hotcoffee
New Member
Matthew 21:23 Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
24 Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 25 John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’—we are afraid of the people, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Then he said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
When I was a child I thought of these chief priests and elders as inquisitive as well as ignorant. When I was a child I didn't see the harm in asking Jesus where His authority came from. After all, if they didn't ask about God, how were they supposed to learn. Jesus of course knows everything.
As a teen I though of these chief priests and elders as arrogant. They seem to have all the answers and they seem to be trying their hand at lording that knowledge over Jesus. Jesus of course knows everything.
As an adult I considered these chief priests and elders to be rude and even afraid. They seem to have all been afraid of loosing their positions and titles. Jesus of course knows everything.
Now, after studying Daniel before looking at the last week before the crucifixion, I see them as ruthless politicians rather than chief priests and elders. They were appointed to their position by a government based on the amount of bribe money or who they knew rather than being called to serve in the position by God. Jesus of course knows everything.
They want to stop Jesus because Jesus knows everything.
