Messiah’s Authority Challenged

27 They(A) came again to Jerusalem.(B) As He was walking in the temple complex,(C) the chief priests, the scribes,(D) and the elders(E) came 28 and asked Him, “By what authority(F) are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority to do these things?”
29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question;(G) then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 Was John’s baptism(H) from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”
31 They began to argue among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe(I) him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From men’”—they were afraid of the crowd, because everyone thought that John was a genuine prophet.(J) 33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers.