Mark 11:27-33, The Authority of Jesus Challenged

[Jesus is teaching in the Court of the Gentiles, which he has just cleaned out, but we learn nothing of his teaching but of his deepening confrontation with the religious authorities.]

²⁷ And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders [members of the Sanhedrin] came to him, ²⁸ and they 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 will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. [This is an approved Rabbinic method of debate using a counter-question.] ³⁰ Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.” ³¹ And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ³² But shall we say, ‘From man’?”—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. ³³ So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” [Failing to provide an official declaration on John, they forfeited the right to continue debating publicly with Jesus.]