By Whose Authority? Jesus Serves Rather Than Rules

Authority feels like an ancient question caught up in the present moment. Long trusted systems and institutions do not always carry the authority they once did, and the question presses close: Where does authority rest, and how should it be used? Luther’s understanding of authority as vocation names it as responsibility entrusted for the sake of others. Authority is more than being in charge. Authority carries accountability before God.

Matthew’s Gospel places that question in the temple after Jesus has entered Jerusalem, overturned tables, and challenged business as usual. The chief priests and elders ask Jesus who gave him the right to act as though he speaks for God. Jesus answers their question with a question about John the Baptist: Did John’s authority come from heaven or merely from human beings? The religious leaders calculate the cost of either answer and settle on, “We do not know.”

“I do not know” can be honest, because life really is complicated. Suffering, growing nationalism, artificial intelligence, competing voices, and fear of getting it wrong can leave people unsure how to respond faithfully. “I do not know” can also become a convenient place to stand, because knowing might require something. Jesus does not leave the leaders there. Jesus gives them a story.

The parable of the two sons reveals responses that are not nearly as tidy as they first appear. The first son says no to the father, then changes his mind and goes into the vineyard. The second son says yes, but never gets up and goes. The father approaches both sons, calls each one, and invites each into the same purpose. Grace gives room for a no to morph into a yes, while obedience still means that actions matter.

Paul directs attention to another Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus does not exploit equality with God or wield authority for his own advantage. Jesus empties himself, takes the form of a servant, humbles himself, and becomes obedient even to death on a cross. Hope does not finally rest in the perfection of human answers or obedience. Hope rests in the Son who does the Father’s will.

Jesus reveals authority by healing the sick, forgiving sinners, welcoming those others push aside, and challenging everything that separates people from God’s mercy. Christ’s authority is revealed most fully on the cross and confirmed in God’s exaltation of him. Christ’s authority remains when answers are uncertain, when no becomes yes, and when actions lag behind words. The one who has authority comes down, forgives, welcomes, and serves at his table.

##

---

Key Takeaways

• 1. Authority is responsibility for others [28:17] Authority is not a possession to protect or a platform for control. Luther’s account places authority under God’s judgment and directs it toward the good of neighbors. Every role that carries influence also carries responsibility for how that influence is used. [28:17]
• 2. “I do not know” can hide [33:04] Uncertainty can be a truthful confession when circumstances are genuinely complicated. Fear, convenience, and the desire to avoid costly action can also turn uncertainty into shelter. Jesus refuses to let calculated indecision have the final word. [33:04]
• 3. Grace gives room for change [34:57] The first son’s refusal does not place him beyond the father’s invitation. God continues working until a resistant no becomes an obedient yes. Grace does not excuse refusal, but it patiently makes repentance possible. [34:57]
• 4. Jesus never exploits his authority [37:21] Christ possesses equality with God, yet chooses self-emptying service rather than self-advantage. The cross shows that divine authority does not dominate from a distance. Jesus uses power to give life for others. [37:21]
• 5. Christ’s authority remains when answers fail [39:31] Human certainty and perfect follow-through cannot sustain faith. Christ remains Lord when people are still discerning, still changing, and still trying to let their actions catch up with their words. His authority is mercy that comes down to meet them.
  
  ## [39:31]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [27:17] - The Question of Authority
• [28:01] - Authority as Vocation
• [29:26] - Jesus Challenged in the Temple
• [30:24] - Jesus Asks About John the Baptist
• [31:22] - When “I Do Not Know” Is Honest
• [33:21] - The Parable of Two Sons
• [34:57] - When No Becomes Yes
• [36:27] - Jesus, the Obedient Son
• [37:58] - How Jesus Uses Authority
• [39:08] - Leaving the Shelter of Uncertainty
• [39:53] - By the Authority of Jesus Christ

Bible Reading

Matthew 21:23-32
“And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.” [25:02]

Philippians 2:5-11
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [36:33]

Observation questions

1. What events in Jerusalem and the temple had led the chief priests and elders to question Jesus’ authority? [29:56]
2. How does Jesus respond to the leaders’ question, and what options does he give them for explaining John the Baptist’s authority? [30:29]
3. What different responses do the two sons give their father, and what does each son ultimately do? [33:48]
4. In Philippians 2, what choices does Jesus make with his divine authority, and how is God’s response to Jesus described? [37:21]

Interpretation questions

1. The religious leaders appear more concerned about the consequences of their answer than about speaking truthfully. What makes their “We do not know” different from honest uncertainty? [31:22]
2. Why might Jesus tell the parable of the two sons immediately after the leaders refuse to answer his question about John’s authority? [33:33]
3. The father approaches both sons and invites both into the same work. What does this suggest about God’s grace toward people whose words and actions do not match? [36:00]
4. Philippians describes Jesus as one who does not use authority for his own advantage but takes the form of a servant. How does this reshape what faithful authority should look like in a family, workplace, church, or community? [37:22]

Application questions

1. Where does each person have some measure of authority or influence—at home, at work, among friends, or in the church? How might that influence be used more intentionally for the good of others rather than for personal control or convenience? [28:57]
2. Is there an area of life where “I do not know” has become a way to avoid a hard but necessary response? What small, faithful next step might help a person leave that shelter and enter the vineyard? [39:39]
3. When has a “no” to God’s leading slowly become a “yes”? What helped make change, repentance, or renewed willingness possible? [35:03]
4. Where might a person’s words be saying yes to God while their actions have not yet caught up? What would a realistic step toward follow-through look like this week? [35:24]
5. Jesus uses authority to heal, forgive, welcome, and challenge what keeps people from God’s mercy. Which of those ways of using authority is most needed in the relationships or places where you have influence right now? [38:32]
6. When uncertainty, failure, or incomplete obedience feels discouraging, how does Christ’s faithful obedience and mercy give courage to keep responding to God’s call? [39:53]