Who Told You That You Could Do That?

Scripture:
Mark 11:27-28 — They came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to Him, and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?”
 
Observation:
A short time prior to what is happening in this passage Jesus goes into the temple and overturns the tables of the moneychangers and runs them out of the temple. This sends the chief priests and the scribes into a fury. Verse 18 says that this event leads them to seek ways to destroy Jesus. In this passage Jesus is again in the temple there in Jerusalem, and the chief priests and the scribes (the same ones who got so angry because of Jesus running the moneychangers out of the temple) come up to Jesus and begin to question Him. They want to know by whose authority He is doing the things he is doing. I absolutely love the response Jesus gives in verses 29 – 33.
 
Application:
Now there is so much that I could journal in regards to this passage, but at the moment my thoughts are on the idea of what is going on with the chief priests and the scribes. They were upset about what went on with the moneychangers. Why they were upset is a conversation for another time, but the fact is that Jesus was right and they didn’t want the truth to be told. Since they had no firm ground on which to stand they decided to simply question by whose authority he was under. These guys questioned God. They had the audacity to actually confront Jesus in regards to His authority. How dare they? Yet I know that I have sometimes been just as audacious. God requires something of me and I have been known to walk up to God and ask Him what is up with that.
This passage has reminded me to not follow after the way of the chief priests and scribes, but to remember that God is God.
 
Prayer:
God forgive me of the times when in my heart I have questioned you and acted as if you were my equal. You alone are God! There is none like you. You possess all authority and power. My response to you should always be one of submission for the life I now live in you. You are life. You are my God. Amen

— Darren Miley, student pastor