They returned once more to Jerusalem. As he was walking in the temple area, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders approached him 28 and said to him, “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?” 29 Jesus said to them, “I shall ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin? Answer me.” 31 They discussed this among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘[Then] why did you not believe him?’ 32 But shall we say, ‘Of human origin’?”—they feared the crowd, for they all thought John really was a prophet. 33 So they said to Jesus in reply, “We do not know.” Then Jesus said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Jesus returns to Jerusalem and walks in the temple area (v. 27). This scene follows His prophetic action in the temple, where He drove out those buying and selling and taught that the temple was to be “a house of prayer for all peoples” (Mk. 11:17; Is. 56:7). The leaders now confront Him in the very place where His action had challenged their authority.
The chief priests, scribes, and elders approach Jesus (v. 27). They represented the religious leadership in Jerusalem and were the groups from which the Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish council under Roman rule, was drawn. Their question is direct: “By what authority are you doing these things? Or who gave you this authority to do them?” (v. 28). “These things” points especially to His action in the temple, though it also recalls His public teaching, His entrance into Jerusalem, and His works throughout His ministry.
They ask about His authority because Jesus has acted publicly in the temple, the most sacred place in Israel, and His action directly challenges the authority of the Jerusalem leaders. To recognize His authority would require them to respond to Him. If His authority comes from God, then His words must be obeyed, His judgment on the temple must be taken seriously, and His call to repentance must be received. Their question is therefore a challenge from leaders who want Jesus either to justify Himself before them or to make a public claim they can use against Him. Mark has already told us that they were seeking “a way to put him to death” (Mk. 11:18).
The question of authority has followed Jesus from the beginning of Mark’s Gospel. The people were astonished because He taught “as one having authority and not as the scribes” (Mk. 1:22). He showed authority to forgive sins (Mk. 2:10), authority over the sabbath (Mk. 2:28), and authority in His teaching and healing. At His baptism, the voice from heaven declared, “You are my beloved Son” (Mk. 1:11). At the Transfiguration, the Father again identified Him as His beloved Son and commanded, “Listen to him” (Mk. 9:7). The authority of Jesus comes from God.
Jesus answers their question with another question: “Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin?” (v. 30). This was no evasion. John the Baptist had called Israel to repentance and had prepared the way of the Lord. If the leaders admitted that John’s mission came from heaven, they would have to answer why they had not believed him. If they denied John’s mission, they would turn the crowd against themselves, because the people regarded John as a true prophet (vv. 31-32).
Their discussion reveals the state of their hearts. They are not asking because they want to receive the truth. They are calculating which answer will protect their position. They fear the crowd, but they do not show reverence before God’s messenger. Their refusal to answer shows that their question to Jesus was not honest.
They finally say, “We do not know” (v. 33). Jesus then says, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things” (v. 33). His silence is a judgment on their refusal to receive the truth already given to them. God had sent John, and John had testified that Jesus is the Son of God (Jn. 1:29–34). Now the Son sent by the Father stands before them, and they refuse to acknowledge Him.
This passage leads directly into the parable of the vineyard tenants, where Jesus speaks of God’s messengers being rejected and of the beloved son being killed (Mk. 12:1-12). It also recalls the long history of Israel’s prophets, who were sent by God to call His people back to fidelity. The Lord had spoken of Israel as His vineyard in Isaiah (Is. 5:1-7), and the rejection of God’s messengers remained a serious sign of hardened hearts. Christ’s authority is not based on human approval. He speaks with the authority of the Son sent by the Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, give us hearts that receive Your truth with humility. Free us from fear, pride, and self-protection. Teach us to listen to You, trust Your authority, and follow the way that leads to life. Amen.
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Sources and References
- New American Bible, Revised Edition. Mark 11:27–33 and note on Mark 11:27–33.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. Page 87.
- José María Casciaro, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. Pages 206–207.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. Pages 620–621, paragraph 75.
- Aguilar Chiu, José Enrique, et al., eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. Page 1011.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid OP, and Donald Senior CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, with a Foreword by Pope Francis. London: T&T Clark, 2022. Page 1271.
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