Blinded by arrogance Luke 20:1-8

It had been a weekend of celebration! The Lord had been received in Jerusalem and given the acceptance of a ruler! The people celebrated their incoming King! Their promised Messiah! They were celebrating the end of their struggles!

He had accepted their praises and worshipping. They had covered the road through which He had entered, while riding the donkey, with palm tree leaves and their coats in His honor. He did not refuse such. They had followed Him everywhere and He knew! He knew how things would pan out the rest of the week. He knew how His time on earth would end at this time.

Yes, He knew that the people were hoping for an earthly King! an Earthly battle to end all battles and yes this was and has been God’s plan but not for now! He knew many would be disappointed and would turn their backs on Him! This battle was to be won but not in the way they were expecting it. The King was to pay a price once and for all and then there would be a time of gathering. A time of choosing. Such was the plan.

He had cleared out the temple and had taken possession of it to use it for God’s purposes. To preach The Gospel. The time clock was ticking and He was going to use every bit of it for what He had come. He knew the times are set. His was no different. The place was packed! He knew that although many would turn away, many would also believe and carry the Gospel so others would benefit from it! He wanted all to be rescued!

Imagine, the Gospel preached from the mouth of the protagonist! This is why In John 1:1-5 John says: In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came in through being with Him, and apart from Him, nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Such darkness did not comprehend Him and as men harden their hearts and become full of themselves, embellished by their own “power”, “beauty” “strength” which is limited and only for a time still refuse to take the time to comprehend Him.

He had cleared out the Temple from those using it for their own gain and as He was preaching the Gospel to an audience hungry for answers, there came a group of leaders also hungry but for power. They were already powerful people, educated in the law, owners of all the answers, owners of the places of honor. Temples for worshipping their own selves.

It had taken them years to acquire their status! They had followed their proper education system. They had their present day Masters and PhD from their accredited schools. Here was this carpenter claiming victory over them! Where was his certificate of education if any? Why were people following him? Who did he think he was?

As they went in supporting each other shoulder to shoulder; The chief priests, the scribes and the elders.  After they had plotted and planned how to trip Him and after they had spent the night in fury and anger over having to deal with such an illiterate person gaining popularity!  They could not conceive how they, “The Leaders” were being ignored by the people over their continuous warning to ignore such man. It was time to stop it!

Together, they felt empowered to questioned his authority and they were positive that with His answer, the people would see that He was blasphemous and perhaps they would stone Him! That is what he deserved! They said to Him: “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things, or who is the one who gave you this authority?

He Knew they were coming! He knew their arrogance and the point of their question. He did not have to think how to answer for He knew He still had some more time to continue His teaching. This was only Tuesday. He knew when He was to be given to them and it was not today! Here is a question for you little kids and then go on your way.

He said: I will also ask you a question and you tell Me. Was the baptism of John from Heaven or from Man? afraid for their skin. For in either case if they had said from Heaven He would have said “why did you not believe him?” They would have looked bad in the eyes of the people and they would have potentially lost their status.

If they had said from man, they were afraid also for their skin for they thought the people would stone them as they were convinced that John the Baptist was a prophet. No way they would say from Heaven! That would be submitting themselves to Jesus! No way! anything else but that! so there, claim the fifth! We don’t know they said.

Jesus said to them; Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. If you are so full of yourselves that all the work My Father have done up to now, all the prophecies that have been given to you up to the time of John, all the signs and miracles I have performed do nothing to help you see, then I have no time to try getting you out of the darkness, neither is now the time for your evil plots to hinder my allotted time to try to reach this generation!