RELIGIOUS LEADERS CHALLENGE JESUS’ AUTHORITY
   The religious leaders asked Jesus who gave Him the authority to chase away the merchants and money changers. Their question was a trap. If Jesus said His authority was from God, they would accuse Him of blasphemy; if He said His authority was His own, they would dismiss Him as a fanatic. To expose their real motives, Jesus countered their question with a question about John the Baptist. The leaders’ silence proved that they were not interested in the truth. They simply wanted to get rid of Jesus because He was undermining their authority.