1One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard. He was announcing the good news to them. The chief priests and the teachers of the law came up to him. The elders came with them.2‘Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,’ they all said. ‘Who gave you this authority?’3Jesus replied, ‘I will also ask you a question. Tell me,4was John’s baptism from heaven? Or did it come from people?’5They talked to one another about it. They said, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will ask, “Why didn’t you believe him?”6But if we say, “From people”, all the people will throw stones at us and kill us. They believe that John was a prophet.’7So they answered Jesus, ‘We don’t know where John’s baptism came from.’8Jesus said, ‘Then I won’t tell you by what authority I am doing these things either.’
The story of the tenants
9Jesus went on to tell the people a story. ‘A man planted a vineyard,’ he said. ‘He rented it out to some farmers. Then he went away for a long time.10At harvest time he sent a slave to the tenants. They were supposed to give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the slave. Then they sent him away with nothing.11So the man sent another slave. They beat that one and treated him badly. They also sent him away with nothing.12The man sent a third slave. The tenants wounded him and threw him out.13‘Then the owner of the vineyard said, “What should I do? I have a son, and I love him. I will send him. Maybe they will respect him.”14‘But when the tenants saw the son, they talked the matter over. “This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday,” they said. “Let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.”15So they threw him out of the vineyard. And they killed him. ‘What will the owner of the vineyard do to the tenants?16He will come and kill them. He will give the vineyard to others.’ When the people heard this, they said, ‘We hope this never happens!’17Jesus looked right at them and said, ‘Here is something I want you to explain the meaning of. It is written, ‘ “The stone the builders didn’t accept has become the most important stone of all.” (Ps 118:22)18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on.’19The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest Jesus at once. They knew he had told that story against them. But they were afraid of the people.
Is it right to pay the royal tax to Caesar?
20The religious leaders sent spies to keep a close watch on Jesus. The spies pretended to be sincere. They hoped they could trap Jesus with something he would say. Then they could hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.21So the spies questioned Jesus. ‘Teacher’, they said, ‘we know that you speak and teach what is right. We know you don’t favour one person over another. You teach the way of God truthfully.22Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’23Jesus saw they were trying to trick him. So he said to them,24‘Show me a silver coin. Whose picture and words are on it?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied.25He said to them, ‘Then give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give back to God what belongs to God.’26They were not able to trap him with what he had said there in front of all the people. Amazed by his answer, they became silent.
Marriage when the dead rise
27The Sadducees do not believe that people rise from the dead. Some of them came to Jesus with a question.28‘Teacher’, they said, ‘Moses wrote for us about a man’s brother who dies. Suppose the brother leaves a wife but has no children. Then the man must marry the widow. He must provide children to carry on his dead brother’s name.29There were seven brothers. The first one married a woman. He died without leaving any children.30The second one married her.31And then the third one married her. One after another, the seven brothers married her. They all died. None left any children.32Finally, the woman died too.33Now then, when the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven brothers were married to her.’34Jesus replied, ‘People in this world get married. And their parents give them to be married.35But it will not be like that when the dead rise. Those who are considered worthy to take part in the world to come won’t get married. And their parents won’t give them to be married.36They can’t die anymore. They are like the angels. They are God’s children. They will be given a new form of life when the dead rise.37Remember the story of Moses and the burning bush. Even Moses showed that the dead rise. The Lord said to him, “I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.” (Ex 3:6)38He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living. In his eyes, everyone is alive.’39Some of the teachers of the law replied, ‘You have spoken well, teacher!’40And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Whose son is the Messiah?
41Jesus said to them, ‘Why do people say that the Messiah is the son of David?42David himself says in the Book of Psalms, ‘ “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand43until I put your enemies under your control.’ ” (Ps 110:1)44David calls him “Lord”. So how can he be David’s son?’
Warning against the teachers of the law
45All the people were listening. Jesus said to his disciples,46‘Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in long robes. They love to be greeted with respect in the market. They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. They also love to have the places of honour at banquets.47They take over the houses of widows. They say long prayers to show off. God will punish these men very much.’
Luke 20
English Standard Version
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
1One day, as Jesus[1] was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up (Mt 21:23; Mr 11:27; Lu 19:47; Ac 4:1; Ac 6:12)2and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” (Ex 2:14; Joh 1:25; Ac 4:7)3He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me,4was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” (Lu 15:18; Lu 15:21; Joh 3:27)5And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ (Mt 21:32; Lu 7:30)6But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” (Mt 11:9; Joh 5:35)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.”
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
9And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. (Ps 80:8; So 8:11; Isa 5:1; Mt 21:28; Mt 21:33; Mt 25:14; Mr 12:1; Mr 13:34)10When the time came, he sent a servant[2] to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. (2Ch 24:19; 2Ch 36:15; Ne 9:26; Jer 37:15; Jer 38:6; Mt 5:12; Mt 22:6; Mt 23:34; Mt 23:37; Lu 20:9; Ac 7:52; 2Co 11:24; 1Th 2:15; Heb 11:36)11And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. (Mt 22:4; Lu 20:10; Ac 5:41)12And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. (Lu 20:10)13Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ (Mt 3:17)14But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ (1Ki 21:19; Joh 1:11; Ro 8:17; Heb 1:2)15And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? (Heb 13:12)16He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” (Mt 8:11; Mt 21:43; Mt 24:50; Mt 25:19; Lu 19:27; Ac 13:46; Ac 18:6; Ac 28:28)17But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?[3] (Ps 118:22; Mr 10:21; Ac 4:11; 1Pe 2:7)18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” (Isa 8:14; Da 2:34; Da 2:44; Ro 9:32; 1Pe 2:8)
Paying Taxes to Caesar
19The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. (Lu 19:47)20So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. (1Ki 14:6; Mt 22:15; Mt 27:2; Mt 27:11; Mt 28:14; Mr 3:2; Mr 12:13; Lu 11:54; Lu 14:1; Lu 20:26; Ac 23:24)21So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality,[4] but truly teach the way of God. (Ac 10:34; Ac 13:10; Ac 18:25)22Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” (Mt 17:25; Lu 2:1; Lu 3:1)23But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, (1Co 3:19; 2Co 4:2; 2Co 11:3; 2Co 12:16; Eph 4:14)24“Show me a denarius.[5] Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” (Mt 18:28)25He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Ro 13:7)26And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent. (Lu 20:20)
Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection
27There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, (Mt 3:7; Mt 16:1; Mt 22:34; Ac 4:1; Ac 4:2; Ac 5:17; Ac 23:6; Ac 23:8)28and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man[6] must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. (De 25:5)29Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children.30And the second31and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died.32Afterward the woman also died.33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”34And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, (Mt 24:38; Lu 10:6; Lu 16:8; Lu 17:27; Lu 20:35)35but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, (Mt 22:8; Mr 10:30; Lu 18:30; Lu 20:34; Ac 5:41; 2Th 1:5; 2Th 1:11)36for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons[7] of the resurrection. (Ge 1:26; Ps 82:6; Lu 10:6; Ro 8:19; Ro 8:23; 1Co 15:52; 1Co 15:54; Heb 2:7; Heb 2:9; Re 21:4)37But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. (Ex 3:1; Ex 3:6; Ex 3:15; Lu 20:28; Ac 7:32)38Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” (Ro 6:11; Ro 14:7; 2Co 5:15; Ga 2:19; 1Th 5:10; Heb 9:14; 1Pe 4:2)39Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” (Mt 22:34; Mr 12:28)40For they no longer dared to ask him any question. (Mt 22:46; Mr 12:34)
Whose Son Is the Christ?
41But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? (Mt 1:1; Mt 1:17; Mt 22:41; Mr 12:35)42For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, (Ps 110:1; Ac 2:34; 1Co 15:25; Heb 1:13; Heb 10:13)43until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ (Ac 7:49)44David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” (Ro 1:3)
Beware of the Scribes
45And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, (Mt 23:1; Mt 23:5; Mr 12:38; Lu 11:43)46“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, (Lu 14:7)47who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (Mt 6:5; Mt 6:7; Lu 11:39; Lu 16:14)