God Hard Questions

Does this mean that we shouldn’t be willing to ask God hard questions? Absolutely not. Ever hear the story about the time Jacob wrestled with God (Gen 32:24-32)? I’m thinking that his Opponent was actually the preincarnate Christ

So was Jake some superstar wrestler who could hold his own against the Almighty? Not a chance. The Lord graciously ALLOWED him to do so. Kinda like when a dad plays on the floor with his preschool son.

In order to wrestle with the Lord, we must get close to Him. But in the end, we need to remember who we’re messing around with. And that means NEVER questioning or challenging His authority. To be clear, NOT like these guys are doing.

Demanding an Explanation

The leading priests, religious experts, and elders demand and answer. How in the world does an untrained, apparently self-appointed Rabbi from the boondocks claim He has the cred to come onto their turf and throw His weight around?

Twenty four hours after Christ cleans His Dad’s house, the folks who think they’re in charge of the joint aggressively demand an explanation for what He’s done. They’re calling into question everything He’s done, not just clearing the temple courts.

Eliminating the Threat

They’ve have the mistaken idea that they hold the exclusive heavenly franchise for everything that goes down at the temple. They see this upstart Outsider as a threat. It’s time to power up and crush Him once and for all.

And don’t think they learn their lesson after they kill Jesus and He comes strolling out of the cemetery three days later. This same bunch of religious bullies will try to do the same to Peter and John. (Acts 4:5-22). Yeah, they don’t have any luck that time either.

Answering a Question with a Question

Our Savior has a proposal for these religious big wigs. “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question. Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer Me!” (v29-30).

The Lord answers their question with a question of His own. This is one of Christ’s classic moves. In doing so, He puts these windbags on their heels.

David Garland points out that anybody with the guts challenge Jesus with hostility in Mark’s Gospel never get a straight answer. He puts them in a pickle. 

Repentance in the Boondocks

He wants them to evaluate John the Dunker’s authority as a test case for their opinion of His credentials. Garland writes that John’s baptism of repentance in the boondocks makes an end run around what goes on at the temple in the big city (Mk 1:4).

It was free. It didn’t cost a dime. Christ identifies what He’s doing with what John did. No temple required. This would NOT sit well with boys who are running it.

Was Jesus’ Baptism Legit?

This is also Jesus’ way of not-so-subtly asking if His own baptism by John is legit. If it carries no real weight and does not “come from heaven” (v30), then how do you discount heaven showing up in a big 

way when it happened (Mk 1:9-11)?

In other words, the Lord wants to know if they think John really was on a mission from God or simply some crazy, leather-wearing, bug-eating weirdo? Go ahead, boys. He’d love to hear your thoughts.

On Divine Assignment

The Son of God is poking His finger in their chest and demanding them to make the very same call on His authority as well. Is He on divine assignment from God or the simply the people’s choice? They’re in trouble whatever their answer.

Jesus’ question makes it clear that His credentials, just like John and his baptism, come straight from God.

John Mark’s Source

“Answer Me!” (v30). In the original language, He actually demands a response not once, but twice in verses 29 and 30. John Mark is the only one of Jesus’ biographers to include this confrontational detail (Mt 21:23-27; Lk 20:1-7).

Where does the author get this? From none other than Peter. The earliest believers understood the apostle nicknamed Rocky is Mark’s source.

Calling a Timeout

Like a basketball coach that realizes the momentum has turned and his team is trouble, these call a quick timeout. “They talked it over among themselves” (v31).

Quick! Huddle up! What in the wide world of sports do we do now?!? Let’s just say they never saw this coming. 

Going inside the Huddle

Mark takes us inside the huddle to hear what they have to say. “If we say it was from heaven, He will ask why we didn’t believe John. But do we dare say it was merely human?” (v31-32).

Don’t you wonder how long this took? Cue the Jeopardy “think” music.

Worried about Their Image

But their real issue isn’t coming up with the right answer. They’re freaking out because of what folks will think about what they say. “For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believe that John was a prophet” (v32).

Chew on that for just a moment. They folks who think they’re in charge arrogantly question Christ’s authority while worried about their own image if they say the wrong thing. 

Fear of Man

Because public opinion is their primary concern, they’ve given away any shred of authority they may have had. It’s a little something experts like to call the fear of man. 

I suffer from a fear of man when I allow others to define who I am, what I’m worth, what I should do, and even how I should do it. In other words, I’ve put them in a position of authority in my life reserved only for God.

A Dangerous Trap

Jon Bloom says that fearing the disapproval of others “can immobilize us when we should take action, and gag us into silence when we should be speak.” Sound like the boys from the Sanhedrin as they try to figure out an answer?

That’s why the wisest man to ever live says, “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety” (Prov 29:25). 

People Pleasing or Serving Christ?

Prefer something from the New Testament instead? Sure. Paul tells Jesus’ followers in Galatia, “If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant” (Gal 1:10).

Bloom cuts to the chase. “We obey the one we fear.” God commands us to fear Him. That’s kinda scary until we realize that He’s the only One in the universe who will NEVER use our fear against us.

Their Final Answer

With the clock ticking and the Lord waiting, the priestly leaders, theologians, and elders finally come to a decision. Their final answer, “We don’t know” (v33). They don’t know?!? What a total crock. 

They actually have the guts to lie because of their fear of losing face among the people and their position of power. And you thought politicians came up with this tactic.

Evil Farmers

Since these knuckleheads won’t give the Son of God a straight answer, neither will He. “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things” (v33). 

The interesting thing is that Christ does tell them but He wraps His response in a story how some tenant farmers murder the son of the landowner. Folks call it the Parable of the Evil Farmers (Mk 12:1-9). 

Spoiler alert! The leading priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders are the evil farmers!! You can probably guess how how that goes over. But that’s a story for another day. 

The Lord’s in Charge

Scripture makes it clear that the Sanhedrin are slow learners. These very same men try to do the very same thing by bullying the apostles so they will stop telling people about Jesus after His resurrection (Acts 5:27-28). 

That won’t work with Pete and the boys either. They know that when the Lord’s in charge, it’s all good no matter what. They stand strong and say, “We must obey God rather than any human authority” (Acts 5:29). 

Somebody Else’s Seat

So what do we do with all this? I’m glad you asked. First of all, we need to be very careful when it comes to ambition. Fighting for a spot in the C suite and the corner office just for the position of power so that others serve us will not end well. 

If and when we’ve arrived, Jesus may tap us on the shoulder to let us know that we’re sitting in His seat. His throne of authority is for Him and Him alone. 

Leveraging for Love

The Lord wants us to leverage positions of authority in order to love and serve others. We’re to follow His lead and do what He did.

“Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mk 10:43-45).

An Act of Worship

Second, we all submit to authority. You. Me. Us. Them. Paul tells his Ephesian friends that we do it as an act of worship. Or as The Message put it, “Out of respect for Christ, be courteously reverent toward one another” (Eph 5:21 The Message).

Third, there’s divine protection and blessing when we do what God tells us. He’s the greatest Dad the universe has ever known. He wants nothing but His best for us. Jesus’ kid brother says everything good we have is from our heavenly Dad (James 1:17).

Every Ounce of Authority

Nobody likes to be told what to do. This includes a lot of Jesus’ followers. That’s just what’s left of our sin nature that still wants us to rebel. 

Stop shaking your fist at heaven and questioning God’s authority. When we do, we’re really no different than the religious bullies who poked their fingers in our Savior’s face that Tuesday at the temple. And don’t want that, do you?

Let’s honor Christ’s credentials. In case you’re wondering what they are, He told His team that He has every ounce of authority in both heaven and earth (Mt 28:18). I’m pretty sure that beats anything you or I have.

©2020

Jay Jennings

The Question behind the Question

Pulling Back the Curtain

Have you ever had your question answered with a question?

Such a tactic often reveals the prejudice, unbelief and motivation behind our original question.  It is (to borrow from author Dan Miller) the Question behind the Question.  That's exactly what happens here in Luke 20:1-8.  

Pulling Back the Curtain

The religious police challenge Jesus and want to know who in the wide, wide world of sports gave Him the right to throw out the merchants and teach the people.  

Christ counters their question of authority with another question of authority.  In doing so, He pulled the curtain back to reveal their dark hearts and total lack of authority.

Tuesday at the Temple

It’s Tuesday of Passion Week.  Luke describes how Jesus had taken control of the temple grounds (v1).  The day before, He gave the place a good spring cleaning by flushing the courts of the sickening sale of sinful sacrifices (Lk 19:45-46).  

People are flocking to hear the Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth (Lk 19:47-48).  Like no other time in His earthly ministry, Jesus is acting like Messiah.  Back off, folks. The temple is His.

According the Luke, people flood the courts to hear Jesus teach and preach.  What was the core of His message?  The Gospel!  He proclaims how God has poured His grace out to the world.  Salvation is found in grace through faith, NOT in the works and legalism of the Pharisees.

Here Come the Cops

Dum-ta-dum-dum.  Dum-ta-dum-dum-DUM!  (That's the theme from "Dragnet" if you're wondering.)

Here come the cops.  Dr. Luke says that this religious posse was made of three groups.  The chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. 

Let Me See Your Credentials

In my work as a TV photographer, I am often questioned by people in authority when I show up to shoot video.  What are you doing here?  Who said it was OK for you to do this?  Let's see your media credentials?  Well, that's exactly what's going on here.

These men thought they were in charge of the temple (v2).  They thought they had the authority in this situation.  They wanted to know who gave Jesus permission to take over the temple, because nobody had said anything to them!

Answer the Question with a Question

Once again, we see Jesus acting as wise as a serpent (v3-4).  He wasn't going to be drawn into their trap.  Just a little tip. Anytime you try to pull a fast one on the Lord, you’re gonna lose. Every. Single. Time. 

Christ answered their question of His authority with another question.  It was a question of John the Baptizer's authority.  

He wanted to know from them who gave John the right to baptize.  Had he carried out a heavenly mandate?  Or was it because the people demanded it?

It was the Question behind the Question.

Huddle Up!

The posse huddle up for a quick confab (v5-6).  What do we do?  What do we say?  The smartest men in the land were stumped.  

If they say John had God's authority, then they have lost all spiritual authority.  If they say John was only responding to the whim of the people, they'll be stoned faster than the crowd at a Grateful Dead concert.

Jesus had asked the Question behind the Question.

Jesus Is Legit

They eventually scrambled to respond that they just didn't know (v7).  Is that your final answer?  If so, WRONG!  

Jesus' Question behind the Question had revealed that these religious leaders actually had NO authority!  Zero.  Zip.  Zilch.

The Elephant in the Room

As a result, Jesus said He would not reveal His authority (v8).  Don't take His answer as a desire to not claim divinity.  As a matter of fact, it was just the opposite.  

His divine authority and claim to be God was the elephant in the room.  In so many words, Jesus linked His authority to that of John's.  

On a Mission from God

Remember, John's entire mission was to prepare the way for Messiah and to identify Him to the people (Lk 3).  If John's legit, then so is Jesus.  And if you’re wondering, Jesus IS legit.  

Jesus IS God.  Like the Blues Brothers, John was on a mission from God.  Jesus IS the mission of God!

When Christ answers a question with a question it becomes clear that He is THE Answer.

©2017 

Jay Jennings

An Open Book or Password Protected

“The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden” (1Tim 5:24-25).

Some folks are an open book. It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon or a brain scientist to figure out who they are or what they’ve done. They may be a train wreck of sin and stupid choices. Or they may be up to so much obvious good for others that you’re sure if you looked up “underachiever” in the dictionary, your picture would be there. 

Then there are those whose resumes are anything but obvious. It’s as if their lives are encrypted and password protected. Some people look squeaky clean on the outside but behind closed doors are a scandal looking for a place to happen. Then there are those unassuming folks who aren’t very impressive who suddenly win the Nobel Peace Prize out of nowhere. 

Here in a letter to the pastor of the church in Ephesus, Paul encourages Timothy to make sure to investigate every candidate for leadership fully. Some things are obvious. Others are not. “The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden” (v24-25). 

While this is certainly true of every person who has and will ever walk the planet, the apostle is talking specifically about people whose names are in the hat as possible elders and deacons. Paul is wrapping a section on the compensation, discipline, and selection of leaders (1Tim 5:17-22). He’s already warned Pastor Tim and the church to take their time when filling leadership vacancies. Slow is fast and fast is slow. Some things are obvious. Others are not. Trust the process. You might be surprised by what you find out. Time is on your side.

According to Paul, there are some sins and good deeds that are both “conspicuous” (v24-25). This is the Greek word prodelos, which describes something that is crystal clear, openly evident, known beforehand, blatantly obvious, easily understood, or quite plain. Outside of these two verses in this letter, we only see this word used one other time in the entire Bible. The author of Hebrews writes about Jesus’ family tree and says, “For it is evident (Gr. prodelos) that our Lord was descended from Judah” (Heb 7:14). It’s a well-known fact. You don’t need Sherlock Holmes to unlock this mystery.

For some folks, their sin is the 800-pound gorilla in the room. It’s unavoidable. What they’ve done is in plain sight for all to see. Their rebellion is blatantly evident. Even Captain Obvious doesn’t have to say a thing. It’s the sort of situation Paul describes to the multisite churches of Galatia. “Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these” (Gal 5:19-21). We’re talking about behavior that lands you on the six o’clock news, TMZ, or gets its own hashtag on Twitter. Let’s be honest. That’s one time you don’t want to be trending in the Twitterverse. 

Such crystal clear crimes for some people will be “going before them into judgment” (v24). Paul’s not talking here about having to answer to Jesus for all the times we’ve turned on our backs on God. According to John MacArthur, the “judgment” here refers to the vetting process for elders in the local church. Their crimes against God are so obvious that they’ll disqualify themselves as candidates for elder or deacon before the process ever begins. The evidence is clear and overwhelming. You know how this is going down. Their sins are so blatant that it’s an open and shut case. This is like those painful performances at the open auditions for “American Idol.” Their track record makes them the William Hung of leadership candidates. It’s over before it ever starts. 

Just as someone’s bad rep proceeds them, the same can be said that “good works are conspicuous” (v25) for other people. It’s not like they’re looking to win awards or earn a medal. It’s just the result of how they help and who they help. The classic example is Mother Teresa. This humble nun had no intention of becoming the poster child of humble service and sacrifice. She dedicated her life sharing the love of Jesus by giving, in her words, “wholehearted free service to the poorest of the poor.” She certainly wasn’t looking for the limelight by loving on the least of these. There’s little argument that her “good works are conspicuous” (v25).

Then there are those in consideration for leadership that we don’t know much about. Their lives aren’t so obvious. We need to ask around. We need check references. Paul tells us that the investigation of certain candidates turn up some serious red flags. “The sins of others appear later” (v24). The apostle uses a Greek verb (Gr. epakoloutheo) which means to follow along behind, come later, accompany, happen in a sequence. It literally means to follow immediately in someone’s footsteps. The  apostle Jesus called Rocky talks about how our Savior suffered, “leaving you an example, so that you might follow (Gr. epakoloutheo) in His steps” (1Pet 2:21).

In the same way, there are some of us whose sins are so obvious to the world but are hot on our tail. We may think we can outrun our crap, but it will suddenly appear in our rearview mirror. And remember, objects in mirror are closer than they appear! The slow and steady process of investigating folks as elders and deacons should make these secret sins obvious to the search committee. Check out how the Message drops this little bit of knowledge. “The sins of some people are blatant and march them right into court. The sins of others don’t show up until much later” (v24 The Message). In other words, there are times when the stench of their garbage arrives ahead of them and there are others who only stink up the joint after they get there.

But checking the background of potential leaders doesn’t disqualify some people, it also reveals the good stuff others do that we don’t know about. There are folks whose good works “cannot remain hidden” (v25). They don’t send out press releases or call a news conference every time they do something nice for someone. This is exactly what Jesus talked about on a hillside near the lake in Galilee (Mt 6:1-6). Stop showing off just so everyone can see it. Don’t alert the media each time you help a homeless person. Don’t pray out loud for the crowd if you never pray solo and alone. 

A careful inspection of leadership candidates will shine a light on how God uses these humble hidden heroes. You discover their regular and passionate devotion to Scripture. And they don’t just read it, they apply it. You discover great husbands, awesome dads, loving neighbors, and rockstars in the workplace. You discover folks who love God and love people. You discover selfless and sacrificial servants. Their good works “cannot remain hidden” (v25).

This is what happens when churches take their time in looking for leaders. When we honor this process, God makes sure the cream rises to the top. As MacArthur writes,  “Time and truth go hand in hand.” It’s critical that we use the biblical qualifications (1Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9) as the yardstick for elders and deacons. And that’s going to take time. You can’t rush it. When it comes to selecting leaders, slow is fast and fast is slow. Even the Son of God pulled an all-nighter praying about the selection of His disciples. And you thought you put a lot of work into researching your fantasy draft.

There is a bigger biblical principle here that goes far beyond looking for leaders. God will eventually reveal every single one of our secret sins. He’ll reward every act of clandestine kindness and grace. King David wrote a song about it and goes a little something like this. “He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday” (Ps 37:6). His son Solomon put his own spin on this lyric in the Book of Proverbs. “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out” (Prov 10:9). Jesus told His personal posse that His Dad is going to blow the lid off everything. “For nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known” (Mt 10:26).

So remember to take your time looking into the lives of potential leaders. Some stuff is obvious. Other stuff is not. Some people are an open book. Others are password protected. You may find out that your leading candidate is secret sinner or a hidden hero. Whatever the case, God will use the process to expose the good and bad.