The rulers of the church wanted to know by what authority Jesus cleaned out the temple. When Jesus answered the chief priests and elders’ question with a question, He put the ball back in their court. “The baptism of John-where was it from? From heaven or from men?” (Mt 21:23-25).
They reasoned with one another, “If we say, ‘from heaven, He will say to us, ‘Why then do you not believe?” But if we say ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all count John as a prophet”(Mt 21:26).
They were caught between a rock and a hard place. They would be condemned by either Jesus or the multitude and they wanted to look good at any price.
When we put what people think above truth, we are in eternal danger of rejecting God himself.
