Jesus is questioned about his authority by the Jewish leaders. He responds by asking them about John the Baptist's authority. When they are unable to answer, Jesus refuses to tell them by what authority he acts. He then tells a parable about a vineyard owner who sends servants to collect fruit from the vineyard but the tenants kill the servants. When the owner sends his son, they kill him too. Jesus indicates that God will judge Israel for rejecting him. The religious leaders try to trap Jesus on the issue of paying taxes to Caesar but he avoids the trap with a response about rendering to Caesar and God.

1. Luke 20
What gospel did Jesus preach?, By what authority?,
Two people groups in Israel, The Vineyard of the
Lord, The Sadducees, Resurrection in the OT, Jesus
believed in verbal plenary inspiration, Jesus Christ is
David's Son, Unforgivable sin, Sadducees,
Resurrection In The Old Testament, Levirate marriage
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2. Let's read Luke 20:1-8
The Jewish leaders challenge Jesus’ authority
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3. Luke 20:1, The Gospel?
• NAU Luke 20:1 On one of the days while He was
teaching the people in the temple and preaching the
gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders
confronted Him,
• What gospel had Jesus in preaching?
• NAU Luke 17:21 nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or,
'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your
midst.”
• I’m HERE!

4. Luke 20:2, By What Authority?
• NAU Luke 20:2 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?”
• Remember in our study of the book of Numbers that it seemed
like that was the last challenge by the people of the religious
authorities in Israel.
• In the New Testament we find the people having great respect
for religious authority.
• I'm sure they expected some rabbinic line back to Abraham.
Someone Jesus had studied under, that they could challenge.

5. Luke 20:3, The Baptism Of John?
• NAU Luke 20:3 Jesus answered and said to them, "I will also ask you a
question, and you tell Me: 4 "Was the baptism of John from heaven or from
men?”
• Why would Jesus ask about John the Baptist?
• What was John's message?
• NAU John 1:23 He said, "I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE
WILDERNESS, 'MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,' as Isaiah the
prophet said."
• NAU John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold,
the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
• NAU Isaiah 40:3 A voice is calling, "Clear the way for the LORD in the
wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.

6. Luke 20:6, Two Groups In Israel
• NAU Luke 20:6 "But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will
stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a
prophet.”
• I frequently find commentators who charge the people of the
triumphal entry with the crime of crucifying Christ a few days
later. That seems impossible. Instead the Bible clearly teaches
that the masses of people understood that Jesus was the
Christ. And the leaders of the Jews are Christ's enemies and
are continually plotting to kill him, and finally did.
• Two groups; vast numbers in the daylight singing hosanna, and
a much smaller group at the mock trials in the dark.

7. Luke 20:8, Slams The Door In Their Faces
• NAU Luke 20:8 And Jesus said to them, "Nor will I
tell you by what authority I do these things.”
• After they committed the unforgivable sin there is no
more outreach to them only confrontation.
• NAU Matthew 12:24-32, 24 But when the
Pharisees heard this, they said, "This man casts out
demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the
demons.”….

8. Mark 3:28, Unforgivable Sin, Unpardonable
• Mark 3:28 "Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven
the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter;
29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never
has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin "-- 30
because they were saying, "He has an unclean spirit.”
• Anyone who rejects the calling of the Holy Spirit, the last
time, cannot be saved.
• John 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father
who sent Me draws him….
• These Jewish leaders had been shown all the miracles,
deity claims of Jesus, fulfillment of all the prophecies,
and yet they rejected Jesus. Without Him, no salvation!

9. Let's read Luke 20:9-19
The Vineyard Owner And The Wicked Vinedressers
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10. Luke 20:9, The Vineyard of the Lord
• NAU Luke 20:9 And He began to tell the people this
parable: "A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to
vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time.
• NAU Isaiah 5:7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is
the house of Israel And the men of Judah His delightful
plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed;
For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.
• NAU Luke 13:7 "And he said to the vineyard-keeper,
'Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this
fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even
use up the ground?'

11. Luke 20:13, The Vineyard of the Lord
• NAU Luke 20:13 "The owner of the vineyard said,
'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son;
perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 "But when the
vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one
another, saying, 'This is the heir; let us kill him that
the inheritance may be ours.' 15 "And they threw
him out of the vineyard and killed him. What,
therefore, will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
• Seems like God will hold them accountable for the
knowledge that Jesus is the Son of God.

12. Luke 20:16, The Vineyard of the Lord
• NAU Luke 20:16 "He will come and destroy these vine-
growers and will give the vineyard to others." When they
heard it, they said, "May it never be!”
• 70 AD and 135 AD what is the destruction of Jerusalem
• In Acts chapter 2 is recorded the “giving the vineyards to
others.”
• The church according to Galatians 3:28 There is neither
Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is
neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ
Jesus.

13. Luke 20:19, The Vineyard of the Lord
• NAU Luke 20:19 The scribes and the chief priests
tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they
feared the people; for they understood that He
spoke this parable against them.
• They knew who the Vineyard of the Lord was, and
who the Fig Tree was, and who John the Baptist had
spoke about, and that they were about to kill the
very Son of God.

14. Let's read Luke 20:20-26
They set a trap for him, concerning paying taxes to
Caesar
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15. Luke 20:21, Flattery Or Truth?
• NAU Luke 20:21 They questioned Him, saying,
"Teacher, we know that You speak and teach
correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach
the way of God in truth.
• Are they speaking the truth?
• Flattery can be the most dangerous but it is true.
• The truth can be used for wrong motives.

16. Luke 20:22, Pay Taxes?
• NAU Luke 20:22 "Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to
Caesar, or not?”
• This is a very good, and legitimate, question if it
were only asked with the right motives.
• For their purposes, it is a profoundly clever and
deceitful question.

17. Luke 20:25, Jesus Blows Them Away
• NAU Luke 20:25 And He said to them, "Then render
to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God
the things that are God’s."
• In one sentence Jesus summarizes the greatest
commandment, and Romans 13.

18. Luke 20:26, Jesus Blows Them Away
• NAU Luke 20:26 And they were unable to catch Him in a saying
in the presence of the people; and being amazed at His answer,
they became silent.
• “amazed at His answer”
• Strong’s #, <2296> θαυμάζω thaumazo
• Meaning: to marvel, wonder…
• Usage: am amazed(1), amazed(15), amazement(1),
astonished(3), being amazed(1), flattering(1), marvel(4),
marveled(5), marveling(2), surprised(2), wonder(2), wondered(4),
wondering(2).

19. Luke 20:26, Jesus Blows Them Away
• NAU Luke 20:26 And they were unable to catch Him in a
saying in the presence of the people; and being amazed at
His answer, they became silent.
• “they became silent”
• He completely stopped them in the middle of their mission;
• NAU Luke 20:20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who
pretended to be righteous, in order that they might catch
Him in some statement, so that they could deliver Him to
the rule and the authority of the governor.

20. Let's read Luke 20:27-40
The Sadducees mock and question the resurrection
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21. Luke 20:27, The Sadducees
• NAU Luke 20:27 Now there came to Him some of the Sadducees
(who say that there is no resurrection), 28 and they questioned Him,
saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN'S BROTHER
DIES, having a wife, AND HE IS CHILDLESS, HIS BROTHER
SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS
BROTHER.
• The three major parties in Israel were the Pharisees, the Sadducees,
and the Essenes.
• The Sadducees rejected the oral tradition, all of the Old Testament
except the Pentateuch, for which they were very zealous. NAU Acts
23:8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an
angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
• The bodily resurrection is clearly taught in the Old Testament…

22. Luke 20:27,
Bodily Resurrection In The Old Testament
• NAU Isaiah 26:19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who
lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew
of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.
• NAU Job 19:26 "Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I
shall see God; 27 Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes
shall see and not another. My heart faints within me.
• NAU Daniel 12:2 "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground
will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and
everlasting contempt.
• So, Jesus ignores those books of the Old Testament and goes to
Moses!

23. Luke 20:33, Resurrection
• NAU Luke 20:33 "In the resurrection therefore, which
one's wife will she be? For all seven had married her.”
• Another trick question, trying to trip him up. They zealously
disbelieved in the resurrection, and are not seeking
information. But apparently they had been using this
scenario as an apologetic for their unbelief. Obviously no
one has been able to disprove them, or their logic.
• Levirate marriage was provided for, during the theocracy,
in Deuteronomy 25:5, and exercised in Ruth 4:1-12, to
preserve all 12 bloodlines in Israel.

24. Luke 20:37,
Jesus Believed In Verbal Plenary Inspiration
• NAU Luke 20:37 "But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in
the passage about the burning bush, where he calls 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 to Him."
• Jesus builds an entire apologetic on just the tense of the words in the OT
• In the NT Paul builds an apologetic on singular or plural of the words; NAU
Galatians 3:16 Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his
seed. He does not say, "And to seeds," as referring to many, but rather to
one, "And to your seed," that is, Christ.
• NAU Matthew 5:18 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass
away, not the smallest letter [jot] or stroke [tittle] shall pass from the Law
until all is accomplished.

25. 2 Timothy 3:16, All Scripture
• NAU 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by
God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for
correction, for training in righteousness;
• J. Vernon McGee says this should be translated
“every Scripture”
• NET 2 Timothy 3:16 Every scripture is inspired by
God…
• YLT 2 Timothy 3:16 every Writing is God-
breathed…

26. Verbal Plenary Inspiration
• We believe this doctrine of the plenary
inspiration of the Scriptures primarily because it
is the doctrine which Christ and his apostles
believed, and which they have taught us.
• --B.B. Warfield (November 5, 1851 - February
16, 1921, professor of theology at Princeton
Seminary from 1887 to 1921)

27. Luke 20:40, Jesus Takes The Offensive
• NAU Luke 20:40 For they did not have courage to
question Him any longer about anything.
• They would not asking anymore questions, but that
would not get them off the hook, Jesus took the
offensive.
• Don't think that Jesus was meek and mild, and only
on the defensive. He is in their face, taking the
aggressor position, and defeating their logic. As
well as exposing their man-made religion for the
hypocrisy that it is.

28. Let's read Luke 20:41-47
The Christ is the Son of David
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29. Luke 20:41, Christ Is David's Son
• NAU Luke 20:41 Then He said to them, "How is it that they say the
Christ is David's son?
• NAU Matthew 22:42 "What do you think about the Christ, whose son
is He?" They said to Him, "The son of David."43 He said to them, "Then
how does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying, 44 'THE LORD SAID
TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES
BENEATH YOUR FEET "'? 45 "If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his
son?" 46 No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare
from that day on to ask Him another question.
• This verse is quoted, or referred to, more times in the NT then any other
verse in the OT.
• NAU Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD [YHVH] says to my Lord
[Adonai] : "Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies a footstool for
Your feet."

30. Luke 20:41, Christ Is David's Son
• When reasoning from the Scriptures with someone who
does not believe that Jesus is God, I like to ask the
question, “Who was the Lord God of King David”?
• Jehovah Witnesses will say “Jehovah” and upon that we
can, agree based on Psalm 23:1
• Then I like to turn in their Bible to;
• NAU Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD [YHVH, Jehovah]
says to my Lord [Adonai] : "Sit at My right hand Until I make
Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”
• Where it says that Jehovah was speaking to King David's
God, who is the Son of God seated at the right hand of the
Father, Jesus Christ.

31. Luke 20:44, Expect A Puzzled Look
• The basic reaction that I have usually received is a puzzled
“deer in the headlights look” and then a sheepish reply like,
“Ha ha, that's what Jesus said to the Pharisees.”
• Amen! I then explain that their eternal destiny depends upon a
correct answer.
• Jesus said in, NAU John 8:24 "Therefore I said to you that you
will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you
will die in your sins.”
• NAU Matthew 7:22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord,
Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name
cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?'

32. Luke 20:46, Jesus’ Warning
• NAU Luke 20:46 "Beware of the scribes, who
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,
• Jesus then publicly warned his disciples about
false religion, man-made religion, and hypocrisy
for a show.

33. Luke 20:46, Jesus Condemns Them
• NAU Luke 20:47 who devour widows' houses, and
for appearance's sake offer long prayers. These will
receive greater condemnation."
• Jesus then publicly warned his disciples about false
religion, man-made religion, and hypocrisy for a
show.
• He did not say “They live a good moral life, believe in
God, they like to read the Scriptures, just like we do.
Let's see if we can't just get along, And focus on the
things we agree on.
• No he went for their throat, as false teachers.

34. THE END
• Gen 12:3 And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed."
• Gen 18:18 since Abraham will surely become a great and mighty nation, and in him all
the nations of the earth will be blessed?
• Gen 22:18 "And in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you
have obeyed My voice."
• Act 3:25 "It is you who are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God
made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, And in your seed all the families of the
earth shall be blessed.
34

35. Synagogues
• NAU Luke 20:46 "Beware of the scribes, who 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,
• Vern Peterman sent me the next four slides

36. Synagogues in the first century
• In 1996 Richard A.
Horsley wrote that
Luke was wrong
about synagogue
buildings in Jesus’
time, claiming that
there were no syn-
agogue buildings
in Israel at the time
(chapter six).
Luke 4:14-30

37. Synagogues in the first century
• But archaeological
excavations begun in
2007 have
uncovered a
synagogue in
Magdala that dates
from the time of His
ministry & was likely
a place where Jesus
spoke.
Luke 4:14-30

39. From the ongoing excavation at Magdala: The
earliest menorah inscription found to date

40. Initial Excavation of the Synagogue at Magdala