So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
They would not tell the truth about John, so they lied and said they could not know, men who elsewhere took it upon themselves to judge prophets and their authority. Christ held them to their own bargain: since they refused him a straight answer, he owed them no explanation of his authority, though his silence itself declares it came not from man but from God.
AI summary
They said they could not tell, but they could have; they would not. They saw plainly that if they admitted John was a prophet, they must then acknowledge Christ as Messiah, since John pointed to Him and fulfilled the prophecies. Christ was leading them to answer their own question and condemn themselves.
AI summary
Their real problem was not ignorance but cowardice: they could not answer without either surrendering their rejection of Christ or losing face with the people. Truth mattered nothing to them. Christ's dignified silence exposed their hypocrisy and closed their mouths with such force that He seized the moment to strike with parables.
AI summary