Chapter 20

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

1 aOn one of the days while bHe was teaching the people in the temple and cpreaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders dconfronted Him,

2 and they spoke, saying to Him, “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?”

3 Jesus answered and said to them, “I will also ask you a 1question, and you tell Me:

4 “Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?”

5 They reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’

6 “But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a aprophet.”

7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from.

8 And Jesus said to them, “Nor 1will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Parable of the Vine-growers

9 aAnd He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to 1vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time.

10 “At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

11 “And he proceeded to send another slave; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed.

12 “And he proceeded to send a third; and this one also they wounded and cast out.

13 “The 1owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will arespect him.’

14 “But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.’

15 “So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What, then, will the 1owner of the vineyard do to them?

16 “He will come and adestroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard it, they said, “bMay it never be!”

17 But 1Jesus looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

‘aThe stone which the builders rejected,

This became bthe chief corner stone’?

18 “aEveryone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

Tribute to Caesar

19 The scribes and the chief priests atried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them.

20 aSo they watched Him, and sent spies who 1pretended to be righteous, in order bthat they might 2catch Him in some statement, so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of cthe governor.

21 They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You 1are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth.

22 “Is it 1lawful for us ato pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

23 But He detected their trickery and said to them,

24 “Show Me a 1denarius. Whose 2likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.”

25 And He said to them, “Then arender to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

26 And they were unable to 1acatch Him in a saying in the presence of the people; and being amazed at His answer, they became silent.

Is There a Resurrection?

27 aNow there came to Him some of the bSadducees (who say that there is no resurrection),

28 and they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that aif a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should 1marry the wife and raise up children to his brother.

29 “Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless;

30 and the second

31 and the third 1married her; and in the same way 2all seven 3died, leaving no children.

32 “Finally the woman died also.

33 “In the resurrection therefore, which one’s wife will she be? For 1all seven 2had married her.”

34 Jesus said to them, “The sons of athis age marry and are given in marriage,

35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to athat age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;

36 for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are asons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

37 “But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in athe passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord bthe God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

38 “aNow He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for ball live to Him.”

39 Some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.”

40 For athey did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything.

41 aThen He said to them, “How is it that they say 1the Christ is bDavid’s son?

42 “For David himself says in the book of Psalms,

‘aThe Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

43 aUntil I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” ’

44 “Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son?”

45 aAnd while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples,

46 “Beware of the scribes, awho like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets,

47 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”