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Jesus’ Interactions with the Religious Authorities

Throughout His ministry, Jesus faced opposition from the religious authorities. This group thought Jesus lacked authority and should not have been doing the things He was doing. They disagreed with virtually everything about Him and sought to reduce His influence.

Despite, this negativity from the Religious Authorities, Jesus was able to be a vessel of change (disrupter) within the structure He found Himself in, exemplified by the incident in the Temple. To do this, Jesus had authority with both God the Father and the people around Him.

Matthew 21:12 - Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.

We often have fantastical ideas about how we can change an existing structure or organization, but the truth is we often lack the authority to make such changes. We are then frustrated and, sometimes, respond negatively to those in authority within these structures.

Many times, we use Matthew 21 to incite people to be disrupters in culture and their churches, but one thing tends to be forgotten. This incident took place towards the end of Jesus’ ministry; it occurs in the twenty-first chapter of a book with twenty-eight chapters. So, we must keep in mind that, before Jesus went into the Temple to disrupt it, He already had a certain level of authority with both people and God. He already had a name worth following and the ability to set right what needed to be right in the Temple.

Matthew 21:14–15 - The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, ‘Praise God for the Son of David.’

The question then becomes how do we gain authority with God, which in turn leads to authority with people?

2 Timothy 2:15 - Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (KJV)

To gain authority and approval by God we need to study and immerse ourselves in the Bible. We know Jesus did this because He regularly quoted from the Hebrew Bible. It is easy to forget the Old Testament was not as accessible to people 2,000 years ago as it is to us now. Jesus did not have an app or a pocket-printed Bible. Yet He was able to memorize and quote verses from it freely. This must have taken hard work and many hours to learn. Although He is God, Jesus was a man and therefore had the very same experiences we have. If it is difficult for us to learn verses, it was difficult for Him. But He did it.

Hebrews 4:15 - This High Priest [Jesus] of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.

In this very passage, Jesus quotes directly from the Hebrew Bible twice.

Matthew 21:13 - He said to them, ‘The Scriptures declare, “My Temple will be called a house of prayer,” but you have turned it into a den of thieves!’

Isaiah 56:7 - I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer.

Jeremiah 7:11 - Don’t you yourselves admit that this Temple, which bears my name, has become a den of thieves? Surely, I see all the evil going on there. I, the Lord, have spoken!

Matthew 21:16 - They asked Jesus, ‘Do you hear what these children are saying?’ ‘Yes,’ Jesus replied. ‘Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, “You have taught children and infants to give you praise.”’

Psalm 8:2 - You have taught children and infants to tell of your strength [praise],[1] silencing your enemies and all who oppose you.

The Religious Leaders were unable to dispute Jesus’ words because He quoted directly from the Hebrew Bible. As Christian leaders, we should determine to develop our ability to rightly divide the word of truth, which in turn leads to authority with God and people. If we are hoping to bring about major changes to the wider Church or the world, we must have a solid foundation, rooted in the Word of God. Meaningful and lasting change will not come about if it is not grounded in the Scriptures.

Questions: Do I study the Word of God? Have I ever taken time out to memorize verses? How often do I meditate on the Scriptures?

[1] Greek text (The Septuagint – LXX) reads praise.