On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”
Parallel translations
- WEB The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?”
- KJV Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
- NKJV So the Jews answered and said to Him, “What sign do You show to us, since You do these things?”
- NASB The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as Your authority for doing these things?”
- NLT But the Jewish leaders demanded, “What are you doing? If God gave you authority to do this, show us a miraculous sign to prove it.”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The Jewish leaders demand a sign to justify Jesus' authority for such actions. They question His right to cleanse the temple.
Overview
Rather than repent, the authorities ask for a miraculous sign proving Jesus' authority to act so boldly. Their demand reflects a desire for proof on their own terms instead of recognition of God's claim through Him. Jesus' reply will point not to a display on demand but to the greatest sign of all — His resurrection.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Luke 11:29As the crowds were increasing, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It demands a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.
- John 6:30So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do?
- Mark 8:11Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, testing Him by demanding from Him a sign from heaven.
- Matt 21:23When 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?”
- Mark 11:27–28After their return to Jerusalem, Jesus was walking in the temple courts, and the chief priests, scribes, and elders came up to Him.
- Acts 5:28“We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us responsible for this man’s blood.”
- Luke 20:1–2One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and scribes, together with the elders, came up to Him.
- John 1:25asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
- Matt 16:1–4Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came and tested Jesus by asking Him to show them a sign from heaven.
- Acts 4:7They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
- Matt 12:38–42Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.”
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Christ at the center
John declares him plainly: the eternal Word made flesh, the Lamb of God, the great 'I AM' — bread, light, door, shepherd, way, truth, life, resurrection — that you may believe and have life in his name.
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Original language
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