Luke 20
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
aOne day, bas Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, cthe chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2 and said to him, “Tell us aby what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” 3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4 was the baptism of John afrom heaven or from man?” 5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, a‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was aa prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
9 aAnd he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted ba vineyard and clet it out to tenants and dwent into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that athey would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. bBut the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 aAnd bhe sent another servant. But they also beat and ctreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 aAnd he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my abeloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, a‘This is the heir. bLet us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they athrew him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 aHe will bcome and destroy those tenants and cgive the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17 But he alooked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
b“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?
18 aEveryone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls bon anyone, it will crush him.”
Paying Taxes to Caesar
19 aThe 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. 20 aSo they bwatched him and sent spies, who cpretended to be sincere, that they might dcatch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of ethe governor. 21 So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and ashow no partiality, but truly teach bthe way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give atribute to bCaesar, or not?” 23 But he perceived their acraftiness, and said to them, 24 “Show me aa denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 25 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 not able in the presence of the people ato catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.
Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection
27 There came to him asome Sadducees, bthose who deny that there is a resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us athat if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”
34 And Jesus said to them, a“The sons of this age bmarry and bare given in marriage, 35 but those who are aconsidered worthy to attain to bthat age and to the resurrection from the dead cneither marry cnor are given in marriage, 36 for athey cannot die anymore, because they are bequal to angels and care dsons of God, being esons of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, aeven Moses showed, in bthe passage about the bush, where he calls cthe Lord 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 all alive to him.” 39 Then some of the scribes aanswered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For athey no longer dared to ask him any question.
Whose Son Is the Christ?
41 aBut he said to them, “How can they say that bthe Christ is bDavid’s son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,
a“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
43 until I make your enemies ayour footstool.”’
44 David thus calls him Lord, so ahow is he his son?”
Beware of the Scribes
45 aAnd in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 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 athe places of honor at feasts, 47 awho devour widows’ houses and bfor a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.