The Authority of Jesus Challenged

Luke 20

¹ Now _a 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, _b 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 _c 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 ₁ then did you not believe him?' ⁶ "But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, _d 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."

1. Cross References
   Matthew 21:23 - 27
   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 - 33
   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.
   
2. Cross References
   Acts 4:7
   And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?
   Acts 7:27
   But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
   
3. Cross References
   John 1:26
   John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.
   John 1:31
   "I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water."
   
4. Cross References
   Matthew 14:5
   And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.
   Matthew 21:26
   "But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet."
   Mark 6:20
   For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
   Luke 7:24 - 30
   When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?