Today we are reading from Mark 11: 27-33:

27 Again they came to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to him 28 and said, “By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin? Answer me.” 31 They argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”—they were afraid of the crowd, for all regarded John as truly a prophet. 33 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

One of the things we will see in the coming sections of scripture is a lot of people coming to Jesus.  They come with questions, they come with discussions. But, one of the things we need to understand when they come to Jesus is this. Why are they coming?  

We will see quite often over the next few passages the reason the religious leaders are coming.  They are not coming to learn or to have an encounter with God.  No, they are coming to try to trick Jesus. To trip Him up. To get Him to say something that will get Him in trouble. 

They are not coming to Jesus with a true heart and a desire to learn. They are coming for their own motives, to get something they want. 

How about us?  How about me?  Do I come to Jesus to learn or to grow or to be transformed?  Am I coming for an authentic encounter with a Holy God?  

Or I am coming to get my way?  Am I coming to get Jesus to grant my request or my “wish” and get what I want?  

The people testing Jesus were never transformed because they never came with a true heart, seeking Him. They came to get their way. 

How about me?  How about you?  How about us?  Do we come to Jesus to learn and grow, do we come for salvation?  Or do we come to get our way?  

Why do we come today? 

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