Bruce Judisch taught on Sunday, February 2. The video from that lesson, followed by the scripture, are below.
Questions about Authority
Luke 20:1-8; Luke 20:20-26
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vv. 1-8 – By What and by Whom?
v. 2 – By what and whose authority? What was the religious leaders’ motivation for asking Jesus this question? Was it a trick question?
v. 4 – By what and whose authority? What was Jesus’ motivation for asking the religious leaders this question? Was it a trick question?
How did Jesus’ question relate to the religious leaders’ question?
Why did he defer answering their question when they claimed ignorance of the answer to his?
How did Jesus accuse them through this answer?
vv. 20-26 – To What and to Whom?
v. 2 – To what and whose authority? What was the religious leaders’ motivation for asking Jesus this question? Was it a trick question?
v. 4 – To what and whose authority? What was Jesus’ motivation for asking the religious leaders this question? Was it a trick question?
How did Jesus regard human authority? For example, how did he answer Pilate’s claim to authority?
What does Paul have to say about human authority in Romans 13?
What do we do when we encounter tension between Divine and human mandates?
It has been the old practice of Satan’s agents and emissaries, to make a man an offender of a word, a word misplaced, or mistaken, or misunderstood; a word, though innocently designed, yet perverted by strained innuendos. There are two ways by which the enemies of Christ might be revenged on him, and be rid of him; either by law or by force. By law, they could not do it unless they could make him obnoxious to the civil government. By force they could not do it, unless they could make him obnoxious to the people, but the people took Christ for a Prophet, and therefore his enemies could not raise the mob against him. The design was, to bring him into such a dilemma, the he must make himself liable to the displeasure either of the Jewish multitude, or of the Roman magistrates; let him take which side of the question he will. So they will gain their point, and make his own tongue to fall upon him. – Matthew Henry
Have you ever faced this type of inquiry?
How do we recognize such a tactic being used against us?
How do we respond?
*******SCRIPTURE******
Luke 20:1-8
20 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2 “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”
3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: 4 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
5 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”
8 Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Luke 20:20-26
Paying Taxes to Caesar
20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.
the gathering of FBCSA 