Scripture Post #559: *HEAVEN, OR OF MEN?*

Luke 20:

3 And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me: 

4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? 

Disclaimer: The image here, in its original form, was from an image search engine. The original source of this image is unbeknown to me. I own no rights of this image.

Full Context:

Luke 20:1: "And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,"

V. 2: "And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?"

V. 3: "And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:"

V. 4: "The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?"

V. 5: "And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?"

V. 6: "But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet."

V. 7: "And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was."

V. 8: "And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things."

The Chief Priests and Scribes asked JESUS by what authority did HE do the things HE did. JESUS asked them a question in return that they claimed not to know. They lied. They didn't believe John The Baptist's message was true. Because if they did believe, they themselves would've been baptized. But they weren't baptized because they didn't believe. They believed John's Ministry was from man and not of Heaven. They only answered that they didn't know because they feared the people who believed in John's ministry would stone them if they spoke their truth (which was untrue). So they *lied* out of *fear*. If you believe something of great significance to be true, then it shouldn't matter if you could potentially perish because of it. (Well… maybe it wasn't that significant to them. But what I believe is *very* significant to me.) JESUS asked these guys a very good question. JESUS' question could've been asked of HIMSELF, in place of John. "Do you Chief Priests and Scribes believe MY Ministry to be from *HEAVEN, OR OF MEN?*" They obviously didn't believe JESUS' Ministry to be of Heaven. If they didn't believe in John, then why would they believe in JESUS, WHO HIMSELF was baptized by John? In life, when people are people-driven and not GOD-driven—when people are more concerned with how others will react to what they do, rather than how GOD would react to what they do—when people today conduct themselves as the Chief Priests and Scribes did in JESUS' day, it's a *clear* sign not to follow or believe them: a life worrying about people and being people-driven, is taking on the attitude that the Chief Priests and Scribes had. People of GOD concern themselves with the things of GOD.

We must know why we do the things we do—why we believe what we believe. GOD doesn't want us unwise concerning what we believe and how we conduct ourselves. Our answers to these questions shouldn't be, "I don't know."

Eph. 5:17: "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is."

Originally Published: Tue. 3/25/14