Rev. Sean Kilgo, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lawrence, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 20:1-8.
On Holy Tuesday, Jesus continues His teaching in the temple, filling it with His true doctrine and the good news of the salvation He is about to accomplish in Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin was rightly concerned with discerning true teaching from false doctrine, but they were derelict in their duty. They questioned Jesus’ authority in an attempt to carry out their desire to destroy Him, but Jesus turned the tables on them and called them to repentance by calling them to consider His entire ministry all the way back to John’s baptism. The Sanhedrin, however, was unwilling to answer Jesus’ question by asking for His forgiveness, and they were too cowardly to face the crowds with their rejection of John. They weasel out of Jesus’ question without answering, and so Jesus will not give the answer that His life and ministry have already answered. The warning of the Sanhedrin’s negative example encourages us toward the true confession of Jesus’ authority as the true God who has saved us.
“The Beloved Physician’s Orderly Account” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Gospel according to St. Luke. The Evangelist wrote his well-researched account of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection so that Theophilus would have certainty concerning the things he had been taught. As we still read the Word of God recorded by St. Luke, our gracious Lord gives us that same certainty that Jesus is our Savior.
