Jesus' authority questioned1-2On one of those days, as He was teaching and preaching the good news to the people in the temple courts, the chief priests, together with the teachers of the religious law and the elders, came and said to Him: "Tell us by whose authority You do these things. Who gave You such authority?"3Jesus replied: "I will also ask you a question.4Tell me, John's baptism, was this of God or man?"5-6They discussed among themselves how to answer. "If we say it is of God, He will ask us why we did not believe what John said, and if we say it was of man the people will stone us for they are convinced that John was a prophet."7So they said: "We cannot tell."8Then Jesus told them: "Then neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."Parable of the wicked tenants9He then told the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and leased it to tenants before going away for a considerable time.10At harvest, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his portion of the fruit.11But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed. So he sent another servant, but they also beat and abused him, giving him nothing!12They also wounded a third servant before throwing him out.13"So the owner of the vineyard said: 'What can I do? I will send my own son whom I love dearly. Surely they will respect him!' But when the tenants saw him they decided among themselves, 'This is the heir; let's kill him and then we can claim the inheritance.' So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.14-15"What will the owner of the vineyard do to these tenants? He will come and destroy them and will lease the vineyard to other tenants."16When the people heard this they said: "May it never be so!"17But Jesus looked at them and said: "What does this scripture mean then, 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone?'18Everyone who falls on that stone will be smashed to pieces, but the one on whom it falls will be crushed to powder."Paying taxes to Caesar19Immediately the teachers of the religious law and the chief priests wanted to grab Him, but they were afraid of the people.20They knew He directed this parable against them.21So they sent spies who pretended to be honest people to watch Jesus carefully, hoping He would say something that would give them just cause to arrest Him and hand Him over to the authority of the governor. They put a trick question to Him: "Teacher, we know that You speak what is right and are impartial in the way You treat everyone, that You teach the true way of God.22So tell us, is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"23-24Jesus immediately saw through their duplicity and said: "Show Me a coin. Whose image does it bear?"25"Caesar's," they said. Then Jesus told them: "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God."26So they were unable to trap Him when He spoke publicly to the people. They were astonished at His answer, which reduced them to silence.Sons of the resurrection27Then some Sadducees, who do not believe there is any resurrection from the dead, approached Jesus.28They put this question to Him: "Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man dies leaving his wife childless, then his brother must marry the widow and have children on his behalf.29Now there were seven brothers. The first died leaving his wife childless.30-31The second and third brothers married her in turn but she remained without children.32In the end all seven married the woman but all died without producing any children. Then the woman also died.33In the resurrection, whose wife will she be, for all seven married her?"34-35Jesus answered them: "The people of this present age marry and are given in marriage, but those considered worthy of taking part in the age to come when the dead will be raised, neither marry nor are given in marriage.36They will be immortal like the angels. They are God's own children because they are sons of the resurrection.37"In the account of the burning bush, Moses made it clear that the dead are raised, for he called the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.38And God is not the God of the dead but of the living! And He sees them all living!"39Some of the teachers of the religious law remarked: "Well said, Teacher!"40But no one dared to question Him further.Be careful of the teachers of religion41Jesus asked them: "Why do people say that the Christ is the Son of David?42-43For David himself said in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool on which to place Your feet.'44Therefore if David calls Him 'Lord', how can He be his Son?"45-46Within earshot of all the people Jesus said to the disciples: "Be very careful of the teachers of the religious law. They love to walk about in their robes and to be greeted by everyone in the marketplaces. They want the important places in the synagogues and the best seats at banquets.47They devour widows' houses and pray long pretentious prayers. The judgment they shall receive will be severe."
Scripture quoted by permission. The passage above is taken from THE TRUTH VERSION. Copyright © 2009 by Colin Urquhart. All rights reserved worldwide. (The Truth New Testament)