Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G122 The Authority of the Lord Jesus
Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8

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All Scriptures quoted in this article are from the New King James Version (NKJV), unless otherwise noted (https://www.biblestudytools.com/nkjv/).

Matthew 21:23-27

23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

24 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:

25 The baptism of John–where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.”

27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Mark 11:27-33

27 Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.

28 And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:

30 The baptism of John–was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

31 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

32 But if we say, ‘From men’ “–they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.

33 So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Luke 20:1-8

1 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him

2 and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”

3 But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:

4 The baptism of John–was it from heaven or from men?”

5 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

7 So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

In this lesson, we will study how the chief priests, scribes, and elders of Israel questioned the Lord Jesus about the authority He used to cleanse the Temple.

Matthew 21:23

23 Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

Mark 11:27-28

27 Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him.

28 And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

Luke 20:1-2

1 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him

2 and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”

We may combine the accounts of Matthew, Mark, and Luke as follows:

After cleansing the Temple courts of the buying and selling of sacrificial animals and the money-changing, the Lord Jesus returned to the village of Bethany to spend the night. The next morning, on Sunday (April 6, 27, according to the Julian Calendar [1]), He and the disciples entered the city of Jerusalem again. He continued teaching in the Temple courts, possibly under Solomon’s Portico. Suddenly, the chief priests, together with the scribes and the elders, came rushing in, approached Him, and questioned Him.

We may understand that the Lord Jesus was teaching in the Temple courts, but He was not standing still in one place; rather, He was walking back and forth, perhaps moving from one group of people to another. While He stopped speaking and was in the process of moving, the Jewish religious leaders came near and posed their question.

The Lord Jesus was not a speaker standing behind a pulpit. His “walking around” (according to Mark’s account) while “teaching” (according to Matthew’s account) is entirely consistent with the style of a teacher of God’s Word (a rabbi) in that time. As He walked through the courts of the Temple, He would stop to teach each different group of people. The Jewish religious leaders approached Him at a specific moment within that sequence of actions. Matthew describes the nature of the activity He was doing (teaching), while Mark describes the specific action at the moment they approached Him (walking around). Both are correct. It is possible that He had just finished speaking to one group and was moving toward another when they stopped Him to interrogate Him.

When Luke writes, “one of those days, as He taught the people in the Temple and preached the Gospel” he places this entire event within the broader context of the Lord Jesus’ public teaching ministry in Jerusalem. Luke’s record shows that this was not a single isolated incident but part of a series of confrontations between Him and the Jewish religious leadership.

Their question was likely recorded most closely to the original wording by Luke: “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”

The noun “authority” used in their question is, in the original Greek, ἐξουσία (exousia – G1849) /ex-oo-see’-ah/, which includes the following meanings:

1. Authority (delegated authority): This is the most common meaning. It refers to the right to decide, to command, and to be obeyed.

2. Freedom or privilege: Refers to freedom of action or the right to be permitted to do something.

3. Power: The authority and strength to carry something out.

4. Government, ruling powers: In the plural form, it often refers to ruling forces or governing authorities.

5. Jurisdiction, domain: Refers to an area or sphere in which authority is exercised.

In some passages of the Vietnamese Bible, this noun is also translated as “quyền phép” or “quyền lực,” depending on the context.

“Quyền phép” conveys the idea of authority combined with supernatural power.

“Quyền lực” conveys the idea of authority combined with earthly or physical power.

The question of the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders placed emphasis on the source of authority. They wanted to know who had given the Lord Jesus the “legitimate” authority (according to their standards) to act as He did. After all, they themselves were the ones who had authorized the buying, selling, and money-changing activities in the Temple. Therefore, the question, “By what authority are You doing these things?” was essentially a challenge:

“Who are You, or by whose authority are You acting, that You dare overturn our arrangements and oppose the authority that we have established?”

In that time, the Jewish religious leadership—especially the Sanhedrin—held a monopoly over both religious power and economic control within the Temple. The action of the Lord Jesus in driving out the merchants and money changers was a direct assault upon their power and economic system. He was not merely clearing a marketplace; He was challenging the entire structure they had built.

Their interrogation was a legal and theological trap. If the Lord Jesus answered that His authority came from God, they would accuse Him of blasphemy, because in their view He was not the Messiah they expected. If He said the authority was His own, they could arrest Him for inciting the people and for unlawfully claiming authority for Himself.

By refusing to answer and instead posing a question to them about the baptism of John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus exposed their hypocrisy and their evil motives. They did not genuinely want to know the truth; they only wanted to find a pretext to arrest Him.

In their way of thinking, they were likely not considering spiritual authority at all but only permission—the same kind of permission they themselves had granted to the merchants and money changers in the Temple courts. This means they had still not recognized their own blasphemy against the Temple of God in allowing such things to take place.

Their perception of the situation was entirely secular. They operated with a mindset shaped completely by earthly institutions and worldly power structures. In their minds, they did not view the commercial activity in the Temple courts as blasphemous. They likely regarded it as a necessary religious service (helping Temple visitors buy sacrifices and exchange “clean” money) and as a source of income—a system of privilege for the ruling class.

Their system of authority was a system of licensing and control, whereas the authority of the Lord Jesus was directly from God, spiritual, and possessing inherent power. The authority of the Lord Jesus had already been recognized by the people, as Mark recorded in Mark 1:22, and as He Himself declared—and Mark recorded—in Mark 2:10.

They were truly spiritually blind, so much so that they could not recognize truth and righteousness, leading to the Lord Jesus’ accusation that they had turned His Father’s house into a “den of thieves” (Matthew 21:13). They saw an open-air marketplace, but the Lord Jesus saw defilement. They saw a lawful activity, but the Lord Jesus saw an offense to the holiness of God.

In their spiritual blindness, they brazenly reversed the order of authority. They considered themselves the ones who granted “authority” in the house of God, yet they failed to recognize that the One who held ultimate authority over that very house was standing right before them. They asked, “By what authority are You doing this?” while facing the very Source of all authority.

Today, within religious organizations bearing the name of the Lord, there are leaders who resemble the chief priests, scribes, and elders of Israel in the time of the Lord Jesus.

They commercialize the activities of the church. They turn the Gospel message into a “product” to attract crowds, measuring success by attendance numbers, offerings, material wealth, and fame. Preaching may be influenced by the need to “sell” a pleasant sermon rather than faithfully and fully proclaim the truth. They are selling entertainment and promises of prosperity instead of preaching Christ Himself and the cross.

The stated purpose for selling sacrifices and exchanging money in the Temple was “service,” to make it convenient for those bringing offerings. But in reality, it was the plundering of the possessions of God’s worshippers, through selling sacrifices and exchanging money at exorbitant prices. Similarly, many activities in “churches” today are merely empty rituals—carefully planned programs designed to maximize the offerings of believers. In fact, they entirely lack the presence and transformative power of the Holy Spirit. Some “churches” even sell ritual items for Halloween decorations and hold Halloween celebrations, a festival belonging to the Devil.

Leaders in religious organizations bearing the name of the Lord reserve the right to carry out spiritual and pastoral ministry for a centralized clergy or leadership system. They are suspicious and questioning of calls and revelations, but their judgment is not based on the spiritual foundation of God’s Word; rather, it is based on loyalty to the denomination’s structure and organization. They preach that every one of God’s people must go out and carry out the Lord Jesus’ “Great Commission,” as given in Matthew 28:19-20. But they do not allow believers to baptize new converts, nor do they allow new converts to be baptized immediately; instead, they must first memorize and pass “basic doctrines.”

They also do not allow God’s people to partake of the Lord’s Supper to remember the Lord; it must be administered by a pastor. Local “churches” without a pastor must wait until a pastor from elsewhere visits before they can participate in the Lord’s Supper. They call this action by the pastor “bestowing the Lord’s Supper.” Yet the Lord Jesus never taught anything about “bestowing the Lord’s Supper”; He only called each of His disciples to do it to remember Him. The religious organizations bearing the name of the Lord have arrogantly stripped away the right of God’s people to partake of the Lord’s Supper to remember Him anywhere and at any time.

They do not understand that the ultimate authority in the Church is the Living Word of God, that is, the Scriptures, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit—not human rules, traditions, organizational structures, or commandments made by men.

They fail to recognize blasphemy. They are indifferent to holiness. They allow false teachings and practices contrary to God’s Word to exist because “it is convenient” (to retain people, to retain money, to avoid conflict). The holiness of the Church—Christ’s body—is seriously violated when sin is tolerated or when there is compromise with worldly culture and when heretical ideas and human-made commandments are mixed into the teachings of the Scriptures.

The Lord Jesus is still cleansing His Temple. Every local Church and every believer must be ready for Him to come and drive out all that does not belong to Him.

Matthew 21:24-25

24 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things:

25 The baptism of John–where was it from? From heaven or from men?” And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

Mark 11:29-31

29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:

30 The baptism of John–was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

31 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

Luke 20:3-5

3 But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:

4 The baptism of John–was it from heaven or from men?”

5 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

Instead of answering the question of the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders, the Lord Jesus turned the question back on them: “The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”

The Lord’s question left them speechless. If they acknowledged that it was “from heaven,” it would mean recognizing John the Baptist’s ministry and, at the same time, affirming all of his preaching. John the Baptist had repeatedly testified about the Lord Jesus. Notably:

“John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'” (John 1:15)

“It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.” (John 1:27)

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”” (John 1:29)

“And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:34)

If they acknowledged John the Baptist’s teaching, then they would also have to recognize that the authority granted to the Lord Jesus came directly from God. In that case, they would have the answer to their own question. But that was not what they wanted. So they conferred among themselves, trying to find a way to answer the Lord Jesus’ question.

In fact, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders were well aware that John the Baptist’s teachings and his call for the people of Israel to repent were in accordance with Scripture, in the character of a true prophet. Yet their pride and political calculations led them to refuse to publicly affirm that truth. Through their consultation, we can see that they knew the correct answer was “from heaven,” meaning from God. They fully understood that John the Baptist’s ministry was genuine and divinely authorized.

But their motivation was not truth—it was safety and power. They had no interest in speaking the truth. Their only concern was the fear that the Lord Jesus would expose their hypocrisy. If they admitted that John the Baptist was a prophet, they would be compelled to acknowledge that John’s testimony about Him was also true. They also feared that such an admission would cause the people to believe even more in John the Baptist and, consequently, in the Lord Jesus, which would undermine their influence and authority over the people.

We should remember that this event was taking place before a crowd of people, not only the residents of Jerusalem but also Israelites from all over the territory of the Roman Empire. At that time, the Passover was approaching, one of the three annual feasts when every adult Israelite male was required to go to Jerusalem to participate.

Matthew 21:26-27

26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet.”

27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Mark 11:32-33

32 But if we say, ‘From men’ “–they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed.

33 So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Luke 20:6-8

6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

7 So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The chief priests, scribes, and elders also knew very well that if they did not acknowledge that John the Baptist’s authority was from heaven, that is, from God, the people would stone them. Therefore, they chose to lie in their response to the Lord Jesus. They brazenly said, “We do not know.”

One day, each of them will have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ to account for this lie, including those who did not speak but agreed with the one who did. Consider this: “every idle word,” that is, every word that does not edify and is spoken by man, must be accounted for on the day of judgment. How then can a lie escape the judgment of the Lord?

“But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.” (Matthew 12:36)

Here we would also like to remind you that, as God’s people, we should speak only good words, words that are useful for edification and bring blessing to those who hear. We may tell jokes that are cheerful and uplifting, but they must be wholesome—bringing comfort and relaxation to the listener—without violating God’s Word.

“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29)

We also need to remember the following Scripture verses:

“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.” (Psalms 141:3).

“In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise.” (Proverbs 10:19).

“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue Keeps his soul from troubles.” (Proverbs 21:23).

“For He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.” (1 Peter 3:10).

The silence of the Jewish leaders regarding John the Baptist’s authority was in itself a confession that this authority was from heaven. They knew the truth, yet they chose political power and religious status over obedience to the truth of God.

This is precisely why the Lord Jesus’ response was so wise and decisive. He not only escaped their trap but also exposed the hypocrisy in their very hearts. They claimed to be spiritual leaders, yet were willing to deny an obvious spiritual reality simply to protect their own interests. This action demonstrates that they had no spiritual authority to question the Lord Jesus.

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
11/29/2025

Notes:

[1] https://preachingfromthebible.net/the-day-of-the-lords-death-and-the-day-of-the-lords-resurrection/

About Using “*God”, “the God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible use a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.