Luke20

Jesus' authority is challenged by the chief priests and scribes, whom he silences with a counter-question about John's baptism. He then tells the parable of the wicked husbandmen, foretelling his rejection and the transfer of the kingdom. Jesus also deftly answers questions about paying tribute to Caesar and the resurrection, before warning against the hypocrisy of the scribes.

Listen to this chapter

Jesus's Authority Challenged

¶ And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,

And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?

And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:

The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?

But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.

And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.

And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

¶ Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.

And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.

And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.

And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.

Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.

But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.

So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?

He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.

And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?

Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

Tribute to Caesar

¶ And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.

And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:

Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?

But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?

Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's.

And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.

And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

¶ Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,

Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.

And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.

And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died.

Last of all the woman died also.

Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.

And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:

But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

¶ Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said.

And after that they durst not ask him any question at all.

Whose Son is the Christ?

And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's son?

And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?

Warning Against the Scribes

Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples,

Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;

Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.

Study Notes for Luke 20

Verse 1

This scene occurs during the final week of Jesus's ministry in Jerusalem. The chief priests and scribes confront Jesus because his public teaching and actions (like cleansing the Temple) usurped their established religious authority.

Verse 2

The core question is one of *exousia* (authority). The leaders sought a legal or political basis for Jesus’s actions, aiming to force him to claim either divine or revolutionary power, thereby providing grounds for arrest.

Verse 4

Jesus employs a brilliant counter-question, putting the leaders in an impossible dilemma. John the Baptist, whom the leaders rejected, directly testified to Jesus’s authority.

Verse 5

The leaders’ internal debate reveals their motivation: they are not seeking truth, but calculating the political and social risks of their answer.

Verse 9

This parable is a clear allegory drawn from Isaiah 5:1–7, where the vineyard represents Israel. Jesus is speaking directly to the crowd, but the message is aimed squarely at the chief priests and scribes.

Verse 13

The term 'beloved son' distinguishes Jesus from the previous messengers (the prophets). It asserts his unique, divine identity as the heir, whose arrival should have commanded reverence.

Verse 14

The vinedressers' motivation is greed and usurpation of the inheritance. This represents the Jewish leaders’ desire to maintain control over Israel, even if it meant rejecting the Son of God.

Verse 16

The destruction of the tenants and the granting of the vineyard to 'others' is a prophecy of judgment against the unfaithful leaders and the eventual transfer of covenant privileges to the Church (including believing Gentiles).

Verse 17

Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22, identifying himself as the 'stone which the builders rejected.' This emphasizes that his rejection and subsequent exaltation were foretold in Scripture.

Verse 18

This verse warns of two levels of judgment: stumbling over the stone (rejecting Christ) results in brokenness, while the stone falling on someone (final judgment) results in complete destruction.

Verse 19

The religious authorities understood the parable perfectly, recognizing that Jesus accused them of rejecting God’s messengers and planning to murder the Son.

Verse 20

The leaders sent spies who pretended to be morally upright or unbiased. Their goal was to force Jesus into making a treasonous statement against Rome that could be used by the Governor (Pilate).

Verse 22

The question concerns the *tributum capitis* (poll tax), a deeply resented tax paid directly to Rome. A 'yes' answer would alienate the Jewish populace; a 'no' answer was sedition.

Verse 25

Jesus resolves the dilemma by establishing two distinct realms of obligation. Since the coin bears Caesar’s image, it belongs to him; since humanity bears God’s image (Genesis 1:27), ultimate loyalty belongs to God.

Verse 27

The Sadducees were an aristocratic sect who accepted only the Pentateuch (the Law of Moses) and denied doctrines like the resurrection, angels, and spirits.

Verse 28

Their question is based on the law of levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5), which required a brother to marry his deceased brother’s widow to maintain the family line. They use this extreme hypothetical case to ridicule the idea of resurrection.

Verse 34

Jesus corrects their fundamental error: they projected the conditions of the temporary, physical world onto the eternal, resurrected world.

Verse 36

In the resurrection, believers will share an immortal, non-procreative existence, likened to the angels. The purpose of marriage (procreation and continuity) ceases when death is overcome.

Verse 37

Jesus proves the resurrection using the Sadducees’ own accepted text (Exodus 3:6). By referring to the patriarchs in the present tense ('God of Abraham...'), Moses shows that they are not annihilated but are presently alive with God.

Verse 41

Jesus now shifts from defense to offense, challenging the leaders’ understanding of the Messiah's identity, which they typically limited to a political descendant of David.

Verse 42

Jesus quotes Psalm 110:1, a highly recognized Messianic psalm. The question hinges on how David could call his own descendant 'Lord' (Gr. *Kyrios*).

Verse 44

The question forces the leaders to confront the dual nature of the Messiah: he must be both a human descendant of David ('son') and a divine sovereign ('Lord').

Verse 45

Having silenced his antagonists, Jesus gives a public warning to the disciples and the crowd regarding the hypocrisy of the religious elites.

Verse 46

Jesus condemns the scribes for seeking outward status (long robes, greetings) and honorific titles, prioritizing public recognition over genuine humility and service.

Verse 47

To 'devour widows’ houses' means exploiting the vulnerable through legal or financial manipulation, while masking this injustice with ostentatious displays of 'long prayers.' This hypocrisy merits 'greater damnation' (severer judgment).

Use ← → arrow keys to navigate

Luke20

Jesus's Authority Challenged

Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

Tribute to Caesar

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

Whose Son is the Christ?

Warning Against the Scribes

Reading Style

Typeface

Font Size 19px

Options