23 When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” 24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.”
The Lord had entered Jerusalem with Messianic flourish. Then He had forced His will on the temple money-changers who, if truth be told, were under protection of the ruling religious parties. It should be no surprise that the authorities would be incensed by this. Such is the reaction of those who spurn God’s authority. The chief priests and elders were to be the people’s representatives to God, yet pride and arrogance prevented them from seeing or acknowledging that God was there in their very presence, as the Messiah.
These who were the highest religious authorities of the Jews demanded to know by what authority Jesus would dare take such liberties in the temple. The temple was their domain and His actions were an affront to their authority. We can’t help but hear the echo from the garden long prior to this event, when another dared to question God’s word over the issue of authority. Satan in Eden intoned, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” The question was not one of information gathering, but of insolence. The devil engaged in a power struggle over who had the right to command the allegiance of God’s image-bearing creation. The chief-priests likewise!
Their questioning was not like the gut-wrenching plea of Job, who in many words cried out, “Why is God causing me to suffer?” Neither was theirs the ignorant questioning of the prophet, “How long O Lord will I cry for help and you will not hear?” (Habakkuk 1:2). Nor even was this anywhere near the confused inquiry of Zechariah, the father of the soon-to-be-born John the Baptist, asking how he could be sure of God’s word through the angel (Luke 1:18). Asking questions of God is not wrong in itself—He in fact welcomes the honesty of searching hearts. But arrogant questioning that challenges God’s authority is never acceptable. With that kind of leadership, is it any wonder that the nation was about to reject her Messiah? The prophet foretold this, “Therefore the people wander like sheep, they are afflicted, because there is no shepherd. My anger is kindled against the shepherds…” (Zechariah10:2-3).
Jesus’ response? He will ask them a question and if they can answer it, He will answer theirs. Once again, the Lord takes command of the situation.
Lord, help me to honestly bring my questions to You, humbly seeking to understand, but not in arrogance challenging You.
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