Matthew 21

 Matthew 21:23-27  The chief priests and elders came to Jesus to question His authority to do what He was doing... to teach, to cleanse the temple... to heal?   It wasn't the question in itself that was a problem.. for Jesus only did what the Father told Him to do and said only what the Father told Him to say ( John 14:10-11) But, the spirit behind the question is what Jesus addressed when He asked them a question in return.  "I will ask you one thing too, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.. " 

It wasn't a hard question.. "The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?"  The passage tells us that the priests and elders would not answer.  If they said it was from heaven they knew Jesus would ask them why they didn't believe him.  If they said it was from man.. then the people would rise up against them.. for they knew John was a prophet.  So they refused to answer. 

The Lord's timing is always perfect.. isn't it?  Last night at church we had a bible study focusing on I John 4: 1-6  which conveys John's command for us to "test the spirits to see whether they are from God.."  In a passage like that I find it helpful to make two columns or lists to compare and contrast the facts..  Here's what I noted:

Spirit of God                                                            

Confesses Christ who came in the flesh                

Is from God                                                             

Knows God and listens to His Word                            

Has a greater Spirit and overcomes                                

 spirit of error

Does not confess Christ

 Is from the world

 Does not listen to the Word

Is a false prophet/antichrist  

So what does this have to do with Matthew 21?      

The priests and elders were "testing" the authority of Jesus, but He turned it around on them.. after all He is the King! His authority overrides anything they had.  And, His question gives them the opportunity to either acknowledge that John was from God.. or say that he was not. (  A "test" of John's spirit..?)    Their inability to confess God's presence in John's life and ministry... showed that they neither knew God or heard the Spirit of God.  Therefore they had the "spirit of error".. were from the world, and were false prophets and leaders.. anti- christs of the worse kind.    

Father in heaven, lead us in Your Truth that we might always walk in Your ways, listen to Your words and be filled with Your Spirit.  In all we do and say, may we be like Jesus. May our lives produce the fruit of Your Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, and self-control.  Forgive us our sins.  In Christ we forgive those who have sinned against us. We surrender all of our being to the One who reigns on high, seated at the right hand of the Father.. our thoughts, our ambitions, our emotions, our fears, and our hopes.. We acknowledge that we are weak and poor in spirit, but that You have given us Life through Jesus Christ who came in the flesh and who lives forever! Test us Lord.. and reveal any spirit of error in our lives that we might turn away from the lies of the world and listen only to Your voice. Lead us in righteousness for Your Name's sake we pray.  Amen