By What Authority?

Luke 20:1-18

About the Sermon

Here’s a legitimate question: who has legitimate authority? For example, who can access your medical records? Who gets to make the laws we’re required to follow? Who has authority to issue orders on the field of battle? Luke 20:1–18 concerns authority of the most important kind: the authority to bring about God’s redemptive purposes, to save, to forgive, to set prisoners free, to rule as king over God’s kingdom. When Jesus showed up to the temple in Jerusalem he began to preach the good news on the basis of his authority as God’s king. That’s when he was interrupted by a question, “by what authority. . .?”

About the Series

Luke writes that we may be certain of the things that we have been taught. That is, confident in the good news about Jesus. Apparently some of the things we have been taught are so wonderful they are hard to believe. In his orderly account, Luke announces good news of great reversals in which God humbles the proud and exalts the humble. Peace with God through the forgiveness of sins really is available but on God’s terms. To show us how we must come to him, Luke introduces us to the characters Jesus lifted up and to the proud whom he brought low. In all this he compels us to humbly believe in the Son of the Most High God and to preach this good news of great joy to the end of the earth.
Luke writes that we may be certain of the things that we have been taught. That is, confident in the good news about Jesus. Apparently some of the things we have been taught are so wonderful they are hard to believe. In his orderly account, Luke announces good news of great reversals in which God humbles the proud and exalts the humble. Peace with God through the forgiveness of sins really is available but on God's terms. To show us how we must come to him, Luke introduces us to the characters Jesus lifted up and to the proud whom he brought low. In all this he compels us to humbly believe in the Son of the Most High God and to preach this good news of great joy to the end of the earth.

Sermons in the Series