Episode 35: By Whose Authority?

What more proof do you need?

The day after Jesus cleared the temple, a delegation from the Sanhedrin confronts him with a challenge: by what authority are you doing these things? In this episode, Pastors Steven and Travis walk through Mark 11:27–12:12 from Pastor Steven’s sermon, “By Whose Authority?” Jesus doesn’t call down fire or perform a miracle. He asks about John’s baptism, a question that exposes hearts that already know the answer and refuse to say it.

From there, Jesus tells a parable about a vineyard, wicked tenants, and a beloved son sent last. The conversation digs into how sin makes us act irrationally, the difference between being a steward and an owner, and the hope of Psalm 118: the rejected stone becomes the cornerstone, and God uses the worst act in history to build his eternal kingdom.

The religious leaders knew the parable was about them. Is our unbelief really about evidence, or about wanting to stay in charge? So, what about us?