⚡WEB · Mark 11:30
What does Mark 11:30 mean?
"The baptism of John—was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me.”"
— Mark 11:30 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
They came again to Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders came to him,
and they began saying to him, “By what authority do you do these things? Or who gave you this authority to do these things?”
Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.
The baptism of John—was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me.”
They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we should say, ‘From heaven;’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
If we should say, ‘From men’”—they feared the people, for all held John to really be a prophet.
They answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said to them, “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Explanation
Mark 11:30 records Jesus turning a hostile question back on his questioners. The chief priests, scribes, and elders had just demanded to know by what authority Jesus was acting—cleansing the temple, teaching, healing—challenging his right to do
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