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Texts -- Luke 20:2-47 (NET)

Context
20:2 and said to him , “Tell us : By what authority are you doing these things ? Or who it is who gave you this authority ?” 20:3 He answered answered them , “I will also ask you a question , and you tell me : 20:4 John’s baptism – was it from heaven or from people ?” 20:5 So they discussed it with one another , saying , “If we say , ‘From heaven ,’ he will say , ‘Why did you not believe him ?’ 20:6 But if we say , ‘From people ,’ all the people will stone us , because they are convinced that John was a prophet .” 20:7 So they replied that they did not know where it came from. 20:8 Then Jesus said to them , “Neither will I tell you by whose authority I do these things .”
The Parable of the Tenants
20:9 Then he began to tell the people this parable : “A man planted a vineyard , leased it to tenant farmers , and went on a journey for a long time . 20:10 When harvest time came , he sent a slave to the tenants so that they would give him his portion of the crop . However , the tenants beat his slave and sent him away empty-handed . 20:11 So he sent another slave . They beat this one too , treated him outrageously , and sent him away empty-handed . 20:12 So he sent still a third . They even wounded this one , and threw him out . 20:13 Then the owner of the vineyard said , ‘What should I do ? I will send my one dear son ; perhaps they will respect him.’ 20:14 But when the tenants saw him , they said to one another , ‘This is the heir ; let’s kill him so the inheritance will be ours !’ 20:15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them ? 20:16 He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others .” When the people heard this, they said , “May this never happen !” 20:17 But Jesus looked straight at them and said , “Then what is the meaning of that which is written : ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone ’? 20:18 Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces , and the one on whom it falls will be crushed .” 20:19 Then the experts in the law and the chief priests wanted to arrest him that very hour , because they realized he had told this parable against them . But they were afraid of the people .
Paying Taxes to Caesar
20:20 Then they watched him carefully and sent spies who pretended to be sincere . They wanted to take advantage of what he might say so that they could deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor . 20:21 Thus they asked him , “Teacher , we know that you speak and teach correctly , and show no partiality , but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth . 20:22 Is it right for us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar or not ?” 20:23 But Jesus perceived their deceit and said to them , 20:24 “Show me a denarius . Whose image and inscription are on it?” They said , “Caesar’s .” 20:25 So he said to them , “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s , and to God the things that are God’s .” 20:26 Thus they were unable unable in the presence of the people to trap him with his own words . And stunned by his answer , they fell silent .
Marriage and the Resurrection
20:27 Now some Sadducees (who contend that there is no resurrection ) came to him . 20:28 They asked him, “Teacher , Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children , that man must marry the widow and father children for his brother . 20:29 Now there were seven brothers . The first one married a woman and died without children . 20:30 The second 20:31 and then the third married her , and in this same way all seven died , leaving no children . 20:32 Finally the woman died too . 20:33 In the resurrection , therefore , whose wife will the woman be ? For all seven had married her .” 20:34 So Jesus said to them , “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage . 20:35 But those who are regarded as worthy to share in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage . 20:36 In fact, they can no longer die , because they are equal to angels and are sons of God , since they are sons of the resurrection . 20:37 But even Moses revealed that the dead are raised 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 . 20:38 Now he is not God of the dead , but of the living , for all live before him .” 20:39 Then some of the experts in the law answered , “Teacher , you have spoken well !” 20:40 For they did not dare any longer to ask him anything .
The Messiah: David’s Son and Lord
20:41 But he said to them , “How is it that they say that the Christ is David’s son ? 20:42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms , ‘The Lord said to my lord , “Sit at my right hand , 20:43 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet .”’ 20:44 If David then calls him ‘Lord ,’ how can he be his son ?”
Jesus Warns the Disciples against Pride
20:45 As all the people were listening , Jesus said to his disciples , 20:46 “Beware of the experts in the law . They like walking around in long robes , and they love elaborate greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets . 20:47 They devour widows ’ property , and as a show make long prayers . They will receive a more severe punishment .”

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • MARK, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO, 1

    [isbe] MARK, THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO, 1 - || I. OUR SECOND GOSPEL II. CONTENTS AND GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS 1. Scope 2. Material Peculiar to Mark 3. Quotations 4. A Book of Mighty Works 5. The Worker Is Also a Teacher 6. A Book of G...

  • JESUS CHRIST, 4E1

    [isbe] JESUS CHRIST, 4E1 - E. THE PASSION WEEK--BETRAYAL, TRIAL AND CRUCIFIXION Importance of the Last Events: We reach now the closing week and last solemn events of the earthly life of Jesus. The importance attached to this part ...

  • Jesus, The Christ

    [nave] JESUS, THE CHRIST. Index of Sub-topics History of; Miscellaneous Facts Concerning; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Ascension of; Atonement by; Attributes of; Compassion of; Confessing; Creator; Death of; Design of His...

  • Resurrection

    [isbe] RESURRECTION - rez-u-rek'-shun (in the New Testament anastasis, with verbs anistemi, "stand up," and egeiro, "raise." There is no technical term in the Old Testament, but in Isa 26:19 are found the verbs chayah, "live," kum ...
    [nave] RESURRECTION. Job 14:12-15; Job 19:25-27; Psa. 16:9, 10; Psa. 17:15; Psa. 49:15; Isa. 25:8; Isa. 26:19; Ezek. 37:1-14; Dan. 12:2, 3, 13; Hos. 13:14; Matt. 22:23-32 Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-37. Matt. 24:31; Matt. 25:1-13; M...

  • Instruction

    [nave] INSTRUCTION From nature, Prov. 24:30-34; Eccl. 1:13-18; 3; 4:1; Matt. 6:25-30. See: Parables. From the study of human nature, Eccl. 3-12. By Object Lessons: The pot of maa, Ex. 16:32. The pillar of twelve stones at the f...

  • Sadducees

    [isbe] SADDUCEES - sad'-u-sez (tsadduqim; Saddoukaioi): I. INTRODUCTORY 1. Name: Rival Etymologies. Probably from Zadok the High Priest 2. Authorities: New Testament, Josephus, Talmud (primary), Church Fathers (secondary) II. ORIGI...
    [smith] (followers of Zadok), (Matthew 3:7; 16:1,6,11,12; 22:23,31; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27; Acts 4:1; 5:17; 23:6,7,8) a religious party or school among the Jews at the time of Christ, who denied that the oral law was a revelation of ...
    [nave] SADDUCEES, a sect of the Jews. Rebuked by John the Baptist, Matt. 3:7-9; Luke 3:7-9. Reject the doctrine of the resurrection, Matt. 22:23-34; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-40; Acts 23:7, 8. Jesus warns his disciples against, Ma...

  • Reproof

    [nave] REPROOF. Lev. 19:17; Psa. 141:5; Prov. 9:7, 8; Prov. 10:17; Prov. 12:1; Prov. 13:18; Prov. 15:5, 10, 12, 31, 32; Prov. 17:10; Prov. 19:25; Prov. 21:11; Prov. 25:12; Prov. 26:5; Prov. 27:5, 6; Prov. 28:23; Eccl. 7:5; Amos 5:...

  • Renting

    [nave] RENTING Land, Matt. 21:33-41; Luke 20:9-16. Houses, Acts 28:30.

  • Lease

    [nave] LEASE, of real estate, Matt. 21:33-41; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 20:9-16. See: Land; Tenants.

  • Land

    [nave] LAND Appeared on third creative day, Gen. 1:9. Original title to, from God, Gen. 13:14-17; 15:7; Ex. 23:31; Lev. 25:23. Bought and sold, Gen. 23:3-18; 33:19; Acts 4:34; 5:1-8. Sale and redemption of, laws concerning, Lev....

  • God

    [nave] GOD. List of Sub-Topics Miscellany; Unclassified Scriptures Relating to; Access to; Compassion of; Creator; Creator of Mankind; Eternity of; Faithfulness of; Fatherhood of; Favor of; Foreknowledge of; Glory of; Goodness of...

  • Capital and Labor

    [nave] CAPITAL AND LABOR Strife between, Matt. 21:33-41; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 20:9-16. See: Employee; Employer; Master; Rich, The; Servant.

  • Debtor

    [nave] DEBTOR, Laws Concerning Ex. 21:2-6; Ex. 22:10-15; Lev. 25:14-17, 25-41, 47-55; Neh. 10:31; Matt. 5:25, 26, 40; Matt. 18:25 Unclassified Scriptures Relating to 2 Kin. 4:1-7; Neh. 5:3-5; Job 20:18, 19; Matt. 18:23-33; Luke...

  • Misconduct in Office

    [nave] MISCONDUCT IN OFFICE. Instances of The lessees of the vineyard, in one of the parables of Jesus, Mark 12:1-8; Luke 20:9-15. The steward mentioned in one of the parables of Jesus, Luke 16:1-7.

  • MONEY

    [smith] Uncointed money. --It is well known that ancient nations that were without a coinage weighed the precious metals, a practice represented on the Egyptian monuments, on which gold and silver are shown to have been kept in the ...

  • Quotations and Allusions

    [nave] QUOTATIONS AND ALLUSIONS. In the New Testament from, and to, the Old Testament Matt. 1:23 Isa. 7:14. Matt. 2:6 Mic. 5:2. Matt. 2:15 Hos. 11:1. Matt. 2:18 Jer. 31:15. Matt. 3:3 Isa. 40:3. Matt. 4:4 Deut. 8:3; Luke 4:4. Matt...

  • Death

    [nave] DEATH. Called in some versions &ld;Giving Up the Ghost,&rd; Gen. 25:8; 35:29; Lam. 1:19; Acts 5:10. King of Terrors Job 18:14. A Change Job 14:14. Going to your Fathers Gen. 15:15; 25:8; 35:29. Putting Off This Tabe...

  • PSALMS, BOOK OF

    [isbe] PSALMS, BOOK OF - samz, (tehillim, "praises," cepher tehillim, "book of praises"; Psalmoi, Psalterion): I. INTRODUCTORY TOPICS 1. Title 2. Place in the Canon 3. Number of Psalms 4. Titles in the Hebrew Text II. AUTHORSHIP AN...

  • Citizenship

    [nave] CITIZENSHIP. Duties of Ex. 22:28 Acts 23:5. Num. 27:20; Ezra 6:10; Ezra 7:26; Ezra 10:8; Prov. 16:14, 15; Prov. 24:21; Prov. 25:6, 7, 15; Eccl. 8:2-4; Eccl. 10:4, 20; Jer. 29:7; Matt. 17:24-27; Matt. 22:17-21 Mark 12:14-17...

  • Law

    [nave] LAW. Psa. 19:7-9; Psa. 119:1-8; Prov. 28:4, 5; Matt. 22:21 Luke 20:22-25. Luke 16:17; Rom. 2:14, 15; Rom. 7:7, 12, 14; Rom. 13:10; 1 Tim. 1:5, 8-10; Jas. 1:25; 1 John 3:4; 1 John 5:3 See: Litigation; Commandments; Duty to G...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The authorship of the Pentateuch has been the subject of great controversy among professing Christians since Spinoza introduced "higher criticism"of the Bible in the seventeenth century. The "documentary hypothesis,"which dev...
  • The psalmist wrote that he heard a conversation between Yahweh and David's Master. Clearly this distinguishes two members of the Godhead. LORD (Yahweh) refers to God the Father and Lord (adonay) refers to God the Son, the Mes...
  • 118:22-24 The psalmist seems to have been comparing himself to the stone that the builders (his adversaries) had rejected in view of the preceding context (cf. v. 18). The imagery is common. Whenever builders construct a ston...
  • "The section begins (1-6) and ends (23-29) with double illustrations drawn from nature and agriculture. Between lies a meditation in eight broadly equal parts on how Jerusalem's leaders refused the word of invitation and inhe...
  • This section is another of Jeremiah's autobiographical "confessions."In literary form it is another individual lament, like many of the psalms (cf. Ps. 6). It is one of Jeremiah's most significant self-disclosures. The sectio...
  • Jesus proceeded immediately to tell another parable. Luke wrote that Jesus addressed it to the crowds in the temple courtyard (Luke 20:9). The chief priests and elders continued to listen (vv. 45-46).21:33-34 Jesus alluded to...
  • "But"introduces the transition from the words to the disciples that preceded (vv. 1-12). The scribes and Pharisees had taken the exact opposite position on Jesus' person than the disciples had. Consequently their futures woul...
  • "The other major example of the concentric [chiastic] pattern in Mark's story [beside 2:1-3:6] is the series of Jesus' conflicts with the authorities in Jerusalem [ch. 12], comprised of seven episodes: Episodes A and A1 invol...
  • I. Introduction 1:1-4II. The birth and childhood of Jesus 1:5-2:52A. The announcement of John the Baptist's birth 1:5-251. The introduction of John's parents 1:5-72. The angel's announcement to Zechariah 1:8-233. The pregnanc...
  • There is great theological significance in this familiar passage. It comes through mainly in the angel's words and in the symbolism of what happened."In 2:8-14 we have a third annunciation scene, which follows the same patter...
  • This incident, appearing only in Luke's Gospel, illustrates the truth just expressed in verse 35. Here is a case in point of what Jesus had just described happening (v. 34). Jesus reached out to a sinner only to receive criti...
  • 11:45-46 The lawyers (or scribes) were a distinct group, though most of them were Pharisees. The scribes and Pharisees often acted together. The lawyer who spoke up wanted to distinguish his group from the Pharisees, but Jesu...
  • Jesus used His condemnation of the Pharisees' hypocrisy as an occasion to warn His disciples against being hypocritical. The context of this teaching in Matthew's Gospel is Jesus' instruction of the Twelve before He sent them...
  • "Luke 16:1-8 contains probably the most difficult parable in Luke."36716:1 The linguistic connection that ties this parable with its preceding context is the word "squander"(Gr. diaskorpizo, cf. 15:13). This is the clue to th...
  • The Pharisees who where listening to Jesus' instructions to His disciples scoffed at Him because they tried to serve both God and mammon (v. 13). They tried to appear pious and at the same time accumulate all the wealth they ...
  • Jesus' authority was crucial not only for the Jewish leaders who opposed Him but for Luke's readers. This passage established Jesus' authority beyond reasonable doubt.20:1-2 Luke's reference to Jesus preaching the gospel as w...
  • This parable taught that Israel's religious leaders who had authority were mismanaging their authority. It also affirmed Jesus' authority, not just as a prophet, but as God's Son. The leaders had expressed fear of death (v. 6...
  • Luke showed how the religious leaders' antagonism was intensifying against Jesus. This was another attempt to discredit Him (cf. vv. 1-8). Luke may have included it also because it shows that Jesus did not teach hostility tow...
  • This incident was also relevant for Luke's original Greek readers. The question of the resurrection of the body was important in Greek philosophy (cf. 1 Cor. 15). Luke used this incident in his narrative to bring Jesus' confr...
  • Jesus' questioners having fallen silent, He now took the offensive and asked them a question. Its purpose was to clarify the identity of the Messiah.20:41 Jesus addressed the religious leaders who had been questioning Him. Ma...
  • Luke and Mark both recorded only a synopsis of Jesus' warning to the multitudes and His disciples that Matthew narrated in detail. Perhaps Luke did so because he had already included Jesus' lengthy criticisms of the scribes i...
  • The connecting link in Luke's narrative is the mention of a widow (cf. 20:47). The contrast is between the false piety of the rich lawyers and the genuine piety of one poor woman. This is another lesson for Luke's readers on ...
  • 22:47-48 All the synoptic evangelists noted the close connection between Jesus' praying and the arrival of the soldiers. It was very important that Jesus pray. Judas preceded the arresting mob (Gr. ochlos, crowd) as Jesus had...
  • Luke is the only Gospel writer who gave us an account of what happened at this official meeting of the Sanhedrin. It followed informal interviews late at night by Annas and Caiaphas. This meeting took place very early on Frid...
  • Jesus' trial now moved from its Jewish phase into its Roman phase.497It did not take long for Pilate to determine that Jesus was innocent of any crime worthy of death. Notwithstanding the record stresses how difficult it was ...
  • The textual authenticity of this pericope is highly questionable. Most ancient Greek manuscripts dating before the sixth century do not contain it. However, over 900 ancient manuscripts do contain it including the important e...
  • Jesus often used a grapevine to describe the nation of Israel (cf. Matt. 20:1-16; 21:23-41; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 13:6-9; 20:9-16). The vine as a symbol of Israel appears on coins of the Maccabees.474Here Jesus used the vine meta...
  • In this part of his speech Peter cited three proofs that Jesus was the Messiah: His miracles (v. 22), His resurrection (vv. 23-32), and His ascension (vv. 33-35). Verse 36 is a summary conclusion.2:22 Peter argued that God ha...
  • In chapters 4-7 there is a series of similar confrontations with each one building up to the crisis of Stephen's death and the persecution that followed. The first four verses of chapter 4 conclude the incident recorded in ch...
  • 4:5 The "Council"(v. 15) before which soldiers brought Peter and John the next day was the Sanhedrin, which was the senate and supreme court of Israel. It consisted of the high priest, who served as its presiding officer, and...
  • 4:13-14 The Sanhedrin observed in Peter and John what they had seen in Jesus, namely courage to speak boldly and authoritatively without formal training (cf. Matt. 7:28-29; Mark 1:22; Luke 20:19-26; John 7:15). They may also ...
  • The popularity and effectiveness of the apostles riled the Sadducees just as Jesus' popularity and effectiveness had earlier.5:17-18 The high priest "rose up"(Gr. anastas, cf. v. 34) taking official action as leader of the Sa...
  • "Peter's rescue from prison is an unusually vivid episode in Acts even when simply taken as a story about Peter. Because it is not connected with events in the chapters immediately before and after it, however, it may seem ra...
  • This section concludes Paul's entire teaching on marriage in this chapter. However it contains problems related to the meaning of "virgin"as is clear from the three different interpretations in the NASB, the NIV, and the NEB....
  • There was an even more serious dimension to this problem. The Corinthians were sinning against the Lord as well as one another.11:23 What Paul taught here came ultimately from the Lord Jesus Himself. This reminder stresses th...
  • 3:8 Paul had regarded his advantages over other people as what put him in a specially good position with God. However, he had come to realize that absolutely nothing apart from Jesus Christ's work on the cross was of any valu...
  • 3:22 Paul probably made this section longer than the preceding two because he sent this epistle to Colosse with the Epistle to Philemon. Onesimus, Philemon's run-away slave, carried them.166Moreover there may well have been m...
  • The writer now focused on the issue of sacrifice."The argument moves a stage further as the author turns specifically to what Christ has done. The sacrifices of the old covenant were ineffectual. But in strong contrast Christ...
  • Peter continued to give directions concerning how the Christian should conduct himself or herself when dealing with the state since his readers faced suffering from this source.2:13-14 The Christian's relationship to the stat...
  • 1:9 John now addressed the seven churches to which he sent this epistolary prophecy directly. He described himself to his readers as their brother in Christ and a partaker with them in three things. These were, first, the rel...
  • ". . . it is not difficult to see why the early church understood John to be teaching a millennium in Revelation 20. Three arguments support this interpretation: (1) the teaching of two resurrections, (2) the binding of Satan...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • Then began He to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. 10. And at thy season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that...
  • Deep sadness is in His tone as He tells how the only effect of His coming had been to stir up opposition. They saw Him,' and were they touched? No, they only gripped their privileges the tighter, and determined more fiercely ...
  • Whose image and superscription hath it? '--Luke 20:24.IT is no unusual thing for antagonists to join forces in order to crush a third person obnoxious to both. So in this incident we have an unnatural alliance of the two part...
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