Chapter 20

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

1 aOn one of the days while bHe was teaching the people in the temple and cpreaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders dconfronted Him,

2 and they spoke, saying to Him, “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?”

3 Jesus answered and said to them, “I will also ask you a 1question, and you tell Me:

4 “Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?”

5 They reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’

6 “But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a aprophet.”

7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from.

8 And Jesus said to them, “Nor 1will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Parable of the Vine-growers

9 aAnd He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to 1vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time.

10 “At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

11 “And he proceeded to send another slave; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed.

12 “And he proceeded to send a third; and this one also they wounded and cast out.

13 “The 1owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will arespect him.’

14 “But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.’

15 “So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What, then, will the 1owner of the vineyard do to them?

16 “He will come and adestroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard it, they said, “bMay it never be!”

17 But 1Jesus looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

‘aThe stone which the builders rejected,

This became bthe chief corner stone’?

18 “aEveryone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.”

Tribute to Caesar

19 The scribes and the chief priests atried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them.

20 aSo they watched Him, and sent spies who 1pretended to be righteous, in order bthat they might 2catch Him in some statement, so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of cthe governor.

21 They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You 1are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth.

22 “Is it 1lawful for us ato pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

23 But He detected their trickery and said to them,

24 “Show Me a 1denarius. Whose 2likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.”

25 And He said to them, “Then arender to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

26 And they were unable to 1acatch Him in a saying in the presence of the people; and being amazed at His answer, they became silent.

Is There a Resurrection?

27 aNow there came to Him some of the bSadducees (who say that there is no resurrection),

28 and they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that aif a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should 1marry the wife and raise up children to his brother.

29 “Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless;

30 and the second

31 and the third 1married her; and in the same way 2all seven 3died, leaving no children.

32 “Finally the woman died also.

33 “In the resurrection therefore, which one’s wife will she be? For 1all seven 2had married her.”

34 Jesus said to them, “The sons of athis age marry and are given in marriage,

35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to athat age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;

36 for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are asons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

37 “But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in athe passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord bthe God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

38 “aNow He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for ball live to Him.”

39 Some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.”

40 For athey did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything.

41 aThen He said to them, “How is it that they say 1the Christ is bDavid’s son?

42 “For David himself says in the book of Psalms,

‘aThe Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

43 aUntil I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” ’

44 “Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son?”

45 aAnd while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples,

46 “Beware of the scribes, awho like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets,

47 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

Chapter 21

The Widow’s Gift

1 aAnd He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury.

2 And He saw a poor widow putting 1in atwo 2small copper coins.

3 And He said, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them;

4 for they all out of their 1surplus put into the 2offering; but she out of her poverty put in all 3that she had ato live on.”

5 aAnd while some were talking about the temple, that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive gifts, He said,

6 “As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which athere will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down.”

7 They questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the 1sign when these things are about to take place?”

8 And He said, “See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, ‘aI am He,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ bDo not go after them.

9 “When you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end does not follow immediately.”

Things to Come

10 Then He continued by saying to them, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom,

11 and there will be great earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrors and great 1signs from heaven.

12 “But before all these things, athey will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you to the synagogues and prisons, 1bringing you before kings and governors for My name’s sake.

13 “aIt will lead to 1an opportunity for your testimony.

14 “aSo make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;

15 for aI will give you 1utterance and wisdom which none of your opponents will be able to resist or refute.

16 “But you will be betrayed even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death,

17 and you will be hated by all because of My name.

18 “Yet anot a hair of your head will perish.

19 “aBy your endurance you will gain your 1lives.

20 “But when you see Jerusalem asurrounded by armies, then 1recognize that her desolation is near.

21 “Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of 1the city must leave, and athose who are in the country must not enter 1the city;

22 because these are adays of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled.

23 “Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for athere will be great distress upon the 1land and wrath to this people;

24 and they will fall by athe edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and bJerusalem will be ctrampled under foot by the Gentiles until dthe times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

The Return of Christ

25 “There will be 1signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,

26 men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the 1world; for the powers of 2the heavens will be shaken.

27 “aThen they will see bthe Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

28 “But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because ayour redemption is drawing near.”

29 Then He told them a parable: “Behold the fig tree and all the trees;

30 as soon as they put forth leaves, you see it and aknow for yourselves that summer is now near.

31 “So you also, when you see these things happening, 1recognize that athe kingdom of God is near.

32 “Truly I say to you, this 1generation will not pass away until all things take place.

33 “aHeaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

34 “aBe on guard, so that your hearts will not be weighted down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that day will not come on you suddenly like a trap;

35 for it will come upon all those who dwell on the face of all the earth.

36 “But akeep on the alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are about to take place, and to bstand before the Son of Man.”

37 Now 1during the day He was ateaching in the temple, but 2bat evening He would go out and spend the night on 3cthe mount that is called 4Olivet.

38 And all the people would get up aearly in the morning to come to Him in the temple to listen to Him.

Chapter 22

Preparing the Passover

1 aNow the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is called the bPassover, was approaching.

2 The chief priests and the scribes awere seeking how they might put Him to death; for they were afraid of the people.

3 aAnd bSatan entered into Judas who was called Iscariot, 1belonging to the number of the twelve.

4 And he went away and discussed with the chief priests and aofficers how he might betray Him to them.

5 They were glad and agreed to give him money.

6 So he consented, and began seeking a good opportunity to betray Him to them 1apart from the crowd.

7 aThen came the first day of Unleavened Bread on which bthe Passover lamb had to be sacrificed.

8 And Jesus sent aPeter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, so that we may eat it.”

9 They said to Him, “Where do You want us to prepare it?”

10 And He said to them, “When you have entered the city, a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him into the house that he enters.

11 “And you shall say to the owner of the house, ‘The Teacher says to you, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?” ’

12 “And he will show you a large, furnished upper room; prepare it there.”

13 And they left and found everything just as He had told them; and they prepared the Passover.

The Lord’s Supper

14 aWhen the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and bthe apostles with Him.

15 And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;

16 for I say to you, I shall never again eat it auntil it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

17 aAnd when He had taken a cup and bgiven thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves;

18 for aI say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.”

19 And when He had taken some bread and agiven thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is apoured out for you is the bnew covenant in My blood.

21 “aBut behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with 1Mine on the table.

22 “For indeed, the Son of Man is going aas it has been determined; but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!”

23 And they began to discuss among themselves which one of them it might be who was going to do this thing.

Who Is Greatest

24 And there arose also aa dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest.

25 aAnd He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’

26 “But it is not this way with you, abut the one who is the greatest among you must become like bthe youngest, and the leader like the servant.

27 “For awho is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But bI am among you as the one who serves.

28 “You are those who have stood by Me in My atrials;

29 and just as My Father has granted Me a akingdom, I grant you

30 that you may aeat and drink at My table in My bkingdom, and cyou will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, aSatan has 1demanded permission to bsift you like wheat;

32 but I ahave prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, bstrengthen your brothers.”

33 aBut he said to Him, “Lord, with You I am ready to go both to prison and to death!”

34 And He said, “I say to you, Peter, the rooster will not crow today until you have denied three times that you know Me.”

35 And He said to them, “aWhen I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?” They said, “No, nothing.”

36 And He said to them, “But now, 1whoever has a money belt is to take it along, likewise also a bag, and 1whoever has no sword is to sell his 2coat and buy one.

37 “For I tell you that this which is written must be fulfilled in Me, ‘aAnd He was numbered with transgressors’; for bthat which refers to Me has its 1fulfillment.”

38 They said, “Lord, look, here are two aswords.” And He said to them, “It is enough.”

The Garden of Gethsemane

39 aAnd He came out and proceeded bas was His custom to cthe Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him.

40 aWhen He arrived at the place, He said to them, “bPray that you may not enter into temptation.”

41 And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He aknelt down and began to pray,

42 saying, “Father, if You are willing, remove this acup from Me; byet not My will, but Yours be done.”

43 1Now an aangel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him.

44 And abeing in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

45 When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow,

46 and said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and apray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Jesus Betrayed by Judas

47 aWhile He was still speaking, behold, a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them; and he approached Jesus to kiss Him.

48 But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

49 When those who were around Him saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, shall we strike with the asword?”

50 And one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

51 But Jesus answered and said, “1Stop! No more of this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.

52 Then Jesus said to the chief priests and aofficers of the temple and elders who had come against Him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs bas you would against a robber?

53 “While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but 1this hour and the power of darkness are yours.”

Jesus’ Arrest

54 aHaving arrested Him, they led Him away and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but bPeter was following at a distance.

55 aAfter they had kindled a fire in the middle of bthe courtyard and had sat down together, Peter was sitting among them.

56 And a servant-girl, seeing him as he sat in the firelight and looking intently at him, said, “This man was with Him too.”

57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.”

58 A little later, aanother saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!”

59 After about an hour had passed, another man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, afor he is a Galilean too.”

60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about.” Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.

61 aThe Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “bBefore a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.”

62 And he went out and wept bitterly.

63 aNow the men who were holding 1Jesus in custody were mocking Him and beating Him,

64 and they blindfolded Him and were asking Him, saying, “aProphesy, who is the one who hit You?”

65 And they were saying many other things against Him, ablaspheming.

Jesus before the Sanhedrin

66 aWhen it was day, bthe 1Council of elders of the people assembled, both chief priests and scribes, and they led Him away to their ccouncil chamber, saying,

67 “aIf You are the 1Christ, tell us.” But He said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe;

68 and if I ask a question, you will not answer.

69 “aBut from now on bthe Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”

70 And they all said, “Are You athe Son of God, then?” And He said to them, “1bYes, I am.”

71 Then they said, “What further need do we have of testimony? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth.”