Matthew 21:25

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Matthew 21:23–27 · Berean Standard Bible

23 When Jesus returned to the temple courts and began to teach, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to Him. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You this authority?”

24 “I will also ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

25 What was the source of John’s baptism? Was it from heaven or from men?” They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, for they all regard John as a prophet.”

27 So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Greek words

Data created by STEPBible.org based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

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Cross-references

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge lists these related verses. Scripture text comes from the Berean Standard Bible.

Matthew 3:1

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea

Matthew 3:2

and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”

Matthew 3:3

This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”

Matthew 3:4

John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

Matthew 3:5

People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan.

Matthew 3:6

Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

Matthew 3:7

But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Matthew 3:8

Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance.

Matthew 3:9

And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

Matthew 3:10

The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 3:11

I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Matthew 3:12

His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Matthew 11:7

As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

Matthew 11:8

Otherwise, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Look, those who wear fine clothing are found in kings’ palaces.

Matthew 11:9

What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.

Matthew 11:10

This is the one about whom it is written: ‘Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way before You.’

Matthew 11:11

Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Matthew 11:12

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subject to violence, and the violent lay claim to it.

Matthew 11:13

For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.

Matthew 11:14

And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come.

Matthew 11:15

He who has ears, let him hear.

Matthew 17:12

But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him whatever they wished. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.”

Matthew 17:13

Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them about John the Baptist.

Mark 1:1

This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark 1:2

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.”

Mark 1:3

“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”

Mark 1:4

John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Mark 1:5

People went out to him from all of Jerusalem and the countryside of Judea. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

Mark 1:6

John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

Mark 1:7

And he began to proclaim: “After me will come One more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

Mark 1:8

I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Mark 1:9

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

Mark 1:10

As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove.

Mark 1:11

And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

Mark 11:27

After their return to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the temple courts, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him.

Mark 11:28

“By what authority are You doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave You the authority to do them?”

Mark 11:29

“I will ask you one question,” Jesus replied, “and if you answer Me, I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

Mark 11:30

John’s baptism—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me!”

Mark 11:31

They deliberated among themselves what they should answer: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

Mark 11:32

But if we say, ‘From men’...” they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John truly was a prophet.

Mark 11:33

So they answered, “We do not know.” And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Luke 1:11

Just then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah, standing at the right side of the altar of incense.

Luke 1:12

When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear.

Luke 1:13

But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.

Luke 1:14

He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth,

Luke 1:15

for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He shall never take wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb.

Luke 1:16

Many of the sons of Israel he will turn back to the Lord their God.

Luke 1:17

And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

Luke 1:67

Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:

Luke 1:68

“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has visited and redeemed His people.

Luke 1:69

He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David,

Luke 1:70

as He spoke through His holy prophets, those of ages past,

Luke 1:71

salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,

Luke 1:72

to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant,

Luke 1:73

the oath He swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

Luke 1:74

deliverance from hostile hands, that we may serve Him without fear,

Luke 1:75

in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives.

Luke 1:76

And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him,

Luke 1:77

to give to His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins,

Luke 1:78

because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the Dawn will visit us from on high,

Luke 1:79

to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”

Luke 1:80

And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until the time of his public appearance to Israel.

Luke 3:2

during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

Luke 3:3

He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

Luke 3:4

as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.

Luke 3:5

Every valley shall be filled in, and every mountain and hill made low. The crooked ways shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth.

Luke 3:6

And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’”

Luke 3:7

Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Luke 3:8

Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

Luke 3:9

The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Luke 3:10

The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?”

Luke 3:11

John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.”

Luke 3:12

Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?”

Luke 3:13

“Collect no more than you are authorized,” he answered.

Luke 3:14

Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” “Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.”

Luke 3:15

The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John could be the Christ.

Luke 3:16

John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Luke 3:17

His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Luke 3:18

With these and many other exhortations, John proclaimed the good news to the people.

Luke 3:19

But when he rebuked Herod the tetrarch regarding his brother’s wife Herodias and all the evils he had done,

Luke 3:20

Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.

Luke 7:28

I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John, yet even the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

Luke 7:29

All the people who heard this, even the tax collectors, acknowledged God’s justice. For they had received the baptism of John.

Luke 7:30

But the Pharisees and experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.

Luke 7:31

“To what, then, can I compare the men of this generation? What are they like?

Luke 7:32

They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to one another: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’

Luke 7:33

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon!’

Luke 7:34

The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at this glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’

Luke 7:35

But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”

John 1:6

There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John.

John 1:15

John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’”

John 1:25

asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”

John 1:26

“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know.

John 1:27

He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”

John 1:28

All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

John 1:29

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

John 1:30

This is He of whom I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’

John 1:31

I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.”

John 1:32

Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him.

John 1:33

I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

John 1:34

I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

John 3:26

So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Look, Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about—He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.”

John 3:27

John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.

John 3:28

You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’

John 3:29

The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.

John 3:30

He must increase; I must decrease.

John 3:31

The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The One who comes from heaven is above all.

John 3:32

He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony.

John 3:33

Whoever accepts His testimony has certified that God is truthful.

John 3:34

For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit.

John 3:35

The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands.

John 3:36

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”

Luke 20:5

They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why did you not believe him?’

John 3:18

Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

John 5:33

You have sent to John, and he has testified to the truth.

John 5:34

Even though I do not accept human testimony, I say these things so that you may be saved.

John 5:35

John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you were willing for a season to bask in his light.

John 5:36

But I have testimony more substantial than that of John. For the works that the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works I am doing—testify about Me that the Father has sent Me.

John 5:44

How can you believe if you accept glory from one another, yet do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?

John 5:45

Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, in whom you have put your hope.

John 5:46

If you had believed Moses, you would believe Me, because he wrote about Me.

John 5:47

But since you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

John 10:25

“I already told you,” Jesus replied, “but you did not believe. The works I do in My Father’s name testify on My behalf.

John 10:26

But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe.

John 12:37

Although Jesus had performed so many signs in their presence, they still did not believe in Him.

John 12:38

This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: “Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

John 12:39

For this reason they were unable to believe. For again, Isaiah says:

John 12:40

“He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they cannot see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them.”

John 12:41

Isaiah said these things because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about Him.

John 12:42

Nevertheless, many of the leaders believed in Him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue.

John 12:43

For they loved praise from men more than praise from God.

1 John 3:20

Even if our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and He knows all things.