Passion Week Through Jewish Eyes: The Testing Of The Lamb Of God: Priests And Elders

Entering Jerusalem as He did isn’t the end of the story. Unfortunately, in its modern day observance of Passion Week, it jumps from there right to the crucifixion. Palm Sunday → Good Friday. That is the result of the early church deciding not to follow the Jewish calendar. That decision was made at the Council of Nicea in 325 AD (It was a symptom of a deeper problem). What actually happened after the Triumphal Entry is that He went back and forth from Bethany to Jerusalem every day, and entered into dialogue (confrontation-attack) with four different groups:

The Priests and the elders

• The Pharisees and the Herodians

• The Sadducees

• The Pharisees (take one more shot)

• The Priests and the Elders (Matthew 21:23-22:14)

So, the first line of attack comes from the priests and the elders and the question that is at issue is His AUTHORITY.

And it’s worth our time to pause for a moment and ponder the question of authority.

The word "authority" is a strong word. It's filled with meaning. When we hear the word "authority" there's a certain force about that word.

The word "authority" denotes permission --- power --- rule --- control --- influence.

When someone has authority, that means they're over other people. They have responsibility beyond the norm. They are able to determine things, to decide things, to render judgments, to wield certain rights and privileges.

Well, we have one who has authority that is beyond all other authorities. In Matthew chapter 28 verse 18, Yeshua said, "All authority is given unto Me in heaven and in earth."

All authority. That’s an amazing statement.

And He demonstrated that, for example, when He finished the Sermon on the Mount, it says in Matthew chapter 7 verse 28, "The people were astonished at His doctrine for He taught them as one having authority." He never consulted the Sanhedrin. He never quoted an eminent rabbi. That behavior was unacceptable to them. It sets up conflict. All through His ministry, He's in conflict with the religious leaders.

Once again in Mark 1:22, in the synagogue in Capernaum He taught and they were astonished at His doctrine for He taught them as one that had authority and not as the scribes.

And then He was confronted in that same place with a demon-possessed man with an unclean spirit and He healed the man, casting out the spirit. And verse 27 says they were all amazed insomuch that they debated among themselves saying, "What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits and they do obey Him.

• He had authority to teach whatever He wanted to teach and footnote no one.

• He had authority to heal the sick.

• He had authority to forgive sin.

• He had authority to cast out demons. Tremendous authority.

In John 10:18 He says, "No man taketh My life from Me, I lay it down of Myself, I have authority to lay it down, I have authority to take it again." He had authority for His own resurrection. He had authority to give His life, He had authority to raise it from the dead.

He had so much authority that He was a problem to the rabbinic system because, you see, they believed that they were the authorities.

And so they questioned Him about His authority… (Matthew 21:23):

“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”

You see, in their system, you had to have rabbinic certification.

And so Yeshua does what any good Jew would do – He answers their question with a question: (Mt. 21:24-27)

I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men? And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, 'If we say from heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘from men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.

In other words, if they said John’s ministry was not of God, they are the ones who would be discredited before all the people, because the people considered John to be a prophet.

BUT, if they say the baptism of John is from Heaven (i.e., John’s ministry is God-ordained), then Yeshua could say, “I received My authority from John.”

After all, it was John who said, “Behold, the Lamb of God which…” I got My authority from John.

Being caught “between a rock and a hard place,” they refused to answer the question. And so He refused to answer theirs.