In Matthew 21, the religious leaders question Jesus, not because they want truth, but because His authority threatens their control. They ask, “By what authority are you doing these things?” ~Matthew 21:23, yet Scripture shows they already know enough to answer their own question.
When Jesus asks about the baptism of John, the leaders refuse to answer plainly. They fear the consequences of the truth more than they fear God, so they choose evasion. “We do not know” becomes a shield for unbelief ~Matthew 21:27.
Jesus exposes the heart of the issue with a simple parable. One son talks obedience but never acts. Another resists at first, then repents and obeys. Jesus says those who repented and believed entered the kingdom before the religious leaders ~Matthew 21:31–32. The issue is not words. It is obedience.
That pattern still matters. Honest faith submits to truth even when it costs something. False authority protects position, avoids clarity, and resists repentance.
This passage presses a question on all of us: do we obey Christ, or do we only sound like we do?
Yup. That is why we need to do this. Yes, if our leader, whomever, is a Godly person, and following positions that are in line with God, then we need to follow and obey. Romans 13:1, Hebrews 13:17.
As Jesus said about paying Taxes,
“Jesus said to them, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.” Mark 12:17
However, if that authority goes against God or His Word, then we need to follow God. When the apostles were ordered by the local authorities to stop preaching, Peter and the other apostles replied:
“We must obey God rather than human beings!” Acts 5:29
This is not new. Here are some examples; there are many more, of course. The Hebrew midwives refused Pharaoh’s order to kill newborn boys. Exodus 1. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to bow to King Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue, Daniel 3. Daniel, when he continued to pray to God despite a royal decree making it illegal, Daniel 6.
You obey the law whenever possible to be a good neighbor and citizen, but if a “conflict of interest” arises between a government’s command and God’s command, God takes precedence.