Who Gave You This Authority?

I. EXORDIUM:

Who gave authority to JESUS?

II. AUDIENCE PROFILE:

Believers

III. OBJECTIVES:

To show that we need to follow every human-instituted authority by GOD for our sake.

IV. TEXT:

Mark 11:28 (Amplified Bible)

11:28 And they kept saying to Him, By what [sort of] authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do them?

V. THESIS:

GOD's authority is delegated authority among leaders.

VI. TITLE:

Who gave you this authority?

Study of Mark 11

VII. EXPLICATION:

A. Author: Mark, son of Mary of Jerusalem; referred to as John Mark

B. Date written: 58 B.C.

C. Purpose: To present JESUS of Nazareth as GOD's Suffering Servant, the Redeemer of the world

D. To whom written: Roman or Gentile Christians

E. Main Theme: CHRIST is the tireless servant of GOD and humanity.

F. Key word: Immediately

G. Key verse: Mark 10:45

Mark 10:45 (Amplified Bible)

10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to have service rendered to Him, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for (instead of) many.

VIII. MAIN BODY:

A. The chief priests, elders and scribes kept saying to Him

"And they kept saying to Him,"

I remembered Moses heard the same questions.

Exodus 2:14 (The Message)

2:14 The man shot back: "Who do you think you are, telling us what to do? Are you going to kill me the way you killed that Egyptian?" Then Moses panicked: "Word's gotten out—people know about this."

Numbers 16:3 (The Message)

16:3 They came as a group and confronted Moses and Aaron, saying, "You've overstepped yourself. This entire community is holy and God is in their midst. So why do you act like you're running the whole show?"

Numbers 16:13 (The Message)

16:13 Isn't it enough that you yanked us out of a land flowing with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness? And now you keep trying to boss us around!

If people are not willing to follow and obey the authority you have, they question the authority. But the LORD already gave them a sign of His authority, it's on verse 27: "as they were walking through the Temple," as prophesied in Malachi 3:1

Mark 11:27 (The Message)

11:27 Then when they were back in Jerusalem once again, as they were walking through the Temple, the high priests, religion scholars, and leaders came up

Malachi 3:1 (The Message)

3:1 "Look! I'm sending my messenger on ahead to clear the way for me. Suddenly, out of the blue, the Leader you've been looking for will enter his Temple—yes, the Messenger of the Covenant, the one you've been waiting for. Look! He's on his way!" A Message from the mouth of God-of-the-Angel-Armies.

Religious organizations tend to do this not those with relationship.

B. What authority are you doing these things?

"By what [sort of] authority are You doing these things,"

Acts 7:25-27 (The Message)

7:25 He thought his brothers would be glad that he was on their side, and even see him as an instrument of God to deliver them. But they didn't see it that way.

7:26 The next day two of them were fighting and he tried to break it up, told them to shake hands and get along with each other: 'Friends, you are brothers, why are you beating up on each other?'

7:27 "The one who had started the fight said, 'Who put you in charge of us?

The authority seekers should be glad to see JESUS as an instrument of GOD to deliver them yet they didn't see it that way.

Psalms 135:16 (The Message)

135:16 Chiseled mouths that can't talk, painted eyes that can't see,

Psalms 135:16 (Amplified Bible)

135:16 [Idols] have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;

Isaiah 6:10 (The Message)

6:10 Make these people blockheads, with fingers in their ears and blindfolds on their eyes, So they won't see a thing, won't hear a word, So they won't have a clue about what's going on and, yes, so they won't turn around and be made whole."

C. Who gave You this authority to do them

"or who gave You this authority to do them?"

Matthew 9:8 (The Message)

9:8 The crowd was awestruck, amazed and pleased that God had authorized Jesus to work among them this way.

Matthew 9:8 (Amplified Bible)

9:8 When the crowds saw it, they were struck with fear and awe; and they recognized God and praised and thanked Him, Who had given such power and authority to men.

The crowds or multitudes are different from the religious leaders in JESUS time, they are able to recognize GOD's authority on JESUS.

As for us, we are waiting and we saw GOD's authority upon JESUS.

Lamentations 3:25 (Amplified Bible)

3:25 The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him [inquire of and for Him and require Him by right of necessity and on the authority of God’s word].