They Ask Jesus Who Gave Him the Power to Do These Things ^(A)

²³ Jesus came into the house of God. The religious leaders and the other leaders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching. They said, “By what right and power are You doing these things? Who gave You the right and the power to do them?” ²⁴ Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing also. If you tell Me, then I will tell you by what right and power I do these things. ²⁵ Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” They thought among themselves, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ then He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, because they all think John was one who spoke for God.” ²⁷ They said to Jesus, “We do not know.” He said to them, “Then I will not tell you by what right and power I do these things.

The Picture-Story of the Two Sons

²⁸ “What do you think about this? There was a man who had two sons. He came to the first son and said, ‘My son, go to my grape-field and work today.’ ²⁹ He said, ‘I will go.’ But he did not go. ³⁰ The father came to the second son and asked the same thing. The son said, ‘No, I will not go.’ Later he was sorry and went. ³¹ Which one of the two sons did what his father wanted?” They said to Jesus, “The second son.” Jesus said to them, “For sure, I tell you this: Tax-gatherers and women who sell the use of their bodies will get into the holy nation of heaven before you. ³² For John came to you preaching about being right with God. You did not believe him. But tax-gatherers and women who sell the use of their bodies did believe him. When you saw this, you were not sorry for your sins and did not turn from them and believe him.

²⁷ They came again to Jerusalem. Jesus was walking around in the house of God. The religious leaders and the teachers of the Law and other leaders came to Him. ²⁸ They asked, “How do You have the right and the power to do these things? Who gave You the right and the power to do them?” ²⁹ Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one thing also. If you tell Me, then I will tell you by what right and power I do these things. ³⁰ Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Tell Me.” ³¹ They talked among themselves. They said, “If we say from heaven, He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ ³² But how can we say, ‘From men’?” They were afraid of the people because everyone believed that John was one who spoke for God. ³³ So they said, “We do not know.” Then Jesus said, “Then I will not tell you by what right and power I do these things.”