#1300 Matthew 21 Part 3 No Answer

 

And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. Matthew 21: 23-32 ESV

Matthew 21: 23-32

…17When they saw Him, they worshiped Him, but some doubted. 18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit,… Matthew 28: 17-19

By what authority are you doing these things - Who are You, where did you come from, how do you do these things? Are You a true prophet?

And who gave You this authority - Which of the Scribes would agree with what you just did, who on the High Court of the Sanhedrin approved Your going into the temple and interrupting their commerce? Who told You that the temple needed to be cleansed? We were fine with the temple, with the extortion, the bribes, the money changers, Rome is the real problem. Jesus pointed out a lot of things that they were fine with, and that God had deemed abominable, so for this they really hate Him. When the prophets came they came on behalf of God to speak to His people, to expose the false prophets, reaffirm God's hatred of sin, His dissatisfaction with human works, false religion, checking boxes. They preached repentance, change of heart, turning from empty deeds, human effort and pride. Jesus is teaching all these same things plus performing countless miracles, but with these it only seems to make their hearts harder.

…51You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. 52Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— 53you who received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”… Acts 7: 51-53

The baptism of John, where did it come from - They came to drop mics, but now Jesus drops a bomb. He gives them the opportunity to answer their own question, but they don't want to do this for fear of losing their narrative. These Pharisees are such politicians, not concerned with the truth, and they know that the people think John was a prophet, but to say that indicts them. It opens up a huge can of worms, because John also didn't flatter them, He baptized Jesus, and described Him as before him though He came after, what is all that? Israel hasn't had a prophet like John in some 400 years. Answering who John is will tell you Who Christ is, if John is the prophet mentioned in Isaiah then he is the messenger, the herald before the King. If John is God's spokesman then Jesus is the Messiah.

…2“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her forced labor has been completed; her iniquity has been pardoned. For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins.” 3A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert. 4Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low; the uneven ground will become smooth, and the rugged land a plain.… Isaiah 40: 2-4

1“Behold, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple—the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight—see, He is coming,” says the LORD of Hosts. 2But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap. 3And He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver. Then they will present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.… Malachi 3: 1-3

14The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’” 16From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace.… John 1: 14-16

We do not know - Well then what can you possibly accuse either of? If Jesus says He is from God, backs it up with miracles, with the spirit of reform back to the Scriptures and their original intent, then how is it that not an answer from authority? Can you heal, can you raise people from the dead, have you told the sea to be still, fed 5,000 and then 4,000? Where does power like that come from, is God not sovereign? If you don't know then you shouldn't speak ill, you have to go by His words and His actions.

…10“You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and you do not understand these things? 11Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony. 12If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?… John 3: 10-12

And look at what Nicodemus says before Jesus' answer:

1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs You are doing if God were not with him.” 3Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”… John 3: 1-3

Afterward he changed his mind and went - Someone who decides not to do what God says, but to chase their own way, wanting the illusion of human autonomy, they reject the Father's instruction. This same person, much like the prodigal son, later realizes their error, changes their mind, turns around and does what the Father asked. In other words, they repent. 

I go Sir, but did not go - He paid lip services, yes sir, yes mam, but didn't do what he was told to do. He is as much in sin as the first, yet not only doesn't repent, but believes that he is righteous for his words. 

…12Or if the scroll is handed to one unable to read, he will say, “I cannot read.” 13Therefore the Lord said: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. Their worship of Me is but rules taught by men. 14Therefore I will again confound these people with wonder upon wonder. The wisdom of the wise will vanish, and the intelligence of the intelligent will be hidden.”… Isaiah 29: 12-14

Which of these two did the will of his Father - Somehow they felt safer answering this, a parable, not using direct names or instances. They enjoyed conversation, debate, and this seemed more anecdotal. 

The first - The one that refused but then had a change of heart and obeyed. Bravo, you got that right, but you also indicted yourselves. John's message was one of repentance, and you have worked hard at confounding God's actual law, and making up your own. You have been adulterers, greedy, allowed God to be dishonored among the nations by saying yes, we are of God, yet you desecrate His temple. 

…38But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash before the meal. 39 “Now then,” said the Lord, “you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40You fools! Did not the One who made the outside make the inside as well?… Luke 11: 38-40

The tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him - God hates sin, and John came preaching repentance of sin. Through baptism he taught that they were unclean and needed to be washed; the prostitutes came, but the Scribes and Pharisees didn't believe they needed to. Theirs was a grosser sin, that of self righteousness, denying the verdict of God, hardening their hearts against Him, yet telling others they were right with Him. They were religious and that is all, their hearts remained unmoved. 

…31Jesus answered, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” Luke 5: 31-32