Mark 11:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and they said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?"

NIV: "By what authority are you doing these things?" they asked. "And who gave you authority to do this?"

NASB: and began saying to Him, 'By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?'

CSB: and asked him, "By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do these things?"

NLT: They demanded, 'By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?'

KJV: And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?

NKJV: And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

All three official representatives of Jerusalem—the chief priests, scribes, and elders—are on hand to ask Jesus who gave Him the authority to toss out money changers and bird merchants from the temple courtyard (Mark 11:15–19). "Authority" is from the Greek root word exousia. It means the power, liberty, and right to choose. Authority has been an issue in Jesus' ministry since the beginning. In Mark's first record of Jesus at the synagogue, the people said, "What is this? A new teaching with authority!" (Mark 1:27). Soon after, the scribes questioned Jesus' authority to forgive sins (Mark 2:1–12).

In ancient Jerusalem's religious and civil system, priests, elders, and scribes had the authority to make decisions that affect others. It was the high priest, Joseph Caiaphas, who allowed merchants and money-changers to set up shop in the temple courtyard, only a few years before this confrontation. Many in Jerusalem made a living by selling animals that travelers need to sacrifice at the temple. Previous scribes had exercised their authority by forbidding people from selling in the courtyard or using the courtyard as a shortcut to the Mount of Olives; apparently this generation of scribes had different priorities.

Jesus has already addressed this question of His authority. Early on, the Jewish religious leaders wanted to kill Jesus because He broke their Sabbath traditions and claimed that God was His Father. Jesus responded by explaining that His authority comes from the fact that He only does what He sees the Father doing and acts only in the Father's interests. He caps off His argument by pointing out that if they truly followed Moses and the Mosaic law, it would be obvious to them who Jesus is and what He has come to do. Instead, they seek "glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God" (John 5:44). To a group that claims to dedicate their lives to Moses' law, this is a serious accusation (John 5:19–47).

Mark 11:27–33 is the first of four stories of religious leaders challenging Jesus. The others are found through verse 27 of chapter 12. First is a confrontation with the chief priests, scribes, and elders. Next, Jesus' parable about farmland tenants solidifies the authorities' desire to kill Him (Mark 12:1–12). The Pharisees and Herodians try to trap Jesus with a question about taxes (Mark 12:13–17). And, finally, the Sadducees challenge Jesus with a question about the resurrection (Mark 12:18–27). Eventually, Jesus can have a friendly conversation about the greatest commandment with a scribe (Mark 12:28–34). This first story is also in Matthew 21:23–27 and Luke 20:1–8.

Jesus and the disciples arrive in Jerusalem a week before the crucifixion, and Jesus begins the last days of His public ministry. They spend their nights on the Mount of Olives and their days in Jerusalem (Luke 21:37). Jesus accepts the accolades designed for a king (Mark 11:1–11), attacks materialistic tradition that keeps people from worshiping God (Mark 11:15–19), gives an object lesson about the fate of fruitless Jerusalem (Mark 11:12–14, 20–25), and reveals the Jewish religious leaders' hypocrisy (Mark 11:27–33). Despite the support of the crowd, Jesus is pushing the leaders toward the crucifixion.

The preceding passages included several miracles and lessons from Jesus. These set the stage for the last, dramatic days of His earthly ministry. In this chapter, Jesus enters Jerusalem to great fanfare and openly confronts local religious leaders for their hypocrisy. Over the next few chapters, Mark will continue to record controversial teachings, leading up to Jesus' arrest and early sham trials, recorded in chapter 14.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.