A Question about Jesus' Authority
(Matthew 21.23-27Mark 11.27-33)1 One day, Jesus was teaching in the temple and telling the good news. So the chief priests, the teachers, and the nation's leaders 2 asked him, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you this authority?”
3 Jesus replied, “I want to ask you a question. 4 Who gave John the right to baptize? Was it God in heaven or merely some human being?”
5 They talked this over and said to each other, “We can't say God gave John this right. Jesus will ask us why we didn't believe John. 6 And we can't say it was merely some human who gave John the right to baptize. The crowd will stone us to death, because they think John was a prophet.”
7 So they told Jesus, “We don't know who gave John the right to baptize.”
8 Jesus replied, “Then I won't tell you who gave me the right to do what I do.”
Renters of a Vineyard
(Matthew 21.33-46Mark 12.1-12)9 Jesus told the people this story:
A man once planted a vineyard and rented it out. Then he left the country for a long time. 10 When it was time to harvest the crop, he sent a servant to ask the renters for his share of the grapes. But they beat up the servant and sent him away without anything. 11 So the owner sent another servant. The renters also beat him up. They insulted him terribly and sent him away without a thing. 12 The owner sent a third servant. He was also beaten terribly and thrown out of the vineyard.
13 The owner then said to himself, “What am I going to do? I know what. I'll send my son, the one I love so much. They will surely respect him!”
14 When the renters saw the owner's son, they said to one another, “Someday he will own the vineyard. Let's kill him! Then we can have it all for ourselves.” 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
Jesus asked, “What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? 16 I'll tell you what. He will come and kill those renters and let someone else have his vineyard.”
When the people heard this, they said, “This must never happen!”
17 But Jesus looked straight at them and said, “Then what do the Scriptures mean when they say, ‘The stone the builders tossed aside is now the most important stone of all’? 18 Anyone who stumbles over this stone will get hurt, and anyone it falls on will be smashed to pieces.”
19 The chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses knew that Jesus was talking about them when he was telling this story. They wanted to arrest him right then, but they were afraid of the people.
Paying Taxes
(Matthew 22.15-22Mark 12.13-17)20 Jesus' enemies kept watching him closely, because they wanted to hand him over to the Roman governor. So they sent some men who pretended to be good. But they were really spies trying to catch Jesus saying something wrong. 21 The spies said to him, “Teacher, we know you teach the truth about what God wants people to do. And you treat everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are. 22 Tell us, should we pay taxes to the Emperor or not?”
23 Jesus knew they were trying to trick him. So he told them, 24 “Show me a coin.” Then he asked, “Whose picture and name are on it?”
“The Emperor's,” they answered.
25 Then he told them, “Give the Emperor what belongs to him and give God what belongs to God.” 26 Jesus' enemies could not catch him saying anything wrong there in front of the people. They were amazed at his answer and kept quiet.
Life in the Future World
(Matthew 22.23-33Mark 12.18-27)27 The Sadducees did not believe that people would rise to life after death. So some of them came to Jesus 28 and said:
Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry the widow. Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother.
29 There were once seven brothers. The first one married, but died without having any children. 30 The second one married his brother's widow, and he also died without having any children. 31 The same thing happened to the third one. Finally, all seven brothers married this woman and died without having any children. 32 At last the woman died. 33 When God raises people from death, whose wife will this woman be? All seven brothers had married her.
34 Jesus answered:
The people in this world get married. 35 But in the future world no one who is worthy to rise from death will either marry 36 or die. They will be like the angels and will be God's children, because they have been raised to life.
37 In the story about the burning bush, Moses clearly shows that people will live again. He said, “The Lord is the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 38 So the Lord isn't the God of the dead, but of the living. This means that everyone is alive as far as God is concerned.
39 Some of the teachers of the Law of Moses said, “Teacher, you have given a good answer!” 40 From then on, no one dared to ask Jesus any questions.
About David's Son
(Matthew 22.41-46Mark 12.35-37)41 Jesus asked, “Why do people say that the Messiah will be the son of King David? 42 In the book of Psalms, David himself says,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right side
43 until I make your enemies
into a footstool for you.’
44 David spoke of the Messiah as his Lord, so how can the Messiah be his son?”
Jesus and the Teachers of the Law of Moses
(Matthew 23.1-36Mark 12.38-40Luke 11.37-54)45 While everyone was listening to Jesus, he said to his disciples:
46 Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes, and they like to be greeted in the market. They want the front seats in the synagogues and the best seats at banquets. 47 But they cheat widows out of their homes and then pray long prayers just to show off. These teachers will be punished most of all.
1 And it came to passe, that on one of those dayes, as he taught the people in the Temple, and preached the Gospel, the hie Priests and the Scribes came vpon him with the Elders, 2 And spake vnto him, saying, Tell vs by what authoritie thou doest these things, or who is hee that hath giuen thee this authoritie? 3 And he answered, and sayde vnto them, I also will aske you one thing: tell me therefore: 4 The baptisme of Iohn, was it from heauen, or of men? 5 And they reasoned within themselues, saying, If we shall say, From heauen, he will say, Why then beleeued ye him not? 6 But if we shall say, Of men, all the people will stone vs: for they be perswaded that Iohn was a Prophet. 7 Therefore they answered, that they could not tell whence it was. 8 Then Iesus sayd vnto them, Neither tell I you, by what authoritie I doe these things. 9 Then began he to speake to ye people this parable, A certaine man planted a vineyarde, and let it forth to husbandmen: and went into a strange countrey, for a great time. 10 And at the time conuenient he sent a seruant to the husbandmen, that they should giue him of the fruite of the vineyard: but the husbandmen did beate him, and sent him away emptie. 11 Againe he sent yet another seruant: and they did beate him, and foule entreated him, and sent him away emptie. 12 Moreouer he sent the third, and him they wounded, and cast out. 13 Then sayd the Lord of the vineyard, What shall I doe? I will send my beloued sonne: it may be that they will doe reuerence, when they see him. 14 But when the husbandmen sawe him, they reasoned with themselues, saying, This is the heire: come, let vs kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. 15 So they cast him out of the vineyarde, and killed him. What shall the Lord of the vineyarde therefore doe vnto them? 16 He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and wil giue out his vineyard to others. But when they heard it, they sayd, God forbid. 17 And he beheld them, and said, What meaneth this then that is written, The stone that the builders refused, that is made the head of the corner? 18 Whosoeuer shall fall vpon that stone, shall be broken: and on whomsoeuer it shall fall, it will grinde him to pouder. 19 Then the hie Priests, and the Scribes the same houre went about to lay hands on him: (but they feared the people) for they perceiued that he had spoken this parable against them. 20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should faine themselues iust men, to take him in his talke, and to deliuer him vnto the power and authoritie of the gouernour. 21 And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest, and teachest right, neither doest thou accept mans person, but teachest the way of God truely. 22 Is it lawfull for vs to giue Cesar tribute or no? 23 But he perceiued their craftines, and sayd vnto them, Why tempt ye me? 24 Shew me a penie. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered, and sayd, Cesars. 25 Then he sayd vnto them, Giue then vnto Cesar the things which are Cesars, and to God those which are Gods. 26 And they could not reproue his saying before the people: but they marueiled at his answere, and helde their peace. 27 Then came to him certaine of the Sadduces (which denie that there is any resurrection) and they asked him, 28 Saying, Master, Moses wrote vnto vs, If any mans brother die hauing a wife, and hee die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise vp seede vnto his brother. 29 Now there were seuen brethren, and the first tooke a wife, and he dyed without children. 30 And the second tooke the wife, and he dyed childelesse. 31 Then the third tooke her: and so likewise the seuen dyed, and left no children. 32 And last of all the woman dyed also. 33 Therefore at the resurrection, whose wife of them shall she be? for seuen had her to wife. 34 Then Iesus answered, and sayd vnto them, The children of this world marry wiues, and are married. 35 But they which shalbe counted worthy to enioy that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry wiues, neither are married. 36 For they can die no more, forasmuch as they are equall vnto the Angels, and are the sonnes of God, since they are the children of the resurrection. 37 And that the dead shall rise againe, euen Moses shewed it besides the bush, when he said, The Lord is the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Iacob. 38 For he is not the God of the dead, but of them which liue: for all liue vnto him. 39 Then certaine of the Scribes answered, and sayd, Master, thou hast well sayd. 40 And after that, durst they not aske him any thing at all. 41 Then sayd he vnto them, Howe say they that Christ is Dauids sonne? 42 And Dauid himselfe sayth in the booke of the Psalmes, The Lord sayd vnto my Lord, Sit at my right hand, 43 Till I shall make thine enemies thy footestoole. 44 Seeing Dauid called him Lord, howe is he then his sonne? 45 Then in the audience of all the people he sayd vnto his disciples, 46 Beware of the Scribes, which willingly go in long robes, and loue salutations in the markets, and the highest seates in the assemblies, and the chiefe roomes at feastes: 47 Which deuoure widowes houses, and in shewe make long prayers: These shall receiue greater damnation.