Authority Revealed

Mark 11:20-33 September 5, 2021 Pastor Vince Corpus

Thesis Jesus is the ultimate authority who demands allegiance, demonstrated through his power over creation, stated in his teaching on prayer and forgiveness, and revealed in his confrontation with religious leaders who refuse to acknowledge the divine source of his authority.

Series

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Type

Expository

Tone

pastoraldidacticcelebratory

Method

grammatical-historicalredemptive-historicalcanonical

What's in this sermon

The shape of the argument

25 units across exposition, application, illustration, theological claim, and conclusion. The pastor's argument is built from these moving parts.

Pastoral correction · unit #14

"Applies the mountain-moving prayer teaching to specific impossible circumstances in the congregation's lives: wayward children, hostile unbelieving family members, and inability to forgive. Calls them to have faith that God can accomplish these impossible things because he has the authority to do so."

Doctrinal loci· 9 surfaced

Christology · 11 Soteriology · 8 Theology Proper · 5 Ecclesiology · 4 Bibliology · 3 Hamartiology · 3 Sanctification · 3 Eschatology · 1 Pastoral Theology · 1

Bible citations· 13

Theological claims· 5

Jesus is the ultimate authority and demands allegiance, which will be shown through his demonstration, statement, and revelation of that authority. unit #3
Jesus's cursing of the fig tree demonstrates his divine authority over all creation because, as the incarnate Son of God, his word is effective and powerful—what he speaks, he accomplishes. unit #5
The mountain-moving prayer teaching points specifically to salvation as the impossible task only God can accomplish, and when we pray in faith for God to save people, we are praying according to his will and can expect him to act. unit #10
Jesus possesses all authority in heaven and earth—authority unique to God alone—and his question to the religious leaders was a gracious final invitation to recognize him as the God who laid aside his authority to die for his people. unit #18
Jesus used his authority to accomplish our salvation by dying as a sacrifice of atonement, bearing God's wrath for our sin, and now he calls those he has cleansed to live in holiness. unit #19

Quotations· 5

"The Day I Heard God's Voice" — John Piper (unit #6)

"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." — Paul (unit #18)

"He became sin who knew no sin, that in him we might become the righteousness of God." — Paul (unit #19)

"For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'" — Paul (unit #21)

"In the same way also he took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood.' Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." — Paul (unit #23)

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Full transcript

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0 · Opening frame where the scripture reader completes the public reading of Mark 11:20-33 and hands off to Pastor Vince, who introduces himself and prepares to preach

Good morning, church. My name is Jake and this is my wife Mariela. We're the Whites and we're gonna be in Mark chapter 11 this morning, starting at verse 20. Please stand for the reading of God's word. Thank you. As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look, the fig tree that you cursed has withered." And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." And whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. And they came again to Jerusalem, and he said— and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him. And they said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?" Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism from John from heaven or from man? Answer me." And they discussed it with one another, saying, "If we say from heaven, he will say, 'Then why did you not believe him?'" But shall we say from man? They were afraid of the people, for they all held that John was really a prophet. So they answered Jesus, we do not know. And Jesus said to them, neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. Thank you, guys. Oh, thank you, sir. Good morning, church. My name is Vince, one of the pastors here, and this morning I have the pleasure and privilege of preaching God's Word. Let's pray before we get started.

1 · Opening prayer asking God to open eyes and soften hearts so the congregation would behold Jesus in Scripture and worship him

Father, thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your Word, Lord. It is truly remarkable that you would give us your word to tell us who you are, what you are like, and what you are doing and accomplishing in the world. Father, I pray now that— that eyes would be opened, hearts would be softened, and we would behold the Jesus of the scriptures, and our worship would be on him. We ask this in his mighty name. Amen.

2 · Introduces the theme of authority by surveying the various forms of authority in human life (bosses, spouses, government, parents, pastors) and noting that all these point to a final authority, which the passage will reveal is not an abstract principle but a person

All right, so authority, right? Authority. You're like, oh man, he's coming with that one first. Yes, authority, uh, forms the basis for all of our lives, right? We all have some kind of authority over us, whether it be a job like our boss, whether it be a spouse— yes, even your spouse has actually, maybe earthly, that's the only true form of someone having authority over you that we see in the Bible. The government has authority over us. There are many differing degrees of authority. Some of us are young enough that our parents are the authority in our lives. We all have some sort of authority that we are under. Some of us have authority that we've given to others. Again, our spouse. Some of us have friends that we've said, "Hey, I want you to talk to me about my life. I want you to examine my life and hold me accountable to certain things. I want that." Our pastors are another example. Of authority that we've given to others. No matter what degrees of authority we find ourselves under, we all have a final authority. And what is that authority? I mean, we see it worked out in the world today, right? Well, science is the authority, or truth is the authority. Well, your truth is different from my truth, but Like truth is the authority, and there are all of these different things that are vying for that position of authority in the world. And our passage today tells us what the final authority is. Actually tells us who the final authority is.

3 · States the sermon's controlling thesis: Jesus is the ultimate authority and demands allegiance

The religious leaders They come to Jesus and they ask a question about authority. "By what authority are you doing these things?" And Jesus' answer tells us the source of that authority, tells us the final authority, but it's a little bit obscured. It's a little bit obscured. We gotta kind of examine it to find it. It shows us though that Jesus is the source the ultimate authority, and he demands allegiance. We'll see it unfold by Jesus demonstrating his authority, then by Jesus stating his authority, and finally Jesus revealing his authority. And it's all going to show that he is the ultimate authority in our lives and demands Allegiance.

4 · Expounds Mark 11:20-21, showing Peter's recognition of the withered fig tree

So authority demonstrated. Verse 20, "As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. And Peter remembered and said to him, 'Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered!'" So often I identify with Peter. The older— you know, whenever I was a younger Christian, I was like, man, Peter, just stop. The older I get, I'm like, man, I want to be like that guy. Captain Obvious, and he's not afraid to be Captain Obvious. He's like, look, man, the tree withered. And Jesus is like, yeah, yeah, that's how it works. Now look, it's been a month since we were in Mark, right? We preached on Jesus cleansing the temple. And if you remember, the fig tree was an illustration of Israel, right? And it was the, the fig tree not having fruit was, was kind of speaking about Israel not having fruit, not bearing fruit in bringing the nations to the Lord. Okay, that was their role, that was their function, that was their purpose. And their fruitlessness was illustrated by the fruitlessness of the fig tree. Haha. And then Jesus curses the fig tree, and that curse was to signify not only would that tree never produce fruit again, but Israel would not be the means by which God would bring the nations to himself. Jesus would be the means by which that happened. And this curse was a judgment on them.

5 · Establishes the theological principle that God's speaking is his doing—when God speaks, creation responds

But there's something else going on with Jesus' cursing of the tree, and we see that in this, in this text today. So what else is happening right here? Well, it's a demonstration of Jesus's authority, and we didn't see that until the next day when Peter's like, oh, look, this tree withered! It's a demonstration of his authority. You see, God in his speaking, it is his doing. When God says something, it is effective in creation. It works. God's speaking is his doing. And when he cursed— He, Jesus, God, the second person of the Godhead, the incarnate Son of God, when he cursed the fig tree, it was effective and it worked. And it shows he has complete and total authority over all things. Over Israel, he is their covenant Lord after all. Yahweh himself come to visit his people. His authority has been demonstrated over sickness and over demon possessions, and now he's Jesus is showing once again his authority even over nature.

6 · Applies the doctrine of Jesus's authority over creation to the congregation's lives, asking where Jesus may be withering things (relationships, pride, job possibilities) or calling them to faithfulness and holiness

And it brings up the question, where are we missing Jesus's authority in our life? You know, if he has authority over all things, then He has authority over us as well. If Jesus is truly the second person of the Godhead come as a man to reveal God the Father to us, then that means He's created us and therefore has authority over us. Where has He maybe caused something in our lives to wither? In order to remove it from us. Maybe it's a relationship. Maybe it's a job possibility. Maybe it's something a little deeper. Maybe it's our pride. Please, Lord, wither my pride. What areas of life has he called us to be faithful? Maybe, maybe it's not a withering. Maybe, maybe he's making a demand and he's saying, "You be faithful here. You do this." Maybe he's calling you, demanding you to holiness. "Be holy as I am holy." Where is Jesus at work in seemingly insignificant ways that we might miss, calling us, commanding us to do something? And what are those ways that he might be doing that? Through us reading our Bible. We think often, "Ah, it's just words on a page." No, no, God in his speaking, he's doing something. And when we read his word, he is speaking to us. You know, a few years ago, John Piper wrote this blog post, right? "The Day I Heard God's Voice." And I was like, oh, what? Piper went charismatic on us? Oh man, what? As a charismatic, that made me happy. I was like, man, come on, come on, Johnny P. And you start reading this blog and you're like, oh, and he's just laying it on. He's building it up. And you're like, oh, dude, this is amazing. And then he says, yeah, this morning I heard God's voice when I opened my Bible to Romans. And I was like, come on, Johnny. That's good stuff right there. And it's like that for us. We think reading our Bible is an insignificant thing. God is speaking. He's speaking to us and he's calling us to do something and his word has authority. We see that demonstrated in the fig tree withering. And Peter missed it. Let's not miss it. Let's not miss the authority in his word.

7 · Signals the structural shift from the first major section (authority demonstrated) to the second (authority stated)

Fortunately for us, this story goes on. Jesus doesn't stop with just demonstrating His authority. He goes on to state it.

8 · Expounds Mark 11:22-25, noting that Jesus's response to Peter's observation is not to direct faith to himself but to God, establishing that God alone possesses the power and authority to accomplish what Jesus has just demonstrated with the fig tree

Starting in verse 22, we see the authority of Jesus stated. "And Jesus answered them, 'Have faith in God! Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' who sees and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you of your Trespasses. It's kind of interesting that on the heels of Peter saying, "Look, the tree withered," that Jesus kind of goes into this, like, left turn of teaching the disciples, one, about who he is, and two, about how they should pray. You would think after Peter saying, "Look at this fig tree, it's withered," Jesus would say, "Yeah, that's right. You think that's amazing? Maybe you should have faith in me and you'll see more amazing things." No, he says, "Have faith in God." You know, God is the only one who has the power and authority to do this. Have faith in him.

9 · Expounds Jesus's teaching on prayer and addresses the false interpretation offered by prosperity gospel teachers

And then Jesus uses this this, like, almost absurd illustration, right, about saying to a mountain, "Be taken up and thrown into the sea." And we're like, "Man, wait, wow, how does that work?" And then he starts saying things that sound a little bizarre, right? Hey, whatever you ask for in prayer, if you believe that you've had it, you will get it. Oh, uh-huh, wait a second, dude, how does that work? But believe it will come to pass and it will be done. Now you see, there are There are movements out there that have started a debate, and then they take passages like this out of context, okay? The Word of Faith movement, the prosperity gospel, those things are false teachings. And they will take this and they say, "See, whatever we ask for in faith, we will have it. We'll even be able to throw mountains into the sea." That's a false gospel. It's a false gospel, and the claims it makes take passages out of the context of the Bible. So what is Jesus really saying? Well, anytime that Scripture says something that makes us go like, "Hold up, I don't really know what he's saying," what do we got to do? We've got to remember rule number 1 of interpretation, right? Scripture interprets Scripture. When you get to something that you go, "Ah, I don't know exactly what he's saying," let the Bible be our guide. So is there anything in the Bible that helps us to understand this? Well, yes, there is. In John 16, Jesus tells his disciples, "In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. will give it to you. Until now you've asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full." And then in John— in 1 John 5, he says, and this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will, he He hears us, and if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. And then James 4 tells us, "You ask and do not receive because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." So James tells me that I shouldn't pray for that Xbox One X, right? If any of you like playing games. I don't have an Xbox One X, I just have a One S. Anyway. James 4:3 tells me I shouldn't pray for the Lamborghini, right? Or the Corvette that looks like a Lamborghini. Pretty slick. Why? Because that would be spending prayer on my own passions. But John and 1 John, they kind of help us, right? They help us to understand what we should be asking for. We ask for things that align with God's revealed will. We ask according to God's revealed character. We ask according to God's revealed nature. Mission, and we find these things in His Word, which is what? The revelation, which means the revealing, the uncovering of God.

10 · Establishes that the mountain-moving language in first-century Jewish idiom signified an impossible task, and applies this to show that Jesus is teaching that God can accomplish the humanly impossible work of salvation—giving new life and new hearts to spiritually dead people

And what are those things that align with God's revealed will and character and mission? It's the salvation of His people. It's the salvation of his people. And why do I say that? Well, it's clued in here. It's clued in in the text. We ask for that. Why? Because the talking about the mountain was something that was seen as an impossibility. In first century Judaism, if you were talking about moving a mountain into the sea, That was to say, "This is an impossible task, and it is impossible for me to save anybody." It is impossible for you to save anybody. Only God can do that. Can you give new life? Can you give them a new heart? I can't. I can't. Only God can. And Jesus is saying, "Hey, the most impossible task for you I can do that. You couldn't make the fig tree wither. That's why Peter was shocked and amazed. Look, the tree you cursed, it withered! Yeah, that's nothing. That's nothing. If you have faith in God, you could say to that mountain, be taken up and thrown into the sea. You can do the impossible things if you have faith in God. That's what Jesus is saying. You can do the impossible Because you won't be doing it, God will be.

11 · Expounds Mark 11:25, connecting the command to forgive when praying to the doctrine of salvation

See, Jesus is the ultimate authority and he demands allegiance. Here's the other clue that it's talking about salvation. He tells us to forgive when we are praying if we have anything against someone. Why would he say that? We forgive because we've been forgiven. You see, and when he says, hey, that your Father in heaven— who also— blah, blah, blah. So that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. See, the forgiveness of our sins, the forgiveness of our trespasses is what shows we've been saved. And he's saying these are the things that you pray for. And when you pray for those things, you can have utter confidence that God has heard you and that those are the things that align with his will and his character and his mission.

12 · Brief pastoral moment of emotional release or emphasis following the weighty exposition of salvation and prayer

Whew.

13 · Applies the teaching on prayer and forgiveness by calling the congregation to pray for the salvation of those around them and to forgive those who seem undeserving

Let's be praying for those around us and let's be forgiving those who maybe we think, "Man, they don't deserve forgiveness. It's hard to forgive them. I don't want to forgive them. It feels good for me to indulge in my anger against them. I am not going to. Did we deserve to be forgiven? We didn't. And when we were singing the last song, I was once again reminded of my sinfulness. And the love of God that caused him to send his son for his people. And when you think about that, you think about your sin, you see the impossible task that only God can do. When you think about how much you love your sin and you love to indulge in your sin and how it feeds upon itself and just makes us want to do more of whatever that sin is, we see the impossibility of causing that sin to wither. And Christ can do that.

14 · Applies the mountain-moving prayer teaching to specific impossible circumstances in the congregation's lives: wayward children, hostile unbelieving family members, and inability to forgive

And so where's the Lord calling us to an impossible task? Where has he put a mountain in front of us and he's asking us to throw it into the sea, to by prayer see it thrown into the sea? Where's that impossible thing? Where do you feel the inadequacy to complete that task? Maybe you have a wayward child who's turned away from the Lord and is living a life of sin and rebellion. And you know you can do nothing to bring them back. Maybe you have a family member or a close friend who every time you get around them, they're hostile to you. Every time you try to bring up the Lord, it's just smacked down. Smacked down, and you know you can't bring them to the Lord. Maybe you have a— maybe you have someone that you need to forgive, and you can't, and you can't. The words of Jesus today to your "Have faith in God and have faith in him also." He can move that mountain. He can do the impossible. He can bring you to a place of forgiveness. He can bring your hard-hearted friend or family member to faith in him. Why? Because he is the ultimate authority and he demands allegiance. He can move that mountain.

15 · Signals the structural shift from the second major section (authority stated) to the third and final section (authority revealed)

This finally brings us to our last section, "Authority Revealed."

16 · Expounds Mark 11:27-33, showing the confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders who question his authority

"And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him and they said to him, 'By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?' Jesus said to them, 'I will ask you one question." Question: Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me. And they discussed it with one another, saying, if we say from heaven, he will say, why then did you not believe him? But shall we say from man? They were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." So his authority is questioned and then his question. And Jesus is just— he's a master. I mean, of course, he's the master, so whatever. Of course he would be good at this. But he's just a master of like, "Oh, you want to ask a question? Let me ask you one. Hold on. Hold on, man. Back up. Answer mine, I'll answer yours."

17 · Expounds the religious leaders' motivation for questioning Jesus (financial loss from temple cleansing plus threat from his healings and teaching) and shows that Jesus's counter-question about John is designed to expose their inability to judge divine authority

Now, their question is primarily speaking of the cleansing of the temple. Why? Because Jesus hit them in the pocketbook. They're losing money with all of the stuff being driven out and the business not being conducted there. They're suffering. They're like, "Hey, like, come on, man. Why are you doing these things?" But also balled up in that is the healings and the miracles and the cleansings and him speaking out against them. And they're like, "Hey, man, what are your credentials? There's only rabbinical authority. Who taught you these things? Who empowered you to do this? Who told you to come say this stuff?" "Because we need to know who's your teacher." And Jesus is like, "Hey, man, tell you what, I'll make a deal with you. You answer my question, I'll answer yours." And this question that he asks is meant to draw them to the truth of who Jesus is. But they're unable to answer. See, they're fearful of both outcomes. Fearful of both Jesus and the people. And Jesus once again has worked them into a corner and highlighted their hard-heartedness and fear. He's essentially telling them, hey, if you can't judge John rightly, you have no place to judge Me. If you can't figure out where John's authority is placed, You won't believe where mine is placed.

18 · Establishes the theological claim that Jesus's authority is in a class by itself—all authority in heaven and earth belongs to him, including authority to lay down his life and take it up again

And by doing so, he reveals that his authority is at a whole 'nother level. It's a whole different level of authority than even John's authority was. It's in a class all by itself. It is unique. Why? Because he himself later says all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him. All authority is His. Jesus is the one who has authority even to lay down His life and authority to take it up again. Jesus sets the terms on His own life in line with God's will. Yes, God the Father's will. And the leaders will not accept Him as that authority. See, in pointing them to John, And asking about the baptism of John, Jesus is telling them that his authority is the same as John's, that the authority is in the one who sent them. The one who sent them. John said he was sent to testify about the one who was coming who would baptize with fire and the Holy Spirit. Jesus was sent by the Father to seek and to save the lost. Same God sent them both. And Jesus, in his grace— you know, we look at this question as maybe a harsh question. Hey, tell me and I'll tell you. No, it is a graceful question. It is a gracious question. He is reaching out to them in grace and saying, Man, it's me. It's me, your God. Won't you come to me? I do these things in my name and under my authority, and I'm giving you one more chance to humble yourself and come worship me. Don't worship your status or your place or your reputation or your standing. Come to me in humility and worship me. The one who has all authority. The one who had all authority and laid that authority aside. Scripture says, "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped." was God, a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

19 · Establishes that Jesus, who possesses all authority, gave it up to die as a sacrifice of atonement for his people

This is the one who has all authority. And he gave it up to go to the cross and die. Died for his people as a sacrifice of atonement. And, and through that, we are now made clean by his blood. We are made right with God. Our sin was placed on him. He bore the wrath of God, and now he calls for his people to live a holy life. And he's calling the Pharisees by asking this question. He's reaching out once again. And they won't come. And they won't come. But each one of us he's reached out to. And he's taken our sins upon himself. Scripture says, "He became sin who knew no sin, that in him we might become the righteousness of God." He's called us. He's cleansed us. He's made us new.

20 · Transitions from exposition to the Lord's Supper by inviting believers to the table while warning non-believers to observe only

And now he invites us to his table. Where He invites His people to feast on His goodness. And look, the bread and the cup that we're about to take is only for His people, those who have placed their faith in Jesus and seek forgiveness that is only found in Him. This is a family meal, and if you have not become part of the family of God, we would ask that you just observe this. You know, Scripture says that if you eat the bread and drink the cup in a manner unworthy, you eat and drink condemnation on yourself. The worthy manner of eating the bread and drinking the cup is the worthiness that comes by grace through faith. By grace through faith in His forgiveness of sin. You see, the authority of Jesus. That's revealed in this passage. It was sealed at the cross. And it was spoken about even on the night that he echoes Moses from Mount Sinai. And so, church, let's open the bread.

21 · Reads 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 as the institution of the bread element of communion, then prays thanking Jesus for laying aside his authority and dying on the cross, and invites the congregation to partake of the bread in remembrance of Christ

Let's open the bread. And the Apostle Paul tells us of that night. And the echo of Moses in 1 Corinthians 11. He writes, "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.'" Let's pray. Lord Jesus, we thank you for the symbol of your body broken for us. We thank you for laying aside your authority and becoming obedient even to death on a cross for the sins of your people. Lord, we seek forgiveness even now of our sins. We repent of our sins. Not only those of commission, Lord, but those of omission as well. Father, thank you for the forgiveness that is found in Jesus. Now, church, let us eat this bread in remembrance of him. Amen.

22 · Brief pastoral moment of self-correction with humor as the pastor prepares to administer the cup element

And now, let's open the juice. I almost said wine.

23 · Reads 1 Corinthians 11:25-26 as the institution of the cup element of communion, then prays thanking Jesus for the shedding of his blood, the resurrection as proof of accepted sacrifice, and the future return of Christ

1 Corinthians 11 goes on to say, "In the same way also he took the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood.'" Do this as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. Let's pray again. Lord Jesus, we thank you for the shedding of your blood which takes away our sin. We thank you the shedding of your blood was not the end. You rose. We have the promise that you will come again. Lord, the promise is tied to the bread and the This cup. cup, as Paul says, as often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death. What? Until you come again. So Lord, with this cup we proclaim your death and the forgiveness of sins it accomplished. We also, with hope, look forward to your coming again. We look forward to you coming because of the resurrection, the proof that your sacrifice was accepted. And we will one day be resurrected as you are. And one day you will come and release the pangs of death. You'll remove the stranglehold death has on your people, and we will rise as you have risen. The resurrection is proof of your authority, your authority your to authority to lay down your life, your authority to take it up again, your authority to forgive sins, your authority over all things in heaven and on earth. Church, let us proclaim his death and look forward to his resurrec— to the resurrection and his coming with this cup. Amen.

24 · Closing invitation to stand and worship, bringing the sermon to a close and transitioning to congregational singing

Would you stand as we sing together to close?

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September 5 · This sermon

Authority Revealed

Jesus is the ultimate authority who demands allegiance, demonstrated through his power over creation, stated in his teaching on prayer and forgiveness, and revealed in his confrontation with religious leaders who refuse to acknowledge the divine source of his authority.

Mark 11:20-33

Take it further

Discuss · apply · pray

Small groups

6 discussion questions

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Couples

Authority and Allegiance

What part of this sermon about Jesus's authority made you want to trust him more deeply—and where do you sense resistance to that trust in y…

Memorize

Mark 11:22-25

This passage is the sermon's primary theological anchor, demonstrating Jesus's stated authority through his teaching on prayer and forgiveness—the central evidence that he alone possesses power to accomplish the humanly impossible, including salvation. Memorizing this verse captures the gospel application: we trust Christ's authority by praying for impossible transformations and extending the forgiveness we ourselves have received through his blood.

Small-group discussion

6 questions for your group this week

When Jesus curses the fig tree and it withers, what does this event reveal about the nature of his authority—and what makes his authority different from the power of religious leaders or earthly rulers?

Mark 11:20-21

→ How does the immediate withering of the tree (his word accomplishing what he speaks) connect to the kind of authority Jesus exercises over our lives?
In Mark 11:22-25, Jesus teaches about prayer and forgiveness. What does he seem to be saying about what becomes possible when we pray in faith and align our hearts with God's character?

Mark 11:22-25

→ Why do you think Jesus specifically pairs the teaching about mountain-moving prayer with the command to forgive others?
The religious leaders refuse to answer Jesus's question about the source of his authority. What does their refusal reveal about the condition of their hearts—and how does that condition keep them from recognizing Jesus?

Mark 11:27-33

→ What does it look like to refuse to acknowledge where divine authority is actually present?
According to the sermon, Jesus asks the religious leaders about John's baptism as 'a gracious final invitation.' How can we understand a confrontational question as an act of grace?
The sermon emphasizes that Jesus 'laid aside his authority to die for his people.' How does the cross—where Jesus appears most powerless—demonstrate his ultimate authority and his claim on our allegiance?

Philippians 2:5-8; 2 Corinthians 5:21

→ If Jesus used his authority to forgive us and bear God's wrath for our sin, how should that reshape the way we pray for others' salvation and the way we forgive those around us?
What is one area of your life this week—a relationship, a circumstance, a hard-hearted person you're praying for—where you need to act as though you truly believe that Jesus possesses all authority and can accomplish what seems impossible?

1 John 5:14-15

→ What would it look like to pray about that situation in faith, trusting Jesus's authority and character rather than your own ability to solve it?

Draft · pending review

Daily readings · Monday–Friday

5-day reading plan

Monday Philippians 2:5-8

Paul calls us to adopt the mind of Christ, who possessed the very nature of God yet laid aside his authority to become obedient unto death. This passage grounds the sermon's claim: Jesus's authority is real and absolute precisely because he is God's Son, and his willingness to set it aside for our salvation is the measure of his love and the source of our allegiance.

Tuesday 1 Corinthians 11:23-24

In instituting the Supper, Jesus spoke words that transform bread into the symbol of his body given for us—a declaration of his power to accomplish what he commands. Just as the fig tree withered at his word, so too his word at the Table accomplishes redemption; we see here that his authority extends not only over nature but over the very means of our salvation and remembrance.

Wednesday 1 John 5:14-15

John assures us that when we ask according to God's will, he hears us and grants our petitions. The sermon teaches that prayer for salvation is precisely such a petition—aligned with God's character and will to redeem—and therefore we pray with confidence that the impossible work of withering sin and salvation belongs to God alone. Our faith in prayer is faith in his authority to accomplish what we cannot.

Thursday James 4:3

James warns that we ask amiss when our motives are self-centered and worldly. By contrast, praying for the salvation of others and the grace to forgive aligns our hearts with God's redemptive will; we become intercessors who echo his longing to extend mercy to the undeserving, just as he extended it to us. This prayer flows from gratitude for the grace we ourselves did not deserve.

Friday 2 Corinthians 5:21

Paul declares that Christ became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God—the great exchange at the heart of the gospel. Because Jesus wielded his ultimate authority not for domination but for our substitutionary atonement, we who have been made righteous now respond to his authority with lives of holiness, forgiveness toward others, and trust in his power to accomplish the impossible in us and through us.

Draft · pending review

Pray together this week

Prayer for Faith in Christ's Authority

Father, we come before you in wonder at the ultimate authority of Jesus Christ, your Son. He speaks and creation obeys; he commands and mountains move; he alone possesses all power in heaven and earth. We confess that we often live as though we do not truly believe this. We hesitate to pray boldly for the salvation of others, doubting whether you can accomplish what seems humanly impossible. We struggle to forgive those who have wounded us, as though their debt exceeds the grace you have lavished upon us. We shrink from the places where Jesus calls us to faithfulness, choosing comfort over allegiance to his lordship.

Yet the gospel reveals that this very Jesus—clothed in all authority—laid aside his power to die for us. He bore God's wrath as our substitute, accomplished our salvation through his atoning blood, and rose victorious over sin and death (1 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5–8). In him we have been cleansed and made worthy, not by our own merit but by his finished work.

Give us faith to pray according to your will and character, asking you to save the wayward, to convert the hostile, to move mountains in the lives of those we love (1 John 5:14–15). Grant us grace to forgive one another as we have been forgiven—not because our debtors deserve it, but because we ourselves were undeserving of your mercy. Strengthen us to recognize Jesus's authority over every corner of our lives and to follow him with glad allegiance, withering our pride where he calls us to repentance.

We commit ourselves afresh to trust him, for he is worthy of all our worship and obedience. To Jesus, our ultimate authority and our gracious Savior, be all glory and honor forever.

Draft · pending review

Sunday-evening family table

The Fig Tree and the Impossible

For the parent

This prompt anchors in the vivid image of the withered fig tree—Jesus's demonstration of power—and opens conversation about what it means to trust Jesus with things that seem impossible in our own lives. Listen for how your children understand the connection between Jesus's authority and their own need for faith.

Jesus made a fig tree wither just by speaking to it. That's pretty wild, right? If Jesus has that kind of power over a tree, what's something in your life right now that feels impossible—something you wish Jesus would fix or change? How does it help you to know that the person with power over nature is also listening when you pray about that thing?

works for ages 7+

Draft · pending review

Couples · three questions over coffee

Authority and Allegiance

What part of this sermon about Jesus's authority made you want to trust him more deeply—and where do you sense resistance to that trust in your own heart?
As a couple, where do we need to submit more fully to Christ's authority, and how might growing in that submission change the way we treat each other?
What is one 'impossible' situation in our lives or relationships where we could pray together, trusting that Jesus has the authority to move mountains—and how can we pray for each other's faith to grow?

Draft · pending review

Memory verse this week

Mark 11:22-25

Jesus said to them, 'Have faith in God. Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, "Be taken up and cast into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.'

Why this verse: This passage is the sermon's primary theological anchor, demonstrating Jesus's stated authority through his teaching on prayer and forgiveness—the central evidence that he alone possesses power to accomplish the humanly impossible, including salvation. Memorizing this verse captures the gospel application: we trust Christ's authority by praying for impossible transformations and extending the forgiveness we ourselves have received through his blood.

Draft · pending review

Where this was preached

About the church

Cross of Grace Church

About us · What we believe

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# Cross of Grace Church

A church preaching expository sermons through the books of the Bible.

## Sermons
- [Be The Church Again (Hebrews 10:19-25, 2021-06-06)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2021/06/be-the-church-again)
- [Camels and Needles and Rich Men, Oh My! (Mark 10:17-31, 2021-06-27)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2021/06/camels-and-needles-and-rich-men-oh-my)
- [The Fruit and the Root (Mark 11:12-18, 20-21, 2021-08-01)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2021/08/the-fruit-and-the-root)
- [Authority Revealed (Mark 11:20-33, 2021-09-05)](/CoGElPaso/sermons/2021/09/authority-revealed)

## About
- [About the church](/about)
- [Plan a visit](/visit)

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