Christian Art | Jesus In The Temple
Mark 11: 27-33 – Week 8 Ordinary Time, Saturday (King James Audio Bible Bible | Spoken Word)
27 ¶ And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,
28 And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?
29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
30 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.
31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?
32 But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.
33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Just a few days earlier, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders have looked for a way to destroy Jesus, but they have not been able to do so because of the many people who have heard Jesus’ teaching and marvelled at it. Now they come to Jesus to try to trap him again.
The Jews demand to know by what ‘authority’ Jesus heals and teaches. By ‘authority’, the Jews mean a power which is worldly, which is capable of enforcing laws in the world, which is worldly dominion over other people.
Jesus’ authority is different from this; it arises from his kinship with his Father, his oneness in being with his father. On earth, this authority is expressed through Jesus’ humility, through his obeying the will of the Father. Similarly, Jesus does not force himself upon us; he asks us to welcome him into our lives with humility.
Jesus, then, turns these two aspects of the word ‘authority’ into a question for the leaders of the Jews. He asks them to think of John, the one who came before Jesus, and to think of the truth proclaimed by John. They are trapped. They do not wish to acknowledge that John’s authority was of heavenly origin, but they cannot publicly reject John, and this is for political reasons, because of their fear of the people.
Jesus, then, refuses to tell them anything more. Since they are caught within the trap of their own mistake, and of their own clinging to their worldly authority, it is futile for Jesus to explain to them his divine authority. They have refused Jesus’ invitation to ‘answer me’, which he asks of us all.
‘For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.’ Ezekiel 36: 24-27
Concluding Prayer
All-powerful, eternal God,
splendour of true light and never-ending day:
at the return of the morning hour
chase away the night of sin,
and fill our minds with the glory of your coming.
We make our prayer through our Lord.
King James Audio Bible | Endnotes
What Was The Authority Of John The Baptist?
In Mark 11:27-33, the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus: ‘By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority to do these things?’ This question was prompted by Jesus’ cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem and Jesus’ teaching in the temple. Jesus, in turn, asked them whether the baptism of John the Baptist was from heaven or of men. This exchange raises an important question: what was the authority of John the Baptist?
John the Baptist was a prophet who prepared the way for Jesus Christ. John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and called on people to turn away from their sinful ways and to turn to God. John the Baptist’s authority came from God, and his message was not his own, but one that was given to him by God. John was a messenger of God, and his ministry was part of God’s plan for the salvation of humanity.
The Gospel of Matthew records that John’s message was foretold by the prophet Isaiah, who wrote: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ (Isaiah 40:3) John was seen as the fulfillment of this prophecy, and his ministry was seen as part of the preparation for the coming of the Messiah.
The Gospel of Luke tells us that John the Baptist’s father, Zechariah, was a priest who served in the temple. Zechariah received a message from an angel that his wife, Elizabeth, would conceive and give birth to a son who would be named John. The angel said that John would be great in the sight of the Lord and that he would be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb. John’s birth was a miraculous event, and it was clear that he had been chosen by God for a special purpose.
John the Baptist’s authority was further confirmed by the signs and wonders that accompanied his ministry. People came from all over Judea to hear him preach and to be baptized by him. He was seen as a prophet, and many believed that he might even be the Messiah. However, John was clear that he was not the Messiah but that he had been sent to prepare the way for Him.
The question of John the Baptist’s authority was not just a matter of academic debate. It had significant theological implications. The Pharisees and scribes were the religious leaders of the time, and they had a vested interest in maintaining their authority and influence. They were suspicious of anyone who challenged their interpretation of the law or who claimed to speak for God.
John the Baptist baptized people as a sign of their commitment to turning away from sin and following God. This baptism was a symbol of spiritual cleansing and renewal, and it was seen as a necessary step in preparing for the coming of the Messiah.
John’s authority was demonstrated through his willingness to confront those in positions of power and influence. He did not hesitate to rebuke the Pharisees and scribes for their hypocrisy and their failure to live up to the standards of God’s law. His message of repentance was not just for the common people but for everyone, regardless of their social status or position.
In the centuries since John the Baptist’s ministry, there has been discussion about the nature of John’s authority. Some have seen him as a prophet in the tradition of Elijah, while others have seen him as a new Moses, preparing the way for a new exodus from sin and death. Still others have seen him as a radical preacher, challenging the status quo and calling for a new way of living based on the values of the kingdom of God. The Catholic Church has recognized John as a saint, and his feast day is celebrated on June 24. In Catholic theology, John is seen as a precursor to Christ and as a model of repentance and humility.
In Protestant theology, John’s authority is seen as deriving from his faithfulness to the message that God had given him. Martin Luther, founder of the Protestant Reformation, saw John as a model of the preacher who spoke the truth boldly and without compromise. Luther wrote: ‘John is a master and an example of preachers, for he holds fast to God’s Word and does not let himself be deterred from it by anyone, not even by the devil himself.’
King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version King Herod There were several individuals named Herod who played significant roles in ancient history, particularly in the history of the Roman Empire and the region of Palestine. Here is a brief overview of the most notable Herods: Herod the Great: Also known as Herod I, he was a Roman client king of Judea, ruling from 37 BC to 4 BC. He is perhaps most famous for his role in the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. Herod Antipas: Also known as Herod II, he was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist and later had him beheaded. Herod Agrippa I: Also known as Herod III, he was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned the apostle Paul. Herod Agrippa II: Also known as Herod IV, he was the great-grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over parts of Palestine and Syria from 50 to 100 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who heard Paul’s defence before the Roman governor Festus. These rulers, who were known as the Herodian dynasty, were not Jewish but rather descended from a Greek family that had converted to Judaism. Despite this, they were appointed as rulers by the Roman Empire and were generally unpopular among the Jewish population due to their collaboration with the Roman occupation and their often brutal methods of rule. Herod The Great Herod the Great, also known as Herod I, was a Roman client king of Judea who ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC. He was born in 73 BC in Idumea, a region in southern Palestine, and was the son of Antipater the Idumean, an Edomite who had been appointed as a governor of Judea by the Roman general Pompey. Herod rose to power after the Roman general Julius Caesar appointed him as king of Judea in 40 BC. He consolidated his power over the next few years by defeating his rivals and establishing himself as the undisputed ruler of the region. As king, Herod embarked on a massive building program that included the expansion and renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem, the construction of the port city of Caesarea Maritima, and the fortification of several cities in Judea. He also commissioned the construction of a number of palaces and other buildings, including the famous Herodium, a palace-fortress located south of Jerusalem. Despite his many accomplishments, Herod was a controversial figure who was known for his harsh rule and his willingness to use violence to maintain his power. He was married several times and had a large number of children, several of whom he had executed when they posed a threat to his rule. One of the most famous stories associated with Herod is the biblical account of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. According to the New Testament, Jesus was saved by his parents, who fled to Egypt, and later returned to Palestine after Herod’s death. Herod died in 4 BC at the age of 70, leaving a legacy as one of the most significant rulers in the history of ancient Palestine. Herod Antipas Herod Antipas, also known as Herod II, was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He was born in 20 BC and was named after his father’s patron, the Roman emperor Augustus. Like his father, Herod Antipas was known for his ambitious building projects, including the construction of the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and the expansion of the Temple in Jerusalem. He was also known for his political cunning and his ability to navigate the complex political landscape of the Roman Empire. Herod Antipas is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist, a prominent religious figure who criticized Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law, Herodias. According to the New Testament, John was eventually beheaded at the request of Herodias’ daughter, Salome, who danced for Herod and his guests at a banquet. Herod Antipas is also mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who oversaw the trial and execution of Jesus. Although he initially wanted to release Jesus, he ultimately handed him over to the Roman authorities at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders. Herod Antipas’ rule came to an end in 39 AD when the Roman emperor Caligula exiled him to Gaul, modern-day France. He died in exile a few years later. Herod Agrippa I Herod Agrippa I, also known as Herod III, was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He was born in 10 BC and was the son of Aristobulus and Bernice, two of Herod the Great’s children. Herod Agrippa I was well-educated and fluent in both Greek and Hebrew, and he was highly regarded by the Roman authorities for his loyalty and his ability to maintain order in Judea. He was appointed as king of Judea in 41 AD by the Roman emperor Claudius, who was impressed by his abilities and saw him as a reliable ally in the region. As king, Herod Agrippa I continued the building projects of his grandfather and expanded the Temple in Jerusalem. He also implemented a number of reforms aimed at improving the lives of the […]
We are given different accounts of Jesus teaching his disciples the Lord’s Prayer, the Our Father, in today’s verses from the Gospel of Luke, and also in the Gospel of Matthew, during the Sermon on the Mount. Here the situation is quite different from that of Matthew. Jesus has been praying, seemingly apart, to his Father, and so it is after this that the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. This is unusual: prayer, especially of the psalms, would have been an integral part of these Jewish people’s daily routine. We are alerted to the Lord’s Prayer being an additional offering, an innovation of grace, and a further initiation for the Christian. The prayer furthermore reflects John the Baptist’s teaching of his disciples [ … ]
The second of the Ten Commandments, ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain,’ is a call to reverence and respect for the divine name and for the faith it represents. The second commandment prohibits the abuse of God’s name, i.e., every improper use of the names of God, Jesus Christ, but also of the Virgin Mary and all the saints [ … ]
