Luke 20:1-8

1One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him.

2They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”

3“Let me ask you a question first,” he replied.

4“Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

5They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John.

6But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.”

7So they finally replied that they didn’t know.

8And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”