By What Right Does Jesus Ask Us to Believe in Him?

Introduction

"What right do you have to go to another country and tell them to change religion and believe in Jesus? How arrogant and intolerant is that." Jason Procopio recounts this line, once spoken by a non-Christian colleague when she learned that an acquaintance of hers had left on a mission trip. The same question keeps coming back: by what authority can a Christian say that people must believe in Jesus? And in fact, that is exactly the question put to Jesus himself in Mark 11:27-33. In Mark 11:27 through 12:27, Jesus answers in three movements: he exposes the true motives of his accusers, he confirms that he does indeed have the authority to judge, and he announces that in the end, he will have the last word. A formidable text, and good news for those who build their lives on him.

Sermon Outline

1. The Judge's Trial Presented (Mark 11:27-33)

Jesus has just acted in the temple as though God himself had turned the page on the temple. The chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders confront him: "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you authority to do this?" (Mark 11:28).
At first glance the question seems legitimate. But in their mouths, it is a trap: if he answers "from God," they accuse him of blasphemy; if he answers "from men," he loses his legitimacy.
Jesus turns the trap around: "John's baptism; was it from heaven, or of human origin?" (Mark 11:30). They cannot answer without cornering themselves. They settle for saying "we don't know," and Jesus then refuses to answer their question.
The true motivation of the leaders is power. They want to keep control over the people. Popularity matters more to them than truth. This is very human, we too often care more about the approval of others than about God's approval.

2. The Judge's Accusation Confirmed (Mark 12:1-27)

The parable of the tenants (Mark 12:1-12). A man plants a magnificent vineyard, entrusts it to tenants, and goes on a journey. When he sends his servants to collect his share, they beat them, insult them, kill them. Finally he sends his beloved son. They kill him too. The owner is God. The vineyard represents the privileges given to Israel. The tenants are the leaders. The servants are the prophets. The son is Jesus. The parable reveals God's immense generosity and patience, and underscores just how great the leaders' sin is.
The question about taxes (Mark 12:13-17). The Pharisees and the Herodians send a new delegation to trap Jesus: "Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar?" Jesus asks for a coin, points to the image of Caesar, and answers: "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." In other words: what bears God's image is you. God asks for your whole life, not just a few areas of it.
The question about the resurrection (Mark 12:18-27). The Sadducees, who do not believe in the resurrection, imagine an absurd case: seven brothers successively marry the same widow. Whose wife will she be at the resurrection? Jesus answers: you are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. At the resurrection, people will no longer marry. And God presents himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, four centuries after their deaths. Therefore they must rise again.
Three attacks, three answers. Each time, the leaders confirm their real problem: they want to live for themselves and refuse Jesus' authority. Behind a mind that does not believe, there is often a heart that does not want to.

3. The Judge's Victory Assured (Mark 12:9-11)

What will the owner of the vineyard do? "He will come and kill the tenants and give the vineyard to others" (Mark 12:9). The idea of God's judgment is not fashionable, but it is just: if, despite God's immense patience, someone persists in rejecting his son, what more could he do?
You don't need to have crucified Jesus yourself to be in the same position as the leaders of Israel. As long as we do not bow before his authority, we are exposed to the same judgment. God rejects those who reject the authority of his son.
But there is a more joyful alternative: "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone" (Mark 12:10, quoting Psalm 118). Jesus is like a block of concrete thrown onto a construction site, picked up and set as the foundation of a new temple, made not of stones but of people who have believed in him.
The ultimate goal of Jesus' judgment, then, is not merely to punish: it is to build a house for the glory of God, made up of those who have built their lives on him. A choice must be made: to live as one's own master, or to found one's life on the one who will have the final victory.

Key Takeaways

When the leaders ask "by what authority are you doing these things?", their question is a trap. Jesus exposes the true motive: keeping power. Popularity matters more to them than truth.
The parable of the tenants shows how good God is (the vineyard is of the finest quality), how patient (he sends servant after servant), and that rejecting his son calls for just judgment.
The question about taxes reveals that God does not ask for just a few areas of our lives: he asks for everything that bears his image, which is to say, all of us.
The question about the resurrection shows that to ignore eternal life is to ignore what God himself has revealed, and that the life to come will be profoundly different from this one.
Our difficulty with Jesus is not primarily a matter of arguments or facts: behind a mind that does not believe, there is often a heart that does not want to submit.
Jesus is the gracious Savior, the majestic King, and also the judge of all. To build one's life on him is to align oneself with the one whose final victory is assured.

Personal Application

Do I fear the approval of people more than the approval of God? On what subject do I stay silent to remain popular rather than faithful to what Jesus said?
Like the leaders who asked questions without truly wanting to know the answer, is there an area where I ask Jesus questions while, deep down, I have already decided not to obey?
Have I limited Jesus' authority to a few moments of the week or certain areas of life, when he asks for everything that bears his image, that is, all of me?
If someone tells me one day that my faith is arrogant or intolerant, how do I respond, with humility but without backing down from the fact that Jesus is the judge of all?
If I have already chosen to build my life on Jesus, do I live with the confidence of one whose side will have the final victory, even when the world around seems to be going against it?

Verses Cited

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Jesus refuse to answer directly the question about his authority?

Because he sees that the question is a trap, not a genuine search for truth. The leaders have already seen his miracles, heard his teaching, observed his character, they already know where his authority comes from. His counter-question about John the Baptist confronts them with their true motivation: they are seeking to keep power, not to know the truth. Answering honestly people who are not listening would only hand them new weapons to attack him with. Jesus therefore refuses to give them an answer they would not accept, and lets the parable of the tenants answer in his place.

Is it arrogant to say that one must believe in Jesus to be saved?

No, not if one understands the message of the tenants. The world belongs to God; he has filled it with good things; he wants us to enjoy them, but it is his world, not ours. If he gives us opportunities to give his son what is due him, that is not arrogance on his part, it is a sign of his patience. And if we keep refusing, it is only right that he will not tolerate that rejection forever. The true Christian does not proclaim Jesus while believing themselves superior, but while knowing they are no better than anyone else, just saved by grace.

How do you respond to someone who says "I don't want it to be true"?

That is the most honest remark one can receive, and it echoes exactly what Jesus reveals here. Our difficulty with him is not primarily a problem of arguments: behind a mind that does not believe, there is a heart that does not want to submit. We can ask every question, examine every fact, but as long as the heart does not want to give God what is due him, no proof will ever be enough. The best response is to keep on loving, to bear witness with humility, and to let the Holy Spirit do the work we cannot do ourselves.