Luke 20

Religious Leaders Question Christ’s Authority

Matt. 21:23–27; Mark 11:27–33

20Now ^ait happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him ²and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, ^bby what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”

³But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: ⁴The ^cbaptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”

⁵And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why ¹then did you not believe him?’ ⁶But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, ^dfor they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” ⁷So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

⁸And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Parable of the Vineyard Owner

Matt. 21:33–44; Mark 12:1–11

⁹Then He began to tell the people this parable: ^e“A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to ²vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. ¹⁰Now at ³vintage-time he ^fsent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹²And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.

¹³“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’ ¹⁴But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the ^gheir. Come, ^hlet us kill him, that the inheritance may be ⁱours.’ ¹⁵So they cast him out of the vineyard and ^jkilled him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to ^kothers.”

And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”

¹⁷Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

^l‘The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone’?

¹⁸Whoever falls on that stone will be ^mbroken; but ⁿon whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

Herodians Question Tribute Money

Matt. 21:45, 46; 22:15–22; Mark 12:12–17

¹⁹And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they ⁴feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.

^20oSo they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.

²¹Then they asked Him, saying, ^p“Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: ²²Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

²³But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, ⁵“Why do you test Me? ²⁴Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?”

They answered and said, “Caesar’s.”

²⁵And He said to them, ^q“Render ⁶therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

²⁶But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

Sadducees Question Resurrection

Matt. 22:23–32; Mark 12:18–27

^27rThen some of the Sadducees, ^swho deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, ²⁸saying: “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁹Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children. ³⁰And the second ⁷took her as wife, and he died childless. ³¹Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven ⁸also; and they left no children, and died. ³²Last of all the woman died also. ³³Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife.”

³⁴Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. ³⁵But those who are ^tcounted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; ³⁶nor can they die anymore, for ^uthey are equal to the angels and are sons of God, ^vbeing sons of the resurrection. ³⁷But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ^w‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ ³⁸For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for ^xall live to Him.”

Christ Questions the Scribes

Matt. 22:41–23:14; Mark 12:35–40

³⁹Then some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” ⁴⁰But after that they dared not question Him anymore.

⁴¹And He said to them, ^y“How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David? ⁴²Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:

^z‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

⁴³Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

⁴⁴Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord’; ^ahow is He then his Son?”

^45bThen, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, ^46c“Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, ^dlove greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, ^47ewho devour widows’ houses, and for a ^fpretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”