Submitting to the authority of Jesus
1. In Acts 2 we find that some people asked about salvation.
2. Those who wanted to be saved were told that they needed to do some things “in the name of Jesus.”
3. The expression in the name is one that expresses authority.
A. Peter did not say “do this because I say so.”
B. He did not base his instructions upon the people’s felt needs.
C. He said “in the name of Jesus” (by the Lord’s authority) repent & be baptized.
4. Tonight I want to spend some time looking at the Lord’s authority.
5. A good demonstration of the Lord’s authority is found in Jn. 2.
6. The verse to begin with is verse 13.
7. John said the “Passover of the Jews was at hand.”
8. The Lord lived under the Old Testament Law so He participated in the Passover.
9. The Passover was conducted during the month that we know as April.
10. Jn. 2:13 says that Jesus went to the city of Jerusalem.
11. After the Lord arrived in this city He saw some animals.
A. People had doves, oxen, and sheep.
B. These creatures were being “sold.”
C. There were also people who exchanged money (verse 14 – READ).
12. The information in verses 13 & 14 presents two very different pictures.
A. On the one hand it was time to observe an important feast.
B. The Passover celebrated the Hebrew’s deliverance from Egypt.
C. This was a time to think about God and how good He was.
D. This was a time that should have been devoted to things that were sacred.
E. The second picture is that of some pretty shrewd operators.
F. Those in the temple area were racketeers.
13. People realized that worshippers from outside Jerusalem would come to this feast.
14. During the Passover people needed to offer sacrifices.
15. Who would want to travel 100 miles and drag along a sheep?
16. Who would want to come 200 miles to Jerusalem and bring along an ox?
A. We live in a time when people like conveniences.
B. The same was true for those in the first century.
C. These people liked to make life easier.
D. Some in Jerusalem did make things easier for the worshippers.
E. Some sold animals that could be used for the sacrifices.
F. Today we may go to a public event and take along our own food & drink.
G. We can also go to a public event and buy the food and drink that others have for sale.
17. This was essentially what the Jews did.
18. They went to Jerusalem and bought the sacrificial animals there.
19. This account makes it clear that the people who sold the animals were not fair.
20. Those who sold the animals more than provide a service. They cheated people.
21. These people had cornered the market on sacrificial animals and they knew it.
22. Instead of making a profit these people charged worshippers an excessive amount of money.
A. If a dove actually cost .10 cents these people may have charged worshippers $5.00.
B. These people knew that they could charge outrageous sums and they did.
C. These abuses were occurring between brethren.
D. The people of God were cheating fellow Hebrews.
E. Cheating the heathen isn’t right.
F. Being dishonest with a member of the same religion is especially bad.
23. Selling overpriced animals not the only thing that the people in Jerusalem did.
24. The text also describes “money changers.”
25. Those who came from outside Jerusalem often had a different kind of currency.
26. These people were told that their money wouldn’t work.
27. They had to exchange it.
A. Those who visit a foreign country must often exchange cash into the local currency.
B. That is what these people had to do and they charged a fee for the exchange.
C. It seems that they charged a lot of money for the exchange rate.
28. The information in Jn. 2 describes a bad situation.
29. Jews were took advantage of fellow Jews who came to worship.
A. The picture is even worse when we consider another fact.
B. The temple in Jerusalem had several courts.
C. The innermost court contained the holy of holies.
D. The next court was the court for the priests.
E. After the court of the priests was the court for the men.
F. Then there was a court for the Jewish women.
G. The outermost court was the “court of the Gentiles.”
H. This was where the Gentiles gathered and where the animals were sold.
I. Guess who saw the Jews cheating their brethren?
J. The Gentiles.
K. The Jews took advantage of their brethren in front of the Gentiles.
L. The people who should have been influenced by the Jews got an eyeful.
M. They saw religious people cheat their brethren.
N. They saw the local Hebrews take advantage of their out of town brethren.
30. The situation described in Jn. 2 was absolutely deplorable.
A. This situation can be related to modern day society.
B. We hear about or find corruption in different parts of our world.
C. Those who are involved with corruption are often hard to expose and prosecute.
D. When corruption exists it is often difficult or impossible to end.
31. In the first century the city of Jerusalem had a problem with corruption.
32. There was religious corruption.
33. People were being taken advantage of when they came to worship.
34. People were being cheated.
35. To those who were being abused it must have seemed that the system could not be altered.
36. THIS
ALL CHANGED WHEN JESUS CAME TO THE PASSOVER DESCRIBED IN JN. 2.
37. Notice Jn. 2:15 – READ.
38. Jesus did four things.
39. He first made a whip.
40. Some believe this was a weapon.
41. This is a possibility but I prefer a different explanation.
42. The whip may have symbolized His authority.
43. The Bible says that Jesus cast “all” out of the temple.
A. He chased out the people.
B. He drove out the animals.
C. By Himself Jesus did some house cleaning.
D. The Lord then took the money that belonged to the “changers.”
E. He didn’t pocket the money that these people were using.
F. He dumped it out.
G. He took that tables that belonged to the money changers & overturned them.
44. Imagine the scene that John pictures.
45. Try to picture what this chapter says.
A. By himself Jesus herded a variety of animals out of the temple area.
B. The cattle may have been wandering about in every direction.
C. Those who owned them must have been frantically trying to reclaim their property.
D. Dozens or hundreds of people may have been shouting in the commotion.
E. The money changers would have wanted to find the money that had been thrown down.
46. This scene was such a sight that the disciples were shocked – verse 17 – READ.
47. A different reaction came from the religious leaders.
A. Verse 18 – READ.
B. John often spoke of “the Jews” to describe people who opposed the Lord.
C. These people wanted to know about the Lord’s authority.
D. What right did Jesus have to enter into the temple and do what He did?
E. What authority did Jesus possess to challenge a well-established practice?
48. This question did not need to be asked.
49. By cleansing the temple Jesus offered full proof of His authority.
A. Jesus went to the religious headquarters for first century Jerusalem.
B. He went to the people who systematically abused people.
C. The Lord went straight to the heart of “the system.”
D. Jesus, by Himself, took on the entire group of hucksters and thieves.
E. According to Jn. 2 the Lore overcame every one of them.
F. He drove them out, He drove their animals out, and He overturned the tables.
50. When we think about the authority of Jesus Christ we find a lot of information.
51. Several stories in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John show that Jesus has authority.
52. In fact, earlier in Jn. 2 we find that Jesus had the authority (power) to change water.
53. The Lord’s authority is affirmed in multiple ways throughout scripture.
A. At the transfiguration the Father said, “Hear ye Him.”
B. This affirmed that Jesus has authority and we must do what He says.
C. John the Baptist claimed that Jesus has authority.
D. John said that the Lord would baptize people in “the Holy Spirit and fire.”
E. In order to accomplish these things one must be endowed with authority.
F. The people who heard Jesus speak understood that He had authority.
G. Again and again the people commented on how different Jesus was.
H. Instead of teaching as the Scribes the Lord taught with authority (Mt. 7:29).
I. Instead of saying, “Rabbi ___ says,” Jesus said, “I say unto you.”
J. Nathanael said Jesus was the Son of God and King of Israel (Jn. 1:49).
K. A centurion (Mt. 27:54) said that Jesus was “truly the Son of God.”
L. The demons recognized the authority of Jesus.
M. They asked if the Lord had come to “torment them before the time.”
N. The apostles recognized the authority of Christ.
O. Thomas said “My Lord and my God.”
P. Paul said that he was a “bondservant of Christ.”
54. Jesus Himself claimed to have authority.
55. In Mt. 28:18 He said “all authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”
56. The people in Jn. 2 asked the wrong question.
57. They should have said, “We know you have authority. What should we do?”
58. They didn’t ask this question and this was a terrible mistake.
59. On the day of Pentecost people asked a different question.
60. Peter said, “in the name of Jesus repent and be baptized.”
61. Today we preach this message because this message has been authorized by Jesus.
62. Any other message is without authorization.
63. Peter refused to tell people how to be saved by his authority.
64. Yet, religious teachers today do this on a regular basis.
65. People make up their own method of salvation and say that God accepts it.
66. What we needs to be “in the name of Jesus” (okayed by the Lord).
67. Are we committed to do what is okayed by the Lord and only do what He has authorized?
68. If so, we must first become a Christian. Remember:
Without faith we cannot please God (Heb. 11:6).
We cannot be a child of God without repentance (Lk. 13:3).
We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:12; Acts 8:36-38).
Finally we must be baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27) for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16).
Have we done these things and are we living a faithful Christian life?