Musings on Mark 11:27-30 27. And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, there come to him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, 28. And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things? 29. And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30. The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me. Observe the question that the chief priests, scribes and elders asked Jesus, "By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?" The chief priests, scribes and elders asked Jesus questions about His ministry. These questions had to do with the origins of Jesus ministry amongst men. Jesus' response is mind-bending and worthy of study. He gave them a clue that had to do with their estimation of the baptism of John. John had said, "I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water" (see John 1:31). John is saying that he was the one through whose ministry Jesus had been made manifest to Israel. The baptism of John marked the start of Jesus' ministry. John bore witness to Jesus (see John 1:34) and he got men ready in order that they might receive Jesus' ministry. In everyday parlance, the baptism of John is the means by which John had "launched" Jesus into ministry. In Mark 11:27-30, when Jesus drew the attention of the chief priests, scribes and elders to the baptism of John, He was making them aware how He had been "launched" into ministry by John - a man. If language means anything, our precious Lord Jesus is performing the equivalent of beating His chest, while affirming that the baptism of John was His ordination to ministry. We won't have anticipated this but the fact is that the almighty God, who had the secrets of the molecular life of John, is found bragging that a man, had "ordained" Him into ministry. The ways of God! ... to be continued