The Authority of Jesus. 8/2/2026
Mark 11: 27-33 nkjv27 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.”
❓ how does your life reflect your life is under God’s authority ❓
"The heart that resists God's authority will never know the fullness of God's peace."
➤💥We live under authority.
- Parents, teachers, government, traffic laws, on the job, signs on the highway, even referees, because they have been entrusted with authority!
➤💥Authority sets safe boundaries.
- How to stay safe from danger and from one another. Like boundaries that separate us from dangers; they are put into place to keep us from crossing the boundaries and harming ourselves or others. (Bridge closed)
- Authority destroys chaos and anxiety: When we try to take the authority to control everything instead of trusting God, we open our lives to live in constant anxiety.
- Faith is what we live by: Trusting in God to be in control and work all things together for our good.
- Authority brings consistency and order: 1 Corinthians 14:33) God is not the God of confusion but of peace!
- Churches are kept healthy when Christ is recognized as the head.
- Families are healthy and strong where God’s order is honored and obeyed.
- Nations are stable and strong when the people have a heart for God and their laws are based on God’s moral laws.
⭐💥 From the Scripture this morning, we see that there are two universal authorities by which we are to live as human beings. V29-30 ) 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.”
⭐💥 Scripture teaches us that Jesus has the authority above and over all earthly authorityMathew 28:18) And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth have been given to Me.” Jesus has the authority over:
- Demons: He commanded them and they obeyed
- The wind and the waves
- The sick, raised the dead, opened the eyes of the blind.
- Forgiving sin
➤ The Real Problem Today:
- Is not whether Jesus has authority, but whether we will submit to His authority.
The first part of the chapter. Jesus had cleansed the temple as the promised king to come. (Authority) The religious leaders were angry because Jesus challenged their authority and the control they believed they had! Man vs God.
- Turning the temple into a den of thieves!
Instead of examining their own heart, belief and behavior, they questioned His authority.
- They stood before God and demanded to know who had given Him the authority to act.
- People today continue to ask, "Who says Jesus has the right to tell us how to live?" The answer is simple: He is God, our Creator, our Savior and our King.
➤ I. Pride questions God’s authority: v28)
- Things like pride day. More and more events and groups of people are adapting this slogan.
➤ Human authority doesn’t come from positions, titles and degrees. It comes from God.
- Yes, God not man has the authority to tell us what is right from wrong.
- Sin vs righteousness
- What we can and can’t do with our bodies
- How we are supposed to talk and the words we are to use. Freedom of speech does not mean we have a license to sin with our words.
A. "Who says the Bible is true?"
- "Who says marriage should be God's design?"
- "Who says there is only one way to heaven?"
II. Human authority causes us to fear people more than God.v31) 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.
- I don’t want to be wrong.
If they admitted John's ministry came from heaven, then they would also have to admit that Jesus was God's Messiah.
- If they answered "from heaven," they condemned themselves for rejecting John's message.
- They would have to change.
The way they were raised. A. If they answered "from men," they feared the people, who believed John was a prophet.They asked, "What will happen to us?" > Truth was replaced by self-interest.
- "How will this affect my reputation?"
- "What will my friends think?"
- "Will I lose something if I obey God?"
Faith does not ask what obedience will cost. Faith asks whether God has spoken.Jesus has a remarkable way of revealing what truly controls our hearts. Sometimes He uses circumstances, sometimes His Word and sometimes the conviction of the Holy Spirit. When He exposes us, it is not to shame us, but to invite us to repentance and transformation.
III. Following the wrong authority will lead to spiritual blindness "We cannot tell." (v. 33)
➤ When we deny the truth of God: We begin to live believing lies.
1. About ourselves
2. About others
3. About God
➤ We refuse to accept truth - We will not accept Jesus’ truth.
Moral law > What we can do with our life - body - decisions - how we treat others. * We will profess ourselves to be wise but become fools. "Our greatest strength is not found in independence from God, but in complete surrender to His authority."
