From Matthew 21:23-27 / Seeking truth?

The essence of this passage is simple: Truth is not arrived at either by consensus, nor on the basis of expedience. It is arrived at by believing the revelation of God in Christ Jesus.

In both the questions of the chief priests and the elders, and Jesus’ response we come face to face with how it is man will deny the obvious to avoid acknowledging the truth, and being subject to God and His Christ.

In the first question, we are confronted with 2 things.

a. What other authority is needed to do what is right, other than the simple fact that it IS right? Why should Jesus need to justify what is obvious? Because men do not WANT to believe. Not because they can’t, but as in this case, they do not want to. If His detractors were to acknowledge that Jesus was simply doing what ought to be done (restoring the Temple to its rightful operation and cleansing it from defilement) – then they would have to concede that they had failed in their duty. This, they would not do. It would require humility and repentance.

Note first: No one can follow Christ, except they humble themselves regarding their sin, and repent from their evil. If you will not acknowledge your sinfulness, you cannot be saved from it. It is that simple.

b. What is not obvious about the rightness of what Jesus did? Why did His actions even merit questioning?

Note second: People do not believe in God, the Bible nor the Gospel, because they do not want to – not because there is no proof for God. The proof is all around us. Psalm spells it out so clearly. There is a universal obviousness in the creation – that without a sound and in terms which can be understood apart from the need for any spoken language – God MUST be – in all of His genius and power.

In the parable of the wedding feast invitation in Matt. 22 – the issues is the invitees “would not” come, not “could not.” Would not. “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” Matt. 23:37.

As Jonathan Edwards argued so cogently, man’s unbelief problem isn’t one of natural inability, as though we have no natural faculty or capacity to believe. The problem is instead a moral inability – an unwillingness to concede the truth. Just as Jesus’ detractors here.

Note third: How Jesus reveals their own twisted motives to them by His question.

Once again, the answer was obvious. But why couldn’t they answer it truthfully? It would be too costly. They would have to humble themselves to admit John was sent from God – and correct in His rebuke of their leadership. And, they would have to explain why they did not heed His message and themselves repent and be baptized.

It wasn’t that John’s mission and message were obscure or invalid – but once again, that they simply did not want to own it. If they did, they would lose their power, prestige and position. That, was too much.

Note fourth: What an amazing this it is that any are saved at all! What a testimony to the wondrous grace of God that by His Spirit He overcomes these obstacles in the human heart, and births faith in them by virtue of the power of the Gospel.

What a wondrous salvation is ours. For the truth is beloved, we resisted the same as those in this passage. But by some miracle, He overcome our resistance. For some reason, known only to Him, He passes by some, leaving them in their unbelief and unwillingness, and in others, extends special grace to rescue us from ourselves.

What a humbling reality then our salvation is. How grateful we ought to be. How amazed that He did not leave you and me in our sins. And how much we need to pray for others, that He will extend that same grace to them – who are no different than ourselves.

How precious is the grace of our Redeemer.