The Question of the Exousia of Jesus (21:23-27) in the Gospel Narrative of Matthew 21–22

Abstract

The author has taken an in-depth study of chronology, terminology, themes and the manner of telling and distributing individual compositional units of chapters 21–22 in order to examine whether Matthew, by taking up and exposing the topic of Jesus' exousia in pericope 21:23-27, really gives it a specific narrative character a theological function in the "Little Gospel", and through it and in its entire evangelical narrative. Using the method of narrative analysis, in the conducted research the author shows that the evangelist actually had such an intention. According to it, he first shows how Jesus demonstratively, in sublime and momentous circumstances, in the temple becomes the only true Teacher of people of Israel, together with their teachers and leaders. It also determines here that the entire activity of the Nazarene, both in Galilee and in Jerusalem, proves that his exousia has its source in God and thanks to it, as the son of David and the Lord of David/Son of God, he becomes the only Mediator of salvation, truly present and active in the Church he built, replacing the previous sacrifices and temple worship. Thus, everything happens by the will of God recorded in the Scriptures and by the power of His exousia, and after the resurrection full exousia, because the exousia of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (28:16-20), covers the entire earthly and heavenly world. Pericope 21:23-27 serves here as a hinge that closes the theme of the son of David and opens the theme of the Son of God. In the perspective to the entire evangelical narrative, Matthew's thought emerges that these are the circumstances that the significance of Jesus' exousia should resound, because for him and the addressees of his gospel, it is the highest proof confirming the divine nature of Jesus.