What does John 2:18 mean?

When the gospel of John uses the term "the Jews," it typically refers to the scribes, religious leaders, and politicians. In this instance, they were justified in questioning Jesus. Just as they were right to question John the Baptist, these leaders should have investigated any person disrupting the status quo in the way Jesus did. Consider that what Jesus had done was not only disruptive to business, but it was also public, loud, and almost certainly illegal. What would make a man think He had the right to judge the leaders at the temple?

Hebrew thinking supposed that a true prophet of God was proven by the ability to perform a miracle. Jesus is challenging their spiritual condition, so they ask a blunt question: "What miracle are you going to do to justify yourself?" More than likely, the men asking this question didn't really expect an answer. Much as they had asked John the Baptist (John 1:25), these men are asking Jesus, "Who do you think you are?" This is a common human response when challenged about our mistakes: we instinctively attack the authority of the one criticizing, instead of considering the actual problem.