Luke 20

Luke 20 provides an account of Jesus' interactions with the religious leaders and His teachings about authority, faithfulness, and the kingdom of God. In this chapter, the leaders challenge Jesus, trying to discredit Him, but He responds with wisdom, revealing their hypocrisy and teaching profound truths. Through parables, questions, and lessons, Jesus exposes the leaders' motives and highlights the nature of true discipleship and God’s kingdom.

Luke 20:1-2 (NKJV)
1 Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him
2 and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”

The religious leaders confront Jesus, questioning the source of His authority. Their question implies skepticism about His legitimacy as a teacher and healer. This encounter reveals their concern over the influence Jesus holds over the people and the potential threat He poses to their power. Instead of genuine curiosity, they aim to trap Him, forcing Him to justify His actions under their scrutiny.

Luke 20:3-8 (NKJV)
3 But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:
4 The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”
5 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
7 So they answered that they did not know where it was from.
8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Jesus skillfully responds with a question about John the Baptist, turning the tables on the leaders. By questioning them about John’s authority, Jesus reveals their hypocrisy—they cannot openly reject John without risking public outrage, yet they refuse to accept him as a prophet. Their inability to answer exposes their lack of sincerity, and Jesus thus avoids giving them the answer they sought.

Luke 20:9-16 (NKJV)
9 Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.
10 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
11 Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.
12 And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.
13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’
14 But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’
15 So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
16 He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”

In this parable, Jesus depicts the religious leaders as the unfaithful vinedressers, who reject and harm God’s messengers and ultimately His Son. The vineyard represents Israel, and the servants signify the prophets sent by God, whom the people mistreated. The son’s murder foreshadows Jesus’ coming death. This story is a stern warning to the leaders about the consequences of their actions and rejection of God’s plan.

Luke 20:17-19 (NKJV)
17 Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone’?
18 Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”
19 And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.

Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22, referring to Himself as the cornerstone, indicating that although He is rejected, He is essential to God’s plan. His warning underscores the grave consequences of rejecting Him, as both individuals and nations will face judgment. The leaders recognize that the parable targets them, heightening their hostility toward Jesus, but they hold back due to the people’s support for Him.

Luke 20:20-26 (NKJV)
20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.
21 Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:
22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me?
24 Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.”
25 And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
26 But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

Attempting to trap Jesus, the leaders ask about paying taxes to Caesar, hoping to catch Him either opposing Rome or alienating the Jewish people. Jesus' wise response affirms the legitimacy of civic duties while emphasizing spiritual allegiance to God. His answer reveals the separation between earthly obligations and spiritual devotion, leaving His critics amazed and unable to accuse Him.

Luke 20:27-40 (NKJV)
27 Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,
28 saying: “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.
29 Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children.
30 And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.
31 Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.
32 Last of all the woman died also.
33 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife.”
34 Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.
35 But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;
36 nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
37 But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
38 For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”
39 Then some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.”
40 But after that they dared not question Him anymore.

The Sadducees, who reject the idea of resurrection, challenge Jesus with a hypothetical scenario, hoping to discredit the concept of an afterlife. Jesus corrects their misunderstanding by explaining that earthly relationships don’t carry over into the resurrection, where the righteous will be like angels. He affirms the resurrection using Scripture, revealing that God is the God of the living, not the dead. Jesus' response silences the Sadducees and highlights the eternal nature of God’s kingdom.

Luke 20:41-44 (NKJV)
41 And He said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?
42 Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand,
43 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’
44 Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his Son?”

Jesus raises a theological question about the Messiah’s identity, referencing David’s words in Psalm 110. Although the Messiah is David’s descendant, David calls Him “Lord,” implying a higher status than a mere earthly king. This insight challenges the leaders' narrow view of the Messiah as merely a political savior, revealing Jesus as the divine Son of God who transcends earthly lineage.

Luke 20:45-47 (NKJV)
45 Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples,
46 “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts,
47 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

Jesus warns His followers about the scribes’ hypocrisy. They seek public admiration and privilege, but their actions, like exploiting widows, reveal selfish motives. Their outward show of piety contrasts sharply with their true intentions, and Jesus condemns such behavior. This teaching underscores the importance of genuine faith and humility, reminding disciples that God values sincerity over appearances.