Good morning. It’s Tuesday, March 31st.

🥳 Congratulations on starting today with God, and thank you for letting us be a part of it.

— Matthew 21:27

There are 5 days until Easter, and today we’re looking at what happens right after Jesus cleanses the temple. Now the focus shifts to how people respond to Him, especially when His authority challenges them.

Matthew 21:23–27 (KJV)

23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?

24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?

26 But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.

27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

The religious leaders come up to Jesus and ask who gave Him the authority to do what He’s doing. On the surface, it sounds like a fair question, but they’re not actually trying to understand Him, they’re trying to challenge Him.

Instead of answering them directly, Jesus responds with a question of His own. He brings up John the Baptist and asks whether his message was from God or just from people, and now they’re stuck. If they say John was from God, then they have to admit they ignored him. But if they say he wasn’t from God, the crowd would turn against them.

So instead of answering honestly, they say, “We don’t know.”

But it’s not that they don’t know. It’s that they don’t want to admit the truth, because they already know where it would lead.

So at the end of the day, Jesus is showing us this: it’s not always that we don’t know the truth, it’s that we don’t want to follow it.

When you’re not sure how to pray, A.C.T.S. gives you a simple path to follow: Adore, Confess, Thank, and Ask.

Adoration: Jesus, You have all authority.

Confession: I question You when I don’t want to follow.

Thanksgiving: Thank You for being patient with me.

Supplication: Help me stop avoiding the truth and follow You.

In Jesus name, Amen

“Run To The Father” by Cody Carnes

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Thanks for letting us be a part of how you start your day with God.

See you tomorrow,

Zach | Start With God