Mark 11:30
Mark 11:30 in Multiple Translations
John’s baptism—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me!”
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? answer me.
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men? answer me.
The baptism of John, was it from heaven or from men? give me an answer.
John's baptism—did that come from heaven, or from people?”
The baptisme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men? answere me.
the baptism of John — from heaven was it? or from men? answer me.'
The baptism of John—was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me.”
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men? answer me.
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men? Answer me.
Did God [MTY] or people authorize John to baptize those who came to him?”
My question is about John the Baptiser. Who told him to do that washing ceremony for people? Did people tell John to do that, or did God tell him to do it?”
Berean Amplified Bible — Mark 11:30
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Mark 11:30 Interlinear (Deep Study)
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Greek Word Reference — Mark 11:30
Study Notes — Mark 11:30
- Context
- Cross References
- Mark 11:30 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Mark 11:30
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Mark 11:30
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Mark 11:30
- Trapp's Commentary on Mark 11:30
- Ellicott's Commentary on Mark 11:30
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Mark 11:30
- Cambridge Bible on Mark 11:30
- Sermons on Mark 11:30
Context — Jesus’ Authority Challenged
30John’s baptism—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me!”
31They deliberated among themselves what they should answer: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32But if we say, ‘From men’...” they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John truly was a prophet.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luke 3:1–20 | In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him. Every valley shall be filled in, and every mountain and hill made low. The crooked ways shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth. And all humanity will see God’s salvation.’” Then John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” The crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” John replied, “Whoever has two tunics should share with him who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized. “Teacher,” they asked, “what should we do?” “Collect no more than you are authorized,” he answered. Then some soldiers asked him, “And what should we do?” “Do not take money by force or false accusation,” he said. “Be content with your wages.” The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John could be the Christ. John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” With these and many other exhortations, John proclaimed the good news to the people. But when he rebuked Herod the tetrarch regarding his brother’s wife Herodias and all the evils he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison. |
| 2 | John 3:25–36 | Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the issue of ceremonial washing. So John’s disciples came to him and said, “Look, Rabbi, the One who was with you beyond the Jordan, the One you testified about—He is baptizing, and everyone is going to Him.” John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.’ The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom stands and listens for him, and is overjoyed to hear the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. He must increase; I must decrease. The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks as one from the earth. The One who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. Whoever accepts His testimony has certified that God is truthful. For the One whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in His hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Whoever rejects the Son will not see life. Instead, the wrath of God remains on him.” |
| 3 | Mark 1:1–11 | This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way.” “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’” John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. People went out to him from all of Jerusalem and the countryside of Judea. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. And he began to proclaim: “After me will come One more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. ” In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” |
| 4 | Matthew 3:1–17 | In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’” John wore a garment of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region around the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when John saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his place of baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit, then, in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The axe lies ready at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I baptize you with water for repentance, but after me will come One more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear His threshing floor and to gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” “Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him. As soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water. Suddenly the heavens were opened, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and resting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!” |
| 5 | Mark 9:13 | But I tell you that Elijah has indeed come, and they have done to him whatever they wished, just as it is written about him.” |
| 6 | John 1:6–8 | There came a man who was sent from God. His name was John. He came as a witness to testify about the Light, so that through him everyone might believe. He himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. |
| 7 | John 1:15–36 | John testified concerning Him. He cried out, saying, “This is He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’” From His fullness we have all received grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known. And this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him, “Who are you?” He did not refuse to confess, but openly declared, “I am not the Christ.” “Then who are you?” they inquired. “Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet: “I am a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” Then the Pharisees who had been sent asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know. He is the One who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.” All this happened at Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’ I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.” Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him. I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God. ” The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” |
Mark 11:30 Summary
In Mark 11:30, Jesus asks the Pharisees a simple but profound question about John's baptism: was it from heaven or from men? This question gets to the heart of who John was and what his message was all about (as seen in Luke 1:17 and Matthew 3:1-6). By asking this question, Jesus is really asking the Pharisees to examine their own faith and understanding of God's work, and He's challenging them to be honest about what they believe. We can learn from Jesus' example by being willing to ask tough questions and seek truth, even when it's difficult or uncomfortable (as seen in Proverbs 3:5-6 and 1 Thessalonians 5:21).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Jesus ask the Pharisees about John's baptism?
Jesus asked about John's baptism to test the Pharisees' understanding of God's work and to reveal their own hypocrisy, as seen in Mark 11:31-32, where they were afraid to answer truthfully, and also in Matthew 21:25-26, where Jesus similarly questioned them about John's baptism.
Was John's baptism really from heaven?
Yes, John's baptism was from heaven, as confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 21:25, where He says that John's baptism was from heaven, and also in Luke 7:29-30, where the people and tax collectors acknowledged God's righteousness in John's baptism.
What can we learn from Jesus' method of questioning the Pharisees?
We can learn that Jesus often used questions to prompt reflection and expose the heart, as seen in Mark 11:30 and also in Matthew 16:15, where He asked His disciples about people's opinions of Him, and in Matthew 22:42, where He asked the Pharisees about the Messiah's lineage.
How does this verse relate to our own faith and obedience?
This verse reminds us that our faith and obedience must be rooted in a genuine understanding of God's work, as seen in Hebrews 5:9, where Jesus is the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him, and in 2 Corinthians 5:20, where we are ambassadors of Christ, called to faithfully represent Him to the world.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways I can respond to challenging questions about my faith, just like Jesus did with the Pharisees?
- How can I discern whether a particular teaching or practice is from God or from human origin, as Jesus asked about John's baptism?
- What are some areas in my life where I may be trying to please both God and people, like the Pharisees in Mark 11:31-32, and how can I seek to please God alone?
- In what ways can I use questions to prompt reflection and spiritual growth in my own life and in the lives of those around me, just like Jesus did with the Pharisees?
Gill's Exposition on Mark 11:30
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Mark 11:30
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Mark 11:30
Trapp's Commentary on Mark 11:30
Ellicott's Commentary on Mark 11:30
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Mark 11:30
Cambridge Bible on Mark 11:30
Sermons on Mark 11:30
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Fire - Prayer Meeting (Cd Quality) by Leonard Ravenhill | In this sermon, the speaker describes a powerful and impactful premiere event. They mention a white-haired lady who was sitting in a wheelchair and didn't know anyone's names, but |
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The Baptism of Fire by Leonard Ravenhill | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the need for a spiritual awakening and revival. He encourages the congregation to desire this revival with all their heart, soul, mind, and |
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A People Prepared for the Lord by Stephen Kaung | In this sermon, a retired missionary to a foreign land is given the opportunity to speak on repentance. The audience, consisting of religious and learned individuals, had become co |
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Repentance From Root of Sin by Zac Poonen | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of repentance in the Christian faith. He highlights the need for believers to turn away from idols and fully devote themselve |
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(Luke) 11 - Baptism of Christ by Ed Miller | In this sermon, the speaker focuses on the corrupt state of both the political society and religious leadership during the time of John the Baptist. The multitudes, tax gatherers, |
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John the Baptist and the Brood of Vipers by John Piper | John Piper preaches on the significance of John the Baptist's ministry as a prophet sent by God to prepare the way for Jesus, emphasizing the call to repentance for the forgiveness |
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The Representative Man by G.W. North | G.W. North emphasizes the concept of Jesus Christ as the Representative Man, illustrating how He serves as both the eternal Son of God and the ultimate example for humanity. He hig |






