Jesus’ Authority Questioned(A)

27 Then they came again to Jerusalem. (B)And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. 28 And they said to Him, “By what (C)authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 30 The (D)baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

31 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for (E)all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. 33 So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.”

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

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers(F)

12 Then (G)He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to [a]vinedressers and went into a far country. Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another servant, [b]and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, (H)beating some and killing some. Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those [c]vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they took him and (I)killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.

“Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not even read this Scripture:

(J)‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
11 This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 (K)And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.

Footnotes

  1. Mark 12:1 tenant farmers
  2. Mark 12:4 NU omits and at him they threw stones
  3. Mark 12:7 tenant farmers

And he preached, saying, (A)“There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. (B)I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you (C)with the Holy Spirit.”

Read full chapter

Jesus said to him, “It is written again, (A)‘You shall not [a]tempt the Lord your God.’

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 4:7 test

For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

(A)“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
(B)‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”

Now (C)John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was (D)locusts and (E)wild honey. (F)Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him (G)and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, (H)“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from (I)the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, (J)‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. 10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. (K)Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 (L)I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. (M)He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit [a]and fire. 12 (N)His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will (O)burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

John Baptizes Jesus(P)

13 (Q)Then Jesus came (R)from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

16 (S)When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and [b]He saw (T)the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 3:11 M omits and fire
  2. Matthew 3:16 Or he

(A)The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
(B)“Prepare the way of the Lord;
(C)Make straight [a]in the desert
A highway for our God.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 40:3 So with MT, Tg., Vg.; LXX omits in the desert

15 (A)John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, (B)‘He who comes after me [a]is preferred before me, (C)for He was before me.’ ”

16 [b]And of His (D)fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. 17 For (E)the law was given through Moses, but (F)grace and (G)truth came through Jesus Christ.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. John 1:15 ranks higher than I
  2. John 1:16 NU For

Bible Gateway Recommends