DAILY MANNA SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2023 AUTHORITY OF JESUS

 

KEY VERSE: “And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?” (Mark 11:28).

TEXT: MARK 11:27-33

Oscar Wilde, the famous author, was once quoted as saying, “Wherever there is a man who exercises authority, there is a man who resists authority”. His observation proved true in our passage for reading today. The religious leaders found Jesus exercising authority in Jerusalem, and did not like it. 

 

Contrary to the expectation of the chief priests and the Pharisees, Jesus had become a popular leader in Jewry. The miracles He performed were legendary and His sermons and teachings were unparalleled. He had simplified His messages through the use of parables, so that the people “were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak” (Mark 7:37). He had earlier cleansed the temple and pronounced a curse on the fig tree. He did not belong to any previous school of thought; no known Rabbi associated with Him; yet, He was doing wonders by the day.

 

By asking for the authority of Jesus, the chief priests and others were actually looking for an opportunity to trap Him. He did not fall into their temptation. Instead, He asked them questions they could not answer. When they failed to answer His question concerning the authority of John, He refused to tell them the source of His own authority too. 

 

Many ignorant individuals are still querying the authority of Jesus today. At a time when fear or worries made John the Baptist to waver on his earlier confession of Jesus, the Lord sent a simple message back to him to affirm His authority in Luke 7:22. That is the authority of Jesus; and what He did for others, He will do for you too, if you ask for His help.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: The Lordship of Jesus over all is not in dispute — it is settled.

THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: SONG 1 – 4

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