Matthew 21:25

Baptism of John. See on Matt. 3:6; Mark 1:4; Luke 7:29. Baptism was the characteristic feature of John’s ministry, and came to be the popular designation for it.

Whence was it? Neither John nor Jesus had received an endorsement from the authorities at Jerusalem. What authority they had came, not from men, but directly from God. Therefore, the question posed by the rulers, and Christ’s question in reply, revolved about the ability to evaluate the divine credentials.

Reasoned. The Jewish leaders were in a quandary, and so hurriedly conferred among themselves.

Why did ye not then? The Jewish leaders well knew that an honest admission would elicit this reply from Jesus. But more was involved. If they acknowledged John’s divine credentials, they must of necessity accept his message, and the climax of his message was the identification of Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah (see John 1:26, 27, 29). Thus, to acknowledge John’s authority was equivalent to acknowledging that of Jesus.