Luke 20:4

And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders, For the exposition, see the notes at Matthew 21:23....

1-8 Men often pretend to examine the evidences of revelation, and the truth of the gospel, when only seeking excuses for their own unbelief and disobedience. Christ answered these priests and scribes with a plain question about the baptism of John, which the common people could answer. They all knew it was from heaven, nothing in it had an earthly tendency. Those that bury the knowledge they have, are justly denied further knowledge. It was just with Christ to refuse to give account of his authority, to those who knew the baptism of John to be from heaven, yet would not believe in him, nor own their knowledge....

See this passage explained in the notes at Matthew 21:23....

EXPOSITION LUKE 20:1 _Question of the priests and scribes as to the nature of the authority under which Jesus was acting._ LUKE 20:1, LUKE 20:2 AND IT CAME TO PASS, THAT ON ONE OF THOSE DAYS, AS HE TAUGHT THE PEOPLE IN THE TEMPLE, AND PREACHED THE GOSPEL. We are now in the midst of the so-called Passion week. Probably the events related in this chapter took place on the Tuesday. The first day of the week, Palm Sunday, was the day of the public entry into the city. The purification of the temple took place on the Monday, on which day also the barren fig tree was cursed. We are now considering the eve

THE BAPTISM OF JOHN, WAS IT FROM HEAVEN, OR OF MEN?] This was a new ordinance, and John must have his authority for administering it either from God, or from men; and Christ is desirous to know from which he derived it in their opinion; suggesting, that by the same authority John, his forerunner, came baptizing, he himself came preaching and working miracles; Matthew 21:25....

CHAPTER 20 _ 1. His Authority Demanded and His Answer.(Luke 20:1)_ 2. Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen. (Luke 20:9) 3. Question about Tribute to Caesar. (Luke 20:20) 4. The Question Concerning Resurrection. (Luke 20:27) 5. The Question Christ Asked. (Luke 20:41) 6. Beware of the Scribes! (Luke 20:45 .) The events in this chapter are found in both Matthew's and Mark's Gospels. The parable of the vineyard foretells His death. He is the so

THE QUESTION OF AUTHORITY (Mark 11:27 *, Matthew 21:23 *). The only additional point to notice in Lk. is that Jesus was not only teaching but preaching the Gospel, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom....

One day, while Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple and telling them the good news, the chief priests and scribes with the elders came up and said to him, "Tell us, by what authority do you do these things? Or, who is it who gives you this authority?" He said to them, "I, too, will ask you for a statement. Tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?" They discussed it with each other. "If," they said to each other, "we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why did you not believe in him?' But, if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet." So they answered that they did not know where it was from. Jesus said to them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things." This chapter describes what is usually called the Day of Questions. It was a day when the Jewish authorities, in all their different sections...

BAPTISM. App-115. FROM. Greek. _ek._ App-104. HEAVEN. Singular. See note on Matthew 6:9; Matthew 6:10. OF. from, as above. men. Greek. _anthropos._ App-123....

_was it from heaven_, _or of men?_ Rather, FROM MEN. This was equivalent to the question with which surely the teachers of Israel should _at once_have been provided with an answer was the Baptist a prophet or a seducer? If they could not answer this question they were obviously _incompetent to decide_as to the authority by which He worked....