Seventh Day Baptist
Christian Education Council
PO BOX 1678
Janesville, WI 53547
—Mark 11:27-33
by: Jerry Johnson.
The religious leaders of the day had a hard time with Jesus. He turned the question of authority around. Their bias prohibited them from admitting that his authority was divine, and they knew the people would not want them to speak against a prophet. What could they do? Their ultimate response was to crucify him.
Do we question Jesus' authority by making excuses for not following his commands? Most of the time, our excuses arise not from true intellectual unbelief but from a fear of consequences. For example, I am convinced that a great many Bible-believing Christians can accept the teaching of the Sabbath, but the cost of giving up their present situation is too high. The same can be said for giving, witnessing, praying, etc. Do we really give him total control, or just say we do?