Chapter Text
Jesus' Authority Questioned
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,
2And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?
3And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:
4The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?
5And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?
6But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.
7And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.
8And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
The Parable of the Tenants
9Then 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.
10And 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.
11And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.
13Then 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.
14But 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.
15So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?
16He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid .
17And 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?
18Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
Paying Taxes to Caesar
19And 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.
20And 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.
21And 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 :
22Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?
23But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?
24Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's.
25And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.
26And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.
Marriage at the Resurrection
27Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,
28Saying, 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.
29There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.
30And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.
31And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died.
32Last of all the woman died also.
33Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.
34And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
35But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
36Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
37Now 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.
38For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
39Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said.
40And after that they durst not ask him any question at all.
Whose Son Is the Christ?
41And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's son?
42And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
43Till I make thine enemies thy footstool .
44David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?
Beware of the Scribes
45Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples,
46Beware 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;
47Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.
Summary
Jesus teaches daily in the temple. The chief priests, scribes, and elders challenge His authority. He responds with the question about John's baptism, which they cannot answer. He tells the parable of the wicked husbandmen, who kill the owner's servants and his son.
Spies sent by the leaders try to trap Jesus with the question about tribute to Caesar. The Sadducees question Him about the resurrection. Jesus silences them all with His wisdom. He warns against the scribes who love prominence and devour widows' houses.
Meaning
Jesus' question about John's baptism was not evasion but a penetrating challenge that exposed the leaders' dishonesty. They refused to answer not because they did not know but because any answer would have consequences they were unwilling to accept. Their cowardice revealed their corruption.
The parable of the wicked husbandmen summarizes the history of Israel's rejection of God's messengers and anticipates the rejection of the Son. Jesus' citation of Psalm 118, the stone which the builders rejected, prophesies His crucifixion and exaltation, warning that the kingdom will be given to others.
Background
The temple courts served as a public forum where religious teachers engaged in debate. Jesus' daily teaching there during His final week was a bold assertion of His authority in the very center of the religious establishment that opposed Him.
The question about tribute to Caesar was designed to trap Jesus between Roman authority and Jewish nationalism. The denarius bore Caesar's image and inscription claiming divine status, making it religiously offensive to many Jews.
Chapter Outline
- vv. 1-8Jesus' authority questioned
- vv. 9-19Parable of the wicked husbandmen
- vv. 20-26Tribute to Caesar
- vv. 27-40Sadducees and the resurrection
- vv. 41-44David's son and David's Lord
- vv. 45-47Warning against the scribes
Key Verses
“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?”— 20:17
Jesus applies Psalm 118:22 to himself, identifying as the rejected cornerstone — a foundational messianic text echoed by Peter and Paul to interpret the cross and resurrection.
“And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.”— 20:25
One of the most quoted sayings of Jesus, establishing the enduring principle that civil obligations and ultimate allegiance to God belong to distinct yet ordered spheres.
“For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.”— 20:38
A pivotal proof-text for the resurrection, grounding eternal life in the unbroken covenant relationship between God and the patriarchs.
“And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,”— 20:42
By citing Psalm 110, Jesus reveals the Messiah as both David's son and David's Lord, affirming his divine sonship and exalted status.
People & Places
People
- Jesus — The Messiah, teaching in the temple and confronting the religious authorities in the final week before his passion.
- Chief priests, scribes, and elders — Jewish religious leaders who challenge Jesus' authority and seek to entrap him.
- John the Baptist — The prophetic forerunner whose baptism Jesus invokes to expose the leaders' insincerity.
- Caesar — The Roman emperor (Tiberius), whose image on the denarius frames the question of tribute.
- Sadducees — A priestly party that denied bodily resurrection and tried to ridicule the doctrine with a hypothetical case.
- Moses — The lawgiver, cited regarding levirate marriage and as a witness to the resurrection at the burning bush.
- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob — The patriarchs whose continuing covenant with God proves that the dead live unto him.
- David — Israel's king and psalmist, whose words in Psalm 110 testify to the Messiah's lordship.
Places
- The temple — The Jerusalem sanctuary where Jesus teaches publicly during passion week.
Prophecy & Fulfillment
Jesus deliberately weaves together two messianic Scriptures to interpret his coming death and vindication. In verse 17 he cites Psalm 118:22, casting himself as the rejected stone that becomes the chief cornerstone — fulfilled days later when the builders (the very leaders before him) deliver him to crucifixion, and again at his resurrection. In verses 42-43 he invokes Psalm 110:1, the most quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament, to declare that the Messiah is David's Lord enthroned at God's right hand. The parable of the vineyard (verses 9-16) likewise enacts prophetic judgment, echoing Isaiah 5 and foretelling both his murder and the transfer of stewardship to others.
Devotional
Luke 20 shows Jesus undisturbed by hostile questions because his identity is settled. When pressed about authority, taxes, or resurrection, he answers without flattery and without fear — and we are invited into the same steadiness.
His famous word about Caesar and God reframes daily life: ordinary obligations matter, but they are not ultimate. What bears God's image belongs wholly to him, and that includes you.
Beware too of the religion Jesus warns against — the kind that loves recognition, long robes, and front-row seats while neglecting the vulnerable. True faith is quieter, kinder, and unafraid of the truth.
Literary Style
Narrative gospel prose dominated by controversy dialogue: a series of question-and-answer exchanges in which opponents pose entrapping queries and Jesus responds with counter-questions, parable, and Scripture citation. Embedded within is an allegorical parable drawing on Isaiah's vineyard imagery.