Usurpers in the Temple; Luke 20:1-8

Delivered during the Sunday Morning Worship Service, 2/16/2025. After Jesus' spectacular Triumphal Entry, He went straight to the Temple to confront the false religion and corrupt worship that infested His Father's house. Outraged by His actions, a delegation from the Sanhedrin confronted Jesus as He was teaching in the Temple and demanded He provide the nature and source of His authority. But Jesus, knowing the intent of their heart responded with a question of His own which they could not or would not answer. As a result, Jesus refused to answer their question concerning authority-- effectively ceasing further revelation concerning Himself. We will answer the Sanhedrin's question by probing into the nature and source of all authority. And we will also discuss the brilliance of Jesus' question to them and why it placed them in an impossible dilemma. But primarily we will consider what happens to God's revelation when authority is willfully rejected. Ultimately, we will ask ourselves who occupies the "temple" of our soul-- is it Jesus or a usurper?