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Jesus' Authority Questioned

^1 (C1)On one of the days while ^(C2)He was teaching the people in the temple and ^(C3)preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders ^(C4)confronted 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 ^(F1)question, 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 ^(C1)prophet."⁷ So they answered that they did not know where it came from.⁸ And Jesus said to them, "Nor ^(F1)will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Parable of the Vine-growers

^9 (C1)And He began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to ^(F1)vine-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 ^(F1)owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will ^(C1)respect 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 ^(F1)owner of the vineyard do to them?¹⁶ "He will come and ^(C1)destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others." When they heard it, they said, "^(C2)May it never be!"¹⁷ But ^(F1)Jesus looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written:

'^(C1)THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,
THIS BECAME ^(C2)THE CHIEF CORNER stone'?

Tribute to Caesar

¹⁹ The scribes and the chief priests ^(C1)tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them.^20 (C1)So they watched Him, and sent spies who ^(F1)pretended to be righteous, in order ^(C2)that they might ^(F2)catch Him in some statement, so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of ^(C3)the governor.²¹ They questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You ^(F1)are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth.²² "Is it ^(F1)lawful for us ^(C1)to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"²³ But He detected their trickery and said to them,²⁴ "Show Me a ^(F1)denarius. Whose ^(F2)likeness and inscription does it have?" They said, "Caesar's."²⁵ And He said to them, "Then ^(C1)render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."²⁶ And they were unable to ^(F1)(C1)catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people; and being amazed at His answer, they became silent.

Is There a Resurrection?

^27 (C1)Now there came to Him some of the ^(C2)Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection),²⁸ and they questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that ^(C1)IF A MAN'S BROTHER DIES, having a wife, AND HE IS CHILDLESS, HIS BROTHER SHOULD ^(F1)MARRY 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 second³¹ and the third ^(F1)married her; and in the same way ^(F2)all seven ^(F3)died, leaving no children.³² "Finally the woman died also.³³ "In the resurrection therefore, which one's wife will she be? For ^(F1)all seven ^(F2)had married her."

³⁴ Jesus said to them, "The sons of ^(C1)this age marry and are given in marriage,³⁵ but those who are considered worthy to attain to ^(C1)that 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 ^(C1)sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.³⁷ "But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in ^(C1)the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord ^(C2)THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB.³⁸ "^(C1)Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for ^(C2)all live to Him."³⁹ Some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."⁴⁰ For ^(C1)they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything.

^41 (C1)Then He said to them, "How is it that they say ^(F1)the Christ is ^(C2)David's son?⁴² "For David himself says in the book of Psalms,

'^(C1)THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD,
"SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

^43 (C1)UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."'

^45 (C1)And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples,⁴⁶ "Beware of the scribes, ^(C1)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,⁴⁷ who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."