Sermon Transcript – Authority

Series A – Sixteenth Sunday After Pentecost – Sunday, September 28, 2014 | Pr. Chris Rosebrough

Welcome to the Teaching Ministry of Kongsvinger Lutheran Church. Kongsvinger is a beacon for the Gospel of Jesus Christ and is located on the plains of Northwestern Minnesota.
We proclaim Christ and Him crucified for our sins and salvation by grace through faith alone, and now, here’s a message from Pastor Chris Rosebrough:
Intro bumper
Time StampTranscript
0:28the holy Gospel According to Saint
0:31Matthew chapter 21 verses 23-32 please
0:34stand
0:36Jesus entered the temple courts
0:38while he was teaching the chief priests
0:41and the Elders of the people came to him
0:42by what Authority are you doing these
0:46things they asked and who gave you this
0:49Authority
0:50Jesus replied
0:52well I will also ask you one question if
0:55you answer me I will tell you by what
0:57Authority I’m doing these things John’s
0:59baptism where did it come from was it
1:02from heaven or from Men
1:04so they discussed it among themselves
1:06and they said well if we say from Heaven
1:08he will ask then why didn’t you believe
1:10him
1:11but if we say from men we’re afraid of
1:13the people for they all hold that John
1:16was a prophet
1:18so they answered Jesus we don’t know
1:20and then he said well neither will I
1:22tell you by what Authority I am doing
1:24these things what do you think there was
1:27a man who had two sons he went to the
1:30first and he said Son go and work today
1:32in the vineyard I will not he answered
1:36later he changed his mind and he went
1:39then the father went to the other son
1:42and said the same thing and he answered
1:43I will sir
1:45but he did not go
1:47which of the two did what his father
1:49wanted
1:50the first they answered Jesus said to
1:53them I tell you the truth the tax
1:56collectors and the prostitutes they’re
1:58entering the kingdom of God ahead of you
2:00for John came to you to show you the way
2:03of righteousness and you did not believe
2:05him but the tax collectors and the
2:07prostitutes did and even after you saw
2:10this you did not repent and believe this
2:14is the gospel of the Lord
2:17praise to you o Christ in the name of
2:20Jesus
2:23all right sometimes the assigned gospel
2:25text feels like when you’re flipping
2:28channels and you find a really
2:30compelling movie playing on one channel
2:32but it started 40 minutes ago you ever
2:34have that happen it happened yeah I’ve
2:37kind of given up on TV for such a reason
2:38see I like the on-demand stuff now so
2:41that way I don’t have to miss anything
2:42so today’s text well it’s kind of like
2:44that it begins with Jesus in Jerusalem
2:47entering the temple courts and beginning
2:49to teach now while Jesus is teaching the
2:52chief priests and the elders interrupt
2:55Jesus and demand to see Jesus’s
2:57credentials by asking him by what
3:00Authority are you doing these things
3:03yeah notice the uh the religious leaders
3:07they don’t believe in Jesus
3:09strange isn’t it
3:11can have religious leaders who claim to
3:14be worshiping the same God that Jesus is
3:17and they don’t actually believe in him
3:19yeah have the kids say it nowadays
3:21awkward right
3:23yeah they don’t know who they’re who
3:25they’re dealing with here so this is a
3:27straight out rank unbelief cloaked in
3:30religion
3:32so of course you know they’re asking for
3:34Jesus as credentials and this begs the
3:36question what things exactly are the
3:40things that they were referring to when
3:42they asked the question by what
3:43Authority are you doing these things you
3:45know it kind of makes a good you know
3:47well what things right that’s the point
3:49we’ve kind of started in the middle of
3:51the story the movie’s 40 minutes in
3:53right so this requires us to apply our
3:56three rules for sound biblical exegesis
3:58in order to understand what is going on
4:00in this text so if you have your Pew
4:02Bible open up to Matthew chapter 21
4:05we’re going to start at verse one we’re
4:07going to get a little bit of context
4:09and you’ll notice that this is a text
4:12that deals with what we normally call
4:14Holy Week you know okay this is Jesus’s
4:17last week on Earth and it begins with
4:19his triumphal entry into Jerusalem we’ll
4:21pay close attention to some of the
4:22details here here’s what it says so as
4:24they approached Jerusalem and came to
4:26Beth phage on the Mount of Olives Jesus
4:28sent two disciples saying to them go to
4:30the Village ahead of you and at once you
4:32will find a donkey tied there with her
4:34cult by her untie them bring them to me
4:37if anyone says anything to you tell them
4:40that the Lord needs them and he will
4:42send them right away this took place to
4:44fulfill what was spoken through the
4:46prophet say to the daughter of Zion see
4:47your king comes to you Gentle riding on
4:50a donkey on a cult the full of the
4:52donkey the South there’s kingly
4:55Messianic things going on here and it’s
4:57nice that Jesus didn’t come in on a
4:59white War stallion that would have been
5:01a bad sign right so that’s actually if
5:05you read the book of Revelation that’s
5:07kind of how he comes the second time he
5:09ain’t riding a donkey he’s on a war
5:11horse we continue though the disciples
5:14went and did as Jesus had instructed
5:15them they brought the donkey and the
5:17cult placed their cloaks on them and
5:19Jesus sat on them a very large crowd
5:22spread their cloaks on the road while
5:24others cut branches from the trees and
5:26spread them on the road the crowds that
5:28went ahead of him and those that
5:29followed shouted Hosanna to the son of
5:33David blessed is he who comes in the
5:36name of the Lord hosanna in the highest
5:39well this isn’t going to go over very
5:40well with the religious leaders
5:42there’s the crowd all these pilgrims
5:45coming into Jerusalem for for the
5:47Passover
5:48and Jesus rather than coming in on foot
5:51like all the other pilgrims he comes in
5:53on a cult full of a donkey and the crowd
5:57addresses him and Praises him and
6:00declares him to be the son of David
6:02big deal
6:04big deal
6:05so Jesus’s first task once he gets into
6:09Jerusalem is not going to be very fun
6:10for the chief priests and the elders so
6:13when Jesus entered Jerusalem the whole
6:14city was stirred and asked who is this
6:16the crowds answered this is Jesus the
6:19prophet from Nazareth and Galilee so
6:22Jesus entered the temple area and drove
6:24out all who were buying and selling
6:26there he overturned the tables of the
6:28money changers and the benches of those
6:30selling doves and pay close attention to
6:34what he says here he says it is written
6:36he said to them my house
6:39will be a House of Prayer but you’re
6:41making it a den of robbers
6:44Jesus enters the temple and says it’s
6:48his house this is part of what’s going
6:51on in the background with the chief
6:52priests and the elders saying by what
6:54Authority are you doing these things
6:56Jesus goes into the temple as if he owns
6:59the place well he does
7:01he’s God right in fact the temple itself
7:05was a type and Shadow that points us to
7:08Jesus because the book of Hebrews makes
7:10it clear that the blood of animals and
7:13beasts never cleanse people from sins
7:16thing that cleansed peoples from sins is
7:18the Once for all sacrifice of Jesus
7:21Christ and so the temple points to Jesus
7:24in other words you can say that Jesus
7:26the temple enters the temple
7:29right it’s great stuff lots of good
7:32things going on here
7:33and then it says this then the Blind and
7:36the lame came to him at the temple he
7:38healed them so right there in the
7:40presence of the chief priests and the
7:42elders and the people there are people
7:44who are blind who are lame and they are
7:48walking
7:50and they are seeing there’s Miracles
7:52going on left and right right
7:56but
7:58you gotta love the butt oftentimes butt
8:00is a verbal eraser it erases the thing
8:02before it right
8:03yeah that’s a big butt so but when the
8:07chief priests and the teachers of the
8:09law saw the wonderful things he did and
8:11the children shouting in the temple area
8:13Hosanna to the son of David
8:17it should say and they praised God
8:20it says they were indignant
8:23so they took issue
8:25do you hear what these children are
8:27saying they asked him yes he replied
8:31have you never read from the lips of
8:33children and infants you have ordained
8:35Praise Jesus quoting Psalm 8 applying it
8:39to himself
8:42he’s got a major God complex right yeah
8:44that’s because he is God so that’s
8:47Guinea that’s our kind of initial pass
8:50as to what’s going on so by what
8:52Authority are you doing these things
8:54let’s fill in a little bit more data
8:55we’ll keep reading
8:57so after this day one Jesus left them
9:00and went out to the city of Bethany
9:02where he spent the night so day one in
9:04Jerusalem’s finished he goes to Bethany
9:06spends the night and here’s what it says
9:08early in the morning as he was on his
9:09way back the city to the city he was
9:12hungry and seeing a fig tree by the road
9:14he went up to it but found nothing on it
9:16except for leaves then he said to it may
9:18you never bear fruit again immediately
9:20the tree withered now a lot of people go
9:23what’s this all about what’s with this
9:26withering fig tree thing
9:28well there’s something going on here
9:31there’s a theme that Matthew puts into
9:33his gospel and this goes back to John
9:35the Baptist I’ll explain it in a minute
9:37so let’s fill out the text and then I’ll
9:40take you to the John the Baptist text
9:41and you’ll begin to see when you compare
9:43these two you can see what’s going on
9:44there’s this trees without fruit theme
9:48going on here and so Jesus curses the
9:51Fig Tree it’s in the sense it’s kind of
9:53like a visual Parable so you have to
9:56look for the in the text who are these
9:58trees without fruit well it’s the
10:00Pharisees that’s what’s going on Jesus
10:02curses the tree without fruit but let’s
10:05continue so merely the tree withered
10:07when the disciples saw this they were
10:08amazed how did the Fig Tree wither so
10:10quickly they asked
10:12because Jesus told it too that’s all
10:15right that’s how that works yeah he’s
10:17God so Jesus replied I tell you the
10:19truth if you have faith and do not doubt
10:21not only will you do what was done to
10:23the Fig Tree but you can also say to
10:24this mountain the mountain is the Temple
10:26Mount go throw yourself into the sea and
10:29it will be done if you believe you will
10:31receive whatever you ask for in prayer
10:33so there’s our setup okay now we’ve done
10:37a quick synopsis we’re now 40 minutes
10:39into the movie we know what’s going on
10:41so back to the point where we picked up
10:43the story where we’re flipping the
10:44channels and we dropped in on the story
10:46Jesus entered the temple courts while he
10:48was teaching teaching while he was
10:51teaching the chief priests and the
10:52elders the people came to him by what
10:54Authority are you doing these things
10:55they asked I mean this is this would be
10:57like if somebody came into Kong’s Winger
11:00right now in the middle of my sermon and
11:02started having a challenge you know
11:04started challenging Me by what Authority
11:06are you preaching Pastor Roseboro
11:08yeah
11:10you know because it would be that it’s
11:12that kind of awkward in the middle of
11:13his teaching
11:15so
11:16he gave and who gave you this authority
11:19Jesus replied I will also ask you one
11:21question if you answer me I will tell
11:23you by what Authority I’m doing these
11:25things John’s baptism where did it come
11:29from was it from heaven or from men now
11:33let me remind you what took place
11:34earlier in the gospel of Matthew if you
11:36want to flip back to Matthew chapter 3
11:39now you’re going to understand what the
11:41Fig Tree is all about and you’ll get
11:44um let’s just put it this way John the
11:46Baptist
11:47he needed a PR guy to kind of smooth out
11:51the relationship between him and the
11:53Pharisees it did he no it wasn’t a very
11:56good relationship okay let me let me
11:59read to you now in those days John the
12:01Baptist came preaching in the wilderness
12:03of Judea repent for the Kingdom of
12:06Heaven is at hand right this is the one
12:09right who was prophesied would be the
12:12Forerunner of Christ for this is he was
12:14spoken by the prophet Isaiah when he
12:16said the voice of one crying in the
12:18wilderness prepare the way of the Lord
12:19and make his path straight now John wore
12:22a garment of camel’s hair and the
12:24leather belt around his waist and his
12:26food was Locus and Wild Honey little
12:29funny note here have you ever seen those
12:32um those companies that try to you know
12:35take advantage of Christians in a sense
12:37by you know we’ve got have you ever seen
12:39like Ezekiel bread and things like that
12:41we’ve got a Biblical recipe my question
12:44is why there’s no diet company out there
12:46selling the John the Baptist diet
12:50it’s biblical
12:52I just don’t think it would go over very
12:54well just had to put that in there all
12:57right so he wore a garment of camel’s
12:59hair a leather belt around his waist his
13:01food was Locust and wild honey and then
13:03Jerusalem and all Judea and all the
13:04region about the Jordan were going out
13:06to him and they were baptized by him in
13:08the river get this confessing their sins
13:12uh the preaching of repentance they’re
13:15confessing their sins and we have this
13:17from another text that his baptism is
13:19for the Forgiveness of sins
13:21cleansing now
13:23Pharisees the Sadducees the elders and
13:28chief priests they didn’t think
13:29themselves needing to have their sins
13:32forgiven especially by somebody at the
13:34likes of John the Baptist right
13:38so here’s what it says but when he saw
13:41many of the Pharisees and Sadducees
13:43coming to his baptism
13:45they were coming from Jerusalem to check
13:47them out headquarters sent them on an
13:49exploratory mission right
13:51so here’s what it says
13:54you can kind of throw into this he spit
13:56a grasshopper leg at them and then
13:58he said
14:00you brood of vipers translation you
14:05whose moms are snakes this is kind of
14:08how that gets translated not good PR
14:10okay who warns you to flee from the
14:14Wrath to come bear fruit in keeping with
14:17repentance and do not presume to say to
14:19yourselves we have Abraham as our Father
14:22for I tell you God is able from these
14:24stones to raise up children for Abraham
14:26and even now the ax is laid to the root
14:29of the trees every tree therefore that
14:31does not bear good fruit is cut down and
14:33thrown into the fire
14:39wow by the way that explains why we just
14:44read in the context why Jesus Withers
14:47the fig tree
14:49fig tree a tree not bearing any fruit he
14:52Withers it why that’s the visual Parable
14:56who are the trees without fruit oh it’s
14:59these religious guys these religious
15:02guys who who claim that they keep the
15:05law but you know what they don’t believe
15:06in Jesus
15:08they don’t trust him they don’t think
15:10they need their sins forgiven
15:12they’re not about to get in the waters
15:14of the Jordan with the prostitutes with
15:17the tax collectors are you kidding me
15:19we’re holier than that we have Abraham
15:22as our father and John the Baptist sees
15:24them for what they are hypocrites
15:27who cover their evil with religious
15:31piety and all the while it’s unbelief
15:34they don’t actually believe at all
15:37scary isn’t it they are trees that don’t
15:40have any fruit
15:42so every tree therefore that does not
15:43bear good fruit is cut down and thrown
15:45into the fire
15:47so there you go John the Baptist
15:50preaching there’s the context so Jesus
15:52asked this question there’s the
15:54Pharisees right he they’re not even at
15:57they’re not even at Square One these are
15:59the people who refuse to believe the
16:02message of John the Baptist they refuse
16:04to believe him that the Messiah was
16:05coming that the kingdom of heaven was at
16:07hand they refused to repent
16:09so jesus takes him back to square one
16:13okay with this little challenge question
16:14all right you guys want to know by what
16:16Authority well let me ask you a question
16:17okay
16:19John the Baptist
16:20his baptism was it from God
16:23or from man
16:26the Bible commentator Dr Paul krutzman
16:30writes it says Jesus’s question place
16:32them in a dilemma
16:34by what Authority John the Baptist had
16:36performed the work of his ministry and
16:38especially as Baptist baptizing they
16:40considered the matter very carefully
16:42among themselves they carefully weighed
16:44a possible answer which would not
16:47compromise them
16:49but there was only this alternative in
16:52one case they invited a censure of
16:54Christ why for not believing John
16:57on the other they well risked the hatred
16:59of the people oh you can’t have that see
17:01one of the things about religious power
17:03is it’s based upon the adulation of the
17:07people
17:08you don’t want to upset the people oh we
17:11can’t say he that was from man because
17:13the people would be upset in our
17:15approval ratings would plummet right
17:19so
17:23if John had Divine Authority for his
17:26baptism Paul krutzman continues there
17:29was no excuse for their opposition to
17:31him none if it truly was from God
17:33there’s no excuse their refusal to
17:36believe there’s no excuse for it on the
17:38other hand if they should dare to
17:39express their belief this is what they
17:42really believed that John the baptism’s
17:44baptism had no Divine Authority well the
17:46hatred of the people could easily have
17:47made it more than unpleasant for them so
17:51the religious leaders they preferred to
17:54give no answer at all thereby absolving
17:57Jesus from the necessity of answering
17:59their question close quote
18:03hmm
18:04wow
18:06if they had to admit that John had
18:08Divine Authority how much more did the
18:10teaching the miracles of Jesus that he
18:12had just performed in their presence
18:15gave sight to the blind healed the lame
18:17in the temple day one right how much
18:19more did the teaching and the Miracles
18:21of Jesus argue for his being sent by God
18:24himself
18:26They Knew by whose authority Jesus was
18:28acting who else but God can give the
18:32ability to somebody who’s lame to walk
18:35who else but God can give sight to the
18:37blind
18:38in other words their unbelief
18:41the Pharisees on belief it’s rank
18:43immorality it’s a Breaking of the first
18:46table of the law you will have no other
18:47gods before me there’s the one true God
18:50in human flesh and you don’t believe
18:53what’s your God then
18:55your piety yourself your power your
18:58money what is it
18:59sure isn’t God
19:03but here’s the thing unbelievers cannot
19:05deny the evidence of scripture
19:08and yet they don’t want to accept the
19:10truth
19:11so therefore unbelievers lies evasions
19:15excuses
19:17slander
19:18these are their only weapons this is
19:21what they’re reduced to that you don’t
19:22want to believe the truth the only thing
19:24you’ve got left is to tell lies and
19:26that’s what these guys do
19:27right
19:29so the text continues so they discussed
19:31it among themselves and said well if we
19:32say it’s from Heaven he’ll ask why
19:34didn’t you believe him
19:36but if we say it’s for men which is what
19:38they believed we’re afraid of the people
19:40for thou hold that John was a prophet
19:43so they answered we don’t know and they
19:45said neither will I tell you by what
19:46Authority I’m doing these things and
19:48then comes the parable
19:50what do you think there was a man who
19:52had two sons he went to the first and
19:54said Son go and work today in the
19:56vineyard I will not he answered
19:59but later he changed his mind and went
20:01now notice according to Jesus’s own
20:03explanation of the parable the son who
20:05says I will not
20:08that’s like the tax collectors
20:11that’s like the prostitutes
20:13I will not
20:16but later changed his mind changed his
20:18mind repented that’s what that means
20:20later he repented and went
20:24then the father went to the other son
20:26and said the same thing he answered I
20:28will sir
20:29but he did not go which of the two did
20:32what his father wanted the first they
20:34answered
20:35so both sons both of them they were
20:39approached with the same questions same
20:41words one piously said sure Dad I’ll go
20:45and work
20:47but in spite of his apparent eagerness
20:49and politeness
20:52he set aside both his father’s Authority
20:54and his duty to obey as a son
20:58all cloaked and sure Dad
21:01the other who’s rude
21:04and kind of in the father’s face
21:07upon second thought he went and worked
21:09for his father but this kind of begs the
21:11question here because we want to make
21:12this clear we’re not saved by our works
21:15in the Gospel of John chapter 6 verses
21:1728 and 29 here’s what it says so then
21:19they came to Jesus and said what must we
21:21do to be doing the works of God what
21:25must we be doing to do the works of God
21:27Jesus answered this is the work of God
21:31that you believe in him whom he has sent
21:36it’s the work of God
21:38all other works
21:41serving your neighbor and piety true
21:44piety they all flow from belief
21:47without faith it’s impossible to please
21:49God Hebrews 11 says right
21:53so what’s the work of God to believe and
21:56this is what Jesus is getting to the
21:57point at here and this is what he’s
21:59pointing to their rank unbelief this is
22:01the problem of these religious leaders
22:02religious leaders they don’t believe
22:05it seems oxymoronic does it not you’re a
22:08religious leader and you don’t believe
22:10the two should not mix right
22:15what must we be doing to do the works of
22:17God believe in the one whom the father
22:19has sent back to the text
22:21so then the apparable ends this way
22:23Jesus said to them I tell you the truth
22:25the tax collectors
22:27the prostitutes
22:29they’re entering the kingdom of God
22:30ahead of you
22:32what a slap in the face
22:35the tax collectors and the prostitutes
22:37are the ones whom the Pharisees and the
22:39religious leaders had thrown out of the
22:41synagogue
22:44and they believed they believed the
22:47message of John the Baptist about the
22:49coming Messiah they believed and they
22:51confessed their sins
22:53they believed and they were baptized
22:57the Pharisees needed that Jesus’s
22:59forgiveness every bit as much as any tax
23:01collector or prostitute ever did
23:04and they persisted in unbelief
23:11so there’s the slap the tax collectors
23:13and the prostitutes they’re coming into
23:15the kingdom
23:16ahead of you and even after you saw this
23:19you did not repent and believe John the
23:22Baptist
23:23so by what Authority is Jesus doing
23:26these things well he’s doing these
23:28things by the authority of the father
23:30and by the authority of the fact that
23:31he’s God the son in human flesh let me
23:34remind you what it says in the gospel of
23:36Mark chapter 2. this is worth you know
23:39kind of the first signs of what Jesus
23:41really truly has the authority to do it
23:43says this when he Jesus returned to
23:46Capernaum after some days it was
23:48reported that he was at home and many
23:49were gathered together so that there was
23:51no room no more room not even at his
23:53door and he was preaching the word to
23:55them and they came bringing to him a
23:57paralytic carried by four men and when
23:59they could not get near him because of
24:01the crowd they removed the roof above
24:04him and when they had made an opening
24:05they let down the bed on which the
24:07paralytic lay and when Jesus saw their
24:10faith he said to the paralytic son your
24:14sins are forgiven
24:17some of the scribes sitting there
24:19questioning in their hearts why does
24:21this man speak like this he’s
24:22blaspheming who can forgive sins except
24:24for God alone and immediately Jesus
24:26perceiving in his Spirit what they thus
24:29questioned within themselves he said to
24:30them why do you question these things in
24:32your hearts which is easier to say to
24:34the paralytic your sins are forgiven or
24:37to say rise and take up your bed and
24:38walk
24:39but so that you may know so that you may
24:43know that the son of man has Authority
24:46on Earth to forgive sins he said to the
24:50paralytic I say to you rise pick up your
24:53bed and go home and he rose and
24:55immediately picked up his bed and went
24:57out before them all so that they were
24:59all amazed and glorified God saying we
25:01have never seen anything like this
25:04that’s right Jesus has the authority to
25:08forgive sins that’s what he has the
25:10authority to do and remember Matthew 28
25:13the Great Commission here’s what it says
25:15and when they saw him Jesus after the
25:17resurrection they worshiped him but some
25:19doubted Jesus said to them all authority
25:21in heaven on Earth has been given to me
25:23all authority
25:25Jesus has it all now
25:27died and rose again he has all authority
25:30there isn’t a single ruler on the planet
25:34in the kingdoms of men
25:36that has not been signed off on by Jesus
25:40all authority has been given to me
25:43so go therefore and here’s what he tells
25:46us to do Make Disciples of all Nations
25:48baptizing baptizing what’s baptism for
25:50it’s for the Forgiveness of sins the
25:52Apostle Peter says in Acts chapter 2
25:54baptizing them in the name of the father
25:56son of the Holy Spirit and teach teach
25:58them to observe all that I have
26:00commanded you
26:01the whole time with you always even at
26:03the End of the Age
26:05so Jesus has all authority he has the
26:07authority to forgive sins to absolve
26:09sinners
26:11he’s given me the authority to declare
26:13to you that you’re forgiven and to
26:15preach his word only his word only the
26:17things that he’s commanded this is what
26:19I have the authority to do
26:21and all of this for this reason
26:23that like the tax collectors and the
26:26prostitutes
26:28you will believe and by believing be
26:30forgiven and by being forgiven have life
26:34eternal
26:35Jesus has the authority to give you
26:37eternal life and I’m here to declare to
26:40you you Christians you have it already
26:43in Jesus in his name amen
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