Luke 20

Introduction

Chapter 19 had brought us to Passion Week. Sunday was Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Monday, Jesus cleared the Temple. Now we’re into Tuesday.

Chapter 20

Luke 20:1-8 The Authority of Jesus Challenged

Luke 20:1–8 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.

I said last week that the cross is victory not defeat and the triumphal entry was a celebration even if the people were confused about what they were celebrating. We open 20 with Jesus in the temple teaching the people AND PREACHING THE GOSPEL.

In chapter 2 Luke said “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all men”; in 8 he called it “glad tidings of the kingdom of God”. Here is Jesus teaching the people in the temple and preaching the good news of God

One of, if not THE primary theme of the Gospel of Luke, is that salvation has come to ALL people, not just the Jews

The question of the authority of Jesus was asked as a trap. Jesus asks his question to answer them though, the way rabbi’s often did.

John had clearly testified Jesus was the Messiah so answering Jesus’ question would answer their own.

But knowing the consequences of their answer they refuse to. And Jesus isn’t giving them any more light than they are willing to receive.

Luke 20:9-18 Parable of the Vine Growers

Luke 20:9–18 KJV

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.

Any 1st century Jew even remotely aware of the Hebrew scriptures would immediately see this is a retelling of The Song of the Vineyard in Isaiah 5:1-7.

Primary image — Isaiah 5: Vineyard | Luke 20: Vineyard with tenants

Source of failure — Isaiah 5: The vineyard itself (Israel) | Luke 20: The tenants (religious leadership)

Owner's response — Isaiah 5: Destroys the vineyard | Luke 20: Destroys the tenants, gives vineyard to others: faithful Jews first, then grafted in Gentiles.

Who is indicted — Isaiah 5: The nation broadly | Luke 20: The religious leaders specifically

Resolution — Isaiah 5: Judgment and abandonment | Luke 20: Judgment + transfer + new cornerstone while the vineyard and its promises remain intact

the specific religious leaders, the pharisees and sadducees that are coming against Jesus, will be replaced as stewards of the covenant.

The New Testament Church (Jew and Gentile, you and I who are saved) doesn’t take Israel’s place in promise as Paul points out in Romans 11, but does become a new participant in the purposes of God in covenant and gospel proclamation.

17-18 quotes Psalm 118:22 “22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.” Jesus is the son in the parable and the new foundation that stewardship is built on. In the Old Testament it was Torah and Temple, in the New it’s fulfilment is Christ and the Cross.

Luke 20:19-26 Taxes to Caesar

Luke 20:19–26 KJV

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.

Vs 19-20 they know Jesus is talking about them and they send spies to hear Jesus words and later testify against Him…They are definitely picking up what Jesus is putting down in the parable He just told, they have numbered days.

The pharisees and sadducees considered Caesar’s face on the penny a violation of the commandment against graven images since Caesar considered himself to be god or at least in the place of God. The paying of the tax was unlawful worship and maybe outright idolatry.

By telling them to pay their taxes, He’s telling them the government was given by God. They are required to honor God by obeying the rules where they don’t violate scripture. To give back what’s owed to Caesar but always giving what’s owed to God!

And besides, they had the coin in possession and Jesus told them to show it. Their pockets showed the hypocrisy of their fake outrage.

They marvelled at his answer and held their peace…what they should have done 5 parables ago. They’ve come to destroy Him publicly but have been shamed by Jesus to silence.

Luke 20:27-33 The Sadducees ask about the Resurrection

Luke 20:27–33 KJV

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.

Not leaving well enough alone, the lawyers come to try to trip Him up with seemingly complex legal question, one that separated them from the Pharisees. The Sadducees didn’t believe in resurrection at all so it’s a silly question to even ask. A reductio (short for "reductio ad absurdum") is a smart debate trick where you show someone's idea is wrong by following it all the way to a super silly, impossible, or ridiculous ending.

Deut 25 gives the law of Levirate marriage, what the Sadducee is talking about here. It provided for the remarriage of a widow to the brother of a husband who died childless, the purpose of the remarriage being to provide descendants to carry on the deceased husband’s name.

It was for covenant continuity — keeping the family name, land, and inheritance intact within Israel. Not about the life to come. They are taking a law for the life then and trying to apply it to the next life

The question of whose wife she would be when the resurrection came, shows they think a definitive answer was impossible and that the impossibility of an answer showed the impossibility of a resurrection.

Luke 20:34–40 KJV

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.

Jesus tells them “the life to come is not the same as this life”.

A first century Jew thought a whole lot closer to us today tend to about what comes after death. They just saw the next life as a continuation of this one only better, all the enemies overthrown, all the hurts healed, and all the delights multiplied.

He’s reminding them: People get married to add more people in the context of keeping the law of God. But those that are saved in heaven don’t die like in this life. People aren’t added by the marriage union.

Jesus uses Moses, the prophet the Sadducees thought the most of, as an example to drive home the point.

Exodus 3:1-6 Moses sees the burning bush the Angel of the Lord in it. He goes to turn aside and Yahweh calls to Him, to which Moses replies: “here am I”. Yahweh’s reply: Exodus 3:5–6 “5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.”

not “I was the God” but “I AM”. That’s present tense for Abraham, Issac, and Jacob who’d all been dead for a while at this point. Dead in earthly bodies or not, ALL live unto him in the present. Only possible if they are alive BEYOND the grave. ALL people have an eternal life, either unto salvation or judgement

39-40: The Pharisees said good answer because Jesus said they were right, there was a resurrection. But probably too because He had shamed them to silence and now has done the same to the Sadducees.

Luke 20:41–44 KJV

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?

Now it’s Jesus turn to test. He asks the Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, and scribes that all had questioned Him a question using the scriptures in Psalm 110:1 “1 The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”

In english we don’t see it but in Hebrew the first “LORD” is Yahweh, the covenant name of God. The second “Lord” is Adonai, a title of authority and lordship.

David is saying Yahweh spoke to someone David himself calls Adonai.

David was the ideal king and his descendants by definition were less than he. The thought then, and now is always that previous generations were ALWAYS wiser than the next.

But David himself referred to the Messiah as Lord (Ps. 110:1). How then could he be David’s son, as the scribes said?

David would not have called one of his descendants “Lord.” So, the Messiah is more than the “Son of David”—He is also the “Son of God.” Jesus was proclaiming the Messiah’s as God, and so doing, Himself as God

Luke 20:45–47 KJV

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.

The long robes showed them as devout scholars of the law not common workers in the field, greetings of respect in the market and the best seats in the synagogues and feasts are more evidence they thought themselves the model of what God wanted in religious leader.

The very people performing elaborate public religious ritual were financially exploiting the most vulnerable members of the covenant community.

Widows had no legal standing, no earning power, and no male advocate in first century Jewish society.

They were entirely dependent on the community's faithfulness to the law's protection of them.

They may look righteous to people, God sees the filth in their hearts. Their greed and hypocrisy shows the condemnation that’s waiting for them

Conclusion

They questioned his authority — he answered with a question they couldn't answer.

They tried a political trap — he broke it.

They tried a theological reductio — he turned their own Torah against them.

He asks them one question and the entire establishment goes silent.

Luke is building a great case that Jesus is greater and one who stands in a category all by himself

Jesus said render unto Caesar what’s Caesar’s and God’s the things which belong to God.

Caesar’s face stamped on the coin showed who it belonged to.

All of humanity is created imago Dei, made in the image of God. His image stamped on every person ever born. Every person belonging to Him.

Unfortunately, at the fall, the first man Adam sinned and marred that image and that marred image is passed on and stamped on us. Broken, rebellious, and prone to wander.

But the good news, the Gospel, is that through faith in Jesus Christ, that image can be restored: Colossians 3:10 “10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”

Restored so that everyone that sees us can see the image of the one to whom we proudly proclaim to belong!