30th Mar 26 | 13:54
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Luke 20 1-8 THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS 06 Luke 20 3-4 Confronting their hardness of heart
📖 Luke 20:1-8
10Feb2021 - *Confronting their hardness of heart* - _Luke 20:1-8_ - THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS 6 – Bible reading: _Matthew 3:7-12_
As the Lord was being confronted, He was not threatened by these leaders but he was giving them yet another opportunity, to be honest, and submit to Him. God is continuing to give opportunities to man to repent and acknowledge Him but man is choosing to use his own limited intelligence and challenge the infinite God.
The Lord handled their threats in a wise and gracious manner. _Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one._
_I Peter 3:14-16 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you are blessed. "AND DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THEIR THREATS, NOR BE TROUBLED." (15) But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defence to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; (16) having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed._
_Luke 20:3-4 But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: (4) The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?"_
John the Baptist was a person, whom these religious leaders, wanted to brush under the carpet. These leaders did not expect Jesus to unsettle them by raising the matter of John. They were caught unprepared.
Similarly, when we are up against challenging and confrontational situations, we must not panic, but trust the Lord to give us grace and wisdom to turn the situation around in such a way that our hostile audience will be compelled to look within themselves, at their own hypocrisy.
Who was John the Baptist?
_Matthew 3:1-3 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, (2) and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" (3) For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS: 'PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD; MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.' "_
The identity of John was known to these religious leaders. They knew that John had come as a forerunner to the Messiah. John had also identified Jesus as the lamb of God _(John 1:29, 36)_
Jesus too had connected Himself to John. _Matthew 11:9-10 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet. (10) For this is he of whom it is written: 'BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER BEFORE YOUR FACE, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.'_
_Matthew 11:14 And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come._
The religious leaders were familiar with Old Testament prophesy and so they were aware of who John was, his task and also knew that he was linked with the Messiah.
Jesus had declared who He was on several occasions and in different ways, to these religious leaders. Hence, they could not pretend ignorance of who John was and also of Jesus.
John was forthright with these religious leaders.
_Matthew 3:7-12 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, (9) and do not think to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. (10) And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (11) I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (12) His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."_
What was the response of the religious leaders to the message of John?
_Luke 7:29-30 And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. (30) *But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him*._
Now that Jesus was questioning them on John the Baptist, these religious leaders, were well and truly trapped into a situation, where their actions towards John was now coming back to haunt them.
As we trust in the Lord, the Lord will guide us on how to respond to the threats and challenges posed at us and through our response, bring those who oppose us to see for themselves their own hardness of heart and have the opportunity to repent.
Our Lord, well and truly estimated the temper of the age. It was fickle and changeable but beneath its evident superficiality, there was a substratum of rock. They refused John because of his austerity, and they refused Jesus because of His kindness and gentleness.
*Thought to ponder*
```Matthew 10:19 But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak;```