Luke 20 - ESV - Bible Reading / Study Notes

Luke 20

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

20:1 One day, as Jesus¹ was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2 and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” 3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” 5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant² to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17 But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?³

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. 20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. 21 So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality,⁴ but truly teach the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” 23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius.⁵ Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 25 He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

27 There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man⁶ must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”

34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons⁷ of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” 39 Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,

  “‘The Lord said to my Lord,
  “Sit at my right hand,
43     until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

44 David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”

Beware of the Scribes

45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Footnotes

[1] 20:1 Greek he
[2] 20:10 Or bondservant; also verse 11
[3] 20:17 Greek the head of the corner
[4] 20:21 Greek and do not receive a face
[5] 20:24 A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer
[6] 20:28 Greek his brother
[7] 20:36 Greek huioi; see Preface

Commentary

v1-2: Jesus was teaching daily in the temple courts. He described the temple as "my house". The question came; What right had He to do this? This was part of the plan to destroy Him, as well as a challenge to His authority.

v3-4: Jesus' response was not a direct answer to the question, since He knew their hearts, but He left His hearers in no doubt as to the answer. His question allowed only one answer, but the leaders refused to accept the obvious.

v5-8: The scribes' and priests' unwillingness to answer was a demonstration of their unwillingness to believe in Jesus as the Christ.

v9: The parable of the vine-dressers, another parable of Israel's rejection of Christ. The farmer should have received his share of the produce as rent. The vineyard speak of Israel, see Is 5.1-7. The parable is addressed to the people in general, for Israel was a nation was guilty of unbelief.

v10-12: The farmer expected fruit, looking for righteousness and justice, but seeing only bloodshed and distress. Those servants, the prophets sent by God, were treated badly, see 11.47-49.

v13: The owner of the vineyard sent his son. The meaning is clear; God has sent His Son.

The parable also indicates God's long-suffering and patience towards His rebellious people. Judgment, although deserved, was long deferred; 2 Pet 3.9.

v14-15: The vine-dressers killed the son, thinking that the inheritance would become theirs. Jewish inheritance laws did allow land to pass from landlord to tenant in certain circumstances, but not by murder.

v16: The answer, see Rom 11.17; those listening to Jesus seemed to think that the vine-dressers' scheme would be successful.

v17-19: Jesus looked directly at them, for He had told this parable against the religious leaders in particular. They were angry but not repentant, the wicked vine-dressers. They were not willing to fall humbly on Christ.

Jesus' later teaching about the end times, in chapter 21, must be seen in this context of the Jews' rejection of Him.

v20: Jesus was in Jerusalem, where He encountered the greatest opposition. The religious leaders brought questions to trick Him and to destroy Him. Jesus wisely turned each one around to teach pertinent truths.

Luke perceptively comments that they pretended to be honest (or righteous); contrast Matt 22.15 and Mark 12.13. They were wolves in sheep's clothing, trying to deceive the shepherd.

v21-22: The first question was introduced with a claim of respect for Jesus. The question, 'Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar?' The question would have put most in a quandary; if He had said that it was wrong to pay taxes to Caesar, He would have been accused to Pilate as a rebel; had He said it was proper to pay taxes, He would have been seen as disloyal to the Jewish people.

v23: Again, Luke adds a comment, "He saw through their duplicity". The same word appears in 2 Cor 11.3 to describe Satan's subtlety.

v24-25: The answer is clear, pay taxes to whom taxes are due, but give honour to whom honour is due, see 1 Pet 2.17. We live in a world of temporal rulers, kings and governors, to whom we must give proper respect.

v26: Luke rejoices as he writes of another victory for Christ. The writer himself is amazed and awe-struck at the subject of his gospel.

v27-33: The second question concerned the resurrection.

The question was both hypothetical and ridiculous. The Sadducees attempted to defend their own false doctrine by making the alternative look ridiculous. Since they denied the truth of resurrection, Jesus took the opportunity to declare something of this important truth.

It is striking that, even amongst the supposed-faithful, there were those who denied the faith.

v34-38: Jesus' answer emphasises the truth of the resurrection, and that it was taught in the O.T. The Lord's answer must have been convincing, otherwise the Sadducees would have brought their own response.

v39-40: There was rivalry between the different religious groups, as in Acts 23.6-8. One group rejoiced as another was silenced.

v41: The third question was from Jesus, about Christ the son of David.

v42-44: Jesus quoted from Psalm 110. He states that the son of David was also David's Lord. This paradox (as in Rom 1.3-4; a descendant of David, and the Son of God; and Rev 22.16, the Root and Offspring of David) can only be explained with accepting that Jesus was fully man and fully God. This mystery was not explained to the crowds.

A few weeks later, Peter quoted the same Psalm, Acts 2.34. What wisdom to use the Lord's own words of Himself.

v45-47: The teachers of the law (scribes) sought glory from men, by doing their good deeds in public, by wearing grand clothes (see Num 15.38). Their punishment will be most severe. Jesus was consistently critical of the attitude that made a great show, but had no real devotion. During His ministry, His strongest condemnation was for the hypocrite.