Authority

27And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him,  28and they said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?"  29Jesus said to them, "I will ask you a question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.  30Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men? Answer me."  31And they argued with one another, "If we say, `From heaven,' he will say, `Why then did you not believe him?'  32But shall we say, `From men'?" -- they were afraid of the people, for all held that John was a real prophet.  33So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things." Mark 11:27-33