Mar 11:27 | KingComments | STEP | While the disciples are being taught by the Lord to pray in faith, they come again to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem He goes again into the temple, His house, the house of His Father, and walks around there. There the religious leaders and rulers of the people come to Him. Because He has come to His temple in humility, they do not realize that they are approaching Him Whose glory fills the temple. He takes the central place in it, it is only about Him. He gives teachings, temple teachings, in the last days of His life on earth before the cross. He does so in response to questions from His adversaries. The first question concerns His authority. This question is of great significance, also when it comes to what is His house today. To understand something of God’s thoughts about His house, the church, the temple of the living God, we will first have to acknowledge His authority. Furthermore, the question makes it clear that they do not intend to acknowledge His authority. The leaders dare to ask Him about His authority. How many times have they noticed that He does everything by virtue of the authority that is His own as the heavenly Lord Who came to His people as Messiah. Their questioning of His authority is as foolish as asking the sun on what authority it shines. Their question proves that there is room in the temple for everything and everyone except for Him to Whom alone the temple belongs. And if there is anyone who has given Him that authority, it is His Father in heaven. He acts only by order of and in agreement with Him. The Lord does not answer the question. That makes no sense. There is nothing to make clear to people who do not want to see except their nonsense. That is why He responds with a counter-question and commands them to answer Him. If they answer His question, He will answer them on what authority He does everything. His question relates to His predecessor, John the baptist. John referred to Him as the One Who came after him, but Who was also before him. John testified that he himself was not the Messiah ( ), but that the Messiah was among them, and that therefore he baptized with water ( ). If their question was sincere, they had to admit that John’s baptism was from heaven and related to Him Who had come from heaven. Thus the Lord directs His words to their conscience. If He has asked His question, He commands them to answer His question again. His question reveals both their incompetence and their insincerity. They know that they must answer “from heaven,” but in their wickedness they discuss what He would rightly answer. They don’t want to hear that, however, because if they still reject Him, they expose themselves in their unbelief, which would cause them to lose prestige among the people. They do not want to give the alternative answer ‘from men’ either. If they would give that answer, the crowd would protest. That answer would mean that they would deny the service of John, and the crowd was so impressed by that service. Then too, they would lose the favor of the people. And they don’t want to because they seek the honor of men. The most sensible answer seems to say they don’t know. Their answer shows how hollow and empty man’s wisdom is in the presence of God and His wisdom. By their answer they declare their complete ignorance of the things of God. With hypocrites the Lord does not want to get involved. He gives them no answer to their question. If we don’t start by acknowledging what is in heaven, His authority, we don’t have to think that we are learning something of the Lord’s teaching. Only those who acknowledge Him in His rights over His house will gain insight into His thoughts about His house.

‏ Mark 11:27

Question About the Authority of the Lord

While the disciples are being taught by the Lord to pray in faith, they come again to Jerusalem. In Jerusalem He goes again into the temple, His house, the house of His Father, and walks around there. There the religious leaders and rulers of the people come to Him. Because He has come to His temple in humility, they do not realize that they are approaching Him Whose glory fills the temple. He takes the central place in it, it is only about Him.

He gives teachings, temple teachings, in the last days of His life on earth before the cross. He does so in response to questions from His adversaries. The first question concerns His authority. This question is of great significance, also when it comes to what is His house today. To understand something of God’s thoughts about His house, the church, the temple of the living God, we will first have to acknowledge His authority. Furthermore, the question makes it clear that they do not intend to acknowledge His authority.

The leaders dare to ask Him about His authority. How many times have they noticed that He does everything by virtue of the authority that is His own as the heavenly Lord Who came to His people as Messiah. Their questioning of His authority is as foolish as asking the sun on what authority it shines. Their question proves that there is room in the temple for everything and everyone except for Him to Whom alone the temple belongs. And if there is anyone who has given Him that authority, it is His Father in heaven. He acts only by order of and in agreement with Him.

The Lord does not answer the question. That makes no sense. There is nothing to make clear to people who do not want to see except their nonsense. That is why He responds with a counter-question and commands them to answer Him. If they answer His question, He will answer them on what authority He does everything.

His question relates to His predecessor, John the baptist. John referred to Him as the One Who came after him, but Who was also before him. John testified that he himself was not the Messiah (Jn 1:20), but that the Messiah was among them, and that therefore he baptized with water (Jn 1:26). If their question was sincere, they had to admit that John’s baptism was from heaven and related to Him Who had come from heaven. Thus the Lord directs His words to their conscience. If He has asked His question, He commands them to answer His question again.

His question reveals both their incompetence and their insincerity. They know that they must answer “from heaven,” but in their wickedness they discuss what He would rightly answer. They don’t want to hear that, however, because if they still reject Him, they expose themselves in their unbelief, which would cause them to lose prestige among the people.

They do not want to give the alternative answer ‘from men’ either. If they would give that answer, the crowd would protest. That answer would mean that they would deny the service of John, and the crowd was so impressed by that service. Then too, they would lose the favor of the people. And they don’t want to because they seek the honor of men.

The most sensible answer seems to say they don’t know. Their answer shows how hollow and empty man’s wisdom is in the presence of God and His wisdom. By their answer they declare their complete ignorance of the things of God. With hypocrites the Lord does not want to get involved. He gives them no answer to their question.

If we don’t start by acknowledging what is in heaven, His authority, we don’t have to think that we are learning something of the Lord’s teaching. Only those who acknowledge Him in His rights over His house will gain insight into His thoughts about His house.