While speaking out of Mark 12:13–37 during a recent chapel at the University of Mobile, Patrick Schreiner reminded students about the authority and identity of Jesus — and the call to trust in Him completely.
“We are called to trust in Jesus’ authority because of His identity,” Schreiner said. “We trust Him not only because He gives light, but because He Himself is light.”
Schreiner serves as the associate professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri.
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In relation to people or organizations students may or may not be placing their trust in, Schreiner asked the students a series of introspective questions to reflect on while diving into the Scripture.
“Jesus is asked multiple questions before He goes to the cross,” Schreiner said. “In this passage, He is now in Jerusalem and people are trying to trip Him up with questions on politics and on theology and on ethics. Jesus gives answers to these questions.
‘Do you trust Jesus’ authority’
“Many of us have had front row seats to the rise and fall of public figures. Studies have shown that Generation Z and Generation Alpha maybe are the most skeptical of anyone in authority. Today’s text poses a question to us, ‘Do you trust Jesus’ authority?’ Religious leaders were asking Jesus questions about the hot topics of the day trying to trap Him, and they ask Him questions that are very relevant to us today. It’s a stump the Rabbi scene, and in every scene, Jesus shows that He can not only play the game better than them, but they don’t ultimately accept His answers because they don’t trust Him. They don’t ultimately trust His authority.
“I want to ask us today, ‘Am I trusting Jesus’ authority, specifically in this realm? Do I trust Jesus’ authority above all other words that are spoken to me in this world? Do I trust Jesus’ authority on politics, on theology and on ethics?’ I think Jesus looks at the religious leaders of that day and says, ‘You’re missing the bigger picture here. I don’t accept your limited categories. You’ve set the table all wrong. I have to correct how you’re even thinking about this issue by looking at the ways of God.’ That’s what Jesus does here.
Ultimate authority on politics, theology and ethics
Schreiner reminded students that the Scriptures of Jesus are where they can find the ultimate authority on politics, theology and ethics. Schreiner asked students to look at how they respond when they read something in Scriptures that they don’t like or might step on their toes.
“While the Sadducees struggle with the resurrection, we might struggle with other theological things,” Schreiner said. “One of the tougher passages theologically is Romans 9–11 where Paul says God has right to show mercy on some and not others. Romans 9:18 says, ‘God has mercy on whomever He wills and hardens whomever He wills.’ And Paul rightly asks, ‘Well then, how can God still find fault?’ This is what Paul says in Romans 9:20–21, ‘But who are you, O man, but to answer back to God? Will the molded say back to the molder, ‘Why have you made me like this? Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use?’ If we’re really honest as we read this, we might admit we don’t really like this answer because Paul doesn’t really give us an answer … essentially, He says that God is God and you are not, so you have no right to speak back to Him and say, ‘I could have done it better.’
“In an age where we bristle against authority, that text might make us squirm a little and be like, ‘What do we do with that?’ But the text confronts us with the reality, ‘Will we create our own theology, or will we let the Bible set the categories for us? Will we trust Jesus’ authority, or will we think we would be more loving and more kind than Jesus in setting this whole thing up?’
“Of course, we all need to think through tough texts like these and sometimes Christians come to different conclusions on these things. That’s not what I’m saying, but what I am saying is that when you encounter something in Scripture that don’t like, you have to look and say, ‘Am I going to accept His authority and submit to His authority and say, ‘This is your plan, this is your world and your universe and say I am yours and I submit to You?’ Trusting Jesus’ authority on theology means submitting precisely when it’s most difficult for us. That’s when we have to say to ourselves, ‘I’m not the Lord, I’m not the Savior, I’m not the Creator of the universe. I trust You, and I want to follow You.’
A question of ethics
Schreiner then looked at the third question posed to Jesus in Mark 12:28–34.
“This third question concerns ethics,” Schreiner said. “Notice it’s different groups who come to Him — Herodians, Pharisees and Sadducees, and now a scribe comes to Him who copied the law and thought he was an expert in the law of God and asks Jesus, ‘What is the greatest command in the Torah?’ Jesus doesn’t critique the question here. He simply answers that it’s the Shema from Deuteronomy 6, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul with all your mind and with all your strength.’ Notice the four all’s in this text — it’s total devotion to God. But then Jesus says there’s two wings of this plane — you’re also called to love your neighbor as yourself. If you get really confused when you read the Old Testament, Jesus sums it up for you — to love God and love others, that’s what it’s all about. Those are the two greatest commandments and everything else hangs on those two greatest commandments. But the Scribe doesn’t realize that Jesus isn’t just here to teach but to die for his sins. The Scribe is close, but he hasn’t fully accepted Jesus’ authority.
“This third question makes us look at, ‘Do we trust Jesus’ authority on ethics?’ In our day, Jesus’ authority on ethics and one of the main issues of today especially applies to the realm of sexuality. I bring this up because it’s an issue in this generation, and the cultural forces are stronger than we might think. God gives us guidelines because he wants to protect us because He loves us, and He cares for us. The question becomes, ‘Do you trust Jesus’ authority? Do you trust Him? Do you trust what He says about premarital sex and that pornography won’t actually bring you the pleasures you seek? Do you trust Him that your body is meant to be for your possible future spouse? Do you trust Him that He wants good for you, and He’s not holding anything back from you? Are you trusting that He wants you to be fully happy and fully alive in Him and that all of His commands are actually to help you along that path? Do you trust Him and His words on these really difficult issues?”
Schreiner looked at the question that Jesus posed to the religious leaders, revealing his identity and authority.
“Our text closes with Jesus asking a question of His own, beginning in Mark 12:35,” Schreiner noted. “I love that Jesus is like, ‘I’m done being asked questions. It’s my turn, and I have one question for you. I want you to look at Psalm 110:1 where David says the Lord Yahweh said to my Lord the Messiah, sit at my right hand until I put your enemies at your feet. Jesus says, ‘Wait a second, if the Christ is David’s son, how can David call him Lord? This doesn’t make any sense … how can David call his son Lord because the Messiah is supposed to be David’s son? What do you of that text? What are you going to do with that?’ There was not answer given. It just says the crowds heard him and they were like, ‘Wow, this guy knows his stuff. They came to stump Him, and He stumped them.’ They’re amazed, but do you see what Mark is communicating to us?
“Jesus has been asked so many questions, and He reveals that He can only answer them because of who He is. He’s not only David’s son and the Christ and the Messiah, but he’s David’s Lord because he’s God’s Son. He’s the second person of the trinity, and this is where our theme comes into clarity, we are called to trust in Jesus’ authority because of His identity, because of who He is. He’s not only David’s son, but David’s Lord. We trust Him because of who He is. We trust Him not because He has love, but because 1 John tells us He is love. He is the definition of love. You don’t redefine God by thinking about love, you define love around God. We trust Him because He created all things including you and me. We trust Him because He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He knows what will make us happy.
“We trust Him because He answers these questions from people who are trying to trap Him and destroy Him, and He is going to go to the cross and die on their behalf. We trust Him because He loves us, and He came to die on our behalf. He lowered Himself from the heights of heaven and came and said, ‘I will sacrifice myself for their sins, and we are called to repent and believe that He is the One who is sent. We want to just say, ‘We trust You because You have loved us more than anyone in this whole universe could love us.’ With Jesus, we can trust Him because He loves us eternally and He has shown that love by coming to this Earth on our behalf. You can trust Him with your whole life. We trust Him because He is Lord.”
Schreiner concluded the message by extending a personal invitation for students to accept Christ as their Savior and Lord and to place their trust in Him.
“So, I just ask you again, ‘Do you trust Him on politics? Do you trust Him on theology? Do you trust Him on ethics? Will you trust Him today if you haven’t trusted in Him? Will you place your faith in Him? His arms are open to anyone who would come to Him.”
More about Schreiner
Schreiner is the director of the residency PhD program and holds the Gene and Jo Downing Endowed Chair of Biblical Studies. He is the author of numerous books including a textbook on the Gospels titled “The Four Gospels: Jesus, the Hope of the World.” He writes for academic journals as well as popular publications such as Christianity Today and the Gospel Coalition.
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