New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Luke 20
1
One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard. He was preaching the good news to them. The chief priests and the teachers of the law came up to him. The elders came with them.
2
"Tell us by what authority you are doing these things," they all said. "Who gave you this authority?"
Reference
3
Jesus replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me,
4
was John's baptism from heaven? Or did it come from men?"
Reference
Parallel theme
Luke 15:18
5
They talked to each other about it. They said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?'
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But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will throw stones at us and kill us. They believe that John was a prophet."
Reference
7
So they answered Jesus, "We don't know where John's baptism came from."
8
Jesus said, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I am doing these things either."
9
Jesus went on to tell the people a story. "A man planted a vineyard," he said. "He rented it out to some farmers. Then he went away for a long time.
Reference
Parallel theme
Jeremiah 2:21
10
"At harvest time he sent a servant to the renters. They were supposed to give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the renters beat the servant. Then they sent him away with nothing.
Reference
Parallel theme
Nehemiah 9:26
11
So the man sent another servant. They beat that one and treated him badly. They also sent him away with nothing.
12
The man sent a third servant. The renters wounded him and threw him out.
13
"Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What should I do? I have a son, and I love him. I will send him. Maybe they will respect him.'
Reference
14
"But when the renters saw the son, they talked the matter over. 'This is the one who will receive all the owner's property someday,' they said. 'Let's kill him. Then everything will be ours.'
Reference
15
So they threw him out of the vineyard. And they killed him. "What will the owner of the vineyard do to the renters?
Reference
Parallel theme
Hebrews 13:12
16
He will come and kill them. He will give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "We hope this never happens!"
Reference
17
Jesus looked right at them and said, "Here is something I want you to explain the meaning of. It is written, " 'The stone the builders didn't accept has become the most important stone of all.' --(Psalm 118:22)
Reference
18
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on."
Reference
19
The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest Jesus at once. They knew he had told that story against them. But they were afraid of the people.
20
The religious leaders sent spies to keep a close watch on Jesus. The spies pretended to be honest. They hoped they could trap Jesus with something he would say. Then they could hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.
Reference
21
So the spies questioned Jesus. "Teacher," they said, "we know that you speak and teach what is right. We know you don't favor one person over another. You teach the way of God truthfully.
Reference
References God
Matthew 22:16
22
Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
Reference
Parallel theme
Nehemiah 9:37
23
Jesus saw they were trying to trick him. So he said to them,
Reference
Parallel theme
1 Corinthians 3:19
24
"Show me a silver coin. Whose picture and words are on it?"
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 18:28
25
"Caesar's," they replied. He said to them, "Then give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give to God what belongs to God."
26
They were not able to trap him with what he had said there in front of all the people. Amazed by his answer, they became silent.
Reference
Word
Luke 20:20
27
The Sadducees do not believe that people rise from the dead. Some of them came to Jesus with a question.
Reference
28
"Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us about a man's brother who dies. Suppose the brother leaves a wife but has no children. Then the man must get married to the widow. He must have children to carry on his dead brother's name.
Reference
Resurrection
Genesis 38:8
29
"There were seven brothers. The first one got married to a woman. He died without leaving any children.
Reference
30
The second one got married to her.
31
And then the third one got married to her. One after another, the seven brothers got married to her. They all died. None left any children.
33
Now then, when the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven brothers were married to her."
34
Jesus replied, "People in this world get married. And their parents give them to get married.
Reference
35
But it will not be like that when the dead rise. Those who are considered worthy to take part in what happens at that time won't get married. And their parents won't give them to be married.
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Thessalonians 1:5
Matthew 12:32
Luke 21:36
Acts 5:41
Mark 12:24
Matthew 22:29
Resurrection
John 5:29
Acts 24:15
36
They can't die anymore. They are like the angels. They are God's children. They will be given a new form of life when the dead rise.
Reference
Parallel theme
Philippians 3:21
1 Corinthians 15:26
References God
Revelation 21:4
Revelation 22:9
Resurrection
Matthew 22:30
Revelation 20:6
1 Corinthians 15:42
Mark 12:25
37
"Remember the story of Moses and the bush. Even Moses showed that the dead rise. The Lord said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.'--(Exodus 3:6)
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 33:16
References God
Exodus 3:15
Genesis 32:9
Genesis 17:7
Genesis 28:21
Genesis 28:13
38
He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living. In his eyes, everyone is alive."
Reference
39
Some of the teachers of the law replied, "You have spoken well, teacher!"
42
David himself says in the Book of Psalms, " 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand
Reference
44
David calls him 'Lord.' So how can he be David's son?"
Reference
References David
Revelation 22:16
45
All the people were listening. Jesus said to his disciples,
46
"Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in long robes. They love to be greeted in the market places. They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. They also love to have the places of honor at dinners.
Reference
Love
Luke 11:43
Romans 12:10
3 John 1:9
Parallel theme
Luke 14:7
Matthew 16:6
Luke 12:1
Proverbs 29:23
2 Timothy 4:15
Mark 8:15
47
They take over the houses of widows. They say long prayers to show off. God will punish those men very much."
Reference
Parallel theme
James 3:1
Luke 12:1
Titus 1:16
Isaiah 10:2
Matthew 23:13
Amos 2:7
Ezekiel 33:31
Micah 3:2
Micah 2:8
Prayer
Mark 12:40
Summary of Luke 20
Luke 20 records a series of increasingly intense confrontations between Jesus and the religious authorities in Jerusalem during the final days before His crucifixion, focusing on authority, God's ownership, political responsibility, resurrection, the identity of the Messiah, and the dangers of religious hypocrisy.
The chapter begins with Jesus teaching in the Temple when the chief priests, scribes, and elders challenge Him by asking where His authority comes from.
Rather than directly answering their question, Jesus asks them about the authority behind John the Baptist's baptism, forcing them to confront a question they are unwilling to answer honestly.
Their discussion reveals that they are more concerned with protecting their reputation and position than with discovering the truth, because acknowledging John's divine authority would also force them to reconsider their rejection of Jesus.
Jesus then tells the parable of the wicked tenants, in which a landowner repeatedly sends servants to collect the fruit from his vineyard, only to have the tenants beat and reject them.
Finally, the owner sends his beloved son, but the tenants kill him because they want the inheritance for themselves.
The parable directly confronts Israel's religious leaders, portraying them as tenants who have been entrusted with God's people but have rejected God's messengers and are now preparing to reject God's Son.
Jesus then quotes the image of the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone, showing that what appears to be rejection and defeat will ultimately become the foundation of God's saving purposes.
The religious leaders next attempt to trap Jesus politically by asking whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar.
Jesus recognizes their deception and asks them to produce a Roman denarius.
When they identify Caesar's image and inscription on the coin, Jesus responds that people should give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and God what belongs to God.
His answer avoids the political trap while establishing a profound principle: legitimate civil obligations may exist, but God's claim upon a person's life is greater than any political authority.
The Sadducees then attempt a theological attack by presenting an exaggerated story about seven brothers who successively marry the same woman after each brother dies childless.
Because the Sadducees reject the resurrection, they believe the scenario creates an impossible problem: whose wife would she be after resurrection?
Jesus explains that resurrected life is fundamentally different from earthly existence, because those who participate in the resurrection cannot die anymore and do not continue marriage in the same earthly form.
He then uses Moses' encounter with the burning bush to demonstrate that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, emphasizing that God is the God of the living.
Jesus' answer establishes that resurrection is not merely a continuation of present earthly circumstances but a transformed existence in God's presence.
After these exchanges, Jesus asks a deeper question concerning the identity of the Messiah.
He refers to David's words about the Lord saying to David's Lord to sit at God's right hand, demonstrating that the Messiah cannot be understood simply as David's human descendant.
The Messiah is connected to David but possesses an authority and status greater than David.
The chapter closes with Jesus warning His disciples about the scribes.
He condemns leaders who love public recognition, prestigious clothing, honored seating, and social status while exploiting vulnerable widows and using long prayers to create an appearance of holiness.
This final warning connects strongly with the chapter's earlier themes: God is concerned not merely with outward religious authority but with the heart, motives, justice, humility, and faithful stewardship of those who claim to represent Him.
Historically, Luke 20 takes place around AD 30, during the final days of Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem.
The chapter reflects the complex political and religious environment of 1st-century Judea, where Jewish religious leadership operated under Roman authority, Tiberius Caesar was emperor (AD 14–37), and Pontius Pilate governed Judea.
The Temple mentioned throughout the chapter was the Second Temple, which remained the center of Jewish worship until its destruction by the Romans in AD 70.
Luke 20 ultimately presents Jesus as the divinely authorized Son, the rejected cornerstone, the teacher who cannot be trapped by political or theological manipulation, the Messiah greater than David, and the defender of genuine righteousness against religious leaders who use spiritual authority for personal status and exploitation.
The chapter begins with Jesus teaching in the Temple when the chief priests, scribes, and elders challenge Him by asking where His authority comes from.
Rather than directly answering their question, Jesus asks them about the authority behind John the Baptist's baptism, forcing them to confront a question they are unwilling to answer honestly.
Their discussion reveals that they are more concerned with protecting their reputation and position than with discovering the truth, because acknowledging John's divine authority would also force them to reconsider their rejection of Jesus.
Jesus then tells the parable of the wicked tenants, in which a landowner repeatedly sends servants to collect the fruit from his vineyard, only to have the tenants beat and reject them.
Finally, the owner sends his beloved son, but the tenants kill him because they want the inheritance for themselves.
The parable directly confronts Israel's religious leaders, portraying them as tenants who have been entrusted with God's people but have rejected God's messengers and are now preparing to reject God's Son.
Jesus then quotes the image of the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone, showing that what appears to be rejection and defeat will ultimately become the foundation of God's saving purposes.
The religious leaders next attempt to trap Jesus politically by asking whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar.
Jesus recognizes their deception and asks them to produce a Roman denarius.
When they identify Caesar's image and inscription on the coin, Jesus responds that people should give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and God what belongs to God.
His answer avoids the political trap while establishing a profound principle: legitimate civil obligations may exist, but God's claim upon a person's life is greater than any political authority.
The Sadducees then attempt a theological attack by presenting an exaggerated story about seven brothers who successively marry the same woman after each brother dies childless.
Because the Sadducees reject the resurrection, they believe the scenario creates an impossible problem: whose wife would she be after resurrection?
Jesus explains that resurrected life is fundamentally different from earthly existence, because those who participate in the resurrection cannot die anymore and do not continue marriage in the same earthly form.
He then uses Moses' encounter with the burning bush to demonstrate that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, emphasizing that God is the God of the living.
Jesus' answer establishes that resurrection is not merely a continuation of present earthly circumstances but a transformed existence in God's presence.
After these exchanges, Jesus asks a deeper question concerning the identity of the Messiah.
He refers to David's words about the Lord saying to David's Lord to sit at God's right hand, demonstrating that the Messiah cannot be understood simply as David's human descendant.
The Messiah is connected to David but possesses an authority and status greater than David.
The chapter closes with Jesus warning His disciples about the scribes.
He condemns leaders who love public recognition, prestigious clothing, honored seating, and social status while exploiting vulnerable widows and using long prayers to create an appearance of holiness.
This final warning connects strongly with the chapter's earlier themes: God is concerned not merely with outward religious authority but with the heart, motives, justice, humility, and faithful stewardship of those who claim to represent Him.
Historically, Luke 20 takes place around AD 30, during the final days of Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem.
The chapter reflects the complex political and religious environment of 1st-century Judea, where Jewish religious leadership operated under Roman authority, Tiberius Caesar was emperor (AD 14–37), and Pontius Pilate governed Judea.
The Temple mentioned throughout the chapter was the Second Temple, which remained the center of Jewish worship until its destruction by the Romans in AD 70.
Luke 20 ultimately presents Jesus as the divinely authorized Son, the rejected cornerstone, the teacher who cannot be trapped by political or theological manipulation, the Messiah greater than David, and the defender of genuine righteousness against religious leaders who use spiritual authority for personal status and exploitation.