Mark 11:27-33 “They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?” 29 Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 John’s baptism — was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!” 31 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From men’ . . . .” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.) 33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
Marco 11:27-33 “Poi vennero di nuovo a Gerusalemme; mentre egli passeggiava nel tempio, i capi dei sacerdoti, gli scribi e gli anziani si avvicinarono a lui e gli dissero: 28 «Con quale autorità fai queste cose? O chi ti ha dato l’autorità di fare queste cose?» 29 Gesù disse loro: «Io vi farò una domanda; rispondetemi e vi dirò con quale autorità io faccio queste cose. 30 Il battesimo di Giovanni veniva dal cielo o dagli uomini? Rispondetemi». 31 Essi ragionavano così tra di loro: «Se diciamo: “dal cielo”, egli dirà: “Perché {dunque} non gli credeste?” 32 Diremo invece: “dagli uomini”?» Essi temevano il popolo, perché tutti pensavano che Giovanni fosse veramente profeta. 33 Risposero a Gesù: «Non lo sappiamo». Perciò Gesù disse loro: «Neppure io vi dico con quale autorità faccio queste cose».
The question of Jesus’ authority surfaced once again in the minds of those who held the religious power in Jerusalem. This was Tuesday morning and no doubt Jesus’ words and the act of cleansing the temple of money changers was still fresh in their minds. Now the representatives of the religious establishment found an appropriate occasion to trap Jesus. Their displeasure with Jesus culminates in two questions: By what authority do you do these things and who gave it you? During Mark’s Gospel, Jesus doesn’t spend His energy after every miracle telling people about Himself and His authority. People were amazed by His teaching (v. 18). On numerous occasions Jesus told those who were healed to tell no one. Either you believed His authority was from God or you didn’t.
The response from Jesus puts the onus for the answer on the religious representatives. Jesus uses a popular rabbinic method of answering a question with a question. Since John the Baptist was revered as a prophet by the crowd (v. 32), it becomes the perfect example to illustrate an answer to the question of authority. Was the ministry of John the Baptist from heaven or from man?
It was a lose-lose situation for the religious leaders. Either response would put them in a bad light with the people. Their answer was to plead ignorance revealing that their true feelings were that both John and Jesus were not from God. Historically, Israel rejected God’s prophets although after their death, the religious leaders would revere their words. While Jesus felt no obligation to answer their query, His question implies that His authority, like John’s, was from God.
Pray with me: Lord, I know that it is Your authority that reigns in my life. When people question me, help me to show that it is Your authority, not man’s, in my life.
