...under whose authority...

“27 Again Jesus and His disciples came to Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him 28 and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.” 31 They argued with one another, “What should we say? If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”— they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things” Mark 11:27-33.

All of us live under some authority, under some authoritative code of living our lives that governs, directs, encourages, supports and influences our daily decisions and choices in life. Everyone’s “authority” under which they lives their lives, is the predominant guiding light of life.

I live under the authority of God, and His Word in the scriptures. And my authority lives within both a corporate identity — the Church — and within a personal identity in my heart and soul and mind. My authority is enlivened personally in God’s Word, the Scriptures, and the power and presence of God’s Holy Spirit in me and in others. But I clearly live under the authority of God and His Church.

Now I do not always follow the authority of God in my life. I sin. I sometimes pull out from within the authority of God and step into others authorities.

Oh, how I grieve deeply when I do so! Nevertheless, this is the authority under which I live.

What is your authority under which you live? What is the single guiding light of your life? Who speaks to you and influences you absolutely far beyond anyone else in your life? Whose voice do you listen to more than anyone else’s voice?

Well, when the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the Temple came to Jesus to challenge Him about His teachings and miracles, they questioned Jesus’ authority. They wanted to know under what authority did He operate and live each day of His life. When Jesus challenged their authority they knew that they had to choose between the authority of God (heaven originate authority) or the authority of the world (human originated authority). Jesus pushed them into their own trap they laid out for Jesus to fall into. They lacked the courage to be honest about the authority under which they lived and lived their life, so Jesus ended their pursuit to trap Jesus.

Friends, take time today and hear Jesus ask you this question: “By what authority do you do the things you do?”

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.