Sermon: By What Authority?

The Authority of Jesus and the Kingdom of God Series

Hey everybody, I'm pastor Jeff Durbin with Apologia Church. I want to thank you all so much for watching the content right here on Apologia Studios channel. What you're about to watch is a sermon a message from Apologia Church's worship service.

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God bless you this afternoon.

Matthew’s Gospel and the New Genesis in Christ

We're gonna be returning to our kingdom of God series, which we've been in we've taken a break from the last week. But we've been in this series, I believe just as long as I've been a member of apology of church.

So that tells you what kind of a church this is we believe in the exposition of Scripture. We believe in going verse by verse through the text of Scripture and teaching it faithfully and representing accurately What God has to say in his word to his people.

And so here I am today before you to bring to you This section of Scripture which we'll be going through in light of and I would encourage you if you have not yet. Listen to the previous two messages from pastor Jeff.

Regarding this context regarding Jesus making his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey and then the cursing of the fig tree. These events are related to one another. Matthew is sketching for us now.

Building up to this climactic moment that he has been working on this entire gospel. The gospel according to Matthew Begins with the proclamation. It's the section in the book that we all skip over, right?

You know what part I'm talking about? It's the genealogy in Matthew chapter 1 right that section of Scripture so. Significant if you go back and read just the beginning the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.

Implies exactly what we're going to be getting to in this text today. And that is the new Genesis in Jesus Christ. The new creation taking place as a part of what God is doing in the person and the work of Jesus Christ.

So we've seen as we've gone through the gospel according to Matthew how Jesus He's born. All of these Old Testament prophecies and pattern find their end and their culmination in him. We see in Matthew chapter 3.

He is anointed for his baptism commissioned as a priest and then sent off to face the enemy in the wilderness where he is Victorious over Satan doing everything that apostate Israel should have done in the wilderness.

Christ succeeds and then some. With a victory over his adversary. And then we see as Matthew's gospel continues to move along in chapters 5 through 7. We see that Jesus is the true lawgiver. He is the one that places the law of God in its proper context.

Passage that we always talk about here at Apology a church. Jesus himself saying I did not come to abolish the law or the Prophets, but I came to fulfill them. May know my set day. Don't even let it enter your mind that I've come to cease the law and the prophets.

I came to fulfill them to put them in their proper place to put them in force. Jesus the true lawgiver extrapolating the law of God. Demonstrating that just because you've never put a knife in someone doesn't mean you're not guilty of murder.

Just because you've never committed adultery doesn't mean you're not an adulterer in your heart. Jesus getting to the core of what the law of God was always intended to be it was about the heart as The story moves on we see Jesus going about his earthly ministry.

Proclaiming the good news of the kingdom. Going about in preaching sending out his followers to round up the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Denouncing those who reject their message working miracles.

Exercising his authority over the demonic realm. Exercising his authority over the elements. Saying that he has all authority in heaven and on earth at the end of Matthew's gospel, right? That's the climax but in building to that point.

The collision between him and the religious leaders of the day is astounding. It truly is astounding and we all should take note as we examine this passage of Scripture today this section that we're in.

He's already had and been on a collision course with the religious establishment of his day. They have confronted him for supposedly breaking the Sabbath already. They have confronted him for doing miracles on the Sabbath.

They have taught they have realized that he's not like any other teacher. There's something quite unusual About this one who actually just assumes the authority. He doesn't appeal to anybody else for his authority his words.

He considers as he hearkens back to Scripture. He says have you not read what God spoke through the mouth of the prophets through the words of a living God and That is the basis of his authority not rabbi.

So-and-so. Not the people that have come before him that have ordained him and given him the license to do the things that he is doing or to teach. What he is teaching. We see the climax begin to build as Jesus identity starts to become more clear.

He starts to reveal more and more of himself to his disciples while at the same time intentionally covering the eyes of His enemies and those who have rejected him to fulfill the words of Scripture. We're all familiar with the passage I'm sure in John chapter 1.

But to as many as received him to them he gave the right to become the children of God. Children not born of the will of man or of the will of flesh but born of God and why is that? His own rejected him.

Now Jesus comes in the transfiguration. We see his glory on full display in front of his people. Demonstrating the the purity and the the cleanliness of the Messiah and is dazzling. Blinding white robe and the father pronouncing this judgment of approval on the son saying this is my beloved son.

Hear him in Jesus. All of prophetic revelation finds its fulfillment in his very person. That passage of Scripture which talks about in Deuteronomy chapter 18. The Lord will raise up for you a prophet from among you who will be like Moses.

Finding its fulfillment in the person in the work of Jesus Christ. Jesus continues to teach he continues to go on. Rebuking his enemies and then this brings us to our passage for today Matthew chapter 21.

We've seen already Jesus Entering Jerusalem, right? Humbly meekly on the full of a beast of burden. Yes. Causing a riot. So this was no small scene in Judea and the temple what was going on and he's escorted in by the Galilean followers that he has and Everybody's looking around saying what's going on?

There's messianic fervor in the air. There's people freaking out because Jesus is coming in and who is this guy he's just this Galilean prophet. We didn't ordain him. He's from Nazareth. I know where he's from and trust me.

That's no place you want to go. It's like Apache Junction. Just kidding for all you people in the back. I love you guys. That's where I'm from Apache Junction so I can talk about it. So Jesus himself coming into collision with the religious leaders.

Matthew chapter 21 we see that he enters and what does he do? He cleanses the temple? Which is not something he just did it wasn't random. It wasn't just something that he felt like doing it was actually the fulfillment of Scripture.

It was actually the action undertaken by God and the flesh to cleanse his house and as pastor Jeff already talked about Jesus assuming the role of a priest. Going into what was the role of a priest in the Old Testament a priest had to go in and if the house was dirty if it was diseased if it was corrupt if it was polluted the priest had to go in and inspect and Drive everything out and then if he left and came back and it was still diseased and corrupt and polluted what happened after that Destruction Judgment the whole place taken down stone by stone.

Which is the story that Matthew is moving us in the direction of but why why is this so important? Why is he moving us in this direction? What is the authority of Jesus to do the things that he is doing?

He's a nobody. According to worldly standards according to the standards and in the eyes of the religious leaders at that time. These are the questions that hopefully by God's grace will be answering today.

And so as we approach this text of Scripture. Let us look together that even after these significant events because they happen. Three events one right after the other and then Jesus gives a teaching he gives parables.

Right, which is a common pattern in the Gospels. You see Jesus do something work a miraculous event or do something controversial and then comes the teaching afterward to explain it, right? We're gonna see that now just like we saw and again if you haven't seen the messages that have come before this one the pastor Jeff has given on the cursing of the fig tree and how that was so Significant and it wasn't actually referring to Jesus telling his followers in the 21st century.

To say goodbye to their financial mountains or their relationship mountains or to say to this problem mountain that's standing in their way. Oh just have faith and that'll be removed. You don't need to pray so much just have faith in that mountain the Context of that according to Scripture for those early listeners that are the recipients of Matthew's gospel.

This mountain say to this mountain. Be gone, and it will be cast away into the sea. Jesus telling his followers that through their imprecatory prayers through the prayers that they pray to their father that God is going to judge the covenant breakers and displace their mountain.

But Brothers and sisters we have to understand exactly what this means. That would have been no small thing to a Jew living at that time to hear the displacement of their mountain. Because it was on that mountain located was the temple that was the place of worship.

That was where God's people met together and he met together with them just like in the tabernacle of the Old Testament. But now something is changing. Something seismic is shifting something monumental is about to happen in the lives of the worship of God's people and That's what we're going to talk about today so let's open our Bibles if you haven't already to Matthew chapter 21 verses 23 through 26 is where we're gonna be spending our time here now the words of the living and triune God verse 23 and When he entered the temple the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said.

By what authority are you doing these things and who gave you this authority? Jesus answered them. I also will ask you one question and if you tell me the answer then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.

The baptism of John from where did it come from heaven or from man? And they discussed it among themselves. Saying if we say from heaven, he will say to us. Why then did you not believe him? But if we say from man, we are afraid of the crowd for they all hold that John was a prophet.

So they answered Jesus. We do not know and he said to them. Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things thus far is The reading of God's holy and inspired word, please. Let's pray before we go to this text of Scripture.

Father, I want to thank you for the divine privilege God of being able to open your word today Lord. Your word is a treasure that we cannot find the bottom of and I pray Lord that you would help your people to believe and to see that today my prayer Lord God is that you would help your people to see you.

To savor you and to display you as the greatest treasure. Through how we worship you in the reading of your word how we worship you in the preaching of the word. Please Lord remove me from the equation God.

I can only bring in my sinful estate harm to your people in My flesh. I can only cause them to further stumble. But God you alone by your spirit by your resurrection power can teach and Raise the understanding of your people and any sitting here who may not belong to the fold of God at this time.

God, please bless our time. May it be edifying to your church. May it be equipping for your church. May you admonish your people where necessary Lord God and help us to look at ourselves and at our own Black hearts before we look at the person next to us and let us forever recall to mind the great salvation that is in Christ Jesus Who has saved us and taken out the heart of stone and given us a heart of flesh?

That now beats and lives and moves to serve the living God of Israel. This is the great miracle Lord God is that she would use Sinful fallen people like us as Your means to accomplish your ends in the world.

We thank you for your kingship. We thank you for this place to meet in but most of all we thank you for your word. I pray that you would use it today to your glory and it's in your name that we pray. Amen.

The Wicked Laying a Snare for the Innocent

This passage of Scripture today Reminds me of the Proverbs. It's a passage I often quote actually when we're out at the abortion Mills preaching the gospel in the Proverbs. It says that the wicked lie in wait to ambush the innocents without cause.

That is they lay a snare. They lay a trap for the innocent to ambush them without cause. This is the wisdom literature of the Old Testament and then in the time of Jesus it comes to life right before our eyes those who have Malicious and wicked and dark hearts who are trying to ensnare and entrap the only innocent person who ever lived on this earth.

Proverbs giving us an example of that wisdom literature. And really These chief priests and the elders and the religious leaders of the time That were using all of these opportunities to try and trap the Messiah to try and trap the Lord in his ministry to try and sick The people on him to overturn what he was doing.

Thus the words of Scripture of Scripture would be fulfilled according to them in John chapter 3 as it says. The light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light. Because their works were evil.

Men do not come into the light lest their darkness be exposed. What better personification of that come to life than the audience of Jesus contemporaries? And so The chief priests and the elders that are accusing him in this passage.

Form the small subsection of the Jewish Sanhedrin right. So you have a Group of a member of 70 within this council and the chief priests and the elders would have consisted primarily of the Pharisees.

Although within the larger group you have Pharisees zealots Sadducees Essenes these different groups differing motivations by far the most influential were the Pharisees and Ironically enough. This is the group that comes into contact and collision with Jesus the most in his ministry.

So what they are challenging in this passage is not the ability of Christ not the dunamis. Right, right. We're reformed here. We know the passage very well. John 6 44. No, man can come to me unless the father who sent me draws him.

No one has the ability. No one has the power to come to me in and of himself unless the father who sent me draws him I will raise him up on the last day. That's not what they're challenging. They're challenging his authority his right.

What right do you have to do what you're doing who? Authorized you to do this to our place of worship. And so before we get into this text We do have to do a little bit of due diligence and a little bit of interrogating the text.

So that way we can arrive at the intended meaning that the author has for us. And so what's significant about the setting of Matthew's narrative and where it's taking place? Well, firstly if I could just say this the temple courtyard is where this conflict is taking place.

It's not within the temple itself. Within the temple itself is where the sacrifices were offered where the Jews offered worship. Where it's actually taking place is in What's called the court of the Gentiles?

This would have been the surrounding area of the temple. It was a mile wide it went and it surrounded the actual temple itself. And this is where people gathered, right? This is where they hung out the court of the Gentiles right forever indicating that there was a Separation between who was allowed to go into the temple and offer sacrifice.

You can hang out on the court of the Gentiles. This was a place where crowds gathered where the general public met and where people often came to hear teaching. So it's not uncommon to find Jesus teaching in his father's house.

Another thing that's significant about the setting is when. When did Christ's royal procession his his victory parade on the fall of beasts? When did that take place? Well, it was during Passover. John's testimony is that behold, this is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.

Jesus as we know the true Passover lamb. Passover was the festival that they were commemorating as a result of what happened in the Old Testament, right? We all know the story God Redeems his people saves his people from the hands of the Egyptians, but before he does He tells them when they're still in the encampment of the Egyptians take a lamb unblemished without spot.

Shed its blood and then put it on at your doorframes. That way the angel of death will pass over you. And we all know what happened and that story but during Passover this was the most Enthusiastically observed pilgrimage.

Especially by adult male Jews who were expected to visit some excuse me the temple during this time. There was often more people in the city of Jerusalem than the city could accommodate. And so they actually had to expand their borders to make room for everyone that was coming in to the city at the time.

And so this tells us about this whole setting of events is that it was no small stir. It was as if Jesus himself was intentionally waiting for the time. When all of these people would come don't you just love how Jesus does that right?

So what happens when Lazarus is on the verge of death and Jesus gets told and then he waits days after Lazarus dies to do something about it. It's as if he knew. Right. It's as if the Lord of Glory had all sovereign control over.

What was going to happen to this dead man that he was going to raise to life, right? Next significant about the setting is where was Jesus from? I mean we I know that we know this. But can we just spend maybe another few seconds on acknowledging this this where he was from Galilee.

Nazareth of Galilee. He was a prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. The Judeans where the temple was located in the southern aspect of things where it whereas Galilee was located in the north Judean saw Galileans as second-class citizens, although they were Jews.

They believed that they were lax and their observance of proper religious ritual. So it was kind of like this I mean even a very Jewish Galilean was just as much a foreigner as a New York and would be in Texas.

Right, you ain't from around these parts. Are you you would know right away by the accent, right? Just like the example of Peter when Peter denies the Lord Jesus. Right and the child points him out said oh, yeah, I can tell by his accent.

He's with them. He's with the Galileans. They knew. It marked them out. This doubly confounded the Jewish religious leaders of what Jesus was doing. He's from Galilee. He's from Nazareth. What authority does he have to come in here and do the things that he's doing?

The temple itself and the surrounding precinct was the focus of Jewish religious life as well as the symbol of their outward national pride. Wasn't just the place of worship. It was what made a Jew a Jew.

This is the place where God meets with us the God of our fathers Abraham Isaac Jacob the God of the patriarchs and so in the trial in full entry Jesus enters Jerusalem as King and Messiah and Cleanses the temple saying that his father's house shall be a place of prayer for all peoples.

And where does he say this in the court of the Gentiles? Highly significant brothers and sisters as we're getting to this passage if you have a Bible, I'd encourage you. We're gonna be in Isaiah chapter 56.

This is the passage that Jesus quotes from. Leading up we're gonna get to our section of Scripture, but it's important to lay the foundation first. Isaiah chapter 56. He quotes this passage. My father's house shall be a place of prayer for all the peoples now.

The context of this passage is that the Prophet foresees a worldwide Worshiping community made up of the Israelites who have been scattered from the exile. That's the the context of Isaiah chapter 56 just to lay that down real quickly before we get there now.

I'm gonna read the passage. Starting in verse 3. So this is the prophecy that Jesus quotes from when he cleanses the temple. Verse 3 let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say the Lord will surely separate me from his people and Let not the eunuchs say behold.

I am a dry tree. For thus says the Lord to the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant. I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters.

I Will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off and the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord. To minister to him to serve him to love the name of the Lord and to be his servants. Everyone who keeps the Sabbath and does not profane it and holds fast my covenant.

These I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their Sacrifices will be accepted on my altar. Here it is. From my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the peoples.

The Lord God who gathers the outcasts of Israel Declares I will gather yet others to him besides those Already gathered now. We know that the plan all along from the Old Testament that God had prophesied Isaiah chapter 2 right?

It's a popular passage that we quote here. The mountain of house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains in the latter days and all the nations shall Stream up to it. They'll flow upwards to the mountain of God.

We know according to Psalm 22 that all the families of the earth Shall return and worship the Lord God of Israel all of the nations coming to God. That was the plan all Along even in the Old Covenant the foreigner was still welcome into it.

But the purpose of this passage is amazing, isn't it? It sounds a lot like another passage in the New Testament, doesn't it? Get this all this talk of Gathering the scattered peoples all this talk of gathering the outcasts of Israel.

Immediately my mind ran to John chapter 10 The Good Shepherd Who lays down his life for the sheep and he has other sheep that are not of this fold and he must bring them into the fold and they will be one flock and they will have one shepherd and Then moving over just one chapter later into John chapter 11.

The high priest makes a prophecy. He prophesies that the Messiah will die. Not only for the nation But to gather all of those children who are scattered abroad and bring them back. Highly significant the gathering of God's people into one but what does this verse tell us real quickly just moving through it some observations the foreigners and eunuchs represent the inclusiveness of the gathering that middle wall of partition that existed there Has come down and the foreigners and the eunuchs right those who would have been seen as second-class citizens are being welcomed.

Verse 4 the keeping of the Sabbath. Right, they're gonna come and keep the Sabbath which represents a complete reorientation of life for those that are ending the Covenant. Let me ask you a question. Why do you come to church?

Why do you come to church on Sundays. Because the purpose of God's Holy Day his day of rest, although we know that Christians celebrate their day of worship on Sunday not Saturday. They come why? Because everything in their lives is subservient to the day of worship everything that we do in our lives as Christians flows downstream from Sunday as We the Church of the Living God are the outposts of heaven on earth.

Did you know that? Did you know that the Church of the Living God is the outpost of heaven on earth and So we have this Reorientation of all the priorities of our lives. Don't we that's why we sit in here with squealing toddlers, don't we?

That's why we endure it. That's why we teach our children to worship. That's why we take communion together. That's why we open the Word of the Lord together. Why. Because our entire lives Have been reoriented by the God who has saved us and called into relationship with our people.

And so now what happens? Rather than do other things that we would have done before we knew Jesus now, we're here now we're among the people of God doing as God commands us to. And all of life becomes subservient running downstream from this day.

God says that's what he's doing now with the foreigners and the units. The everlasting name and monument given to them is better than sons and daughters there. There are no more second-class citizens.

Verse 7. God brings them to himself. Aka his mountain to a speaking relationship with him in prayer and lastly and probably most significantly to the altar that guarantees their belonging their acceptance and their atonement their cleansing.

Their blood cleansing for their sins. Right. This is what the temple was always intended to be and so Jesus Casting out the hucksters and the money changers who turned this holy place into a place of commerce.

No doubt to pay rent to the religious leaders of the day who are driving the system of God's worship and what it should have been used for into the ground. Jesus cast them out and cleanses the temple and then he quotes this passage from Isaiah.

Saying my father's house shall be a house of prayer for all peoples. Back to our text. Before we get there the cursing of the fig tree as we saw a couple weeks ago. Symbolizing fruitless Israel and the remarks about this mountain.

Indicate to Jesus followers that something is on the horizon for the worship of God's people. Something's coming. Something is about to change and change drastically. So the question of the religious establishment was.

Who was this prophet who dared to challenge this system of worship. Who was this prophet this so-called prophet who dares to challenge us as the religious leaders? Of the culture and the guardians of the temple.

And so we begin our verse-by-verse analysis. Again, Jesus taught as one having all authority. We remember what he says earlier on in Matthew's gospel. Don't we about the two foundations the two destinations the two houses?

Right one house is built on the what? the sands while the other is built on the rock and How does Jesus categorize those two houses and their foundations? He says unless you build the house your life.

Everything you do on the bedrock foundation of my word when the storm comes your house is gone. Because it was built on the ruinous sands of your own human autonomy. But if it's built on my word on the foundation of my word, that's the house that makes it through the storm.

He has placed the prerequisite for knowing what truth is. He has placed the prerequisite for knowing what the sure and the certain foundation is on his very word. That's significant because again, he wasn't appealing to any other authority and the things that he was doing.

Even I mean think about something like this. We don't think about this. You have heard it said but I say to you in That small span of words you have heard it said this is what your tradition is. But here I am to tell you.

Who is the only person who could extrapolate the law of God and place it in its intended context? God himself. You have heard it was said but I say to you. The authority that Jesus assumes for himself.

He's not looking for anyone to verify it. He's not looking for corroboration, right. He's not looking for this Evidential study to support what he's doing or this rabbi to confirm him and to confirm his ordination.

No, he's acting and he's doing. Jesus has told the Pharisees already. Something greater than the temple is here. Matthew chapter 12 verse 6. He said destroy this temple and I will raise it up in three days speaking of what Temple of his body.

John chapter 2 verse 19. So you have to consider for a moment how ironic this question is that they ask him by what authority do you? Do these things? Oh I don't know. Just the Lord who fills heaven and earth.

Who doesn't reside in temples made by human hands. The one whose throne is in heaven and the earth being his footstool. Just that person. Right. It was like they were asking this. Who died and made you God?

It's ironic, isn't it that they're staring down the Lord of glory? Right the second person of the Trinity that they're confronting and they're asking the question. We're in charge of this place who died and made you the priest.

This is what they're saying. This is the level of offensiveness that's coming before them. What does Jesus do? Verse 24 he answers them indirectly. He's not dodging their accusations not dodging their question, but let me tell you something.

Here's what's going on in this passage. Okay? Obviously, they're trying to ensnare our Lord. They're trying to trap him but the question that they asked him they were hoping for one of two responses either his silence.

Being stuck being caught being stumped and what that would have done was indicate to them and the surrounding crowd. That he was in fact a troublemaker. He did have something more up his sleeve that he was using to quietly incite a riot in our place of worship.

See. He doesn't want to say anything because he knows he's a rebel against the temple. That was the one response that they were hoping for. The other response that they were hoping for was that he would indict himself.

Directly for claiming that his authority was from God and so they could try him for blasphemy. How wicked. How malicious were they in their hearts that they believed they could entrap the Lord of glory?

But this is what was going through their minds. And so what does Jesus do? Jesus Questions them. He just asked them a question and we see this common thread in the Gospels. Don't we whenever Jesus is presented with something?

He's presented with a question. He asked a question in return. Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? Why do you call me good? There's none good, but God you calling me good. Well, then you must be calling me God right.

These questions that come up right? Jesus is It lawful to pay the tax to Caesar or not. Well whose image is on the coin? Jesus does these things. He asked these questions to open up the assumptions of his listeners.

I'll give you an example we do the same thing on the street. Don't we when we're talking with our unbelieving friend or neighbor or the person we're having a Conversation with. Oh your God is just a big meanie.

He's evil. He's judgmental. It's not fair. I can never believe in a God who would sentence all these people to eternal damnation. And then you ask the atheist the question. After he asked you you actually believe in a God like that and you say well who's asking the question.

Who's asking the question. You the atheist the person who believes that all we are is a bunch of molecules in motion that our ancestors were nothing more than the product of evolutionary chance. That were the descendants of African apes.

That our ancestors were actually the descendants of fish and bacteria and crawled forth from the primordial soup. What is evil in a worldview with without God, of course without the triune God of Scripture.

But who's asking the question you? An atheist with your foundation standing underneath you with no absolute claim to anything being morally objectionable. Jesus questioning his questioners arguing like the Messiah.

Isn't that something that you want to do argue like Jesus? That's what I've been praying for as I've been preparing this message Lord. Give me the mind of Christ. Give me the mind of Christ that I may respond to my accusers in the same way that you have.

So Jesus questions them. He questions them. Because the assumption implied in their question was this you don't have authority. You possess no authority. You're a troublemaker. You're the one you're the guy that hangs out with Gentiles, you're the one reclining and hanging out and eating with these people but Jesus does something significant because what they're perceiving now is a threat to their position of authority as guardians of the worship of God's temple.