They
reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we should say, ‘From heaven;’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ If we should say, ‘From men’”—they feared the people, for all held John to really be a prophet. They answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said to them, “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Mark 11:31-33
Mark 11 [29.] Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John—was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me.”
Mark 11 [31.] They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we should say, ‘From heaven;’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ If we should say, ‘From men’”—they feared the people, for all held John to really be a prophet. They answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”
Jesus said to them, “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Mark 12 [1.] He began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the wine press, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country. When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard. They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty. Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. Again he sent another; and they killed him; and many others, beating some, and killing some. Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those farmers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.
Meaning:
Jesus had answered the leaders’ challenge with a question of his own: “The baptism of John—was it from heaven, or from men?” (Mark 11:29-30). Mark now lets us overhear their private discussion. It shows that they were not looking for the truth at all, but only for the answer that would cost them least. Their reply, “We don’t know”, ends the exchange, and Jesus declines to answer them directly.
- “They reasoned with themselves”
The leaders did not ask, “What is true?” They asked, “What will happen to us if we say this?” If they admitted that John came from God, Jesus would ask, “Why then did you not believe him?” They had not repented at John’s preaching, and admitting he was a prophet would condemn them. Their reasoning was a calculation of risk, not a search for truth. Jesus said of such people, “men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil” (John 3:19).
- “They feared the people, for all held John to really be a prophet”
If they said John’s ministry was merely human, they would anger the crowds who honoured him as a prophet. John had been executed by Herod Antipas (Mark 6:26-28), and his memory was respected. Even Herod had feared John, “knowing that he was a righteous and holy man” (Mark 6:20).
So the leaders were trapped between two fears. They feared Jesus’ question and they feared the people, but they did not fear God. Scripture warns, “The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in Yahweh is kept safe” (Proverbs 29:25). John says of other leaders, “they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise” (John 12:42-43).
- “We don’t know”
These were the men responsible for judging whether a prophet was true, yet they claimed they could not tell. Their answer was not honest ignorance but a refusal to commit themselves. It is a striking contrast with the scribe who soon afterwards “answered wisely” and was told, “You are not far from God’s Kingdom” (Mark 12:34). Openness to truth brings a person near to God; evasion keeps him far away.
- “Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things”
Jesus had promised to answer if they answered him. Since they refused, he would not give them a direct statement that they would only use against him. Those who reject the light they have are not given more. Jesus had taught, “For whoever has, to him will more be given, and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him” (Mark 4:25).
Yet Jesus did not leave the matter there. He went straight on to tell the parable of the vineyard, in which the owner sends servants and finally “his beloved son” (Mark 12:1-9). Anyone willing to listen could hear in it the answer: his authority came from the Father who sent him.
The Significance of Mark 11:31-33
- Truth or self-protection
The leaders chose the safe answer over the true one. Following Jesus means accepting the truth even when it costs us pride, position or comfort.
- The snare of the fear of man
Fear of what others think can stop us from confessing what we know to be right. Trust in God sets us free from that trap.
- Respond to the light you have
Those who refuse what God has already shown them cannot expect more. Those who receive it with humility find that “wisdom is justified by all her children” (Luke 7:35).
Cross-References:
Proverbs 29:25: "The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in Yahweh is kept safe." The trap the leaders fell into.
John 12:43: "for they loved men’s praise more than God’s praise." Choosing human approval over God’s.
John 3:19: "This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil." Why people refuse the truth.
Mark 4:25: "For whoever has, to him will more be given, and he who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him." Light refused is light withheld.
Conclusion: Faced with Jesus’ question about John the Baptist, the leaders reasoned among themselves about the consequences of each answer. They would not admit that John came from heaven, because they had not believed him, and they would not say he was merely human, because they feared the people. So they said, “We don’t know”, and Jesus refused to tell them by what authority he acted. Their evasion shows how fear of man and unwillingness to repent close the heart to the truth about Jesus.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible