What does Luke 20:4 mean?
Jesus is talking to a group of chief priests, scribes, and elders. They are just the sort of men who would have lost money when Jesus drove out the crooked merchants from the Court of the Gentiles in the Temple Mount (Luke 19:45–46). The elders likely owned some of those stalls and gave a gratuity to the family of the high priest; the scribes are lawyers, perhaps there to make sure their clients get what they want (Luke 20:1).These men desperately want Jesus gone (Luke 19:47–48). They ask who gave Him the authority to run out the merchants (Luke 20:2). If He says God, they can arrest Him for heresy. Instead of naming His authority, however, He names His witness: John the Baptist.
Baptism is a sign that someone wants to be known for following that teacher's message. John's baptism is best known as an agreement that one needs to "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2). The bulk of John's message, however, is that the Lamb of God is coming, and that this figure is Jesus (John 1:29). John's purpose is to make a way so that when Jesus arrives, the people will be ready to follow Him and be saved (Luke 3:4–6).
To agree with John's baptism is to agree with his teaching that Jesus is the Messiah. If Jesus' accusers disagree, they're in social trouble. John has been dead for about three years, but his following is strong and very loyal. The crowd around them may stone them. They choose the only option that maintains their dignity: to lie and say they don't know (Luke 20:5–7).
Luke 20:1–8 begins the religious leaders' attack on Jesus' authority. Chief priests, scribes, and elders question Jesus' religious authority regarding the cleansing of the temple (Luke 19:45–46). In turn, Jesus challenges them to judge John the Baptist, the witness to Jesus' authority. Afraid of the crowd who believed John was a prophet, the religious leaders refuse to answer. Jesus responds with a parable about the Son of God (Luke 20:9–18). In the mirror image of this segment, Jesus will describe how the scribes' own sinful actions prove them unqualified to lead (Luke 20:45–47). Matthew 21:23–27 and Mark 11:27–33 also give accounts of this interaction.
After His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus find Himself in conflict with the city's religious leaders. Elders, priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees all attempt to discredit Him. This comes mostly in challenging Jesus with trick questions. Jesus deftly handles those challenges without falling into the trap. He provides several teachings about His role as the Son of God and directly warns the Jewish people against their generation of scribes, who are arrogant and pretentious.
