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Luke 20:8
ESV And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
NIV Jesus said, 'Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.'
NASB And Jesus said to them, 'Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.'
CSB And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."
NLT And Jesus responded, 'Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.'
KJV And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

What does Luke 20:8 mean?

Jesus has abruptly stopped a verbal challenge from Jewish leaders who have come to accuse Him. The leaders want to know who gave Him the authority to drive the merchants out of the Temple Mount. Jesus counters, but not by telling them that His authority is from God. Instead, He challenges them to define their view of authority: specifically, what do they think of John the Baptist? With that step, the hunters have now become the hunted (Luke 20:1–4).

The conversation is happening amid a crowd who has been listening to Jesus teach. John has been gone for about three years, but he's still extremely popular. And John said that Jesus is the Messiah (John 1:29–34). If Jesus' accusers say that John's ministry was divinely approved, Jesus will rightfully counter that they ought to believe in Him. But if the religious leaders deny John, the crowd may stone them. So, they try to avoid the issue by saying they don't know.

If they refuse to answer, neither will Jesus answer (Luke 20:5–7). This is reasonable: Jesus asked for clarification of their question, and His critics gave no answer. That means they're not sincere about the topic, and there is no reason to provide them with an answer.

And yet, Jesus will provide an indirect answer. He'll explain the parable of the wicked tenants. A man rents his vineyard to tenants who decide to keep the land. When the owner sends servants to collect rent, the renters either beat up or kill the servants. When he sends his son, they kill him, too. So, the owner drives out the renters, kills them, and finds new tenants. Jesus ends by saying they are rejecting the very cornerstone of their faith, and that cornerstone will be their deaths (Luke 20:9–18).

Jesus was angry with the merchants because they were cheating the people, but also because they were filling the Court of the Gentiles (Luke 19:45–46). The Jews were supposed to be a blessing to the Gentiles (Genesis 12:1–3), "a light for the nations" (Isaiah 42:6) who introduces them to the Savior of the world. Instead, the Jewish leaders reject the prophets and their Messiah. So, God will drive them out in the Roman attack of AD 70.
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