Luke 20

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

¹And it happened that on one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up to Him ,

²and 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?”

³And Jesus answered and said to them, “I will also ask you a question, and you tell Me:[#20:3 Lit word]

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

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

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

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

⁸And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”[#20:8 Lit do I tell]

Parable of the Vine-Growers

⁹And He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time.[#20:9 Or tenant farmers , so in vv 10, 14, 16]

¹⁰And at the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vine-growers sent him away empty-handed having beaten him.

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

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

¹³Now the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’[#20:13 Lit lord]

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

¹⁵So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What, then, will the owner of the vineyard do to them?[#20:15 Lit lord]

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

¹⁷But when Jesus looked at them, He said, “What then is this that is written:[#20:17 Lit He]

‘T he stone which the builders rejected ,

T his has become the chief corner stone ’?

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

Taxes to Caesar

¹⁹And the scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, but they feared the people. For they understood that He spoke this parable against them.

²⁰So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, so that they might catch Him in some statement, in order to deliver Him to the rule and the authority of the governor.[#20:20 Lit falsely represented themselves; #20:20 Lit take hold of His word]

²¹And they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth.[#20:21 Lit do not receive a face]

²²Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”[#20:22 Or permissible]

²³But He perceived their craftiness and said to them,

²⁴“Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.”[#20:24 A Roman silver coin, approx. a laborer’s daily wage; #20:24 Lit image]

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

²⁶And they were unable to catch Him in a word in the presence of the people; and marveling at His answer, they became silent.[#20:26 Lit catch His statement]

The Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

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

²⁸and they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man ’s brother dies , having a wife, and he is childless , his brother should marry the wife and raise up seed for his brother .[#20:28 Lit take; #20:28 Or descendant]

²⁹Now there were seven brothers; and the first married a wife and died childless,

³⁰and the second

³¹and the third married her; and in the same way, all seven died, leaving no children.[#20:31 Lit took; #20:31 Lit the seven also; #20:31 Lit left no children, and died]

³²Finally the woman died also.

³³Therefore, this woman—in the resurrection—whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as a wife.”

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

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

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

³⁷But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord the G od of A braham , and the G od of I saac , and the G od of J acob .[#20:37 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Ex 3:6]

³⁸Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him.”

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

⁴⁰For they did not dare to question Him any longer about anything.

⁴¹Then He said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?[#20:41 Messiah]

⁴²For David himself says in the book of Psalms,

‘T he L ord said to my L ord ,

“S it at M y right hand ,

⁴³U ntil I put Y our enemies as a footstool for Y our feet .” ’

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

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

⁴⁶“Beware of the scribes, who want to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, and best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets,

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