The Question Of Authority Series

LUKE 20: 1-8 [JESUS’ LAST WEEK SERIES]

THE QUESTION OF AUTHORITY

In this last week of Jesus’ earthly life section Luke uses a series of dialogues to convey the controversy between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. The outcome of Jesus’ cleansing of the temple is that the religious leaders again rejected Him, and intensify the conflict between them. Jesus had upset the normal “religious” atmosphere of the temple, which led the religious leaders to question His authority to do so.

Jesus’ authority is of paramount importance, and His work as teacher and prophet requires validation. It is therefore include in each of the synoptic Gospels [: “By what authority are you doing these things?” (Matt 21:23; Mark 11:28; Luke 20:2)]. The leaders asked two questions: By what authority was He acting, and who gave Him this authority? (Luke 20:2) The first question dealt with the kind of authority Jesus was using. Was He a prophet, a priest, or a king? The second question dealt with who was backing Him. Did Jesus believe that He was acting on His own or was He acting for some group?

Their questions are answered by another question which reveals the interrogators’ inconsistency. He asked them about the authority behind John’s baptism. The religious leaders had disapproved the preaching of John, for John had humiliated them and had taken away some allegiance from their religious system (Matt. 3:7–10). Because the crowds believed John the Baptist to be a prophet, the religious leaders were afraid to deny his authority and therefore refused to answer Jesus’ question (Luke 20:7; 19:48). So Jesus therefore refused to answer … by what authority He had cleansed the temple. The obvious implication is that He was doing His work with the same authority from God in heaven by which John the Baptist preached and baptized. [Martin, J. A. (1985). Luke. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, pp. 254–255). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.]

I. A QUESTION RELATING TO THE BASIS FOR AUTHORITY, 1-2.

II. A QUESTION RELATING TO THE RECOGNITION OF AUTHORITY, 3-8.

Having left Galilee where Herod Antipas held the jurisdiction Jesus was now teaching in Jerusalem and more specifically in the temple, the sphere of Sanhedren authority. As verse 1 reveals, the temple leaders quickly confront the one who had successfully challenged their authority. “One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up

Much of Jesus’ last days were spent “teaching in the temple” complex. His teaching no longer confined for those who followed Him but He openly taught all the people who drew near to listen. The thrust of His teaching was the good news of the kingdom. The uniqueness of His teaching power had always been evident. The people were amazed at the power and authority of Jesus’ teaching (4:32, 36) which their religious leadership were lacking.

The Sanhedrin, which was in effect the Jewish ‘parliament’, was composed of representatives from each of the three groups named here, chief priests, teachers of the law and elders, totaling seventy-one members under the chairmanship of the high priest. The chief priests were members of the leading high-priestly families and holders of various offices (e.g., the ruler of the temple, the leaders of the weekly and daily groups of priests, the captains and the treasurers). The elders were the lay representatives of the people. [Marshall, I. H. (1994). Luke. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 1011). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.] [The chief priests were the temple officials; the teachers of the Law, often called “scribes,” were made up of both Pharisees and Sadducees; and the elders may have been laymen who were political leaders.]

The Sanhedrin representatives confront Jesus with two questions concerning His authority in verse 2. ‘and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.”

His opponents seeking for justification to kill Jesus tested Him at the point of authority. The two questions were intended to discredit Jesus by eliciting messianic claims they could disavow or so they could accuse Him of blasphemy or treason. The first question dealt with the kind of authority Jesus was using. Was He a prophet, a priest, or a king? No doubt the words “doing these things” referred to the authority to clear out the temple, but also His power to cast out demons (4:36) and to forgive sins (5:24).

The second question dealt with who was backing Him. Did Jesus believe that He was acting on His own or was He acting for some group?