Tuesday, Trap of Words

Jesus and His disciples returned to Jerusalem and to the temple courts. And Jesus was walking and teaching and proclaiming the gospel. There He was confronted by the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people (the elders being the Sanhedrin; the Jewish council). These were the people who wanted to kill Jesus, and they had not been successful to this point. While it is not certain, it seems that they had decided on a strategy to catch Jesus by using His own words against Him. And so, they asked Him a very sensitive question: “Tell us. By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You the authority to do them?”

Jesus replied by throwing the same sensitive question back at them. He said, “I will also ask you one question. And if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.” Then Jesus asked, “What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from people? Answer Me!”

All the Jewish leaders deliberated among themselves on what they should answer Jesus: “If we say, ‘From heaven, He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, “From people, we are afraid that all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was truly a prophet.”

So, they answered, “We do not know.”

And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

See Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33; Luke 20:1-8

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