Power may be grasped, authority has to be given.  Ultimately all authority derives from God: whether it is the right to rule a nation, to lead a family, parent a child, or serve the Lord - accountability goes directly back to God (Romans 13:1).  The dilemma for the religious leaders, was not so much the miracles that brought Jesus popular acclaim, as the right that He assumed in doing them (Luke 4:36).  Miracles could hardly warrant a death sentence but claiming a demonic or divine authority could (the demonic was clearly evil and dangerous; the divine could only be blasphemous in their eyes).

The legal eagles were gathering round their prey (Matthew 22:15). Their question was not about good deeds or miracles, but about the authority to do them. They thought they had the perfect question to trap Jesus (Matthew 22:18), as we shall see in the next study. But all their legal expertise was no match for God in a human body. Jesus promised to answer their question if they would answer one of His.  But He set them a question that they dare not answer, "Was John's baptism from heaven or men?" Jesus was not just clever in deflecting their enquiry: He wanted to bring home to them the fact that it was they who were trapped - not Him!

Jesus was not afraid, but His accusers were (Mark 11:18).  He walked around in the temple courts freely.  He answered the religionists boldly.  He demanded that they tell Him the answer to His question.  Because He knew all authority had been given to Him, He had no problem about being gentle with the weak and strong with the rebellious … and all the time He had peace with God.    

Whenever people try to get God in a corner, they find that He has already won the argument.  At the end of every day, it is Jesus who is right.  Whatever power we might have, think about the right to exercise it ... who gave you the right to spend money, to teach, to lead?  All rightful authority comes from God, and all wrongful authority will be demolished by God; we will all have to give our account to Him (Romans 14:12). Food for thought?