Matthew 21:26Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

What prevented the Jews from declaring that John's baptism was 'of men'? It is mentioned that they were afraid of the crowd. Can you perceive the corruption within their hearts? They disregard God at every turn, yet act solely for the approval of others. They respected John not for his intrinsic worth, but because of the people's opinion; for the sake of the crowd, they chose not to put their faith in Jesus Christ—and therein lies the root of all their misfortunes.

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See Matthew 21:23.

How does Christ, who is the embodiment of divine Wisdom, respond to them? He ‘captures the wise in their deception.’ Just as He inquires about John, if they assert, ‘John's message originated from heaven,’ He will hold them accountable for opposing God, having failed to accept it; but if they claim, ‘It was from men,’ He will place them in jeopardy with the crowd, since the people held John in high regard as a prophet. Through this, the Lord instructs us that we should not respond to questions with ill intent. Despite having the ability to answer the challenging inquiry of the Jews, He chose to remain silent. From Christ's example, we learn the importance of humility. Although the Lord could have clarified the authority by which He acted, He refrained, so that it would not seem as if He were seeking His own glory.

The common saying goes, "A faulty nail or wedge must be driven into a flawed branch of a tree." This is reminiscent of the Russian proverb, "You drive out the wedge with another wedge." The Lord could have outright dismissed the blasphemies of the tempters with a straightforward response; however, He posed a profound question that would lead them to self-condemnation through their silence or response.

Jesus responded by posing a question to them; He said, "I will put a question to you, and you answer me: by what authority do I perform these acts? The baptism of John, where did it originate? Was it from heaven or from human beings?" To clarify, from heaven means it came from above, from God, and from man signifies it was according to human command. It is noteworthy that He delayed His response to avoid the illusion that He was trying to elevate Himself or give them grounds to accuse Him of being opposed to God. Since John the Baptist had spoken significantly about His magnificence, Jesus challenged them with this inquiry, leaving them in a state of confusion.

If we declare, “It is from humans,” we risk public backlash since they all hold John in high regard as a genuine prophet of God. We might be stoned by the crowd. “Do you observe a corrupt heart?” St. Chrysostom remarks. “God is constantly overlooked, yet they cater to human approval. They revered John, not for his intrinsic worth, but due to the people's esteem; they feared losing their own honor among the people and thus were unwilling to believe in Jesus Christ, which is the root of all their troubles.” Ultimately, the Lord broke their silence by demanding, “Answer Me.” This time, instead of displaying their usual pretense of knowing everything before the crowd, they chose to feign ignorance.

The Sanhedrin, having already resolved to execute Him, sought merely to lend an air of justice to their actions and looked for a way to accuse Him on religious or political grounds. They aimed to extract from His statements something that could suggest ecclesiastical misconduct or hint at political beliefs. When the Sanhedrin encountered the Lord once more in the temple, they immediately posed the question through their members: By what authority does He engage in such actions? It is likely that this inquiry was not limited to His deeds in the temple but extended to all that related to His role as the Messiah. The Lord discerned their hidden intentions and chose not to respond directly; instead, He posed a question back to them that challenged their duplicitous motives.

When Jesus entered the temple on Tuesday and began His teachings, the chief priests and scribes interrupted Him. They approached Him as a delegation from the Sanhedrin, similar to a previous delegation that had gone to John the Baptist (see John 1:19, etc.), and questioned Him about the source of His authority for His actions, such as cleansing the temple of the merchants. They wanted to know whether His authority was divine or merely human, and who had conferred this authority upon Him. In response, Jesus posed His own question: Was John the Baptist a true prophet or a fraud? Since it was well known that John was a prophet sent by God, Jesus' question indirectly revealed His own identity. John had testified about Jesus being the Messiah.

If we assert that John was merely a common individual and that his words or baptism possessed no divine significance, we encounter a risk: the crowd is firmly convinced that John is a prophet, and they could turn against us with hostility if we respond in such a manner.

This betrayal ultimately fell back upon their own heads. Anticipating their malicious intentions, Christ, with His divine insight, posed a question that would require their own response before He answered theirs: ‘Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?’ This inquiry caught the questioners off guard, leading to a brief silence. ‘Respond to Me,’ the Savior urged, breaking into their hushed discussions. Yet, they remained silent; they understood the implications of His question. There was no way to dismiss it as irrelevant. John had openly declared and affirmed Jesus' identity, recognizing Him not just as a prophet, but as the preeminent prophet, the Messiah, before the highest authorities of the Sanhedrin. The critical question was whether they acknowledged this testimony or not.

I have one inquiry for you: the Lord chooses not to directly respond to their malicious question. Instead, He skillfully ensnares those seeking to entrap Him with their own words. They had the opportunity to discern the authority behind His actions but instead chose ignorance. Through their inquiry regarding John the Baptist, the Lord leads them to confront their own dishonesty. The ministry of the Lord is a fulfillment of John’s, as both are derived from the same divine Source. The Lord poses the question, “Where was John's baptism from?” Through baptism, the essence of John's entire mission is encapsulated; he served as a messenger of God, prophet, teacher, and forerunner of Christ.

But Christ, the embodiment of true Wisdom, ensnares the cunning in their own trickery. He posed a solitary question, stating, "If you answer my question, I will reveal to you the source of my authority for performing these acts. Was John's baptism from heaven or of human origin? Answer me." The simple and sincere response to this inquiry held the key to addressing the challenge set before the Lord by His adversaries. The ministry of John was profoundly intertwined with that of Jesus Christ. The Lord's forerunner was sent by God to bear witness to the true light that illuminates every individual—Christ (John 1:6-9). John humbly regarded himself as no more than a friend of the Divine Bridegroom, feeling unworthy to unfasten the sandals of His feet (John 1:27; John 3:29-31).