Philip Anthony Mitchell

The temple is crowded with thousands of people. And in Matthew chapter 21, Matthew the tax collector wrote, And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, By what authority are you doing these things? What things? Preaching, healing in the temple, cleansing the temple, breaking norms and customs.

The temple is crowded with thousands of people. And in Matthew chapter 21, Matthew the tax collector wrote, And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching and said, By what authority are you doing these things? What things? Preaching, healing in the temple, cleansing the temple, breaking norms and customs.

And by what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority? And Jesus answered them, I will always ask you a question, he said to them. And if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John. From where did it come? From heaven or from man?

And by what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you this authority? And Jesus answered them, I will always ask you a question, he said to them. And if you tell me the answer, then I will also 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 among themselves saying, well, shoot, if we say from heaven, he will say to us, then why didn't you believe him? So we can't give him that answer. And they said, but if we say from man, shoot, we will be afraid because of the crowd for they held John was a prophet. We can't give him that answer. So they answered Jesus. We don't know.

And they discussed among themselves saying, well, shoot, if we say from heaven, he will say to us, then why didn't you believe him? So we can't give him that answer. And they said, but if we say from man, shoot, we will be afraid because of the crowd for they held John was a prophet. We can't give him that answer. So they answered Jesus. We don't know.

And he said to them, well shoot, neither do I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. So there is Jesus in the temple. He's confronted by the elders, the spiritual leaders, the pastors of Israel. They ask him a question, but then he responds to them with a question. Now they're talking about John. John the Baptist, who God sent to be a forerunner of the ministry of the life of Jesus.

And he said to them, well shoot, neither do I tell you by what authority I am doing these things. So there is Jesus in the temple. He's confronted by the elders, the spiritual leaders, the pastors of Israel. They ask him a question, but then he responds to them with a question. Now they're talking about John. John the Baptist, who God sent to be a forerunner of the ministry of the life of Jesus.

It was John who was a preacher of righteousness and holiness. It was John who affirmed the identity of Christ when he was alive. It was John who said, behold, look. The Lamb of God, talking about Christ, who takes away the sin of the world. It was John whose preaching was so powerful it gave birth to a national and spiritual revival. It was John who was an outcast preaching in the wilderness.

It was John who was a preacher of righteousness and holiness. It was John who affirmed the identity of Christ when he was alive. It was John who said, behold, look. The Lamb of God, talking about Christ, who takes away the sin of the world. It was John whose preaching was so powerful it gave birth to a national and spiritual revival. It was John who was an outcast preaching in the wilderness.

eating locusts and wild honey, and dressed in a garment, man, that people thought was hideous. It was John's preaching, watch, that was saving people by the thousands and transforming the nation of Israel. It was John they was talking about in this moment. And now Jesus asked them a question about John. But here, because John testified about the identity of Christ,

eating locusts and wild honey, and dressed in a garment, man, that people thought was hideous. It was John's preaching, watch, that was saving people by the thousands and transforming the nation of Israel. It was John they was talking about in this moment. And now Jesus asked them a question about John. But here, because John testified about the identity of Christ,

To say his baptism came from heaven would be for these spiritual leaders to affirm Christ. They don't want to do that because they're jealous of his ministry. To say John's ministry came from man will be watched to diminish his ministry. They don't want to do that because John was respected, hear me, for being a preacher of righteousness.

To say his baptism came from heaven would be for these spiritual leaders to affirm Christ. They don't want to do that because they're jealous of his ministry. To say John's ministry came from man will be watched to diminish his ministry. They don't want to do that because John was respected, hear me, for being a preacher of righteousness.

He was respected for being a preacher of holiness, not a preacher of compromise. not a preacher that keeps you comfortable in sin not a preacher that never confronts you not a preacher that gives you three points in a poem not a preacher that lies to you about his opinion not a preacher that reads a verse and spends 45 minutes telling you lies not an american preacher

He was respected for being a preacher of holiness, not a preacher of compromise. not a preacher that keeps you comfortable in sin not a preacher that never confronts you not a preacher that gives you three points in a poem not a preacher that lies to you about his opinion not a preacher that reads a verse and spends 45 minutes telling you lies not an american preacher

No, John was a preacher of what the people did not want to hear, a preacher of righteousness and holiness that transformed the nation. Yeah. Word. Word. And so Jesus, watch, he not only asked them a question to stop them in their antagonism against them, but he does not remain silent about, watch, he does not remain silent about their self-deception.

No, John was a preacher of what the people did not want to hear, a preacher of righteousness and holiness that transformed the nation. Yeah. Word. Word. And so Jesus, watch, he not only asked them a question to stop them in their antagonism against them, but he does not remain silent about, watch, he does not remain silent about their self-deception.

So immediately after he stumps them in this conversation, he says to them the very first verse in our text, in Matthew chapter 28. Matthew chapter 21 and verse 28, he says, well, he's talking to the spiritual leaders of Israel and he says to them, what do you think? Stop. This is a very powerful question. He uses this question to ask them about John,

So immediately after he stumps them in this conversation, he says to them the very first verse in our text, in Matthew chapter 28. Matthew chapter 21 and verse 28, he says, well, he's talking to the spiritual leaders of Israel and he says to them, what do you think? Stop. This is a very powerful question. He uses this question to ask them about John,