Monday
Matt. 21:14-16, 23-46
The next day, after Jesus cleansed the temple He returned:
"Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said,
He insulted them the day before by turning over far more than just their tables. What gave Him the right to interfere with their temple business like that? Who is this man, that He should insult them and their religion? Going deeper, look back to immediately after He cleansed the temple. "Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them." Right there in front of them He healed many people. When was the last time one of them had miraculously healed someone? Jesus demonstrated an authority and an authenticity they did not have. When they asked, "By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave you this authority?" The answer is 'Who else but God? The Pharisee Nicodemus recognized where His authority came from. He came to Jesus at night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher that comes from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." John 3:2 Sadly, the other Pharisee's missed their long awaited Messiah, the Son of God.
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| Jesus Heals a Blind Man - Eustache Le Sueur |
These leaders were looking toward the coming of Messiah, the Son of David, who would sit on His throne forever. They must have been thinking, "If Jesus was Him why did He not arise out of their ranks? Why did this movement not start among them? Why does He insult them?" They studied the scriptures and should have known who Jesus was by what He did. The miraculous SIGNS that Jesus performed were proof that that He was Messiah.
Matthew chronicles the evidence of Jesus' authority beginning when He finished the Sermon on the Mount.
Authority to teach the people:
"And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them with authority, and not as the scribes." 7: 28, 29
A Roman Centurion recognized Jesus’ authority to heal:
He said,"...say the word, and my servant will be healed." When Jesus saw his faith He told him, "Assuredly... I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel." Matthew 8: 5-13
Authority over the wind and the waves:
"Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Matthew 8:27 Hmm, maybe the creator?
Authority to forgive sin:
"For which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you' or to say, 'Arise and walk?" Matthew 9: 1-8
Authority to raise the dead:
"My daughter has just died, but come and lay Your hands on her and she will live... He went in and took her by the hand, and the girl arose." Matthew 9: 18-26, also see Him raise Lazarus in John 11.
Authority to cast out demons:
"...If I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you." 12:22-30
By what authority? Some people brought a paralytic with them for Jesus to heal. When He saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son, your sins are forgiven." Some of the Scribes and Pharisee's began to reason, "Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?" Jesus replied, "Why do you question these things in your hearts? For which is easier to say, 'Your sins are forgiven' or to say, 'Rise and walk? But, that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" he then said to the paralytic "Rise, pick up your bed and go home." And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never say anything like this!" Matthew 9: 1-8, Mark 2:1-12, Luke 5:17-26
Jesus truly not only demonstrated His authority, He demonstrated who He is! Only God can do the things that He did.
The book of John gives us an insightful look at the Pharisees. They received news that Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead after he had been dead for four days. "Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, 'What shall we do? For this man works many signs. If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation... Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death... the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus." John 11:45-57, 12: 9-11 NKJ
The Jewish people have waited thousands of years for the Messiah to come. It was the great hope for the Jewish people, especially including the Pharisee's who knew all the Messianic prophesies. Yet, they admit "For this man works many signs." Did they not recognize their Messiah, or were they too compromised and afraid of the Romans to embrace their long awaited Messiah? Sadly this was a huge mistake.
What they did to prevent the Romans from taking away their nation and their place of leadership, was the very thing that brought the judgment of God upon them. The Romans destroyed lovely Jerusalem and the temple, then scattered the Israelites all over the known world. Luke captures Jesus' prophetic vision for the Jews, just before His Triumphant Entry into Jerusalem:
"...He went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem... ' Now as He drew near, He
saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'If only you had known, even
you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace!
But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you
when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and
close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within
you, to the ground; and they will not leave one stone upon another,
because you did not know the time of your visitation.' " Luke 19:28-44 NKJ
They were blind to their own fate. God came, He visited them and walked among them, yet they did not recognize Him. Who else has authority over demons, death, to heal sickness, to forgive sin, and even authority over the elements...the wind and the sea, but God Himself?
The other aspect that they missed was in the prophecies describing Messiah. His humility and His final mission to die on a cross to atone for our sins. See Psalms 22, Isaiah 53 and Zechariah 9:9. Wow they really missed the whole trajectory of God's plan over thousands of years. Yet they were supposed to be the learned ones.
*God also moved through Moses, Elijah and Elisha with miraculous authority.
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