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LECTURE LXXIII.

AUTHORITY OF JESUS QUESTIONED.

MARK XI. 27-33.

27. And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

28. And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

Jesus had exercised authority which the chief priests and elders did not wish to acknowledge: he had cleared the temple of those who ought not to have intruded there. Earlier in his ministry he had done the same; and they had then made the same inquiry, "What sign showest thou, that thou doest these things?" 1 At that time he answered them by a prophecy, which, when it came to be accomplished, would be an indisputable sign of his authority. "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up :”—alluding to "the temple of his body." His reply now was of another kind. He did not reason as he had reasoned with them on a former occasion, declaring that He and his Father were one: he did not assert that his Father's house was his house, and he 1 John ii. 13—20.

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was entitled to order it as he chose. This might have provoked them to repeat the violence which they had before attempted, when they "took up stones to stone him," on the charge that "being a man, he made himself God." It was not so that his decease was to be accomplished, and at that time he used his divine power, and "escaped out of their hands." Now he defeated their malice in a different

manner.

29. And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30. The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?

answer me.

The baptism of John, was his ministry: the description of his ministry is, that he "went into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." Now this he did, either from heaven, or of men. He either set out upon his own authority, calling upon all to repent, for a new æra was approaching, the kingdom of heaven was at hand: or that was true which he asserted, that "the word of God came unto him," and impelled him to fulfil the prophecy to become "the voice crying in the wilderness," which should "prepare the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight."

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But John had been careful, throughout his ministry, to withdraw the attention of the people from himself, and direct it to "one who should come after him." And when he saw "Jesus coming unto him,

2 John x. 29-39.

3 Luke iii. 3-5.

he said, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said,

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After me cometh one who is preferred before me; for he was before me. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.”

John therefore had borne clear testimony that Jesus was the Son of God whom they were bound to hear. But these persons did not receive his testimony. By refusing it, they implied that his baptism, his ministry, was of men, and not from heaven: for if it was from heaven, if he taught and acted by the commandment of God, why did they not believe him, when he pointed to Jesus as the Messiah who was to come?

The chief priests therefore, and scribes, and elders, were reduced to a strait. They could not venture to oppose the popular opinion, and deny John's divine commission: for all counted John as a prophet. Yet they could not consistently acknowledge that he was sent of God, and spoke from heaven, because he bore witness of Jesus, and they did not believe him, but were acting in contradiction to his words. " Therefore they were forced to evade the question altogether.

31. And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

32. But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

John i. 29-34.

John v. 32.

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33. And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

To all who could be persuaded, to all whose minds were not obstinately closed against the truth, the authority of Jesus had been sufficiently shown before, so that even Nicodemus, "one of themselves," had acknowledged him to be "a teacher sent from God." 6 Further to prove it, would be to "cast pearls before swine." What they wanted, was not evidence to convince, but hearts to believe. For how could he have satisfied them more fully? What more could he have done to exhibit his commission from God? His miracles had proved it; but they refused to admit that evidence. His doctrines proved it; for he taught as one having authority:" but they set the proof aside, alleging, "Out of Galilee cometh no prophet." John's testimony had declared it; and as they acknowledged the baptism of John to be from heaven, they should have admitted his testimony. Self-convicted therefore, they were silent: and Justified the awful sentence, "A wicked and perverse generation seeketh after a sign; but there shall no sign be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonas."7

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We likewise have sufficient proof,-nay we doubt not, like the chief priests and elders, but confess, that Jesus was the Son of God, and by that authority did these things. Let us take heed, that we be not barren nor unfruitful in this knowledge and confes

6 John iii. ).

7 Matt. xvi. 4.

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There are many who might be justly asked a trying question; The gospel of Christ, was it from heaven, or of men? If they were to say, of men, they would contradict their inward conviction. they should say, from heaven, why do they not believe him? Why do they not live, as if He, and he alone, were "the author of eternal life;" and that he is the author of eternal life to those only, "who obey him?”8 "For not every one that saith unto him, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of his Father which is in heaven." "

LECTURE LXXIV.

PARABLE OF THE REBELLIOUS HUSBANDMEN.

Mark xii. 1—12.

1. And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.

2. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

3. And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

4. And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.

8
• Heb. v. 9.

9 Matt. vii. 21.

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