Luke 20 :: New King James Version (NKJV)

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

Disputes in Jerusalem

(Matt. 21:23–27; Mark 11:27–33 )

Luk 20:1Now 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

Luk 20:2

Luk 20:2and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”

Luk 20:3

Luk 20:3But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:

Luk 20:4

Luk 20:4“The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”

Luk 20:5

Luk 20:5And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then[fn] did you not believe him?’

Luk 20:6

Luk 20:6“But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

Luk 20:7

Luk 20:7So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

Luk 20:8

Luk 20:8And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

(Matt. 21:33–46; Mark 12:1–12 )

Luk 20:9

Luk 20:9Then 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.

Luk 20:10

Luk 20:10“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.

Luk 20:11

Luk 20:11“Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

Luk 20:12

Luk 20:12“And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.

Luk 20:13

Luk 20:13“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.’

Luk 20:14

Luk 20:14“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.’

Luk 20:15

Luk 20:15“So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

Luk 20:16

Luk 20:16“He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”

Luk 20:17

Luk 20:17Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone’?[fn]

Luk 20:18

Luk 20:18“Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

Luk 20:19

Luk 20:19And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people[fn]—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.

The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?

(Matt. 22:15–22; Mark 12:13–17 )

Luk 20:20

Luk 20:20So 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.

Luk 20:21

Luk 20:21Then 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:

Luk 20:22

Luk 20:22“Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

Luk 20:23

Luk 20:23But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test Me?[fn]

Luk 20:24

Luk 20:24“Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.”

Luk 20:25

Luk 20:25And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Luk 20:26

Luk 20:26But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?

(Matt. 22:23–33; Mark 12:18–27 )

Luk 20:27

Luk 20:27Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,

Luk 20:28

Luk 20:28saying: “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.

Luk 20:29

Luk 20:29“Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children.

Luk 20:30

Luk 20:30“And the second[fn] took her as wife, and he died childless.

Luk 20:31

Luk 20:31“Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children,[fn] and died.

Luk 20:32

Luk 20:32“Last of all the woman died also.

Luk 20:33

Luk 20:33“Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife.”

Luk 20:34

Luk 20:34Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.

Luk 20:35

Luk 20:35“But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;

Luk 20:36

Luk 20:36“nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

Luk 20:37

Luk 20:37“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.’[fn]

Luk 20:38

Luk 20:38“For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

Luk 20:39

Luk 20:39Then some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.”

Luk 20:40

Luk 20:40But after that they dared not question Him anymore.

Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?

(Matt. 22:41–46; Mark 12:35–37 )

Luk 20:41

Luk 20:41And He said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?

Luk 20:42

Luk 20:42“Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:

‘The LORD said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,

Luk 20:43

Luk 20:43Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’[fn]

Luk 20:44

Luk 20:44“Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his Son?”

Beware of the Scribes

(Matt. 23:1–7; Mark 12:38–40 )

Luk 20:45

Luk 20:45Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples,

Luk 20:46

Luk 20:46“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,

Luk 20:47

Luk 20:47“who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

See the NKJV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NKJV Footnotes

(20:5)

NU-Text and M-Text omit then.

(20:17)

Psalm 118:22

(20:19)

M-Text reads but they were afraid.

(20:23)

NU-Text omits Why do you test Me?

(20:30)

NU-Text ends verse 30 here.

(20:31)

NU-Text and M-Text read the seven also left no children.

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For more information on this translation, see the NKJV Preface.