Jesus broke from the traditions of his day, and the religious authorities at the time condemned him for this. This is perhaps best illustrated in Matthew 21:23-27, Mark 11:27-33, and Luke 20:1-8. I have created a synthesized and modern retelling of these scriptures today:
On a day when Jesus was passionately sharing his teachings, a group of religious authorities approached him. These defenders of tradition were determined to discredit Jesus’s message and sought to delegitimize his authority in the eyes of the people.
With an attitude of self-righteousness they taunted him by asking, “Who gave you the authority which authorized and legitimized your ministry?”
Jesus, the disruptor of norms, replied with a thought-provoking question of his own, saying, “Before I reveal the source of my authority, let me ask you this: Was John the Baptist’s ministry a manifestation of a Divine calling, or merely a product of human aspiration and initiative?”
Those who listened to Jesus greatly respected John the Baptist, and the religious authorities knew their answer to this question was crucial. If they acknowledged John’s divine mission, they would have to face their failure to accept his message. On the other hand, denying John’s divine mission would risk alienating those who saw him as a true prophet.
With reluctance they finally replied, “We are unable to provide a definitive response to your question.”
In a characteristic display of wisdom and patience, Jesus calmly replied, “If you, in your elevated positions of religious authority, cannot reconcile the contradictions within your own beliefs, then I, too, would be unable to provide a satisfying response to your question.”
I recently posted “A New Approach to Exaltation”, and was essentially asked the same question. If Jesus was unable to convince the religious authorities and keepers of tradition of his day, surely I will likewise be unable to convince those in my day.