Mark 11:27-33
The Authority of Jesus Questioned
27 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."
It might have been to question where Jesus got His authority, but as one watched Him and the Teachings and Truths you could visibly see, you would know that He is Special...Nicodemus the Pharisee said that one could not do the things that Jesus did if God were not with Him...Nicodemus had seen what Jesus was doing...
The chief priests and teachers of the law questioned Jesus' authority...He really does not directly answer the question they ask...He does show us how close He is to John the Baptist and John's teachings with His question back to the one's questioning Him...
St. Mark tells us everyone held that John the Baptist was a prophet...The prophets, as we are taught, speak the word of God...But the priests and teachers of the law would not admit this...The priests and teachers were not searching for the truth...They were seeking something else...
Jesus had done many miracles that they would have seen or could have verified...No man could do the miracles He did and teach like Him, or speak like Him unless He were from God...
Christian faith is trusting in God and believing God's power is at work in Jesus...The chief priest may have trusted in God, but they did not believe that He was at work in Jesus...
There are still disbelievers today wondering and asking about His authority...No one, since the disbelievers of His day throughout history and still today has proved that Jesus is not our Messiah...