Luke 20 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

(Mat 21:23–27; Mar 11:27–33 )

Luk 20:1One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him.

Luk 20:2

Luk 20:2They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”

Luk 20:3

Luk 20:3“Let me ask you a question first,” he replied.

Luk 20:4

Luk 20:4“Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

Luk 20:5

Luk 20:5They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John.

Luk 20:6

Luk 20:6But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.”

Luk 20:7

Luk 20:7So they finally replied that they didn’t know.

Luk 20:8

Luk 20:8And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Parable of the Evil Farmers

(Mat 21:33–46; Mar 12:1–12 )

Luk 20:9

Luk 20:9Now Jesus turned to the people again and told them this story: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and moved to another country to live for several years.

Luk 20:10

Luk 20:10At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed.

Luk 20:11

Luk 20:11So the owner sent another servant, but they also insulted him, beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed.

Luk 20:12

Luk 20:12A third man was sent, and they wounded him and chased him away.

Luk 20:13

Luk 20:13“‘What will I do?’ the owner asked himself. ‘I know! I’ll send my cherished son. Surely they will respect him.’

Luk 20:14

Luk 20:14“But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they said to each other, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’

Luk 20:15

Luk 20:15So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him. “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them?” Jesus asked.

Luk 20:16

Luk 20:16“I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.”
“How terrible that such a thing should ever happen,” his listeners protested.

Luk 20:17

Luk 20:17Jesus looked at them and said, “Then what does this Scripture mean?
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.’[fn]

Luk 20:18

Luk 20:18Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”

Luk 20:19

Luk 20:19The teachers of religious law and the leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus immediately because they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the people’s reaction.

Taxes for Caesar

(Mat 22:15–22; Mar 12:13–17 )

Luk 20:20

Luk 20:20Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus.

Luk 20:21

Luk 20:21“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully.

Luk 20:22

Luk 20:22Now tell us—is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

Luk 20:23

Luk 20:23He saw through their trickery and said,

Luk 20:24

Luk 20:24“Show me a Roman coin.[fn] Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Luk 20:25

Luk 20:25“Well then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

Luk 20:26

Luk 20:26So they failed to trap him by what he said in front of the people. Instead, they were amazed by his answer, and they became silent.

Discussion about Resurrection

(Mat 22:23–33; Mar 12:18–27 )

Luk 20:27

Luk 20:27Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead.

Luk 20:28

Luk 20:28They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.[fn]

Luk 20:29

Luk 20:29Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children.

Luk 20:30

Luk 20:30So the second brother married the widow, but he also died.

Luk 20:31

Luk 20:31Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, who died without children.

Luk 20:32

Luk 20:32Finally, the woman also died.

Luk 20:33

Luk 20:33So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her!”

Luk 20:34

Luk 20:34Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth.

Luk 20:35

Luk 20:35But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage.

Luk 20:36

Luk 20:36And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.

Luk 20:37

Luk 20:37“But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord[fn] as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[fn]

Luk 20:38

Luk 20:38So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”

Luk 20:39

Luk 20:39“Well said, Teacher!” remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there.

Luk 20:40

Luk 20:40And then no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

(Mat 22:41–46; Mar 12:35–37 )

Luk 20:41

Luk 20:41Then Jesus presented them with a question. “Why is it,” he asked, “that the Messiah is said to be the son of David?

Luk 20:42

Luk 20:42For David himself wrote in the book of Psalms:
‘The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit in the place of honor at my right hand

Luk 20:43

Luk 20:43until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.’[fn]

Luk 20:44

Luk 20:44Since David called the Messiah ‘Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”

(Mat 23:1–7; Mar 12:38–40 )

Luk 20:45

Luk 20:45Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said,

Luk 20:46

Luk 20:46“Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets.

Luk 20:47

Luk 20:47Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished.”