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September 17, 2021 6:00 am
Why is he even subjecting himself to the same position using it. He is the creator of the universe was always awesome law. Those who will love him makes up us. John's gospel chapter 3 we know we reached for John 316 God so loved the world within the next verse is very important for God did not send his son into the world jam the world, but that the world through him might be saved from this is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of Mark, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now let's join Pastor Rick in the book of Mark chapter 11 as he begins his message that Galilean from Nazareth.
Beginning in verse 27 Mark's gospel chapter 11 then they came again to Jerusalem and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priest scribes. The elders came to him and he said to him what authority you doing these things. Who gave you this authority to do these things Jesus answered and said to them, I also will ask you one question, then answer me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things, the baptism of John. Was it from heaven or from men answer me, they responded among themselves, saying, if we say, from heaven, he will say why then did you not believe but if we say from men they feared the people for all counted John to have been a prophet. Indeed, they answered and said to Jesus, we do not know Jesus answered and said to them, neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Title for this morning's messages that Galilean from Nazareth to us is very special that he was that Galilean from Nazareth Nazareth, but to them they has such disdain for the Galileans people in the northern part of Israel. There were so many Gentiles up in that area. By this time in Israel's history and Nazareth.
What good could come out of Nazareth that Philip echoing the sentiment of the day and so of course they felt because he was from that neighborhood that therefore he had nothing to offer any shut his mouth and do what he was told by them work out that way it is now Tuesday of what we call passion week is he is he won't finish the week alive as we count life.
This Tuesday event happening at the temple will last all the way through March 12 not to we get to Mark 13. The sea finally depart the temple and looks like he stays up in Bethany until he has the last supper. This day is going to be an intense day of teaching those who want to hear what he has to say of warning to those who do not want to have to say. And with that warning will come rebukes sees Dr. to take any lip from these guys. This was his last working day in public is mission to Israel was now ending. This is his last known day at the temple last teaching in confrontation with these religious political leaders. They came to pick a fight that they already lost know it yet. There's was a spiritual that you know that religious ugliness, it doesn't belong in one's faith, but there it is in their religion is nothing attractive about it. There was nothing to draw anyone to it. There's nothing to inspire or bless or benefit anyone. That's why he made that connection between the cursed figtree that was barren was bad. It was cursed because it was barren by him.
He cursed it and he made that connection these folks had allowed their religion to eclipse God to overrule God to block him out to lock him out as it did the Gentiles would do the same thing. We get to the church at Laodicea. He's knocking on the door trying to get into the church during the noise absent. Jesus was to them that Galilean from Nazareth of all places wasn't a Jerusalem Jew who was he to ignore their authority to expose and to denounce and to correct them. This is what's in back of this confrontation that were going to consider this morning in the most blunt possible language.
He infuriated by simply telling it as it was will get to some of those words of his directed directly toward them and after he stumps them in this chapter he unloads on them. In chapter 12 Matthew 23. It just lays it out so effectively that they despised him. Not only did they have them in contempt, but they wanted to kill him and and they pulled it off. They thought they call them for you. I should say he identified them as liars devours of widows.
He called them straight out your fools long-winded June pretenders. This is coming from Matthew 23 and some of it from Mark 12 blind guides who go out of their way to convert people to their brand of hell scathing language. Nothing funny on the look of their faces when they finally died and left this life and were face-to-face with him discovering that Jesus Christ this same Jesus who was the Galilean of Nazareth was also Yahweh of the Old Testament. Jesus Christ is of course, Lord, that is a comprehensive statement he rules over the universe, and no one can change the righteous love it that it's so we just thing songs to just shout out our testimony and our admiration, our admiration for him. Now we look at verse 27.
Then they came to Jerusalem again. He had been staying lightly up in Bethany, and he makes a daily trip into the city, and then he leaves and then he came to again to Jerusalem and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and scribes and the elders came to him that Jerusalem that is still there to this day. This especially religious and deadly city where Satan keeps himself busy.
You go to the Temple Mount to go to Jerusalem today. You see men walking around with semi automatic rifles in groups because of the violence that can ignite their seemingly at the snap of a finger. Wherever Christ is at work. Satan looks to hang out. This is a fundamental principle of life in this cursed world Mark chapter 4 Jesus said, and it happened, as he so is the Lord planted the word of God. Some seed fell by the wayside and the birds of the air came and devoured on it every single time, but in context. Most of the time the New Testament birds symbolized the tannic activity and there is one example, the word of God is planted. Satan who likes to hang out with the Greek word of God is planted. If he can is not barred, and devour whatever he is able to, says in verse 27 as he walked was walking in the temple. This is significant simply pass over his walking and he's teaching at the same time in the porches that were around the temple or the square courtyard Matthew tells us. Matthew 21 verse 23 and the parallel account. Now when he came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted him as he was teaching so he's walking and he's teaching and they interrupt the lesson there so eager to get at him to shut him down and they're rude about it. They think you know that the arrogance tells them they can do this because they felt they were the custodians of the law. While they should of been a problem as they dismiss the law that they were supposed to be the custodians to guard over the law as priests and Levites and those deputies known as Pharisees and Sadducees. These boys were still smarting from the table turning incident. The Lord is flipping over tables and bread driving people out standing guard. They they were hurting about that, but because they approach him while he's teaching and walking. They create a condition by which he's got witnesses to this very exchange is going to refute and humiliate them in front of everybody they didn't factor that in their rage blind or that I'm sure this is the chief priests and scribes and the elders came to him. These are the biggest because of the cats in Israel. They wielded a lot of authority. They could've had him killed right there on the spot. They would not of that would've backfired and they knew that, but that's how much authority that they did have, and they going to pull it off in their own special little way as we know he will cancel out his murder by just getting up okay sir. My purpose in out here. Well anyway, there is they said as he entered the Temple Mount. There is that Galilean from Nazareth. This is an official inquiry conducted by these representatives of the Sanhedrin. Those 70 men oversee Israel under Roman authority at this time. This is Jewish aristocracy, the rich and wealthy and the powerful. Nothing wrong with being rich wealthy and powerful. If you are subject to the Lord Jesus Christ. Abraham was rich wealthy and powerful Solomon well that's another story. He was to but he made some tactical errors put it mildly. Anyway the context of their coming to him is not for salvation but for confrontation when it says they came to Jesus was the we say that we mitigates also came to Christ.
We think of salvation is not that this is a fight they despised him for not esteeming them. Do you not recognize how sweet we are, and that because the promise still happens to this day you get around folks that have that attitude may have authority and power they going to try to do with a Canon or most of the time succeeding and neutralizing you they supposed that they could dismiss his miracles and his teachings and his spotless life without consequence. They were that Dom spiritually speaking, otherwise they were very intelligent people. I mean they were there were not communal foals when it came to other things but when it came to Christ see this today so they refused to accept that he was a son of God the face of overwhelming evidence. Again, there was a not that he was just came on the scene to say on the Messiah about accepting others had done that and they brought their armies with them. Their armies were all defeated by the Romans. At some point, but they would discover when it was too late that they were accountable to him in this again is something people still do, refused to accept him and in the face of overwhelming evidence and they go out of their way, they become spiritual contortionist to bend over backwards, we would say to escape fax verse 28 and they said to him, by what authority are you doing these things.
Who gave you this authority to do these things. Let's see your permit is your permit. You have a license do this well, he's going to counter. Of course, and is going to make them earn this question his triumphal entry into the city, announced his Davidic right to the throne they would've known that he is a Judean of the line of David. If they had any interest in finding out no one else could do that incident. No one else could Ron march into Jerusalem riding on a donkey and be Harold as the king that comes to say all the others came with horses and swords.
As I mentioned, and they fail.
He comes in humility, riding on a donkey locally and in fulfillment of their own profits. Only he could pull that off and then go on to suffer in fulfillment of Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 just to lengthily passages of prophetic Scripture describing what he would experience, which he did to utter fulfillment and nobody else could I mean just mean O'Malley my cussing is going to be born in Bethlehem. You can self fulfill that you can decide where you're going to be born unless your him.
Jesus Christ, the son of God and so these men not used, to being defied.
Not used to people are these not faking respect for them.
John the baptizer. It was out into the wilderness did to distance himself from these people.
John was a priest.
He was supposed to minister there in Jerusalem while he was he could have what he wanted no parts of the corruption that was there and so he began a ministry of baptizing of immersing people and water for the remission for repentance recognition of their sin. John did rebuke them also. But he didn't do it on their home turf lease. We have no record of that Christ does it right in their face with a seat of their power is at the temple so I going to a Senate hearing and flipping over tables and straighten them out and shutting them up is going to happen just got away but not not happen exactly like that but ultimately all power, every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess there will be no nobody will have I got a pass. There will be a nonissue.
Matthew chapter 3. This is John the Baptist, but when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism as they had to check them out. He said to them, brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come and continued elevated to separate Zep regional separate the falls from the true so John did rebuke them also with the differences. John did not rebuke them there in Jerusalem. Now that's no slight on John.
It just elevates what's going on between Christ in them how intolerant they got it all right, fine. John is out there giving us some grief you know the little people do things like that from time to time they would they could dismiss that one Christ had been dealing with them in you call them in all Satan's children will get to that verse in John eight little bit, but he can't do it out in the open at the Temple man had they been true to the laws of Moses then this inquiry by what authority when the been necessary, it would've known Sadducees matching Scripture me everything he says is right spot on with Moses and the prophets, but because of their corruption, they forfeited their own authority and they thought because no one wrenched them from their position that therefore there was a getting away with it. You know you can fall out of an airplane one. It's flying you know and it can be. So far so good to impact and that's how it is with people you go through this life. So far so good. I managed to survive no matter where I am what you won't hell of a racket problem will be you will survive to experience hell not to overcome these things.
They said who gives you the authority to do these things with things well teaching. Yes, that rebuking them in public. Yes, that really flipping over those tables was over-the-top and characterize including this works well this going to going to add to this list is lambasting them in front of everybody and just a little bit. Matthew chapter 16 is an example of him already taking them to task Jesus said to them, take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees that were spread because nobody said these things about them with such authority, but he did. He said it to his disciples the sedative to the Pharisees and Sadducees faces and for the moment there is nothing they could do.
They wanted to kill him right there. They could not going to see as we move through their they're going to say well let's not do or do doing the fees and that's exactly what is going to happen because they were never in control John's gospel chapter 3 verse 17 before read the verse. The question is why is he even subjecting himself to this inquisition seeing that he is the creator of the universe was always sausage love those who will love him, that makes up the us John's gospel chapter 3 we know we reached for John 316 God so loved the world within the next verse is very important for God did not send his son into the world to can jam the world, but that the world through him might be saved through him. There's nobody else would understand.
Now you can listen to that and say I think that's obnoxious of God to claim the exclusive rights to salvation or you can say okay Lord I said, I surrender all, I come to you and that's what makes up the distance separates the saints from the Yanks verse 29 and Jesus answered and said to them, I also will ask you one question then answer me and I will tell you, but what by what authority I do these things again at the seat of their power he puts them where on defense. They started the fight, they put they got. They went right to offense. They attacked him and he puts them right on defense. Now he's in control he's going to decide with it going to be an identity. Imagine him at a Senate hearing putting them on defense.
We have seen men go to the Senate and and refute them soundly and yet those they were so disinterested in truth, that it really didn't matter and that some of what is happening here until again they die and they find out how much it did matter. Well, to avoid this, all they had to do was love. God's word.
They would never be in the situation she's love with Moses had to say that they love the work of the prophets. If they pursue the fulfillment of the commandments, but no, they prefer to do it their way and they expected God to approve and lineup with them and it's a common mistake amongst people who are impenitent going back to this question that they asked him what authority, incidentally, he had already answered this question, time and time again where he came from. That's what it's about.
You want to know by what authority widow I get this authority, I get it from where I came from Matthew chapter 11 verse 27 he said, all things have been delivered to me by my father, John three verse 35, the father loves the son is given all things into his hands, that all things does not leave room for anything to be missing. For example, what do you leave behind when you die everything and is not an it will he do when he took his favorite ink pen should did nothing gets biased all left behind while reverse code is true also the father has given to him all things. What part of all things is not absolutely all we understand verse that John's gospel chapter 17 when the Lord is brings as you have given him reeking of himself authority over all flesh. That's to the church so we can go back and read that and say authorities been given to Christ is no one else like this note. Michael the angel of the archangel.
He could not claim these things. Only Christ. So when you have the Colts come along and say well you know Jesus was equal with some creative being you out of their spiritual mind is not what the Bible says and you can save them, fine.
If you believe that just understand if you try to use the Bible to do it, you're wrong and a liar. And if you want to go to stand for Christ that way lying about him than you have at it.
I'll have no part that said, in a loving way with a smile. Maybe they'll they will. I mean, I was witnessing to people.
I have been successful as a good cop bad cop kind of philosophy.
Some people knucklehead you gotta be tough with them. You have to say things like the stupidest thing ever heard concerning Jesus Christ which you pick that up to get them the humble down a notch and in others you can never say you know I want to say would be very gentle with them.
So I understand Eunice so much junk out there who Bob is, why don't believe that you have that's called view of the knowing to this being led by the spirit, not a cookie-cutter testimony. I wish I could be more teddy bear like in the pulpit but the Bible does not allow it. Just too much stuff that goes right between the eyes, less of a teddy bear and more of a real tiger when it comes to truth in dealing with human behavior behavior that is reluctant to submit the true.
What makes a Christian Christian is that we submit verse 30. Can Jesus continues this is his question to them. His reports on defense. The baptism of John, so there that does this not going I don't. He's got asked something else was it from heaven or from man. Then he says to their faces in front of everyone answer me the whole man nobodies done this to these guys before you know what to do. Of obscure getting a phone call I'll be right back was no way out. So he does not give them the satisfaction of a direct answer is that of St. you know when they asked what authority my father that would've been a direct response, but that's not the only respondent of the only valid response.
They forfeited that to his sad when humans enjoy living in such a way fun of Jesus that Jesus doesn't like using people into anything like I mean the atrocities that people do.
I mean this because I'm, you can still love the sense that he wants to see them saved from an eternal hell move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you will find additional teachings from Pastor Rick. We encourage you to subscribe to our podcast.
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