By Luke Sills
The final chapters of Matthew’s Gospel reveal a striking picture of Jesus Christ. In His last days before the cross, Jesus does not shrink back from confronting the so-called authorities of His time. Instead, He boldly proclaims truth, dismantling the false authority of religious leaders, and making it clear that His authority extends even over sin and life itself.
In Matthew 21:23–32, we see that true followers of Jesus recognize His authority and respond with obedience. Anything less is mere lip service.
Jesus’ Authority Is Above All
Jesus enters the temple—likely still in the disarray He had caused by driving out the money changers—and begins teaching. The chief priests and elders, irritated and threatened, confront Him:
“By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” (Matthew 21:23)
Rather than answer directly, Jesus responds with a question of His own:
“The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” (Matthew 21:25)
This was no diversion. John the Baptist’s entire ministry pointed to Jesus as the Messiah—the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). If the leaders admitted John’s authority came from heaven, they would have to acknowledge Jesus’ authority as well. But if they dismissed John as merely human, they would face public outrage, for the people believed John was a prophet.
So, they opted for cowardice: “We do not know.”
Their non-answer revealed more than they realized. They cared more about maintaining their own positions than submitting to God’s true authority. This is the tragedy of misplaced authority—clinging to control that is not truly ours.
Jesus’ Authority Brings Eternal Life
After their refusal to answer, Jesus tells a parable about two sons. One initially refuses his father’s command to work in the vineyard but later obeys. The other agrees politely but never goes.
The first son represents those society viewed as “sinners”—tax collectors and prostitutes—who at first reject God but later repent and obey. The second son represents the religious elite, who claim devotion to God yet refuse to truly follow Him.
Jesus’ point is piercing:
“The tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.” (Matthew 21:31)
The Pharisees had seen lives transformed by Jesus—people they despised turning from sin to follow Him. Yet they refused to repent themselves.
Scripture overflows with examples of those despised by the world but transformed by Christ’s authority:
- Matthew the tax collector (Matthew 9:9) left his lucrative and dishonest profession to follow Jesus.
- Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1–10) repented publicly, making restitution for his wrongs.
- A sinful woman—likely a prostitute—washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and was forgiven because of her faith (Luke 7:36–50).
The pattern is clear: Jesus came “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). His authority not only exposes sin—it redeems sinners.
The Problem with the Pharisees
The Pharisees failed to see their need for grace. John the Baptist’s message was simple: all must repent. But self-righteousness blinded them to their own sin.
One commentator observes: “The gates to God’s kingdom open wide to the bluntly ungodly if they repent, but not a crack for the precisely orthodox if they do not.”
This is the scandal of grace: the kingdom of God is made up of former thieves, addicts, liars, idolaters, and sexual sinners—people who were spiritually dead until they humbled themselves before Christ.
Faith That Obeys
Jesus makes it clear that verbal profession alone is not saving faith. True faith results in obedience. As James writes, “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18).
Paul calls it “the obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5). And Ephesians 2:8–10 reminds us that we are saved by grace through faith, not works—yet we are saved for good works, prepared in advance by God.
Obedience does not earn salvation, but it is the evidence of it. To submit to Jesus’ authority is to follow Him, not merely acknowledge Him with words.
Conclusion
Jesus still asks today: “By what authority do you live?” If we truly believe His authority is from heaven, the only right response is repentance and obedience.
No sin is beyond His reach to forgive. No life is too broken for Him to restore. But only those who humbly bow before His authority will enter His kingdom.
The Pharisees clung to power that was never theirs. The repentant sinners clung to the One who had all power—and they found eternal life.
Which son are you?
