It is indeed our song, our prayer, that we would hear God's teaching, that we would listen, that this would then be passed from generation to generation. We also know that there are patterns which sadly repeat themselves, patterns of forgetting what God had done and all the wonders he had shown. And we see this in our passage this morning. as Jesus again is confronted by and again gives answer to the religious leaders. Mark chapter 11, we will read verses 27 to 33, taking us to the end of Mark 11. And that also brings us, Lord willing, for this coming Good Friday to the parable of the tenants. Mark chapter 12 for Good Friday Evening. So our passage is, Mark, for who gave you this authority to do them? Jesus said to them, I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me. And they discussed it with one another, saying, if we say from heaven, he will say, why did you not believe him? But shall we say from man? They were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, we do not know. And Jesus said to them, neither will I tell you by what authority I do. these things. So far the reading, the grass withers, the flower fades, the word of our Lord endures forever. Dear congregation of our Lord Jesus Christ, there can be two persons discussing a subject and it becomes a subject of disagreement. And so one of these persons will make a claim. And the immediate response would be, well, says who? Where does the authority for that claim come from? Says who being the two word question which implies doubt in the statement just made. It calls into question the authority of what was just said. 2,000 years ago in Jerusalem, as Jesus is causing a stir, he has cleansed the temple, he has taught in the temple, so he returns again and Luke makes it clear that he was teaching from day to day in the temple. Jesus is causing this stir, he is giving this authoritative teaching and the religious leaders do not appreciate this. There is a disagreement, and this disagreement comes to a 2,000-year-old says-who question. Says-who taking the form of, who gave you this authority? Now in one sense, this question is a good one in the sense that this is a question we should all often ask. It's a question which should be asked of many, and many times, and in many places. But why is this question wrong here? Because they're asking it of one who is God on earth. They're asking it of one who has already answered this question in many ways. They have no excuse to ask it now. To ask it now, to ask it in this way, to ask it of the one who is Jesus is to ask a dishonest question. And so a good question becomes a dishonest question. For that which is good to ask at one time is wrong to ask of Jesus Christ at another time. And so Jesus gives an indirect answer to a crooked question, showing in the process that a wise answer can expose the dishonest heart. And so we'll look first at verses 27 to 30, the wiles and the wisdom. And then we'll look in verses 31 to 33 at the discussion and dilemma. Remember that this question has already been answered Perhaps most clearly we see that already in Mark Chapter 2. If you turn back with me to Mark Chapter 2 or if hearing it you remember this. It was some months ago now that we were in Mark 2. But what is the passage there about at the beginning of Mark Chapter 2? It's about the healing of the paralytic. But not only the healing of the paralytic, but also the declaration of authority. And so beginning at verse six, now some of the scribes were sitting there questioning in their hearts. So remember, this is not a new conflict. This is a years long conflict, the scribes and religious leaders always being present. They have no excuse. They have known. They have heard. For what did Jesus say on this day? They were questioned in their hearts. Why does this man speak like that? He is blasphemy. Who can forgive sins but God alone? And Jesus had declared, son, your sins are forgiven you in verse five. But what does Jesus say at the end of verse 8? Why do you question these things in your heart? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, your sins are forgiven, or to say, rise, take up your bed and walk? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. He said to the paralytic, arise, take up your bed and walk. You see, Jesus has already answered this question. He has already demonstrated that he has the authority to forgive sins, and he has done this to the scribes, to the religious authorities. And so when three of the main parties come to him, verse 27, the chief priests, the scribes, the elders, they have no excuse to ask this question. question. They should have already been worshipping Jesus and directing others to Him. Even if we just think of the last days, two or three days or however long it's been, Jesus, when he cleansed the temple, he didn't just do it and not explain why. Remember, he went to the scriptures and he said, look at the prophets. Look at how the prophets describe what this place should be and how you've turned it away from a house of prayer. You've turned it into a den of thieves. He was appealing to God's word. He is God on earth. He shows from God's word, from the Old Testament scriptures, how everything he does is right. and he's doing this under the proper authority, there is no excuse to ask this question. No excuse. It's a reminder, people of God, which we have often in scripture, that religious leaders are sometimes wrong. We have this often in scripture. Remember, one of the three parties here in verse 27 is the chief priests. priests in the line of Aaron. Well, what have we seen in the Old Testament? Let's just think of three examples. Do you remember Aaron and the golden calf in Exodus 32? Two lesser known examples, but we could think of Uriah in the days of Ahaz, 2 Kings chapter 16 describes how Ahaz sees the altars of pagan nations to their pagan gods. He thinks, wow, that looks really great. He comes back and tells Eurydice about it. What does Eurydice do? He tears down the altar and rearranges the vessels in the very specifically prescribed temple and goes along with the false worshipping ways of Ahaz. Other examples as well, we could think of Pasher, the chief priest in the days of the faithful prophet Jeremiah, who not only opposed Jeremiah, but had him beaten. We can read about that in Jeremiah 20. All of these were priests, just as the chief priests here confronting Jesus Christ, chief priests in the line of Aaron. Now Aaron is recorded as being repentant, but we see that ordained teachers are not infallible. They are not only followers, but also leaders of wrongdoing. It is the sad reality. And so the application is always this, faithful teachers are only to be heard insofar as they are faithful to the word of God. False teachers exist and must always be disobeyed, not followed. For they will question Jesus Christ himself, doing so in a twisted and tricky way. It's their intent to snare, it's their intent to confront. We see this so often and we see it again here. It's not an honest question, it's not a straightforward question. Jesus has already answered it. There's no reason to ask these things. And so in contrast to the wiles, to the trickery, the religious leaders, Jesus will demonstrate wisdom. Part of that demonstration of wisdom is that he does not give a straightforward answer to a crooked question. It doesn't deserve a straightforward answer. Remember also this, people of God, Jesus, he does teach, he does go out, but these things are always done in daylight. And there's a certain protection in Jesus and his disciples going out in daylight. They do not take unnecessary risks. Remember, those who know the gospels, that when Jesus is captured by the Sanhedrin, they do so under the cover of night. and they know where he is because Judas took the bribe of 30 pieces of silver to tell them. Jesus does not take unnecessary risks, even in these last days before his death. They go out during the day, Jesus is asked a crooked question with really the intent of trapping him, of being able to condemn him, and Jesus does not give a direct answer. It doesn't deserve a direct answer. Jesus is perfectly without sin. He is absolutely morally upright, and he shows here that when harm is intended, you do not need to give a straightforward answer. Now, Jesus does give an implied answer. What is the implication? Jesus associates himself with the authority of John the Baptist. This is what he does. because he asks them where John the Baptist's authority comes from, and he is clearly implying that his authority comes from the same kind of place. Now, this is not in exactly the same kind of way, but if we turn back to Mark chapter one, we know this. Well, where did the authority of Christ come from? Well, he is the son of God, and so the spirit the dove descends upon him, the voice of God speaks concerning that this is his son in whom he is well pleased, but it was the baptism of John the Baptist in verses 10 and 11. And where did John the Baptist get his authority from? Well, verse two of Mark chapter one says this, it is written in Isaiah the prophet, behold, I send my messenger. In other words, he was John the Baptist. He was one who was sent by heavenly authority. And the other gospels actually I describe that in more detail, how he was born, how he was called, we see in the Gospel of Luke, but even here in the shorter account of Mark. I send my messenger. Where was John the Baptist's authority from? His authority was from heaven. And what was his teaching? It was faithful teaching in accordance with the word of God, because what did he say? He declared and proclaimed repentance. Verse four, for the forgiveness of sins. And so the teaching of John the Baptist is really the same as, even though he points to Jesus Christ, he points to the Lamb of God, so he's not the same as Christ, but he preaches repentance, he points to Jesus, he teaches from heaven, he teaches with authority, which is faithful to the Word of God. You see, all these things, what does this come down to? What does this come down to? This comes down to this, to reject a faithful teacher, such as John the Baptist, who preaches forgiveness of sins and points to Jesus Christ, is the same as rejecting Jesus Christ himself. You see, in the same passage where we have another example of religious leaders sometimes being unfaithful and false, not worthy of being followed in any way, in the same passage, Jesus puts John the Baptist as parallel to him in this sense, that if you do not listen to John, if you do not recognize the authority of faithful preaching as being heavenly and that which must be obeyed, you are rejecting me. In this same passage where we have an example of false teaching which must be rejected, we have faithful teaching elevated to the highest order. Do you see that? Disregard false teaching Pharisees, for they will look at Jesus Christ in the face and reject Him right before their eyes. Here, faithful teaching. Here, faithful teaching, because to reject faithful teaching is to reject Jesus Himself. Both extremes are evident before us in this text. They have asked a good question, but they have asked it in the wrong way. The one before them is the son of God. He has already demonstrated His authority even to forgive sins. Look to Him and hear faithful teachers who preach repentance and point to Him. Turn away from your sins. Turn to Jesus Christ in whom there is life, in whom there is real authority. Indeed, from the first chapter, it has been evident, what? That Jesus, chapter one, verse 22, well, one, verse 21, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority. And so that wise question exposing The dishonest trickery and wiles of the religious leaders brings us to our second point. It makes them huddle together. How can we answer this question? What can we do? If we say from heaven, Well, then we're validating John the Baptist and validating Jesus because John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and we don't want to publicly validate Jesus. We hate Jesus. So we can't say that. They can't say that because they didn't want to believe that. They knew that was true. Jesus had demonstrated that was true. but in their unbelief and blindness they refuse to say it, to acknowledge it. So they refuse to say if heaven. What about the wrong answer which they desire to say? They really want to say from man. That's what they want to say. But why do they not say from man? The thought is too horrible to finish. You see that at the beginning of verse 32? They don't even finish the thought. Luke, in Luke chapter 20, does finish the thought in Luke 20 verse 6. If we say from man, all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet. They want to say from man. but they're too afraid of the people to say it. So they choose to say no answer at all. We do not know. Do you see the dishonesty and the irony? Those who are asking Jesus where his authority comes from, what is being exposed? Where does the Pharisee's authority come from? The authority of the Pharisees is the people. It's the people. It's their own blindness to not say the right answer and the authority of the people which refrains them from saying the answer they want to say. Their authority is themselves and the crowd and that's it. They're asking Jesus about where his authority comes from and Jesus is exposing that their authority has nothing to do with the Word of God. It's what they are willing to say and what the people allow them to say. They're slaves of the people and of their own blindness. Do you see that? Do you see the irony of that? They dare to question Jesus about His authority, and Jesus exposes their hearts, which are subjects to the people. This reminds us of Matthew 23, does it not? That they were those who cared about what other people thought, and not about what God thought. Matthew chapter 23 says it this way, beginning at verse 5. They do all their deeds to be seen by others, for they and make their phalantries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts, and the best seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the marketplaces, and being called rabbi by others. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher and you are all brothers. Who's the one teacher who they should have listened to? God. And to receive Jesus Christ was to receive the one who sent him, God. And they call no man your father on earth, for you have one father who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be a servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. See, Jesus says it explicitly there. You care about the people and you deny the authority of God and God's Son. That phrase, don't be a Pharisee, so often used incorrectly. We see another example of that here, don't we? Some people say, don't be a Pharisee. When you would see how the culture is going, and you would say, well, this is not according to God's word. We cannot follow the crowd of the culture, we must go to God's word. And then they would say, well, don't be a Pharisee, you're taking the law too seriously. No, to be a Pharisee is to add laws that aren't there That is to be a Pharisee, or to follow the crowd. That's to be a Pharisee. Do you see how if someone says, you're being such a Pharisee, you're taking the law so seriously, why don't you just follow the crowd? That's not how they say it, of course, but that's what's intended. Just go with the culture, just go with it, man. That's the actual Pharisaical attitude. to either add laws which are not there or to follow the crowd, to be man-pleasers. That's what we see here. Now, in this case, being afraid of the crowd saves the religious leaders from saying the wrong answer out loud, right? Because they want to say that the authority of John the Baptist and the authority of Jesus Christ is for man. They want to say that in this case, Following the crowd actually saves him from saying the wrong answer out loud. Because the crowd is correct here. John the Baptist really was a prophet. His authority really was from heaven. The authority of Jesus Christ really is from heaven. He himself is from heaven. But usually it's the other way around. Usually the apostle has to give a warning against false teachers who will preach false doctrines because they want to itch the ears of eager hearers of false teaching. So what is this? It's another reminder that false listeners will have false teachers, while true listeners can even refrain false teachers. Sometimes, true hearers can do even more than refrain false teaching. And accounts of the conversion of Abraham Kuyper is not complete without referencing faithful parishioners in his first charge of ministry in the late 1800s, the giant of Reformed theology who later became the Prime Minister of the Netherlands. What is an account of Abraham Kuyper's conversion? It's not complete without recognizing that when he came from the Christless, modern seminary, his seminary where he stood up with his classmates and applauded his professor who said, Jesus Christ didn't really rise from the dead. He came from that false, modern, Christless seminary. He came to this small town. He was preaching. And the faithful parishioners said, we don't want anything to do with this Christless preaching. We don't even want you to visit our homes. And there were other factors as well, but that was a factor in the conversion of a young minister, who then became one of the giants of defending the Reformed faith. False listeners will receive false teachers. True listeners can refrain and sometimes even bring to faithfulness those who would otherwise rejoice in falsehood. And this question of authority, it is a good question. Let's come back to that. It's good to ask says who when you're not asking it of Christ who has already answered. Where does this authority come from? Remember, we just considered Colossians Chapter two, last week, there are many wrong answers. There's only one divine Christ. There are many moral theories out there. Kantian theory, coming from Immanuel Kant, it says right and wrong is determined by rationalism. Well, really, every moral theory is determined by rationalism, but in that philosophy, it's included in the definition. Why is that? because others might say, well, morality comes from rights-based, natural law, we're human and therefore we have this right and wrong. Well, whether it's Kantian or natural law or utilitarianism or contractarianism, all these big words, what do they all come down to? It's all at some level man deciding what's right and wrong. That's what it comes down to in the end. whether that's included in the definition or not. Because who determines what the natural law is? And what natural law is saying is right or wrong? What human rationalism is deciding the right or wrong? Or what social contract gets to determine what's right or wrong? Is that at a local level, at a national level, at a world level? How do you enforce that? One of those big words I said, utilitarianism, what's that? It's when right and wrong is supposedly determined by that which brings the greatest happiness to the largest number of people. What does that mean? Who decides what that means? And why is that good? Isn't that not a good thing for the minority? But it all comes down to this. It's all theories where when you say says who, the answer is, well, man. in this way or in that way, but man, man's thoughts, man's attitudes, man's rationalism in this way or another. Ask the question says who? Ask it again and ask it again and then ask how it can possibly be enforced and what you will find every single time is that there is no satisfactory answer apart from Christ. None. It cannot be found. Ask the question. Upon whose authority? And know that only Christ can answer this. And He has said that. He has declared it openly. Given you his word on no uncertain terms shown that he is the one who can forgive sins and that this is done through believing in him, trusting in him, his work on the cross which removes sins. All of these things and so it comes down to this. Ask the question and know that the answer is found in Christ alone. He is the only true authority. He is the only ultimate authority. He's the only King of Kings and Lord of Lords. It's Palm Sunday. We were at the triumphal entry only some weeks ago, so we're considering that in a little bit different way tonight with Revelation 19. And that's part of that text. King of Kings, Lord of Lords, who will come and demonstrate that to all. You question his authority, you say with the Pharisees, I don't know, there's a day coming when you will know. Know it, believe it, look in him, trust him, question everyone except for him who has already given you the answer. Amen.