Matthew 21:23–46

Question of Jesus’ Authority

Mark 11:27–33; Luke 20:1–8

^23xNow when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and ^ysaid, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

²⁴But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: ²⁵The ^zbaptism of ^aJohn—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ²⁶But if we say, ‘From men,’ we ^bfear the multitude, ^cfor all count John as a prophet.” ²⁷So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”

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

Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my ^dvineyard.’ ²⁹He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. ³⁰Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. ³¹Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, ^e“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. ³²For ^fJohn came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; ^gbut tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward ⁶relent and believe him.

Parable of the Landowner

Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–19

³³“Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner ^hwho planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and ⁱwent into a far country. ³⁴Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. ^35jAnd the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. ³⁶Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. ³⁷Then last of all he sent his ^kson to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ^l‘This is the heir. ^mCome, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ ³⁹ⁿSo they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

^41oThey said to Him, ^p“He will destroy those wicked men miserably, ^qand lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will ⁷render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

⁴²Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

^r‘The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

This was the Lord’s doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

⁴³“Therefore I say to you, ^sthe kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. ⁴⁴And ^twhoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, ^uit will grind him to powder.”

⁴⁵Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they ⁸perceived that He was speaking of them. ⁴⁶But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they ^vfeared the multitudes, because ^wthey took Him for a prophet.