A Question for a Question: Mark 11:27-33

They came in official delegation—chief priests, teachers of the law, elders. The Jerusalem power structure, united in their demand:

"By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you authority to do this?"

These things. The triumphal entry. The temple cleansing. The teaching that drew crowds. They wanted credentials, authorization, a paper trail. Who ordained you? What institution backs you?

Jesus offered a trade: "I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. John's baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!"

The trap snapped shut—on them.

They huddled together, calculating: "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Then why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'Of human origin'..."

They looked at the crowd pressing around them. The people held that John was a prophet. To dismiss him would incite a riot.

"We don't know," they said.

They knew. Everyone knew they knew. But admitting it would condemn them—they had rejected John, and they were rejecting Jesus for the same reasons.

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

They had demanded credentials. Jesus had exposed their cowardice. The authorities who should have recognized heaven's messenger stood exposed as politicians, calculating public opinion rather than discerning truth.

The question still echoed: was it from heaven or not? They could not answer without condemning themselves.