Matthew 21:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

NIV: So they answered Jesus, "We don’t know." Then he said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

NASB: And answering Jesus, they said, 'We do not know.' He also said to them, 'Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.

CSB: So they answered Jesus, "We don’t know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

NLT: So they finally replied, 'We don’t know.' And Jesus responded, 'Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.

KJV: And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

NKJV: So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Jesus has forced those who challenged His authority into a corner by posing a question of His own (Matthew 21:23–26). In essence, He has asked whether or not John the Baptist was a true prophet. These chief priests and elders could not say yes, of course, or everyone would want to know why they did not believe John. At the same time, they realize that telling the truth—that they did not believe John—would lose the support of the many people who had a positive view of John.

This reply proves these so-called leaders are willing to put partisan control over the truth. Their real priority is maintaining leverage over the people they are supposed to be leading. They would rather keep their true convictions hidden, even about something as important as whether a messenger is a prophet from God. Rather than allow their generation to challenge and disrespect them, they choose to be silent. Their integrity is being tested, and they fail miserably. Their motive for confronting Jesus was dishonest, and so is their attempt to avoid His question.

So, they now reply in the weakest, lamest way possible for men who prided themselves on their ability to debate: "We do not know." Since they did not meet His condition, Jesus tells them He won't answer their question, either. Jesus defused their attempt to catch Him speaking blasphemy by simply asking them to tell the truth about their religious convictions. They would not.

Jesus' overall message (John 5:19–24), along with the theme of the parables He is about to tell, provide an answer to the initial challenge. Christ acts under the power and authority of God.

Matthew 21:23–27 finds Jesus in the temple as He is challenged by priests and elders. They want to know by what authority Jesus acts. He agrees to answer if they will answer Him: Was John the Baptist's baptism from heaven or from earth? The religious leaders know that if they say he was a prophet, Jesus will ask why they didn't believe and repent. If they say John was not a prophet, though, the people will be upset. They say they don't know. Jesus does not answer their question.

Jesus fulfills a prophecy from Zechariah about the coming of the king to Jerusalem by riding in on a donkey. The people celebrate and praise Him as the Messiah. Jesus drives the marketers and moneychangers out of the temple and heals some people. He curses a fig tree and tells the disciples nothing will be impossible for them with faith. Jesus forces cowardly and hypocritical religious leaders to back down with a question about John the Baptist. He then exposes their fraudulent spirituality with two parables about vineyards. Jesus applies to Himself a psalm about a rejected stone being made the cornerstone by the Lord.

Matthew 21 finds Jesus arriving near Jerusalem after leaving Jericho in the previous chapter. His triumphal entry is accomplished riding a donkey, and to raucous praise, fulfilling a prophecy about the Messiah. Jesus cleanses the marketplace from the temple, heals, and presents lessons about faith and Israel's failed leadership. This leads into further conversations which Matthew compiles from Jesus' interactions with the Pharisees.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.