Daily Devotional - Growing In Grace - Week 14 - Day 90 - 3/31/26 - "Who's the Boss?"

Author: Evangelist List Dalton

"Who’s the Boss?"
Scripture: Matthew 21:23–27

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

Devotion:
My grandmother was a cosmetologist, which meant she spent a lot of time in the shop fixing hair. After about a month or so, she would tell me to take her clippers to the barber to have them sharpened. I would walk in and say, “Grandma sent me to get her clippers sharpened.” The barber never questioned why I was the one bringing them instead of her. He knew I was her representative—so if I said it, it was as though she said it. Point blank. No questions asked.

In our lesson today, Jesus’ authority is being challenged by leaders who were jealous of Him and the influence He had on the people. Prior to this confrontation, Jesus had been healing the sick. Wheelchairs and crutches were no longer needed. People who were once blind could now see. Those who were hopeless now had hope. And that didn’t sit well with the Jewish leaders.

They basically asked Him, “Who gave You permission to do these things, and in whose name are You doing them?”

Jesus, being the wise and strategic teacher He is, turned the question back on them. He essentially said, “Let me ask you something first. By whose authority do you stand here questioning Me?” Don’t you love how Jesus made them stop and think about their own motives?

When Jesus asked them about John’s baptism, they refused to answer honestly. They didn’t want to acknowledge that John was a prophet, because doing so would validate Jesus. But they also feared the people, who believed John was sent by God. So, they chose the safest answer: “We cannot tell.”

Jesus’ conclusion was simple: If you can’t tell Me whose authority you’re under, then I won’t tell you whose authority I’m under. End of discussion.

Consider this:
1. Jesus’ authority comes from heaven, not human approval.
He doesn’t need permission to teach, heal, correct, or save.

2. Spiritual pride blinds people to truth.
The leaders saw miracles, heard teaching, and witnessed prophecy fulfilled—yet still resisted Jesus.

3. Fear of people can silence honesty.
The leaders knew the truth about John but refused to say it.

4. Jesus reveals hearts through questions.
He doesn’t just give answers—He exposes motives.

Prayer:
Lord, we thank You today for the knowledge we have of who You truly are. We thank You for the life of Jesus, who through Your authority, we can experience all You have for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.