"These things" were what Jesus had just been doing in the temple: casting out those who sold there and teaching daily (Luke 19:45-47). Gill says the leaders had in mind His preaching and miracles, "particularly driving the buyers and sellers out of the temple, which especially affected them, they losing their rents thereby." Barnes grants that "There was a show of propriety in this question," since the leaders claimed the right to know why changes were made in the temple without their permission. But Luke has already said they "sought to destroy him" (Luke 19:47). The first question presses Jesus to name what kind of authority He has. The second presses Him to name who gave it. Matthew Henry thinks they came upon Him suddenly, "hoping to catch him unprovided with an answer."

Jesus answered with a question of His own: "I will also ask you one thing; and answer me: The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?" (Luke 20:3-4). The leaders reasoned among themselves and "answered, that they could not tell whence it was" (Luke 20:5-7). So Jesus said, "Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things" (Luke 20:8). He then turned to the people and spoke the parable of the vineyard (Luke 20:9).

The chief priests, scribes, and elders together made up the leadership of the nation. Gill says the whole sanhedrim, the Jewish ruling council, "came upon him in a body." The Greek word for "authority" is exousia, which Thayer defines as "the power of authority (influence) and of right," the right to act and to be obeyed.

The question came during the days after Jesus cleared the temple, saying, "My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves" (Luke 19:46).

The answer to this question had already been given in what Jesus did. Matthew Henry writes, "Christ's miracles plainly showed by what authority he did these things, and sealed his commission." Barnes adds that they well knew by what authority He acted, since He had not hidden His power. Gill says of Jesus' reply that "they might easily perceive by what he had said, from whence he professed to have received his authority, from God, and not men."

The question reveals more about the questioners than about Jesus. The people "were very attentive to hear him" (Luke 19:48), while the leaders looked for a way to stop Him. In the parable that follows, the lord of the vineyard sends "my beloved son," and the husbandmen kill him (Luke 20:13-15). The leaders "perceived that he had spoken this parable against them" (Luke 20:19).