Luke 20:1-8 Meaning: The Authority Question
1On one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, the priests and scribes came to him with the elders.
2They asked him, “Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?”
3He answered them, “I also will ask you one question. Tell me:
4the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?”
5They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’
6But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
7They answered that they didn’t know where it was from.
8Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
1And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,
2And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?
3And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:
4The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?
5And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?
6But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.
7And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.
8And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
1And it came to pass, on one of the days, as he was teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the gospel, there came upon him the chief priests and the scribes with the elders;
2and they spake, saying unto him, Tell us: By what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?
3And he answered and said unto them, I also will ask you a question; and tell me:
4The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?
5And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why did ye not believe him?
6But if we shall say, From men; all the people will stone us: for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.
7And they answered, that they knew not whence it was.
8And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
1And it came to pass, on one of those days, as he is teaching the people in the temple, and proclaiming good news, the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders, came upon him ,
2and spake unto him, saying, `Tell us by what authority thou dost these things? or who is he that gave to thee this authority?'
3And he answering said unto them, `I will question you--I also--one thing, and tell me:
4the baptism of John, from heaven was it, or from men?'
5And they reasoned with themselves, saying--`If we may say, From heaven, he will say, Wherefore, then, did ye not believe him?
6and if we may say, From men, all the people will stone us, for they are having been persuaded John to be a prophet.'
7And they answered, that they knew not whence it was ,
8and Jesus said to them, `Neither do I say to you by what authority I do these things.'
1And it came to pass on one of the days, as he was teaching the people in the temple, and announcing the glad tidings, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up,
2and spoke to him saying, Tell us by what authority thou doest these things, or who is it who has given thee this authority?
3And he answering said to them, I also will ask you [one] thing, and tell me:
4The baptism of John, was it of heaven or of men?
5And they reasoned among themselves, saying, If we should say, Of heaven, he will say, Why have ye not believed him?
6but if we should say, Of men, the whole people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.
7And they answered, they did not know whence.
8And Jesus said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Meaning in one sentence
When religious leaders challenged Jesus' authority in the temple, his response exposed their hearts. Discover the meaning of this powerful encounter.
Context
It is the final week before Jesus’ death. He is in the temple courts, teaching the people and preaching the good news. The atmosphere is tense. Just days earlier he drove out the money changers, and now the chief priests, scribes and elders come to confront him. Their question sounds reasonable: by what authority do you do these things? But their motive is not to learn. They want to trap him, to discredit him in front of the crowd. Jesus sees right through them. Instead of giving a direct answer, he asks them a question about John the Baptist. Was John’s baptism from heaven or from men? Their response, or their refusal to answer, reveals everything about their hearts.
Key Words
Two Greek words in this passage open up its meaning. The first is exousia, the word for authority. It appears three times in their question alone. The religious leaders want to know who gave Jesus this power, what kind of authority he claims. In the New Testament, exousia often refers to delegated authority, like a king’s agent or a master’s steward. Their question is a challenge: who sent you? Jesus will not answer that directly, because they already know.
The second word is sullogizomai, used only here in the New Testament. It means to reason together, to compute. Vincent’s Word Studies notes it signals a very close conference. The leaders step aside and calculate. Their reasoning is not about truth but about consequences: If we say this, the crowd will stone us. If we say that, Jesus will expose us. They are accountants of public opinion, not honest seekers.
Together these words paint a picture. Authority is real; they ask about it. But their calculation shows they don’t want the truth, they want control. That is what Jesus meets with silence.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have read this passage with admiration for Jesus’ wisdom. In the early church, commentators saw his counter‑question as a masterful turn that protected the truth from those who would misuse it. Later reformers emphasized that Jesus did not owe an answer to hypocritical hearts; his authority is self‑evident to faith. Some Catholic and Orthodox readers have noted that the leaders’ refusal to answer about John mirrors their refusal to accept Jesus, both John and Jesus were sent from the same Father. Despite different emphases, all traditions agree on one point: the questioners were not looking for light. They were looking for a way to trap the Light himself.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that Jesus was evasive, dodging a fair question. In fact, he gave them every chance to answer truthfully. He asked about John’s baptism, a public event they had all weighed and rejected. If they had answered honestly, they would have admitted he came from God. Jesus’ reply is not evasion; it is a mirror. He refuses to hand the truth to people who have already decided against it.
Living This Out
This passage asks you a quiet question: when you come to Jesus, are you asking to learn, or are you asking to test him? The leaders already had their minds made up. They did not want an answer; they wanted ammunition.
This week, watch for those moments in your own prayers or reading when you find yourself calculating what the answer should be before you ask. Bring your honest questions, your real confusion. Jesus is not afraid of those. But he will not satisfy hearts that are already closed. Come to him as a learner, not a judge.
Main takeaway: Jesus’ authority is real and does not need your approval; it calls for honest faith, not careful calculation.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Some men asked Jesus a tricky question. They did not really want to know the answer. Jesus knew what they were doing, so he asked them a question instead. They would not answer, so he did not answer them either. Jesus always knows our hearts.
For ages 9, 12
The religious leaders came to Jesus pretending they wanted to know where his authority came from. But they were not really asking, they were trying to trap him. Jesus asked them about John the Baptist instead. If they said John came from God, Jesus would ask why they did not believe him. If they said John was just a man, the crowd would be angry. They cared more about what people thought than what was true. Jesus will not give answers to people who are not ready to receive them honestly.
Questions People Ask
Why did Jesus answer a question with a question?
Jesus often answered a question with a question to expose the heart of the person asking. In this case, the leaders were not sincere, they wanted to trap him. By asking about John’s baptism, Jesus forced them to reveal their own dishonesty. A direct answer would have been wasted on closed hearts.
What did John’s baptism have to do with Jesus’ authority?
John had publicly pointed to Jesus as the Messiah. The leaders all knew this. So if John’s ministry came from heaven, then his testimony about Jesus was also from heaven. By refusing to answer about John, the leaders were effectively refusing to accept the clear evidence of Jesus’ authority. It was a logical trap they could not escape.
Why did the leaders fear the people?
The ordinary people believed John was a true prophet. If the leaders said John was a fake, the crowd would have turned on them, the Greek word used here means they would stone them. The leaders cared more about their own safety and status than about truth. That is why they answered, “We don’t know.”
Does this passage mean we should never ask hard questions about faith?
Not at all. The Bible encourages honest searching. The difference is motive. The leaders asked to trap Jesus, not to learn. You can ask any question with a sincere heart, Jesus welcomes those. What he will not do is satisfy people who have already decided not to listen.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study