Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19970216.htm

MATTHEW: JESUS AS ISRAEL'S MESSIAH AND HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Part XI. The Crisis Of The Messiah's Offer Of The Kingdom
B. The Tangible Test For The Credibility Of A Spiritual Teacher
(Matthew 21:23-27)
  1. Introduction
    1. When a Christian hears a Bible teacher come up with some insight that sounds different or brand new to him, he can respond one of two general ways: (1) He can either reject the input and thus deny the teacher's credibility or (2) view the input as from the Lord as he accepts the teacher's spiritual credentials.
    2. One may wonder just how to distinguish between true and erroneous teachers in such a situation.
    3. Besides the subjective ministry of the Holy Spirit who tests the spirits in teachers as taught in 1 John 2:20, Jesus exampled for us a tangible way to discern if a teacher is from God in Matthew 21:23-27:
  2. The Tangible Test For The Credibility Of A Spiritual Teacher, Matthew 21:23-27.
    1. When Jesus was asked by what authority He ministered, though Mark's Gospel says He walked in the temple complex, Matthew's Gospel says He was teaching at the time, Mk. 11:27; Mtt. 21:23.
    2. This teaching emphasis in Matthew implies that the leaders questioned Jesus' authority to teach:
      1. The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, p. 69 suggests that the "things" for which Jesus' authority was questioned included His clearing the temple and healing the blind and lame (21:8-14) and TEACHING, Mtt. 21:23; Mk. 11:27.
      2. The same commentary suggests that this teaching ministry was thereby being questioned, Ibid.
    3. Christ's answer reveals a tangible test for any spiritual teacher's teaching credentials:
      1. Since Jesus' teaching authority was being questioned, Jesus simply referred to an independent, third party witness who had some credentials: He referred to the John the Baptizer, 21:24.
      2. Of this independent, third party, Jesus had already received laudatory, credible certification:
        1. John had not even known who the Messiah was before Jesus actually appeared to John as such in the presence of many witnesses, Matthew 3:11-14 with John 1:29-33.
        2. Now when Jesus appeared to John and the Spirit publicly signified that Jesus was the Messiah, God's Son, John was surprised and testified that Jesus was the Son of God, or deity, John 1:32-34.
        3. Thus, John the Baptizer was an unbiased witness to the fact that Jesus was deity!
      3. John himself had high credentials as a prophet of truth, a prophet of God:
        1. The Old Testament prophesied that a Forerunner of Messiah in the style of Old Testament Elijah would appear to prepare the way of the coming of the Lord, Malachi 4:5-6.
        2. It predicted that this Forerunner would be a voice of God crying the wilderness, Isa. 40:3.
        3. Well, when John came ministering, he fit the bill: (1) like Elijah, he dressed in rough garments and ate the bread of poverty as had Elijah, cf. Mtt. 1:4 with 2 Kings 1:8; 1 Kings 17:6; (2) like Elijah who was from the East Bank of the Jordan and often was associated with the Jordan River, John baptized in the River Jordan for the repentance of sins, Mtt. 1:6 with 1 Kings 17:1; 2 Kings 2:7-8; (3) like Elijah who had a direct preaching s tyle (1 Kings 17:1), John cried out in the wilderness, Mtt. 1:2,3.
        4. Accordingly, all Judaea went out to John to the Jordan to repent and be baptized, Mtt. 1:5-6.
      4. Thus, Jesus asked His detractors to tell Him by what authority the very credible John ministered before He would answer by what authority He Himself ministered, and all to make these leaders face the credentials of another credible party before making a judgment on Jesus, Mtt. 21:24-25a.
    4. This question put the leaders in a quandary: (1) if they declared John's ministry was from God, Jesus would ask them why they didn't believe John's claims about His Messiahship and divinity, Mtt. 21:25b; (2) had they claimed John had no credit, they would have undermined themselves as John was respected, 21:26.
    5. Refusing to admit that Jesus had credentials, and thereupon cornering themselves on Jesus' certifier, John himself, they refused to answer in complete rebellion against God, Mtt. 21:27!
Lesson: When Jesus' spiritual teaching certification was questioned, He gave a TANGIBLE evidence for His credentials by referring to the recommendations of another highly credible servant of God.

Application: We can test another's spiritual teaching crediblity in a TANGIBLE way by doing some homework: find out if he is backed up by other credible spiritual leaders -- that can tell us very much!