Another Fine Day at the Temple

 Greetings everyone.

We are starting Luke 20 today, with a look at Jesus, as he continued to teach the people, but gets confronted by the leadership for his actions.  Here is my translation of verses 1-8:

1 On one of those days, as Jesus was teaching the people and declaring the good news in the temple, the chief priests and scribes, along with the elders, 2 approached Jesus and said, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things?” And who gave you this authority?” 
3 He answered them, “I will also ask you a question and you answer me. 4 Did John’s baptism come from Heaven or from men?’ 
5 They discussed this question among themselves, saying 'If we say ‘from Heaven,’ then he will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say ‘from men,’ all of the people will stone us, since they are convinced that John was a prophet. 7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it came from.” 
8 Jesus responded to them, “Then neither will I tell you where my authority came from.” 

So, even after driving the moneychangers out of the temple, Jesus continued to be right there in the temple, teaching people.  Luke says that he was ‘teaching the people and declaring the good news.”  After doing something that was bound to make the powerful people in Jerusalem angry, Jesus did not hide from them.  He continued to teach, as he always had, in the public view. 

As Jesus taught, the leadership showed up, demanding to know from where Jesus had gained the authority by which he was doing things like overturning tables and throwing out the moneychangers.  Jesus, as he always does, outsmarts those who are trying to trap him in his words. 

Jesus responds to their question with a question of his own.  (Both Matthew and Mark include a statement from Jesus that if they answer his question, then he will answer theirs.  Luke omits this statement.)

Jesus' question is about John the Baptist and his baptism.  Where did it originate? Was it from heaven or from men?  Jesus knew that they would be unwilling or unable to answer the question.  It is not that Jesus was not afraid to answer their question.  We can only speculate, but perhaps his answer, that his authority came directly from God, would have pushed the arrest at this point, when it was not yet time.  

The leaders are noe in a difficult position.  They cannot admit that John was of God, since they refused to obey him.  In saying this, they open themselves up to the question ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’  They would look foolish.   Of course, these leaders did not believe that John was from God, but to say this publicly would not sit well with the public, who believed John was a prophet of God.  

Fearing the reaction of the public, they simply said, ‘We don’t know.” Darrell Bock points out that this is not a very satisfying answer coming from the people who were supposed to the spiritual leaders of the nation. If they are unable to make a judgment on John, how can they be trusted to judge Jesus?  (Bock, 1588.) 

Since they would not answer his question, Jesus refuses to answer theirs.  Of course, we understand that Jesus’ authority comes from God, the ultimate source of authority.  He does give an answer to this question later, when he is on trial.  

In this battle of wits between Jesus and his detractors, score another point for Jesus. So far, in this continued battle between Jesus and the leadership of Israel, Jesus has scored every point, and the Jewish leadership is being shut out.