Luke 20: Questions, Authority, and the Cornerstone
In the temple Jesus answers those who challenge his authority, tells the parable of the wicked tenants, and silences his opponents with wisdom from Scripture.
Luke 20 (WEB)
1 On one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, the priests and scribes came to him with the elders.
2 They asked him, “Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?”
3 He answered them, “I also will ask you one question. Tell me:
4 the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?”
5 They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’
6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
7 They answered that they didn’t know where it was from.
8 Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
9 He began to tell the people this parable. “A man planted a vineyard, and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time.
10 At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty.
11 He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12 He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him, and threw him out.
13 The lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.’
14 “But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’
15 They threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them?
16 He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard it, they said, “May it never be!”
17 But he looked at them, and said, “Then what is this that is written, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the chief cornerstone?’
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust.”
19 The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people—for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.
20 They watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.
21 They asked him, “Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right, and aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God.
22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, “Why do you test me?
24 Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” They answered, “Caesar’s.”
25 He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
26 They weren’t able to trap him in his words before the people. They marveled at his answer, and were silent.
27 Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection.
28 They asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up children for his brother.
29 There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless.
30 The second took her as wife, and he died childless.
31 The third took her, and likewise the seven all left no children, and died.
32 Afterward the woman also died.
33 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them will she be? For the seven had her as a wife.”
34 Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry, and are given in marriage.
35 But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage.
36 For they can’t die any more, for they are like the angels, and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.
37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord ‘The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
38 Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”
39 Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you speak well.”
40 They didn’t dare to ask him any more questions.
41 He said to them, “Why do they say that the Christ is David’s son?
42 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 the footstool of your feet.”’
44 “David therefore calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”
45 In the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples,
46 “Beware of those scribes who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts;
47 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these will receive greater condemnation.”
Luke 20 (KJV)
1 And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,
2 And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?
3 And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:
4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?
5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?
6 But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.
7 And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.
8 And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
9 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 the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.
11 And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12 And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.
13 Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.
14 But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
15 So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?
16 He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.
17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?
18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.
21 And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:
22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?
24 Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar’s.
25 And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.
26 And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.
27 Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,
28 Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
29 There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.
30 And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.
31 And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died.
32 Last of all the woman died also.
33 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.
34 And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
37 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
39 Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said.
40 And after that they durst not ask him any question at all.
41 And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David’s son?
42 And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
43 Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
44 David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?
45 Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples,
46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;
47 Which devour widows’ houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.
Luke 20 (ASV)
1 And it came to pass, on one of the days, as he was teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the gospel, there came upon him the chief priests and the scribes with the elders;
2 and they spake, saying unto him, Tell us: By what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?
3 And he answered and said unto them, I also will ask you a question; and tell me:
4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?
5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why did ye not believe him?
6 But if we shall say, From men; all the people will stone us: for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.
7 And they answered, that they knew not whence [it was].
8 And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
9 And he began to speak unto the people this parable: A man planted a vineyard, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country for a long time.
10 And at the season he sent unto the husbandmen a servant, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.
11 And he sent yet another servant: and him also they beat, and handled him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12 And he sent yet a third: and him also they wounded, and cast him forth.
13 And the lord of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be they will reverence him.
14 But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned one with another, saying, This is the heir; let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
15 And they cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do unto them?
16 He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.
17 But he looked upon them, and said, What then is this that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner?
18 Every one that falleth on that stone shall be broken to pieces; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust.
19 And the scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him in that very hour; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he spake this parable against them.
20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, who feigned themselves to be righteous, that they might take hold of his speech, so as to deliver him up to the rule and to the authority of the governor.
21 And they asked him, saying, Teacher, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, and acceptest not the person [of any], but of a truth teachest the way of God:
22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them,
24 Show me a denarius. Whose image and superscription hath it? And they said, Caesar`s.
25 And he said unto them, Then render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar`s, and unto God the things that are God`s.
26 And they were not able to take hold of the saying before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.
27 And there came to him certain of the Sadducees, they that say that there is no resurrection;
28 and they asked him, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, that if a man`s brother die, having a wife, and he be childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
29 There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died childless;
30 and the second:
31 and the third took her; and likewise the seven also left no children, and died.
32 Afterward the woman also died.
33 In the resurrection therefore whose wife of them shall she be? for the seven had her to wife.
34 And Jesus said unto them, The sons of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
35 but they that are accounted worthy to attain to that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
36 for neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in [the place concerning] the Bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
38 Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
39 And certain of the scribes answering said, Teacher, thou hast well said.
40 For they durst not any more ask him any question.
41 And he said unto them, How say they that the Christ is David`s son?
42 For David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
43 Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.
44 David therefore calleth him Lord, and how is he his son?
45 And in the hearing of all the people he said unto his disciples,
46 Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and love salutations in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts;
47 who devour widows` houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater condemnation.
Summary
As Jesus teaches in the temple, the chief priests, scribes, and elders demand to know by what authority he acts. He answers with a question about John's baptism that exposes their fear of the people and unwillingness to commit. He then tells the parable of the wicked tenants, who beat the owner's servants and finally kill his beloved son, and he points to himself as the rejected stone that has become the cornerstone. Spies try to trap him over paying taxes to Caesar, but he tells them to give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's. The Sadducees, who deny the resurrection, pose a riddle about a woman married to seven brothers, and Jesus teaches that God is the God of the living, not the dead. Finally he questions how the Christ can be both David's son and David's Lord, and warns against the proud scribes who devour widows' houses.
Main Characters
- Jesus — Answers challenges in the temple and reveals himself as the rejected but chosen cornerstone
- The chief priests and scribes — Question Jesus' authority and seek to trap and arrest him
- The spies — Pretend to be sincere to catch Jesus on the question of paying taxes to Caesar
- The Sadducees — Deny the resurrection and try to ridicule it with a riddle about marriage
Key Verse
Luke 20:17 (WEB)
But he looked at them, and said, “Then what is this that is written, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the chief cornerstone?’
Lessons Learned
- Jesus' authority comes from God, and those who reject it are exposed by their own evasions.
- God sent his beloved Son to a people who would reject him, yet that rejected stone becomes the cornerstone.
- We owe rightful duties to earthly authorities, but our whole selves belong to God.
- The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the God of the living, and the resurrection is real.
- Jesus exposes hearts unwilling to honor the truth. When asked about his authority, he asks whether John's baptism was from heaven or men, and they refuse to answer (Luke 20:4-7, WEB).
- The rejected Son is God's chosen cornerstone. Jesus cites Scripture, 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the chief cornerstone' (Luke 20:17, WEB).
- We give to God what belongs to God. Jesus says, 'render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's' (Luke 20:25, WEB).
- God is the God of the living. Jesus teaches that God 'is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him' (Luke 20:38, WEB).
- True greatness is not found in religious display. Jesus warns against scribes who love greetings and best seats yet 'devour widows' houses' (Luke 20:46-47, WEB).
- How does Jesus respond to those who question his authority, and what does their reaction reveal?
- What does the parable of the wicked tenants teach about God, his Son, and those entrusted with his vineyard?
- What does Jesus mean by giving to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's?
- How does Jesus answer the Sadducees, and what does he affirm about the resurrection?
- Where in your own life is God asking you to give him what truly belongs to him?
- Jesus answers their challenge with a question about John's baptism (Luke 20:3-4). Their refusal to answer, out of fear of the crowd, exposes that they care more for their position than for the truth (20:5-8).
- The tenants abuse the servants and kill the beloved son, picturing how Israel's leaders rejected the prophets and would reject Jesus (Luke 20:10-15). Yet the rejected stone becomes the cornerstone (20:17), showing God's plan triumphs.
- Shown a coin bearing Caesar's image, Jesus tells them to give Caesar what is his and God what is God's (Luke 20:24-25). We owe proper duties to earthly authority, but bearing God's image, we owe our whole selves to him.
- Jesus says those raised neither marry nor die, but are like the angels and children of the resurrection (Luke 20:35-36). He proves the resurrection from God's words at the bush: he is the God of the living (20:37-38).
- This is a personal application question. Invite members to consider what areas of life they may be withholding from God. As leader, encourage honest reflection and gentle sharing, and do not press anyone to share more than they wish.