Words of Jesus Podcast - Answer Me And I Will Answer You

Episode Date: October 11, 2024

"What think ye?" Jesus came to teach, to correct, and to divide; not for the purpose of division but to create an opening in thought for new information. An answer without context is of no benefit. Jesus looked to the audience to determine their understanding. The church leaders and the political leaders thought they were in charge. They did not expect, nor did they want input to the contrary. Jesus brought heavenly things to a three dimensional world. It's bound to get tricky!***93: Jesus Cleanses The TempleMatthew 21:10-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48When Jesus came to Jerusalem he went into the temple. He began to cast out those who bought and sold therein, overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves. He would not permit anyone to carry anything through the temple. He taught and said:            “It is written, ‘My house shall be called the house of prayer,’ but ye have made it a den of thieves.”            The chief priests and scribes, when they saw the wonders Jesus performed, were greatly displeased and sought to destroy him but were afraid of the multitude who listened eagerly to his words.            Then the afflicted came to Jesus in the temple and were healed. The people listened attentively to his doctrines and were astonished at his words and deeds.Children sang in the temple, saying:            “Hosanna to the son of David.”            The words of the children and the crowd angered the authorities, and the chief priests and scribes said to Jesus:            “Hearest what they say?”            Jesus replied to them:            “Yea, have ye never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?’”***94: Jesus Questioned As To His AuthorityMatthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33, Luke 20:1-8As Jesus was teaching in the temple, preaching the gospel, the chief priests, scribes, and elders came to him, saying: “Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? Or who is he that gave thee this authority?” Jesus answered them, saying: “I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? From Heaven, or of men?” The chief priests, scribes, and elders reasoned with themselves, saying: “If we shall say, ‘From Heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then believed ye him not?’ And if we say, ‘Of men,’ all the people will stone us; for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.” So they said to Jesus that they were unable to say the source of the baptism of John.Thereupon Jesus replied: “Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.”

Think Red Ink Ministries presents The Words of Jesus Series with Don C. Harris Hello my friends, welcome once again to the Words of Jesus series. I'm Don Harris. We have been enjoying the words of Jesus. I hope you've been a part of all of the presentations until now. We are in those days of opposition, and we are seeing the bipolarization of the world when it comes to Jesus. He does have a tendency to do that.

This is, by the way, the sword that he said he came to bear. And that what I have to say to you and what I'm going to teach you, it's going to divide. It's going to divide mothers from children, wives and husbands. It's going to divide a man from his own parents. It's going to divide, divide, divide, divide. Well in this case as we see this entry into Jerusalem we find that it has also divided the people of Jerusalem.

And those people seem to, the dividing line seems to follow along religious leadership and the population. Now, the Jews develop a plan. We're going to find out about it as this all continues. They develop a plan to turn the people seemingly against Jesus. But as Jesus is cleansing the temple, this really ticked off the jews and they were upset and they were mad the jewish leadership um had i think at this point already decided to kill him or they're gonna have to do something drastic but um they uh they were seeing that.

Well, let's continue to read here. We're still in chapter 93. The chief priest and the scribes, when they saw the wonders Jesus performed, were greatly displeased and sought to destroy him, but were afraid of the multitude who listened eagerly to his words. Remember we talked about leaven right these people aren't doing what they really want to do because of what people are thinking of them

so he says when then the afflicted came to jesus in the temple and were healed the people listened attentively to his doctrines and were astonished at his words and deeds. Children sang in the temple saying, Hosanna to the son of David. This is the very same thing that he encountered out there on the road on the way in. The words of the children, the words of the children, what the children were actually saying in these songs, and the crowd angered the authorities and the chief priests and the scribes said to Jesus, hearest thou what these say?

It's like there's no way you can hear. Do you hear what they're saying? They're saying you're the Messiah. You're going to have to you hear what they're saying they're saying you're the messiah you're going to have to do something about that jesus replied to them yay have you never read in the scriptures that out of the mouths of babes and sucklings thou has perfected praise now if you if you understand uh word perfect, and we've talked about it before, how it actually is completed. And he says, you have completed

the praise of Messiah through the mouths of children. You see, the truth is, Mr. Pharisee and Mr. Sadducee, these kids, they're not afraid of you, not in the least. Now, you know, the adults that are sitting around and not joining in, I don't know about them, but these kids, they don't really care. They don't really care how high your turban is on your head. They don't really care, and don't really care how high your turban is on your head. They don't really

care. And they know who I am. Many of those, see that little boy over there? I healed his mother. Why shouldn't he be praising? I don't understand. What is your problem? There's so many conversations that aren't recorded. John said, he says that, I suppose the world couldn't contain the books that should be written about this guy. And I just love to think about those things and put myself there as much as I can. All right, let's move to chapter 94. You know, before we come out of 93 let me say also when it talks about jesus um cleansing the temple there's another thing that gets said a lot people talk about uh you know you shouldn't be angry and you shouldn't get mad you know jesus

never got mad and somebody says oh but he did take a cat of nine tails and drive the people out of the temple that day. You remember that? Yeah, yeah, I guess he did. Trying to excuse their anger. And, you know, their really, really poor behavior. And they're trying to say, you know, Jesus did get mad. And he did get angry.

He got so angry that he went and he sat down and he took a stick and he tied a piece of leather to it, cut that leather into strips until they were thin little threads and tied bits of bone and stone in the end of those things and made a cat-of-nine-tails. The Bible calls it a scourge. That he made a cat of nine tails. The Bible calls it a scourge.

That he made a scourge and went in and drove those people out of the temple. And I've heard preachers say, you know, hey, I bet that hurt when that thing came across their back. Jesus wasn't beating people with this. Where do we get the idea that he was beating people with a cat of nine tails? What a horrible thing to saddle him with. That place was full of animals. That's the way you move

animals. They didn't have a shock rod. They didn't have a cattle prod that's the way you move animals and so you know the idea that Jesus beat people with that oh my goodness you know what we think of our Lord and his son Jesus Christ sometimes just astounds me all All right. Here in chapter 94, Jesus is questioned as to his authority. This is a very important thing here. You will hear me say a lot. It's all about authority.

This is all about authority. People, a lot of times, because TRI is actively involved in the Feast of the Lord and the times of year that these things happen, we talk about the calendar issues a lot. And people say, well, we just go by the Jewish calendar. Well, it's a matter of authority. You know, the Lord says, this is the way I want you to do it. The Jews say, this is the way to do it do it did you say this is the way to do it

the christians say this is the way to do it well it's a matter of authority should we obey god or obey men uh you know well you know it's a you know abortion's legal right well it's a matter of authority do they really have the right to say this is legal? And because it's legal, does that make it okay? It's a matter of authority. And you'll hear me say that a lot because that's really been driven home to me that this is, that is, and many things are, and especially when it comes to church practices

and doctrines and such as that. Friend, it's always a matter of authority there are people who keep the commandments of god or say they do but it's only because they agree with them you're not keeping god's commandments you're keeping your commandments it's a matter of authority and he just keeps coming back to this i don't think people understand authority now here the jesus is questioned about his authority i love the way he answers this jesus was teaching in the temple preaching the gospel and the chief priest and the scribes and the elders came to him

saying tell us by what authority dost thou these things or who is it that gave thee this authority jesus answered them saying i will also ask you one thing which if you tell me, I will likewise tell you by what authority I do these things. There are many people who read this and say, Ooh, Jesus is being cagey. He's being foxy. He's being sneaky. And he's being, you know, this, wow, what a great way of answering without answering. Jesus, he couldn't care less about whether or not he offended the people or he's going to sneak around this issue in order not to offend

or in order to compromise a little bit or to try to get out of having answering the question. Again, what a horrible thing to accuse our lord jesus of he was asking a question because he wanted an answer and um so he says i'm going to ask you a question well now this is not so uncommon that we answer a question with a question. But that's not what Jesus was doing. He wasn't answering a question with a question. He was saying, answer this question and then I will answer yours. Do you see that? He wasn't just being cagey or sneaky or or anything like this he was saying well he was making a statement he says i'll answer your question well there's a statement but first

you need to answer a question for me i in likewise will tell you by what authority i do these things the baptism of john whence was it from heaven or men? What in the world has that got to do with what's being said here? Now the Pharisees, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders, reasoned with themselves saying, if we say from heaven, then he will say, why then believe you him not if you think that what he was doing was a actual commission from heaven then why didn't you believe him and if we say

of men well all the people will stone us for they were persuaded that john was a prophet so you see their dilemma? So they said to Jesus that they were unable to say the source of the baptism of John. In another gospel it says, they said unto him, we cannot tell. I think this is so pitiful. And why is it pitiful?

Well, one, because they, through their doctrine, through the way they live, the rules they live by is, what are people going to think? What are people going to think? And so we can't answer this way because of what people are going to think. We can't answer this way because we're going are going to think. We can't answer this way because we're going to condemn ourselves. So they were just stuck. Now, it wasn't that Jesus knew he would have them stuck. And he knew that, okay, if you can't answer this and I'm not going

to answer your question, and I know you can't answer this question, so this will alleviate me of the obligation of answering your question. That would be cagey. But that's not what he was doing at all. They were talking about authority. And all Jesus was asking them was, do you know authority from heaven when you see it? You see, they didn't. They didn't recognize authority from heaven.

I assure you, this is the first time they thought about this. The baptism of John, from heaven or from men. Hmm. Never thought about that. Because the second they thought about it, what was their first, what was their first response? Oh my goodness. If it was from heaven, then why didn't we believe him? And if it's of men, why we don't have to believe him, but we certainly can't preach against it because all the people perceive that he was a prophet. We're going to anger everybody we know.

Now, it wasn't that Jesus knew all this in advance, knew they couldn't. You know, Jesus could have looked at him and said, get out of here. I'm not answering your question. What, do you think he's too cowardly to say something like that? Or would hurt their feelings? You think that that was? No, no, no, no, no.

He was saying, you want to talk about authority? We'll talk about authority. Let's just see if you understand what authority is. Truth is, they didn't. By what authority do you do these things? I'll be glad to tell you, but I don't think you know what authority do you do these things? I'll be glad to tell you,

but I don't think you know what authority is. You didn't know John's authority. You never even thought about it. Now, I guess if John was out there doing miracles and stuff, you would have asked him this question, but you didn't. John just came into the wilderness saying, repent, and baptizing people. And you can live with that.

You can't live with what I'm doing. All of a sudden, you've got to know what authority, by what authority I do these things. Let's just see if you understand what authority is. They didn't. And he says, well, then neither I tell I you by what authority I do these things. Why? Because he didn't want them to know? Of course not.

He said it all of his life, by what authority he did these things. These things weren't done in a corner. They weren't done in a closet. He was running around saying he was the son of God. I don't do anything. I just do what the Lord tells me to do. I listen to my God. When he speaks, I listen. I do what he says to do. I listen to my God. When he speaks,

I listen. I do what he says to do. My father worketh hitherto, and I work. He was not shy about this. He wasn't trying to avoid the question. He was just saying, you know what your problem is? You don't understand authority. You think you're in charge of your church. This is the crux of the entire issue here. God has long since been extricated from your worship, from your practices. This has been going on for years. John told you, you're going to have to make a change. But you didn't listen to him.

I'm telling you, you're going to have to make a change. You're not listening to me. And really, if I'm a liar, he didn't go on to say this, but it's logical. If I'm a liar and I tell you that God has commissioned me to do this, then what reason do you have to believe me? You see, none of this makes any sense. The question kind of sounds good on the surface. You know, kind of, oh yeah, that's interesting.

I'd like to know by what authority he does that too. I understand all that. But you have to understand how fruitless all this is. These people are so far away from the things of god they wouldn't know god if he was behind them kicking them in the butt i'm telling you these people were blind and deaf and they had no understanding whatsoever jesus says you want to make a change john says you want to make a change? John says, you want to make a change?

You know, the answer to both questions by both men was, no, we want things to stay just like they are, and you're threatening everything we do. So, by what authority do I do these things? No, no. go somewhere else i'm not answering that question why would i answer the question you don't even understand what authority is the chief priests and the scribes reasoned among themselves another huge problem that we have, they have, all of us have, is we seek the advice of people around us, our peers, if you will. We seek their advice. Friend, you are in so much trouble if you're doing that. Look, I understand being in such a condition that you can't hear the voice of God. I understand that. And we do need to seek one another's help. We do need to learn from each other.

It's a good thing. However, there is nothing to compare at all, ever, with hearing the voice of God. Think about this for a minute. Would you rather have, I don't know, 60, 90, 120 minutes of good, solid DVD teaching on doctrine, or five minutes of hearing the voice of God for yourself? Then why do you seek one and not the other? I know why.

Because you've sought God and you didn't hear anything is most people's complaints I didn't hear anything you don't know what you heard you thought it thundered but it was actually the voice of God that happened in scriptures

because this is a training thing you've got to quit thinking that you've arrived somewhere man we're all in training we're all trying to make this thing work people i've had people accuse me you don't know what you're going to believe tomorrow i think no i guess i don't i have know, tomorrow has creeped in my petty pace from day to day so much that, no, I'm not so presumptive, presumptuous enough to say that I know what I'm going to believe tomorrow.

Because if you go back enough yesterdays, I am shocked at how different I view our Lord God Jehovah as I did then, and my Lord Jesus as I did then. And so, you know, we're all in a state of flux. We all have to, you know, to live and move and have our being in Christ. Let me get started in chapter 95. Jesus tells us three parables of warning. We have the story of the two sons refusing to tell the chief priests, the scribes and elders of the source of his authority.

Jesus told a parable to his questioners, saying, But what think ye? A certain man had two sons. He came to the first and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. And he answered and said, I will not. But afterward he repented and went. And he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir, and went not. He ends with a question. Which of the two did the will of his father? Now, if I ask you, and of course we know,

we've seen this so many times, we know which one did the will of his father. It was the one who repented. After refusing, he repented and went and worked in the field. That's the one that did the will of his father. What if this said, which of them had more respect to his father? Well, it would certainly be the one that says,

I go, sir. It wouldn't be the one that says, I will not go. But you see, the respect is hardly a factor here is it which of them had had confidence had faith and trust in their father wouldn't it be the one that wouldn't dare refute what he has asked them to do it'd'd be the one that says, I go, sir. But he didn't go.

Which of them spoke kindest to their father? Well, it'd be the one that says, I go, sir. You see, when people have the idea that faith in God, they're saving faith, faith in Christ has to do with some respect level have has to do with um you know how we speak to god what we say and what all these these kinds of things that that show that we believe in god there is nothing my friend that shows that you believe that God is who he says he is. Jesus is who he says he is, except by your actions. What was Jesus concerned with?

Which of the two did the will of his Father? Did. You know, the root of did, do, and all these things are deeds. These are things that we do. Am I preaching a works-oriented salvation? I'm certainly preaching a works-oriented satisfaction on the part of God and his children on the earth who are told to do certain things,

and many of them give them lip service, but they don't really do anything. This parable just speaks volumes against the idea of works minus faith, faith minus works. They're both useless. Absolutely useless to the kingdom of God. The chief priests and scribes and elders answered Jesus and said, the first. It wasn't a secret.

Jesus replied, verily I say unto you that publicans, what's a publican? A tax collector. The people that these folks hated. I'm telling you that those people that you feel like are traitors to Israel who sit and collect taxes for the Romans, those kind of people that you can't stand? See this guy behind me here?

His name's Matthew. You know him? I can just see him turn their face away. They hated Matthew. He was a Republican. He was a tax collector. And a disrespectful, unappreciative Jew. I can just see him, yeah, that's Matthew.

But you see, you have to understand that when you say to the Lord, you know, we're Jews, we've been with you all this time, you know, we work for you, we're part of your plan, and all this kind of thing, this is you saying, I go, sir. But you know, when his son comes, and you don't respect him, and you don't receive him, this is you saying, this is you doing not. I go, sir, but he went not.

Now, here's a harlot, here's a tax collector. They haven't made any overtures to God that they're going to do what he wants them to do. He said, thou shalt not, thou shalt not, thou shalt not. And you know what they said I will not obey that I'm going to do whatever I want to do well when their lives you know turn into you know very miserable existences and they see the opportunity to come to Christ for that they realize that Jesus Christ represents that law in a man's life,

all of a sudden they think, oh my goodness, this is something that I should have paid attention to. So, though they said, I will not go, later they repented and went. And Jesus is making it clear to them, verily I say unto you that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came unto you in the way of righteousness,

and ye believed him not. But the publicans and the harlots believed him, and ye, when ye have seen it, repented not afterwards, that you may believe in him. This idea of realizing that I've done wrong and repenting, repenting and going, repenting and doing, as the Father said,

you've got to double on this. You've got to mulligan, as we say in golf. You got a mulligan. You got a do-over. And you didn't even take that. I can see Jesus is just hugely frustrated here. All right, our time is gone for the day. I hope you're enjoying going through the red ink.

I just love this guy. I'd like to know how you're hearing this broadcast, where you are, where you live, and what you think of the broadcast. I'd like for you to email me your questions or your comments. I'd love to get your email. You can do so simply by writing to

Don at ThinkRedInk.com Go to ThinkRedInk.com. Is there anything there we can do for you? Be glad to do it. Alright, till I see you again Think Red Inc. my friend Bye bye C. Harris of Think Red Ink Ministries. Email don at thinkredink.com. That's thinkredink.com. Join us again for the next episode in the Words of Jesus series. you