LUK 20
20
Jesus' Authority Questioned
Matt. 21:23-27; Mk. 11:27-33
1 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and teachers of the Law, together with the elders, confronted Him.
2 They challenged Him, "Tell us by what authority You are doing these things. Who gave You this authority to teach and act as You do?"
3 Jesus replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell Me:
4 Was John's baptism from heaven—from divine authority—or from human origin?"
5 They discussed this among themselves and reasoned, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will ask us, 'Why did you not believe him?'
6 But if we say, 'From human origin,' all the people will stone us, because they are firmly convinced that John was a prophet."
7 So they responded that they could not tell where John's authority originated.
8 And Jesus declared to them, "Neither will I inform you by what authority I perform these actions."
The Parable of the Wicked Farmers
Matt. 21:33-46; Mk. 12:1-12
9 Then He began communicating this parable to the people: "A certain man established a vineyard, rented it out to farmers, and departed to a distant region for an extended period.
10 When the season despatched a servant to the farmers so they might give him his portion of the vineyard's produce. But the farmers struck the servant and sent him back without anything.
11 He proceeded to send another servant, but they beat him as well, subjected him to shameful treatment, and sent him back empty-handed.
12 He went on to send a third, and they wounded this one and cast him out.
13 Then the vineyard's owner said, 'What course of action should I take? I will send my son whom I love. Surely they will show reverence to him.'
14 But upon seeing the son, the farmers reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him so that the inheritance will transfer to us.'
15 So they expelled him from the vineyard and killed him. What action, then, will the vineyard's owner take against them?
16 He will come and eliminate those farmers and entrust the vineyard to different people." Upon hearing this, they responded, "May such a thing never occur!"
17 But He looked intently at them and asked, "What then is the significance of this written passage:
'The stone that the builders discarded has become the chief cornerstone'?*
18 Everyone falling upon that stone will be shattered to pieces,
and the person upon whom it falls will be pulverised."*
19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to seize Him at that very moment, for they understood that He had directed this parable against them. Yet they feared the people's response.
Paying Taxes to Caesar
Matt. 22:15-22; Mk. 12:13-17
20 So they watched Him closely and sent agents who posed as righteous men, hoping to trap Him in His speech so they might deliver Him to the governor's jurisdiction and authority.
21 They questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, we recognise that You communicate and instruct rightly and without error. You demonstrate no favouritism but teach God's way according to truth.
22 Is it lawful for us to pay tribute to Caesar, or not?"
23 But perceiving their craftiness, He said to them,
24 "Display a denarius for Me. Whose likeness and inscription does it bear?" They replied, "Caesar's."
25 He declared to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
26 They proved unable to entrap Him in His statement in the people's presence. Marvelling at His response, they became silent.
Concerning Marriage and the Resurrection
Matt. 22:23-33; Mk. 12:18-27
27 Some of the Sadducees—who deny that there is a resurrection—came to Jesus with a hypothetical question.
28 They said, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us in the Law that if a man's brother dies leaving a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.
29 Now there existed seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children.
30 The second married her,
31 and the third took her. In this same manner, all seven married her and died without leaving children.
32 Afterwards, the woman died as well.
33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife does she become, since all seven had her as wife?"
34 Jesus responded to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.
35 But those judged worthy to attain that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.
36 For they are no longer able to die, being equal to angels. And they are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
37 But that the dead are raised—even Moses indicated this at the passage about the bush, when he designates the Lord as 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'
38 Now He is not God of the dead but of the living, for to Him all are alive."
39 Some of the scribes replied, "Teacher, You have spoken well!"
40 And they no longer had courage to question Him about anything.
Question about David's Son
Matt. 22:41-46; Mk. 12:35-37
41 Then Jesus said to them, "Why do people say that the Christ is the son of David?
42 David himself declares in the Book of Psalms:
'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at My right hand
43 until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet."'
44 David calls Him 'Lord.' How then can the Christ be his son?"
Beware of the Scribes
Matt. 23:1-36; Mk. 12:38-40; Lk. 11:37-54
45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to His disciples,
46 "Beware of the teachers of the Law. They love to walk around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings in the marketplaces. They desire the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets.
47 They devour widows' houses, and for show they make lengthy prayers. These men will receive the most severe condemnation and punishment."
Notes
17 Quoted from Ps. 118:22
18 Referring to Is. 8:14-15
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Copyright © 2026 Michael Adeyemi Adegbola. This Scripture text is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
