Luke 20:5
“They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’”
What does Luke 20:5 mean?
The religious leaders are caught in a trap of their own making. Jesus has just asked them where John the Baptist's authority came from, and they're frantically trying to figure out how to answer without admitting they were wrong to reject John's message. If they say John was sent by God, Jesus will naturally ask why they didn't listen to him and repent. They're discovering that sometimes our refusal to acknowledge truth leaves us with no good options, only bad ones and worse ones.