Luke 20
20
Jewish Leaders Doubt Jesus’ Authority
(Mt. 21:23–27; Mk. 11:27–33)
1One day Jesus was in the Temple area teaching the people. He was telling them the Good News. The leading priests, teachers of the law, and older Jewish leaders came to talk to Jesus. 2They said, “Tell us what authority you have to do these things. Who gave you this authority?”
3Jesus answered, “I will ask you a question too. Tell me: 4When John baptized people, did his authority come from God or was it only from other people?”
5The priests, the teachers of the law, and the Jewish leaders all talked about this. They said to each other, “If we answer, ‘John’s baptism was from God,’ then he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe John?’ 6But if we say that John’s baptism was from someone else, the people will stone us to death. They all believe that John was a prophet.” 7So they answered, “We don’t know the answer.”
8So Jesus said to them, “Then I will not tell you who gave me the authority to do these things.”
God Sends His Son
(Mt. 21:33–46; Mk. 12:1–12)
9Then Jesus told the people this story: “A man planted a vineyard. He leased the land to some farmers. Then he went away for a long time. 10Later, it was time for the grapes to be picked. So the man sent a servant to those farmers so that they would give him his share of the grapes. But they beat the servant and sent him away with nothing. 11So the man sent another servant. They beat this servant too and showed no respect for him. They sent the servant away with nothing. 12So the man sent a third servant to the farmers. They hurt this servant badly and threw him out.
13“The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What will I do now? I will send my son. I love my son very much. Maybe the farmers will respect my son.’ 14When the farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the owner’s son. This vineyard will be his. If we kill him, it will be ours.’ 15So the farmers threw the son out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What will the owner of the vineyard do? 16He will come and kill those farmers. Then he will lease the land to some other farmers.”
When the people heard this story, they said, “This should never happen!” 17But Jesus looked into their eyes and said, “Then what does this verse mean:
‘The stone that the builders refused to accept
became the cornerstone’? Psalm 118:22
18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken. If that stone falls on you, it will crush you!”
19When the teachers of the law and the leading priests heard this story, they knew it was about them. So they wanted to arrest Jesus right then, but they were afraid of what the people would do.
The Jewish Leaders Try to Trick Jesus
(Mt. 22:15–22; Mk. 12:13–17)
20So the Jewish leaders waited for the right time to get Jesus. They sent some men to him, who pretended to be sincere. They wanted to find something wrong with what Jesus said. (If they found something wrong, then they could hand him over to the governor, who had the authority to arrest him.) 21So the men said to Jesus, “Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is true. It doesn’t matter who is listening—you teach the same to all people. You always teach the truth about God’s way. 22Tell us, is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23But Jesus knew that these men were trying to trick him. He said to them, 24“Show me a silver coin. Whose name and picture are on it?”
They said, “Caesar’s.”
25He said to them, “Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
26The men were amazed at his wise answer. They could say nothing. They were not able to trick Jesus there in front of the people. He said nothing they could use against him.
Some Sadducees Try to Trick Jesus
(Mt. 22:23–33; Mk. 12:18–27)
27Some Sadducees came to Jesus. (Sadducees believe that people will not rise from death.) They asked him, 28“Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and had no children, his brother must marry his widow. Then they will have children for the dead brother.#20:28 if … dead brother See Deut. 25:5, 6. 29One time there were seven brothers. The first brother married a woman but died. He had no children. 30Then the second brother married the woman, and he died. 31And the third brother married the woman, and he died. The same thing happened with all the other brothers. They all died and had no children. 32The woman was the last to die. 33But all seven brothers married her. So when people rise from death, whose wife will this woman be?”
34Jesus said to the Sadducees, “On earth, people marry each other. 35Some people will be worthy to be raised from death and live again after this life. In that life they will not marry. 36In that life people are like angels and cannot die. They are children of God, because they have been raised from death. 37Moses clearly showed that people are raised from death. When Moses wrote about the burning bush,#20:37 burning bush See Ex. 3:1-12. he said that the Lord is ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’#20:37 ‘the God of … Jacob’ Words taken from Ex. 3:6. 38So they were not still dead, because he is the God only of living people. Yes, to God they are all still living.”
39Some of the teachers of the law said, “Teacher, your answer was very good.” 40No one was brave enough to ask him another question.
Is the Messiah David’s Son or David’s Lord?
(Mt. 22:41–46; Mk. 12:35–37)
41Then Jesus said, “Why do people say that the Messiah is the Son of David? 42In the book of Psalms, David himself says,
‘The Lord God said to my Lord:
Sit by me at my right side,
43and I will put your enemies under your power.#20:43 and I … power Literally, “until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ Psalm 110:1
44David calls the Messiah ‘Lord.’ So how can the Messiah also be David’s son?”
Warning Against the Teachers of the Law
(Mt. 23:1–36; Mk. 12:38–40; Lk. 11:37–54)
45While all the people were listening to Jesus, he said to his followers, 46“Be careful of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around wearing clothes that look important. And they love for people to show respect to them in the marketplaces. They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47But they cheat widows and take their homes. Then they try to make themselves look good by saying long prayers. God will punish them very much.”
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