By What Authority Does Jesus Do These Things?

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus Claims the Temple as His Father’s House

The temple erupts with overturned tables and healed bodies. Jesus strides into sacred space like a homeowner rearranging furniture, calling it "my house." Blind and lame flock to Him as He teaches and heals with unapologetic ownership. Religious leaders fume, but their outrage cannot drown the crowd’s cries of "Hosanna!" or the crackle of divine authority reclaiming what belongs to God. This is no polite prophet—He acts as the Son who inherits the keys. [33:21]

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.
(Matthew 21:12–14, ESV)

Reflection: Where has Jesus disrupted your assumptions about what belongs to Him? What “tables” in your life might He be overturning to make space for His healing?

Day 2: Authority to Forgive Sins on Earth

A paralyzed man hears impossible words: “Your sins are forgiven.” Religious experts recoil—only God claims such power. But Jesus doubles down, healing the man’s legs to prove He holds heaven’s keys. Forgiveness isn’t a metaphor here; it’s a bone-and-sinew reality. The same authority that rebuilt a broken body now rebuilds shattered souls. [32:11]

And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.”
(Matthew 9:2–6, ESV)

Reflection: What paralysis in your life—guilt, shame, or fear—needs Jesus’ direct command: “Rise, take heart, your sins are forgiven”?

Day 3: Confronted by Unbelief: The Trap of Rejecting John’s Witness

Religious leaders demand credentials, but Jesus traps them in their own game. If John’s baptism was divine, why reject his message? If human, why fear the crowd? Their evasion—“We don’t know”—exposes hearts more loyal to reputation than truth. Unbelief isn’t intellectual; it’s a refusal to bow to heaven’s disruptive messengers. [36:02]

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.”
(Matthew 21:23–27, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you tempted to dodge truth to avoid conflict or inconvenience? What “John the Baptist” in your life are you ignoring?

Day 4: The Father’s Voice at the Transfiguration Confirms Authority

A mountain-top cloud thunders: “This is my beloved Son—listen to Him.” No committee vote, no theological debate. The Father stakes everything on Jesus’ identity. Every healing, every forgiven sin, every temple protest flows from this divine endorsement. To question Christ’s authority is to argue with the Voice that shaped galaxies. [41:58]

He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
(Matthew 17:5, ESV)

Reflection: What specific command or promise of Jesus have you struggled to trust? How might listening to Him—not your fears—reshape that struggle?

Day 5: All Authority Given to the Risen Christ

The resurrected Jesus stands on a Galilean hill, scars testifying to conquered death. “All authority” isn’t a metaphor—it’s the keys to hell’s gates and heaven’s throne room. This same authority sends disciples into alleys and palaces, baptizing and teaching. Your doubts, your mission, your future rest in pierced hands that hold the universe. [43:24]

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:18–20, ESV)

Reflection: What fear or task feels too heavy for you today? How does Jesus’ “all authority” change your next step?

Sermon Summary

Matthew sets the scene with Jesus entering the temple after Palm Sunday, and things are hot. Jesus has come into Jerusalem with Hosannas ringing out, children calling him Son of David, and crowds naming him the prophet from Nazareth. Jesus has then walked straight into the temple precincts, turned over tables, driven out sellers, healed the blind and lame, and called the temple his Father’s house. The Lord has come to his temple.

The chief priests and elders come loaded for a fight. Their question sounds official, but unbelief sits underneath it: “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” Authority matters because Jesus is making their authority disappear before their eyes. Jesus has already forgiven the paralytic, healed him, and shown that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. Jesus now acts in the temple like it belongs to him, because it does.

Jesus answers their question with John the Baptist. John came preaching repentance, baptizing in Jordan water, and preparing the way for the Lord. John had authority because God sent him. God was doing his work through John’s word and baptism. Jesus forces the religious leaders to face the question they have spent years refusing to answer: Was John’s baptism from heaven or from man?

The chief priests and elders get trapped by their own unbelief. The truth would condemn them if they admitted John came from heaven, because they did not believe him. A denial would put them against the crowds, who knew John was a prophet. Their answer, “We do not know,” is not ignorance. It is fear talking. They know, but they will not say it.

Jesus refuses to hand his enemies an answer they have already rejected. Judgment gathers over Jerusalem, yet Jesus will show his authority on Good Friday. The cross reveals the Father’s authorized representative, the beloved Son whom the Father commands all people to hear. The resurrection settles the question for the whole world: Jesus has authority to save from sin and death, forgive sins, raise the dead, and send disciples to baptize and teach all nations.

Christ’s authority is not cold power or religious muscle. Christ’s authority says that he died in the sinner’s place. Christ’s authority gives his baptized children his body and blood, given and shed for them. The Father is good with the Son’s authority, and the church receives his word as the word that forgives, feeds, and raises the dead.

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Key Takeaways

1. Jesus enters as the true King Jesus does not sneak into Jerusalem or politely wait outside the temple. Christ enters with the songs of David’s Son surrounding him, then takes up the work of the Lord in his Father’s house. The temple scene reveals that his kingship reaches into every place where human religion tries to keep control. [32:38]
2. Unbelief fears the truth it knows The chief priests and elders do not lack information about John the Baptist. Their “we do not know” protects position, public standing, and safety from the crowd. Unbelief often works this way: the truth is seen clearly enough, but confession costs too much. [40:01]
3. John’s baptism came from heaven John’s baptism was not an empty religious act invented by a man in the wilderness. God authorized John to preach repentance and prepare the way for the Lord. God’s appointed means carry God’s own action and demand a response of faith. [38:19]
4. The cross proves Christ’s authority Christ does not finally establish his authority by winning an argument in the temple courts. The cross and resurrection show the authority of the Father’s beloved Son to bear sin, conquer death, and save the world. Good Friday reveals divine authority as self-giving mercy. [41:10]
5. Christ’s authority gives forgiveness and life Jesus possesses all authority in heaven and on earth, yet he uses that authority for sinners. Christ declares forgiveness, gives his body and blood, and promises resurrection from the dead. His authority is the solid ground beneath every promise he speaks.

## [43:40]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[24:03] - The Question of Jesus’ Authority
[30:35] - Jesus Enters the Temple
[31:13] - Authority to Forgive Sins
[32:38] - Palm Sunday and the Temple Cleansing
[34:26] - Chief Priests Challenge Jesus
[35:26] - Unbelief Demands a Sign
[36:02] - Jesus Points to John the Baptist
[37:34] - Was John’s Baptism From Heaven?
[38:57] - Religious Leaders Trapped by Fear
[40:17] - “We Do Not Know”
[41:10] - The Cross Reveals Christ’s Authority
[42:14] - Jesus Teaches With Divine Authority
[43:05] - Authority to Save and Raise the Dead
[43:40] - Christ Feeds His Baptized Children

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 21:23-27
“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.” [24:03]

Matthew 9:6-8
“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.” [32:11]

Matthew 28:18-20
“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” [43:30]

Observation questions

In Matthew 21:23–27, what question do the chief priests and elders ask Jesus, and what events in the temple make their question especially urgent?
What question does Jesus ask the leaders about John’s baptism, and what two possible answers does he place before them? [37:46]
What reasons do the leaders give themselves for not saying that John’s baptism was from heaven or from man? [39:14]
In Matthew 9:6–8, what does Jesus do to show that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins? [32:01]

Interpretation questions

Why does Jesus answer the leaders’ challenge about his authority by bringing up John the Baptist rather than giving them a direct answer immediately? [36:09]
The leaders’ answer, “We do not know,” protects them from both conviction and public backlash. What does this reveal about the difference between lacking information and refusing to confess what is true? [40:15]
How do Jesus’ forgiveness of the paralytic, his actions in the temple, and his resurrection fit together as signs of his divine authority?
In Matthew 28:18–20, Jesus says that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him before sending disciples to baptize and teach. How does his authority make baptism and Christian teaching more than merely human religious activities? [43:24]

Application questions

Are there areas where it is easier to say “I don’t know” than to admit what God’s Word is calling for? What might make honest confession feel costly in those situations? [40:01]
The religious leaders feared losing control, standing, and safety before the crowds. Where can the desire to protect reputation, comfort, or control keep a person from listening to Jesus?
Jesus has authority to forgive sins. When guilt from a particular sin continues to trouble a believer, what does it look like to trust Christ’s word of forgiveness rather than relying on feelings or self-punishment? [43:08]
Christ’s authority is shown most clearly in his self-giving death for sinners. How does the cross reshape the way a Christian thinks about authority in the home, workplace, church, or community? [41:21]
Jesus sends his church to baptize and teach because all authority belongs to him. How can remembering Christ’s authority give courage in speaking about faith with a family member, neighbor, or friend? [43:29]
Christ feeds his baptized children with his body and blood, given and shed for them. How does this promise speak to someone who comes to worship weary, ashamed, or uncertain of God’s mercy? [44:10]

Sermon Clips

63s

“All authority. The father is good with that, so we are too. I mean, this morning, the one to whom all authority in heaven and on earth has been given, authoritatively tells you he died in your place. He died for you. All forgiven. Today, he feeds His baptized children, his body and blood authorized by his promise given and shed for you. They are, He says so with authority.”

54s

“Look, healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons, feeds 5,000, but all his words too. Crowds astonished at his teaching. He taught as one who had authority, not like their scribes. Jesus, like no one else ever dared to proclaim. You heard it said by the teachers of old, but I say to you by his own authority and that his teaching is God's teaching, settles the authority question once and for all in Jerusalem by a Good Friday death and Easter resurrection.”

55s

“cloud of judgments gathers in Jerusalem. Jesus shows both that they knew, oh, they they know, but are unwilling to say it and that he will not speak it. But he will show it to these chief priests and elders and to that city, Jerusalem, and to the whole world on the cross, Friday. By what authority does Jesus do and say what He's doing and saying? Divine authority. Authority of his father. The authorized representative of the father. The father authorizing so loves the world he gives his only son.”

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St. Paul's Lutheran Church and School, Fort Wayne This sermon · AI assistant

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