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.”
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?
- BSB On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do 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?”
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 11:29When the multitudes were gathering together to him, he began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks after a sign. No sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah, the prophet.
- John 6:30They said therefore to him, “What then do you do for a sign, that we may see, and believe you? What work do you do?
- Mark 8:11The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him.
- Matt 21:23When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
- Mark 11:27–28They came again to Jerusalem, and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders came to him,
- Acts 5:28saying, “Didn’t we strictly command you not to teach in this name? Behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and intend to bring this man’s blood on us.”
- Luke 20:1–2On one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, the priests and scribes came to him with the elders.
- John 1:25They asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?”
- Matt 16:1–4The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing him, asked him to show them a sign from heaven.
- Acts 4:7When they had stood them in the middle of them, they inquired, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”
- Matt 12:38–42Then certain of the scribes and Pharisees answered, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
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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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