The One Year Bible Club with Teaching
Commentary by Nick Boork
March 4
Mark 11:27-12:17
Commentary by Nick Boork
March 4
Mark 11:27-12:17
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March 4 - Mark 11:27-12:17
Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. 28 And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?” 29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 30 The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.” 31 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From men’”—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. 33 So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
12 Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 2 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. 5 And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. 6 Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.
9 “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 11 This was the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” 12 And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away. 13 Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. 14 When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” 16 So they brought it. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at Him.
OKAY, HERE'S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
Let's look at Jesus authority being questioned. First, the word “Authority” in the Greek is: Exousia (Strongs 1849) and means: "leave or permission," or liberty of doing as one pleases, it passed to that of "the ability or strength with which one is endued," then to that of the "power of authority," the right to exercise power…
This is what was driving the religious leaders crazy about Jesus! He preached and acted like someone with authority and power. Jesus seemed to just do whatever He wanted without asking anyone permission! Why did the Chief Priests, the Scribes and Elders come to Jesus and ask: “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?” They asked Jesus these questions because Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a colt and thousands of people were praising him causing a citywide gathering like a national day parade! Jerusalem had never seen anything like this. The next day, Jesus boldly entered the Temple and began to drive out all the money changers and those selling doves. Jesus was coming back in the Temple to teach the people that gathered the Word of God as his custom was.
The Chief Priests along with the scribes and elders comprised the Sanhedrin which was the religious and legal body of Jesus day. They had charge of the Temple. They thought to themselves; who does Jesus think he is to do all the things that he's doing! They confronted him and were seeking to discredit him in front of the crowd. They believed they alone had the authority of the Temple not Jesus. However, Jesus revealed where his authority came from when he cleansed the Temple. He said take these things out of here and don't make my father's house a house of merchandise!
When Jesus responded with a question of his own asking them; “The baptism of John was it from Heaven or from men” He wasn't trying to avoid their question. No, he was using the situation to turn the tables on them. Why? Because John the Baptist was considered by everyone a true prophet sent from God. John specifically acknowledged Jesus publicly as the Lamb of God, the Messiah, promised of God. So now these religious leaders were in a pickle. If they said John came from God then they knew Jesus would say why didn’t you believe his message. If they said he wasn't a true prophet then they would really be in trouble with the multitude because everyone considered John the Baptist a true prophet sent from God. So they answered Jesus question by saying; “We can't tell where John got his authority from.”
Since they would not even acknowledge John the Baptist as being sent from God neither would Jesus enter into a debate with them because they were not sincere seekers of truth. They only wanted to maintain power and control over the people and were envious and threatened by John the Baptist before he was beheaded in prison. Now multitudes believed in and were following Jesus Christ. They directly confronted Jesus about His authority thinking that the people would side with them as the official leaders of the temple but the whole thing backfired on them. Now, because they could not answer Jesus question about the baptism of John they looked like fools in the eye’s of the people. It’s safe to say that many in the crowd that day had listened to John preach and were baptized by him in water. They heard John preach about the coming Messiah and it’s probable that many heard John publicly acknowledge Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promise. Some, may actually have heard the voice of the Father saying audibly at Jesus baptism; “This is My beloved Son in Whom I AM well pleased.”
WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE?
1) Jesus authority came from God
2) Men can become antagonistic of those that God is using as they boldly preach and minister the Word of God publicly.
3) There are some things that we don't have to ask men permission for. One of them is publicly preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ already gave us the great commission and told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel and make disciples! This is something we just do as believers especially in the United States where we have freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of religion.
4) Don’t ask anyone permission for something God has already commanded us to do but don’t have an arrogant attitude either.
5) Avoid being unnecessarily offensive to anyone.
6) Learn to do the works of Jesus with humility and love for everyone.
Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. 28 And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?” 29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 30 The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.” 31 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From men’”—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. 33 So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
12 Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 2 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. 5 And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. 6 Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.
9 “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. 11 This was the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” 12 And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away. 13 Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. 14 When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” 16 So they brought it. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at Him.
OKAY, HERE'S MY TEACHING COMMENTARY
Let's look at Jesus authority being questioned. First, the word “Authority” in the Greek is: Exousia (Strongs 1849) and means: "leave or permission," or liberty of doing as one pleases, it passed to that of "the ability or strength with which one is endued," then to that of the "power of authority," the right to exercise power…
This is what was driving the religious leaders crazy about Jesus! He preached and acted like someone with authority and power. Jesus seemed to just do whatever He wanted without asking anyone permission! Why did the Chief Priests, the Scribes and Elders come to Jesus and ask: “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?” They asked Jesus these questions because Jesus came riding into Jerusalem on a colt and thousands of people were praising him causing a citywide gathering like a national day parade! Jerusalem had never seen anything like this. The next day, Jesus boldly entered the Temple and began to drive out all the money changers and those selling doves. Jesus was coming back in the Temple to teach the people that gathered the Word of God as his custom was.
The Chief Priests along with the scribes and elders comprised the Sanhedrin which was the religious and legal body of Jesus day. They had charge of the Temple. They thought to themselves; who does Jesus think he is to do all the things that he's doing! They confronted him and were seeking to discredit him in front of the crowd. They believed they alone had the authority of the Temple not Jesus. However, Jesus revealed where his authority came from when he cleansed the Temple. He said take these things out of here and don't make my father's house a house of merchandise!
When Jesus responded with a question of his own asking them; “The baptism of John was it from Heaven or from men” He wasn't trying to avoid their question. No, he was using the situation to turn the tables on them. Why? Because John the Baptist was considered by everyone a true prophet sent from God. John specifically acknowledged Jesus publicly as the Lamb of God, the Messiah, promised of God. So now these religious leaders were in a pickle. If they said John came from God then they knew Jesus would say why didn’t you believe his message. If they said he wasn't a true prophet then they would really be in trouble with the multitude because everyone considered John the Baptist a true prophet sent from God. So they answered Jesus question by saying; “We can't tell where John got his authority from.”
Since they would not even acknowledge John the Baptist as being sent from God neither would Jesus enter into a debate with them because they were not sincere seekers of truth. They only wanted to maintain power and control over the people and were envious and threatened by John the Baptist before he was beheaded in prison. Now multitudes believed in and were following Jesus Christ. They directly confronted Jesus about His authority thinking that the people would side with them as the official leaders of the temple but the whole thing backfired on them. Now, because they could not answer Jesus question about the baptism of John they looked like fools in the eye’s of the people. It’s safe to say that many in the crowd that day had listened to John preach and were baptized by him in water. They heard John preach about the coming Messiah and it’s probable that many heard John publicly acknowledge Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promise. Some, may actually have heard the voice of the Father saying audibly at Jesus baptism; “This is My beloved Son in Whom I AM well pleased.”
WHAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE?
1) Jesus authority came from God
2) Men can become antagonistic of those that God is using as they boldly preach and minister the Word of God publicly.
3) There are some things that we don't have to ask men permission for. One of them is publicly preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ! Jesus Christ already gave us the great commission and told us to go into all the world and preach the gospel and make disciples! This is something we just do as believers especially in the United States where we have freedom of speech, freedom of the press and freedom of religion.
4) Don’t ask anyone permission for something God has already commanded us to do but don’t have an arrogant attitude either.
5) Avoid being unnecessarily offensive to anyone.
6) Learn to do the works of Jesus with humility and love for everyone.
ORDINATION
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll
We provide Ministry Credentials and Ordination through Diamond Ministerial Association. Click to learn more and apply! http://www.diamondinstitute.org/ordination
ONLINE COURSES
For Bible courses and ministry resources see our online school Diamond Institute. Enroll free today and get access to our free and pay as you go courses. http://www.diamondinstitute.org/enroll