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SearchAuthority From Man or From Heaven?
The rulers of the temple came before Jesus at this afternoon hour challenging not only his
teaching but his acts. Jesus well knew that these very men had long publicly taught that his
authority for teaching was Satanic, and that all his mighty works had been wrought by the power
of the prince of devils. Therefore did the Master begin his answer to their question by asking
them a counter-question. Said Jesus: "I would also like to ask you one question which, if you will
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answer me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these works. The baptism of John,
whence was it? Did John get his authority from heaven or from men?"
And when his questioners heard this, they withdrew to one side to take counsel among
themselves as to what answer they might give. They had thought to embarrass Jesus before the
multitude, but now they found themselves much confused before all who were assembled at that
time in the temple court. And their discomfiture was all the more apparent when they returned to
Jesus, saying: "Concerning the baptism of John, we cannot answer; we do not know." And they
so answered the Master because they had reasoned among themselves: If we shall say from
heaven, then will he say, Why did you not believe him, and perchance will add that he received
his authority from John; and if we shall say from men, then might the multitude turn upon us, for
most of them hold that John was a prophet; and so they were compelled to come before Jesus and
the people confessing that they, the religious teachers and leaders of Israel, could not (or would
not) express an opinion about John's mission. And when they had spoken, Jesus, looking down
upon them, said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."
Jesus never intended to appeal to John for his authority; John had never been ordained by the
Sanhedrin. Jesus' authority was in himself and in his Father's eternal supremacy.
And it was this genius of the Master for dealing with his adversaries that made them so afraid of
him. They attempted no more questions that day; they retired to take further counsel among
themselves. But the people were not slow to discern the dishonesty and insincerity in these
questions asked by the Jewish rulers. Even the common folk could not fail to distinguish between
the moral majesty of the Master and the designing hypocrisy of his enemies. But the cleansing of
the temple had brought the Sadducees over to the side of the Pharisees in perfecting the plan to
destroy Jesus. And the Sadducees now represented a majority of the Sanhedrin.