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Pursuing Jesus In The
Gospel Of Mark
By What Authority?
Mark 11:27-12:44
Introduction:
Welcome To Class
I don’t know
how long it’s been since some of you have been in a classroom setting. Some of
you may be students right now. For others, it may have been some time since you
entered a classroom. As I agonized over the best way to help us understand and
apply the vast amount of material contained in today’s passage, I decided to
approach this as a morning in class studying the life of Christ. So, welcome to
class!
If you would
take either your own Bible or one of the Bibles provided and turn to Mark 11:27
(page 1004). Notice that the ground we cover this morning takes us to the end
of chapter 12.
The
Chronological Setting
The first thing
we need to do is establish the chronological setting.
Mark 11:1 – Jesus enters Jerusalem on what we now call Palm Sunday
Mark 11:11 – After examining the Temple, Jesus returns to Bethany for the
night
Mark 11:12 – The next morning (Monday), Jesus returns to Jerusalem and
clears the Temple
Mark 11:19 – Jesus again leaves Jerusalem for the night
Mark 11:20 – Returning to Jerusalem, Jesus uses the withered fig tree to
discuss faith with His disciples
As we pick up
the account at verse 27 it is still Tuesday. In fact, the events and teaching
of this one day extend all the way to the beginning of Mark 14. It’s
interesting that we know so little about so much of the life of Jesus and here
Mark devotes almost 15% of his gospel to just one day. Make sure you keep that
in perspective as we move through these events.
The Events To Be Examined
From the
headings provided in your Bible, you will see these events to be examined.
Jesus Is Questioned About The Source Of His
Authority (11:27-33)
Jesus Teaches The Parable Of The Tenants
(12:1-12)
Jesus Is Questioned About Paying Taxes To Caesar
(12:13-17)
Jesus Is Questioned About Marriage At The
Resurrection (12:18-27)
Jesus Is Questioned About The Greatest
Commandment (12:28-34)
Jesus Questions Them About The Christ Being The
Son Of David (12:35-37)
Jesus Warns About the Pride of Privilege (12:38-40)
Jesus Warns About the Pride of Wealth (12:41-44)
The events that
unfold are associated with questions. Jesus is asked four questions by various
segments of those opposed to Him as they attempt to trip Him up and trap Him
with His own words. After Jesus has turned each of the questions back against
them, He then presses forward by asking His own question. Let’s turn our
attention to those questions as the main focus of our study.
1st
Question: Who Gave You Authority? (11:27-12:12)
As soon as
Jesus and the disciples arrive in Jerusalem the questions begin.
They arrived again in Jerusalem,
and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, 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 11:27-28 NIV
A rare
coalition consisting of the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders
have agreed upon a common question they will use to confront Jesus. These
groups commonly were at odds with one another. The chief priests guarded their
power, the teachers were proud of their intellect and the elders made sure both
of the other groups stayed true to their sacred traditions. Each group has a
reason to hate Jesus.
Jesus has exposed the immoral economic
practices of the chief priests
Jesus has embarrassed the teachers in
previous debates
Jesus has repudiated the elders’ viewpoint
that oral tradition carries the same weight as God’s law
A Subtle
Trap
They have been
preparing since the previous day, when Jesus cleaned house in the temple, to
ask about His source of authority. If Jesus gets away with His radical action, they
will never be able to stop Him. As the ones who are responsible for the temple
they are really asking, “Who do you think you are to do something like that?
How dare you?”
Jesus sees the
subtle nature of the trap baited with nice sounding spiritual words. If He says
His authority is from God, they will charge Him with blasphemy. If He claims
some form of human authority the charge is insurrection.
A
Strategic Move
Jesus allows
their questions of what and who to stand. He can’t claim authority from, or credentials
equal to, the recognized teachers. It appears His only choice is to claim
authority from God or in Himself. Jesus utilizes the privilege of rabbinical
debate that allows Him to ask a question.
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!"
Mark 11:29-30 NIV
A Silent
Answer
The opponents
immediately understand their problem.
If we say John’s baptism was from heaven, then
we should have believed him
If we say John’s baptism was from men, the
people who revere John will be upset
They do what
people almost always do under these circumstances. They lie! They say they don’t
know. With no answer Jesus also refuses to answer their questions.
A Specific
Story
Jesus is the
winner of round 1 and has earned the right to teach in the section of the
temple reserved for the rabbis. He tells a parable about tenants who have been
given responsibility by the owner to care for his vineyard. Let’s first
identify the characters in the story.
The Vineyard = Israel
The Owner = God
The Tenants = Rulers of Israel
The Servants of the Owner = Prophets of God,
including John the Baptist
The Son and Heir = The
Messiah
The parable
teaches God’s patience in dealing with Israel. Through the years God has sent
prophets who had all been beaten and the last one—perhaps a reference to John
the Baptist—killed as the people refused to return to God that which He
deserved. The owner finally decided to send his son.
He had one left to send, a son,
whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, “They will respect my son.”
Mark 12:6 NIV
He was wrong.
But the tenants said to one
another, “This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be
ours.” So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
Mark 12:7-8 NIV
Jesus now asks
a question as He teaches, “What then will the owner of the vineyard do?” In
answer to His question, Jesus describes a housecleaning. The current tenants
will be killed and the vineyard will be turned over to others. He then connects
His parable to a clear Messianic reference.
Haven't you read this scripture:
"The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has
done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes?"
Mark 12:10-11 NIV
Jesus’
opponents prove they aren’t ignorant. They clearly understand what is being
taught.
Then they looked for a way to
arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they
were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.
Mark 12:12 NIV
2nd
Question: Is It Right To Pay Taxes To Caesar? (12:13-17)
The urgency to
trap Jesus brings two avowed enemies together. This is a planned move.
Later they sent some of the
Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his
words.
Mark 12:13 NIV
The Herodians:
Supporters of Herod as well as Rome that gave Herod the authority to rule
The Pharisees: Considered Herod an illegitimate
ruler and refused to acknowledge Caesars’ claims to be a god
They use
flattery to introduce their question. They want to look good to those who
witness the encounter so the people won’t be upset. They also want to do
everything they can to make sure Jesus answers their question. Their words are
dripping with sweet sounding words.
They came to him and said,
"Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by men,
because you pay no attention to who they are; but you
teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to
Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn't we?"
Mark 12:14-15 NIV
They think they
have developed the perfect question. It demands an either-or answer.
If Jesus says yes, He will alienate the
people and give the Pharisees evidence for their earlier charge of blasphemy
If Jesus says no, He makes Himself an enemy
of the state which the Herodians will quickly report
for swift and deliberate judgment
I love these
encounters. They think they are so smart and Jesus exposes them as thoroughly
inept as He traps them with their own question. After calling them hypocrites,
Jesus asks for a coin and decisively wins round 2. Here is a paraphrase of His
answer.
Caesar’s image is on his coins, so they must be minted by
his authority. The fact that you possess these coins and use them indicates
that you think they are worth something. Therefore, you are already accepting
Caesar’s authority, or you would not use his money! But don’t forget that you
were created in the image of God and therefore must live under God’s authority
as well.
Four principles
can be gleaned from this encounter.
1.
Caesar has a legitimate
realm. Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s. One side of the denarius
featured a head of the ruler with the words, “Tiberius Caesar Augustus Son of
the Divine Augustus.” It acknowledged his place as the lawful ruler. We do this
every day when we put a stamp on a letter or apply for a driver’s license.
1.
God has a legitimate realm.
Give to God what is God’s. The other side of the denarius pictured Caesar
sitting on a throne with a crown and clothed as a high priest with the words,
“Highest Priest.” Jesus challenged this position by pointing out no one can
replace God.
1.
The realms of Caesar and
God must not be confused. Jesus makes room for both to coexist and
cooperate, but He keeps them separate. Christians through the years have
honored God even as they respected the right of less than honorable rulers to
govern.
1.
When the realms conflict,
God rules over Caesar. Jesus refuses to acknowledge the claim that
Caesar is divine.
The curious
combination of Pharisees and Herodians can only
marvel in amazement as Jesus who has been asked to choose between God and
Caesar has convinced all who listen that it’s not one or the other but both.
3rd
Question: What Happens With Marriage In The Resurrection? (12:18-27)
The next
opponents to enter the fray are the Sadducees who believed there is no
resurrection. This is the only time they appear in Mark. They accepted only the
Law of Moses, meaning if a doctrine can’t be defended from the first five books
of the Bible, it would not be accepted. As those who didn’t believe in a future
resurrection, they ask a question involving a problem with a woman married in
succession to seven brothers wondering whose wife she will be in the
resurrection that they don’t believe will happen. It seemed to be the perfect
argument.
Jesus points
out two glaring errors.
Jesus replied, "Are you not
in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
Mark 12:24 NIV
1st Error: They were ignorant of the power of
God
Not
understanding the power of God, they assumed resurrection to be the restoration
of life as we experience it while alive. Resurrection, however, is a completely
different form of existence. The same God who gave angels a different form of
existence will give new bodies of a different type to those who are
resurrected.
When the dead rise, they will
neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
Mark 12:25 NIV
He doesn’t say
we will become angels; He says we will be like angels. There will be no need
for marriage.
2nd Error: They were ignorant of the truth of
Scripture
Jesus
demonstrates His absolute mastery by using the words of Moses to correct them
about their rejection of a resurrection. Moses taught the continuation of life
after death by referring to Himself and others in the
present tense.
Now about the dead rising—have you
not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him,
'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not
the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"
Mark 12:26-27 NIV
God says, “I am
the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob;” not, “I was.” Even if they want to
restrict doctrine to only the writings of Moses, Jesus tells them they have
failed in their study and are simply flat out wrong!
4th
Question: Which Is The Most Important Of The Commandments? (12:28-34)
The next
challenger possesses a high level of integrity as he asks his question that
draws upon his love for, and study of, the Law. He has observed how Jesus has
handled the Sadducees. As a teacher of the law, he was among those holding that
Jews were obligated to obey 613 specific laws. One of the favorite exercises of
the teachers of the law was discussing which of the laws was the most
important. It had been debated continuously without being resolved.
Jesus quotes
from Deuteronomy 4:4-5 the great confession of faith that Jews still recite
today. It is called The Shema, a name based on the
first Hebrew word that means to hear.
"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel,
the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your mind and with all
your strength.'
Mark 12:29-30 NIV
He doesn’t stop
there as He then quotes from Leviticus.
The second is this: 'Love your
neighbor as yourself. 'There is no commandment greater than these."
Mark 12:31 NIV
Jesus totally
changes the tone of this discussion. He makes love the most important thing in
life. If we truly love God we will demonstrate His love to others. We don’t
live by rules but by relationships. When the conversation started, the teacher
was an opponent sent to gather evidence against Jesus. After hearing Jesus, he
breaks with those opposed to Jesus and commends Him for answering what has been
to this point a question without an answer.
Well said, teacher," the man
replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other
but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with
all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than
all burnt offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he had answered
wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."
And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.
Mark 12:32-34 NIV
I won’t be
surprised if this teacher is in heaven. He only had to move from being close to
the kingdom to entering it. What about you? Jesus has the answers to life as we
know it now and as it will be in eternity. He also has the answers that finally
silence them. They don’t dare to ask any more questions. It is game, set and
match for Jesus.
5th
Question: How Can The Messiah Be Both David’s Son And
Lord? (12:35-37)
It’s Jesus’
turn now to ask the questions. He asks the most important question of all—who
is the Messiah? Being wrong on this question means missing salvation. He
compares what the teachers say about the Messiah—that He is the son of David—to
David’s own words on the subject that The Messiah is his Lord.
While Jesus was teaching in the
temple courts, he asked, "How is it that the teachers of the law say that
the Christ is the son of David? David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit,
declared:
" 'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I put your
enemies under your feet." '
David himself calls him 'Lord.'
How then can he be his son?" The large crowd listened to him with delight.
Mark 12:35-37 NIV
The question Jesus asks is much like the 5-year-old who
asked after Sunday School, “Is God the Father God?”
When told yes he asked, “Is Jesus the Son God, too?” Again told yes he then
asked after a pause, “Well, if God the Father is God and Jesus the Son is God,
how can Jesus be His own Father?”
The Messiah is
both the son of David and the Lord of David through the Incarnation. He is both
fully human and fully divine. This is communicated by the phrase, “The Lord
said to my Lord.” David used two distinct Hebrew words in writing the
Psalm—neither of which appear in Greek or English. The first use is Yahweh or
Jehovah. The second is Adonai.
Why is this significant? It means God the Father is speaking to the
mediator—the Son.
The teachers
failed to understand the true meaning of what they taught. They missed what God
was doing through the miracle of God becoming man. They think all they need to
do is follow the genealogies of David, but the plan of God involves far more
than a series of births. The Messiah can only be the promised one of God by the
miracle of the Incarnation we celebrate at Christmas.
Jesus Warns
About the Pride of Privilege (12:38-40)
As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of
the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the
marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the
places of honor at banquets. They devour widows' houses and for a show make
lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely."
Jesus
now warns the delighted crowd of people about the scribes who wore their pride
for all to see. They flaunted their self-perceived importance in the cloths
they wore and the titles they held. These symbols of
importance are all artificial. Character is
what really matters. Here they came up very short. They were
manipulating susceptible widows for financial gain and offering lengthy prayers
so they would be admired.
Jesus speaks in
the temple He cleaned out the day before. While the animals and money changers
may no longer be visible, there are other more serious dangers to avoid.
Jesus Warns
About the Pride of Wealth (12:41-44)
Jesus sat down opposite the place
where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the
temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came
and put in two very small copper coins,worth
only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I
tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the
others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in
everything—all she had to live on."
Jesus moves to
where He can observe people bringing offerings. In the Court of Women there
were thirteen trumpet-shaped chests along the walls into which people dropped
their offerings. Matthew tells how the rich made sure they were seen giving
their offerings, but Jesus is more impressed with the two small copper coins
given by a poor widow.
Jesus points out proportion is more important than portion
in demonstrating love and devotion to God. For the rich person the large gift
was a small proportion while the small gift of the widow is everything she has.
Pride of living and pride in giving are both to be avoided.
Conclusion:
The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat
My favorite television program of all time is ABC’s Wide World of Sports hosted for most of its
history by Jim McKay. It was intended to be a "fill-in" show for a
single summer season, until the start of fall sports seasons, but became
unexpectedly popular. The goal of the show, which originally ran for ninety
minutes on Saturday afternoon featuring two or three sports, was to showcase
sports from around the globe. These included many not normally seen on American
television, such as hurling, rodeo,
curling,
jai-alai,
firefighter's
competitions, surfing, logger
sports, demolition derby and badminton.
Traditional Olympic sports such as figure
skating, skiing, gymnastics,
and track and field competitions were also regular
features of the show.
The show was introduced by a stirring, brassy fanfare
over a montage
of sports clips and dramatic accompanying narration by McKay: “Spanning the
globe to bring you the constant variety of sport… the thrill of victory… and
the agony of defeat… the human drama of athletic competition… this is ABC's Wide World of Sports!” The melodramatic
introduction became a national catch
phrase that is often heard to this day. While "the thrill of victory" had several symbols over
the decades, ski jumper Vinko Bogataj, whose dreadful misjump
and crash of March 21, 1970
was featured from the 1970s onward under the words "...and the agony of defeat", became a hard-luck
hero of sorts and an affectionate icon for stunning failure. Before this scene,
where he doesn’t even make it off the ramp, the phrase had previously played
with a jumper who almost completed his jump but crashed on landing.
The religious teachers are the
spiritual icons for stunning failure.
Jesus answered the challenge of every question and then called them to the
truth that He is the Messiah with His own question. The teachers don’t even
make it off the jump before they crash.
The thrill of victory is the
common people watching and listening to the encounters throughout the day. They
gladly listened and obeyed.
The main lesson
in our classroom today is: In which group are you?
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