Question of Authority

Matt. 21:23–27; Luke 20:1–8

27 Then they came again to Jerusalem. sAnd as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. 28 And they said to Him, “By what tauthority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: 30 The ubaptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

31 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for vall counted John to have been a prophet indeed. 33 So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.”

And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Parable of the Vineyard Owner

Matt. 21:33–46; Luke 20:9–19

12 Then aHe began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to 1vinedressers and went into a far country. 2 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent them another servant, 2and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. 5 And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, bbeating some and killing some. 6 Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those 3vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and ckilled him and cast him out of the vineyard.

9 “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not even read this Scripture:

d‘The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone.

11 This was the Lord’s doing,

And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 eAnd they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.

Question of Taxes

Matt. 22:15–22; Luke 20:20–26

13 fThen they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. 14 When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and 4care about no one; for You do not 5regard the person of men, but teach the gway of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?”

But He, knowing their hhypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” 16 So they brought it.

And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

17 And Jesus answered and said to them, 6“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to iGod the things that are God’s.”

And they marveled at Him.

Question of the Resurrection

Matt. 22:23–33; Luke 20:27–40

18 jThen some Sadducees, kwho say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying: 19 “Teacher, lMoses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise. 22 So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also. 23 Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.”

24 Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore 7mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but mare like angels in heaven. 26 But concerning the dead, that they nrise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, o‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly 8mistaken.”

Question of the Greatest Commandment

Matt. 22:34–40

28 pThen one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, 9perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the 1first commandment of all?”

29 Jesus answered him, “The 2first of all the commandments is: q‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall rlove the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 3This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: s‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than tthese.”

32 So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, uand there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, 4with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, vis more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

wBut after that no one dared question Him.