Mark 11:28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority to do these things
Regardless of who you are, how old you are, or where you live, chances are that in some way you channel authority to someone else. Maybe you are an older sibling, a parent, a teacher, a manager, or you just work on the factory floor, but there is some way in which you exercise some delegated authority. To be sure, your authority will be tested.
In Mark 11, Jesus’ authority, which is something totally different than any authority I’ve just described, was tested and questioned by the chief priests, scribes, and elders, the religious authorities in the Jewish nation at this time. They asked a very interesting question of the Lord Jesus in Mark 11:28. They asked, “By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?” Jesus had been exercising authority.
For instance, He sent His disciples ahead to the city and said, “You are going to find a colt. Loose him, and if people ask you what you are doing just tell them that the Master has need of him.” That is exactly what happened. Jesus also went into the temple and chased out the money changers. He went into the temple as if He owned the place, and indeed He did.
So, He was asked “Who gave you this authority?” First, as bad as they were, the Christ-rejecting chief priests, scribes, and elders recognized that authority was something that is given. Mark 1:22 says that people heard Jesus and were astonished at what He said because He “taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.” The scribes were the scribblers, the ones who copied out the Scriptures. They knew what God had said, but didn’t have authority the same way Jesus did. Jesus’ authority was something altogether different. These Christ-rejecting religious leaders realized that authority is given.
On the other hand, Jesus recognized their authority, but He resisted their hypocrisy. In Matthew 23 He said, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.” He meant they occupied a position of authority. If someone says, “You are going to the principal’s office,” that is ominous, and it is not talking of just a place, but a place of authority. Jesus continued by saying, “All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.” Jesus recognized the delegated authority of these religious leaders, but He resisted their hypocrisy. “Do as I say not as I do” does not work.
The context of this confrontation was the fear of these religious leaders. Manmade authority fears men and people. For instance, Mark 11:18 says that the scribes and chief priests sought how they might destroy Jesus “for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.” They feared Him because the people were for Him and ultimately what they feared was the people. Couldn’t they boss these people around? Yes, but they feared them. Mark 12:12 says, “And they sought to lay hold on him [Jesus], but feared the people.”
In contrast, when trying to butter up Jesus for a snare of a question, they said, “Master, we know you are true and you don’t fear people.” That was true. These religious leaders, men of authority, feared people; Jesus did not. Why is that? Well, dictators fear people most of all. You may say, “Putin doesn’t fear anyone.” Yes, he does, as does Xi Jinping. They are limited in their authority. They believed the maxim that might makes right. If you are stronger, then you can call the shots, but if these dictators are ever ousted, they will end up hanging from a light pole somewhere. Manmade authority fears man.
The converse of this is authority and boldness come from submission to the truth. I don’t have to win the argument. I don’t have to be in charge because I am stronger or richer or whatever. No, authority and boldness come from submission to the truth and submission to God. Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” The scribes and Pharisees were trying to lay a snare for Jesus with their questions, but they were the ones ensnared. Their authority was weak at most because they were not submissive to God through the Messiah He sent. One gains authority and boldness with submission to the truth, through what God says.
There are two questions for you to ask yourself. First, how much do you care what God says? Are you more concerned about what people think or say and how strong, rich, or persuasive they are, or do you care what God has actually said? Jesus over and again said, “What does Moses say? The scripture saith.” He points to the scribes who had copied the Scriptures back to the Scriptures. They copied the Scriptures, but they didn’t understand the Scriptures because they didn’t have a heart to understand. A rebel can’t understand anything, and authority and boldness come from submission to the truth. So, how much do you care what God says?
Second, how much do you investigate what God has said? The more I know what God has said, the more I investigate it and have a willingness to hear and act on it, and the more boldness and authority I can exercise in life because of my submission to God. So, they asked Jesus, “From whence comes your authority? He answered, “It is from heaven.” He was sent from heaven with the stamp of approval of God the Father.
Today, how much authority and boldness do you have? The whims of people change all the time. Think of social questions you may have when it comes to Hollywood, social drinking, or smoking and it is fascinating to see how believer’s opinions have changed dramatically. Is it because of better scholarship or more devotion to the truth? No, it is because society is a fearful thing and has different positions on these issues. Authority and boldness come from submission to the truth. Do you care what God thinks and are you willing to investigate it?