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Luke 20:45-21:4
THE WIDOW’S OFFERING - Nov 13, 2023 -
Luke 20:27-44
GOD OF THE LIVING - Nov 12, 2023 -
Luke 20:19-26
GIVE BACK TO GOD WHAT IS GOD’S - Nov 11, 2023 -
Luke 20:45-21:4
JESUS PRAISES A WIDOW'S DEVOTION - Jul 19, 2020 -
Luke 20:27-44
HE IS THE GOD OF THE LIVING - Jul 18, 2020 -
Luke 20:20-26
GIVE TO GOD WHAT IS GOD'S - Jul 17, 2020 -
Luke 20:1-19
THE REJECTED STONE IS THE CORNERSTONE - Jul 16, 2020 -
Luke 20:45-21:4
WHAT IS PLEASING TO THE LORD? - Sep 18, 2017 -
Luke 20:27-44
THE REALITY OF THE RESURRECTION - Sep 17, 2017 -
Luke 20:19-26
GIVE TO GOD WHAT IS GOD'S - Sep 16, 2017 -
Luke 20:1-18
JESUS' AUTHORITY IS FROM GOD - Sep 15, 2017 -
Luke 20:1-8
BY WHAT AUTHORITY? - Jan 01, 2000 -
Luke 20:9-19
THE PARABLE OF THE TENANTS - Jan 01, 2000 -
Luke 20:20-26
CAESAR'S THINGS; GOD'S THINGS - Jan 01, 2000 -
Luke 20:27-40
GOD OF THE LIVING - Jan 01, 2000 -
Luke 20:41-47
CHRIST IS LORD - Jan 01, 2000
THE PARABLE OF THE TENANTS
Key verse: 17
NIV
The Authority of Jesus Questioned(A)
20 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts(B) and proclaiming the good news,(C) the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2 “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”(D)
3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: 4 John’s baptism(E)—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
5 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people(F) will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”(G)
7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”
8 Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
The Parable of the Tenants(H)
9 He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard,(I) rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.(J) 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love;(K) perhaps they will respect him.’
14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 So 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 kill those tenants(L) and give the vineyard to others.”
When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”(N)
Footnotes
- Luke 20:17 Psalm 118:22
Cross references
- Luke 20:1 : 20:1-8pp — Mt 21:23-27; Mk 11:27-33
- Luke 20:1 : S Mt 26:55
- Luke 20:1 : Lk 8:1
- Luke 20:2 : Jn 2:18; Ac 4:7; 7:27
- Luke 20:4 : S Mk 1:4
- Luke 20:6 : Lk 7:29
- Luke 20:6 : S Mt 11:9
- Luke 20:9 : 20:9-19pp — Mt 21:33-46; Mk 12:1-12
- Luke 20:9 : Isa 5:1-7
- Luke 20:9 : Mt 25:14
- Luke 20:13 : S Mt 3:17
- Luke 20:16 : Lk 19:27
- Luke 20:17 : Ps 118:22; S Ac 4:11
- Luke 20:18 : Isa 8:14, 15
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
20 (A)One day, (B)as Jesus[a] was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, (C)the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2 and said to him, “Tell us (D)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 (E)from heaven or from man?” 5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, (F)‘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 (G)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 (H)And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted (I)a vineyard and (J)let it out to tenants and (K)went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant[b] to the tenants, so that (L)they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. (M)But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 (N)And (O)he sent another servant. But they also beat and (P)treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 (Q)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 (R)beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, (S)‘This is the heir. (T)Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they (U)threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 (V)He will (W)come and destroy those tenants and (X)give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17 But he (Y)looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
18 (AA)Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls (AB)on anyone, it will crush him.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Luke 20:1 Greek he
- Luke 20:10 Or bondservant; also verse 11
- Luke 20:17 Greek the head of the corner
Cross references
- Luke 20:1 : For ver. 1-8, see Matt. 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33
- Luke 20:1 : ch. 19:47
- Luke 20:1 : Acts 4:1; 6:12
- Luke 20:2 : [Ex. 2:14; John 1:25; Acts 4:7]
- Luke 20:4 : ch. 15:18, 21; John 3:27
- Luke 20:5 : ch. 7:30; Matt. 21:32
- Luke 20:6 : [John 5:35]; See Matt. 11:9
- Luke 20:9 : For ver. 9-19, see Matt. 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12
- Luke 20:9 : Ps. 80:8; Isa. 5:1; Matt. 21:28
- Luke 20:9 : Song 8:11, 12
- Luke 20:9 : Matt. 25:14, 15; [Mark 13:34]
- Luke 20:10 : [See ver. 9 above]; Song 8:11, 12
- Luke 20:10 : Matt. 5:12; 22:6; 23:34, 37; [2 Chr. 24:19; 36:15, 16; Neh. 9:26; Jer. 37:15; 38:6; Acts 7:52; 2 Cor. 11:24-26; 1 Thess. 2:15; Heb. 11:36, 37]
- Luke 20:11 : Matt. 22:4
- Luke 20:11 : [See ver. 10 above]; Matt. 5:12; 22:6; 23:34, 37; [2 Chr. 24:19; 36:15, 16; Neh. 9:26; Jer. 37:15; 38:6; Acts 7:52; 2 Cor. 11:24-26; 1 Thess. 2:15; Heb. 11:36, 37]
- Luke 20:11 : Acts 5:41 (Gk.)
- Luke 20:12 : [See ver. 10 above]; Matt. 5:12; 22:6; 23:34, 37; [2 Chr. 24:19; 36:15, 16; Neh. 9:26; Jer. 37:15; 38:6; Acts 7:52; 2 Cor. 11:24-26; 1 Thess. 2:15; Heb. 11:36, 37]
- Luke 20:13 : See Matt. 3:17
- Luke 20:14 : Heb. 1:2; [John 1:11; Rom. 8:17]
- Luke 20:14 : [1 Kgs. 21:19]
- Luke 20:15 : Heb. 13:12
- Luke 20:16 : [ch. 19:27]
- Luke 20:16 : [Matt. 24:50; 25:19]
- Luke 20:16 : Matt. 21:43; Acts 13:46; 18:6; 28:28; [Matt. 8:11, 12]
- Luke 20:17 : See Mark 10:21
- Luke 20:17 : Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7; Cited from Ps. 118:22
- Luke 20:18 : Isa. 8:14, 15; Rom. 9:32, 33; 1 Pet. 2:8
- Luke 20:18 : Dan. 2:34, 35, 44, 45
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
The high officials of the Sanhedrin were offended by Jesus’ authority to cleanse the temple. They came to Jesus to discredit his divine authority with a malicious question. In reply Jesus asked them about John the Baptist. Was his baptism from heaven or of human origin? It was to help them to think about how God was doing his work of salvation through John the Baptist and Jesus the Messiah. They knew the answer but deceived themselves and avoided facing the truth. Despite clear evidence of Jesus’ divine authority, they refused to answer. They became God’s enemies.
The parable of the tenants shows the tragedy when God’s people forget their position as stewards of God’s vineyard entrusted to them. The result is losing the privilege to work in his vineyard, enjoying his blessings. This parable also shows God’s patient love and hope for his rebellious people. God sent his Son, but his people rejected and killed him and claimed ownership of the vineyard. In this way they rejected God’s love and his ownership. They could not escape God’s judgment. God’s plan seemed thwarted due to his people’s failure. But God raised Jesus, the rejected stone, from the dead and made him the cornerstone, the sure foundation of salvation for all mankind.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the privilege to work in your vineyard. Help me be a good tenant of your vineyard and a good steward of your blessings.
One Word: I am a steward of God’s vineyard