Matthew 21:24-26

International Standard Version

²⁴ Jesus answered them, “I, too, will ask you one question.^[a] If you answer it for me, I will also tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ²⁵ Where did John’s authority to baptize^[b] come from? From heaven or from humans?”

They began discussing this among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘From humans,’ we are afraid of the crowd, because everyone regards John as a prophet.”