Matthew 21:27

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. AND THEY ANSWERED JESUS, AND SAID, WE CANNOT TELL. Evidently their difficulty was, how to answer, so as neither to shake their determination to reject the claims of Christ nor damage their reputation with the people. For the truth itself they cared nothing whatever. AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, NEITHER TELL I YOU BY WHAT AUTHORITY I DO THESE THINGS. What composure and AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, NEITHER TELL I YOU BY WHAT AUTHORITY I DO THESE THINGS. What composure and dignity of wisdom does our Lord here display, as He turns their question upon themselves, and, while revealing His knowledge of their hypocrisy, closes their mouths! Taking advantage of the surprise, silence, and awe, produced by this reply, our Lord followed it immediately up by the two following...

23-27 As our Lord now openly appeared as the Messiah, the chief priests and scribes were much offended, especially because he exposed and removed the abuses they encouraged. Our Lord asked what they thought of John's ministry and baptism. Many are more afraid of the shame of lying than of the sin, and therefore scruple not to speak what they know to be false, as to their own thoughts, affections, and intentions, or their remembering and forgetting. Our Lord refused to answer their inquiry. It is best to shun needless disputes with wicked opposers....

Verse Matthew 21:27. _WE CANNOT TELL._] Simplicity gives a wonderful confidence and peace of mind; but double dealing causes a thousand inquietudes and troubles. Let a man do his utmost to conceal in his own heart the evidence he has of truth and innocence, to countenance his not yielding to it; God, who sees the heart, will, in the light of the last day, produce it as a witness against him, and make it his judge. _We cannot tell_, said they; which, in the words of truth, should have been, _We will not tell_, for we will not have this man for the Messiah: because, if we acknowledge John as his _forerunner_, we must, of necessity, receive Jesus as _the Christ_. They who are engaged against the truth are abandoned to the spirit of falsity, and scruple not at a lie. Pharisaical pride, according to its different interests, either

See also Mark 11:27; Luke 20:1. Matthew 21:23 WHEN HE WAS COME INTO THE TEMPLE - That is, probably, into the inner court - the court of the Israelites. They took this opportunity of questioning him on this subject when he was not surrounded by the multitude. BY WHAT AUTHORITY ... - There was a show of propriety in this question. He was making great changes in the affairs of the temple, and they claimed the right to know why this was done, contrary to their permission. He was not “a priest;” he had no civil or ecclesiastical authority as a Jew. It was sufficient authority, in

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 21:1 _Triumphal entry into Jerusalem_. (Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29; John 12:12.) MATTHEW 21:1 We have come to the last week of our Lord's earthly life, when he made his appearance in Jerusalem as Messiah, and suffered the penalty of death. If, as is believed, his crucifixion took place on the fourteenth day of the month Nisan, the triumphal entry must be assigned to the ninth, which day was reckoned to commence at one sunset and to continue till the follow-lug evening. Th

AND THEY ANSWERED JESUS AND SAID, WE CANNOT TELL,.... They saw the dilemma they were brought into; they chose rather therefore to speak against their own consciences, and tell a wilful lie, and incur the reproach of ignorance: who, at other times, took upon them to judge of a prophet, whether he was a true or a false one, and by what authority he acted, whether of God, or man: but now being reduced to this wretched condition, contrary to their office and character, declare they did not know, and could not tell from whence John had his commission, and who gave him his authority: AND HE SAID UNTO THEM, NEITHER TELL I YOU BY WHAT AUTHORITY I DO THESE THINGS: since, according to the proposal of Christ, and the agreement he entered into with them, they did not give him a direct answer to his question, he looked upon himself under no obligation to inform them, what was his authority, and from...

Matthew 21:23. _And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto, him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?_ Jesus knew that these men came to him for no good purpose, mad that willing were only trying to trip him up in his speech. He was always willing to teach when men were willing to learn, but he did not care to cast his pearls before swine. Therefore, mark the holy caution, the sacred ingenuity with which our Lord replied to these men. Matthew 21:24. And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or o

9. THE KING ENTERS INTO JERUSALEM. The Parables of the Two Sons and the Householder and His Vineyard. CHAPTER 21 1. The King Enters Jerusalem. (Matthew 21:1 .) 2. The Second Cleansing of the Temple. (Matthew 21:12 .) 3. The Fig tree Cursed. (Matthew 21:18 .) 4. His Authority Impeached and His Question. (Matthew 21:23 .) 5. The Parable of the Two Sons. (Matthew 21:28 .) 6. The Parable of the Householder. (Matthew 21:33 .)

THE QUESTION OF AUTHORITY (Mark 11:27 *, Luke 20:1). Mk. is no doubt right in connecting the priest's question with the purging of the Temple, though these things may include teaching (and healing). For scribes and elders Mt. has elders of the people. BY WHAT AUTHORITY: lit. by what kind of authority, _i.e._ human or Divine, ecclesiastical or civil....

THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST ACT (Matthew 21:1-11)...