Mark chapter eleven records that time when the Jewish leaders came to Jesus and asked Him a great question all religious leaders should be asked. Their motives for asking the question were wrong, but their question gives great insight into the path to have a relationship with God. The question was, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?” (v. 28). He had just cleansed the temple, driving out the animals and the moneychangers, and their question was phrased twice, but it was the same question. It focused on authority for religious actions.
Jesus had addressed this so many times, and they had not heard Him. So, He turned the question around and asked them the same question about their behavior. He phrased it by asking about their attitude toward the baptism that brought the remission of sins and by what authority had John done this. By what authority had John come and baptized thousands? These leaders were clever and thought about what might happen if they gave either of the two possible answers. Was the baptism for the remission of sins something John thought up or was it actually a baptism revealed from heaven?
Read the text carefully. They knew if they said it was from John or any mortal that they would lose the favored leadership position they had, for all the people knew John was truly a prophet. The only other alternative was to say that it was a revelation from heaven, not from man. They could not possibly say this, for they knew Jesus would ask about their behavior when they heard John preached baptism preceded by repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4).
Now, before you read the next paragraph carefully recall what they said. He asked them about the authority, and they knew that if they said it was from heaven, Jesus would ask a question for which there was no answer. The text does NOT say that if they said it was from heaven Jesus would then reply asking why they had not been baptized by John. Do not read any further until you phrase Jesus’ possible response? Jesus would NOT have asked them why they had not been baptized by John.
They said, “If we say, ‘From heaven.’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’” John taught baptism was for the remission of sins, and Jesus taught that our baptism is for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). The question is not why have you not been baptized, but why did you not believe Jesus? A failure to obey and teach His words is a deeper question. This failure is not to reject baptism, but it is a failure to believe. It is not a rejection of baptism, but a failure to have true faith!