Basic HTML Version
354
Humble Hero
After a while the priests and rulers cautiously returned to the
temple. They expected Jesus to take the throne of David. When
they entered the temple, they stopped short and stared in amazement.
They saw the sick healed, the blind restored to sight, the deaf receive
their hearing, and the crippled leap for joy. Children were first
in the rejoicing. Jesus had healed their sicknesses and embraced
them in His arms. Now with glad voices the children called out His
praise. They repeated the hosannas of the day before and waved
palm branches triumphantly before the Savior.
The sound of these happy, unrestrained voices was offensive to
the rulers of the temple. They told the people that the house of God
was desecrated by the feet of the children and the shouts of rejoicing.
The rulers appealed to Christ: “‘Do You hear what these are saying?’
And Jesus said to them, ‘Yes. Have you never read, “Out of the
mouth of babes and nursing infants you have perfected praise”?’ “
Prophecy had foretold that Christ would be proclaimed as king, and
God impressed the children to be His witnesses. Had the voices of
the children been silent, the very pillars of the temple would have
shouted the Savior’s praise.
The Pharisees were thrown into utter confusion. Never before
had Jesus assumed such kingly authority. He had done marvelous
[274]
works, but never before in a manner so solemn and impressive.
Though enraged and frustrated, the priests and rulers were unable
to accomplish anything further that day. The next morning the
Sanhedrin again considered what to do about Jesus. For three years
the rulers had evidences that He was the Messiah. They now decided
to demand no sign of His authority but to get Him to make some
admission or declaration by which they could condemn Him.
In the temple they proceeded to question Him: “By what author-
ity are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”
Jesus met them with a question apparently relating to another sub-
ject, and He made His reply conditional on their answering this
question: “The baptism of John—where was it from? From heaven
or from men?”
The priests saw they were in a dilemma from which no deceptive
argument could provide escape. If they said that John’s baptism was
from heaven, Christ would say, “Why then did you not believe him?”
John had testified of Christ, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes