Day 95

This one is for Friday. I am not here tomorrow so I am publishing this one early.

Luke 20:1–8 (NIV)

¹ One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. ² “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”

³ He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me, ⁴ John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?” ⁵ They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ ⁶ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” ⁷ So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.” ⁸ Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Pray for God to show you something to use from the passage

Read the Passage

Who is in the passage?

What action verbs do you see?

What other words stick out in your mind

Questions

Notes

I wonder -- could have one of those who marveled at Jesus understanding as a young man in Luke 2:46-47 been involved now? probably not -- but it s interesting to see the change of attitude that has happened.

vs 1 Jesus again using the temple in the correct way. For people to know God!

vs 2 "By what authority" -the authority to teach, heal - didn't come from those asking the question. Jesus had not been through rabbinic training, He was not a priest by birth, so what gives Jesus the right to speak for God is the question.

The question of how Jesus does these things is nothing new. In 11:15 some said he was of Satan . Jesus himself brings up the proof of authority in 5:24

vs 3-4 Jesus' answer is a question but within the question is the right answer. If the Religious leaders had answered Jesus' question correctly "from God" then they would have the answer of Jesus as well.

vs 5-7 But Jesus traps them. The leaders think of the consequences of their answer. This shows they are more interested in their position than the truth.

John was a popular martyr and to say he wasn't of God would have caused them trouble. To say that John's baptism was of God would have allowed God to work outside of the leaders supposed authority. If God did that with John then he could also do it through Jesus. Thus they choose to say "we don't know"

vs 8 - Jesus says if you don't know then I will not answer your question. The answer to the leaders' question was within the question of Jesus. Since they didn’t answer it they would not know Jesus' response. (note in the next parable Jesus actually answers the question indirectly)