Luke 20 Devotional: Witness Jesus’ authority challenged by religious leaders in the Temple. Explore the Parable of the Tenants, the question of taxes to Caesar, and the reality of the resurrection as Jesus reveals Himself as the Lord of David.
Dear brothers and sisters, peace in Christ. Welcome to Luke Chapter 20. We are now in the final days before the Cross. The atmosphere in Jerusalem is tense, and the religious leaders are looking for any reason to trap Jesus in His words. As we read today, notice how Jesus doesn't just win an argument—He reveals the heart of God’s truth. Let us listen closely to the One who speaks with an authority that heaven and earth must obey.
The Cornerstone and the Question of Authority
Luke 20 is a masterclass in divine wisdom. The chapter begins with the chief priests demanding to know by what authority Jesus acts. Jesus responds with the Parable of the Tenants, a sobering warning to those who reject God’s messengers and eventually His own Son. As the day continues, the leaders try to trap Him with questions about politics (taxes to Caesar) and theology (the resurrection). In every instance, Jesus pierces through their hypocrisy, culminating in His own question about the Messiah being both David’s son and David’s Lord.
What can we learn from this today? In this chapter, we see the Final Authority of Christ. As your Statement of Faith affirms, we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, fully God and fully man. When Jesus quotes Psalm 110 to show that the Messiah is David’s Lord, He is claiming His rightful place as Deity. We also see the certainty of the Resurrection . Jesus silences the Sadducees by reminding them that God is the God of the living, not the dead. This chapter reminds us that Jesus is the "Cornerstone"—the foundation upon which our entire life and faith must be built. To those who reject Him, He is a stone that causes stumbling, but to those who believe, He is our sure and eternal foundation.
20 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2 “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”
3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: 4 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
5 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”
8 Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
9 He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’
14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.
27 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. 28 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”
34 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. 37 But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”
39 Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!” 40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
41 Then Jesus said to them, “Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David? 42 David himself declares in the Book of Psalms:
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
43 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’
44 David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”
45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
Jesus said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s." As we enter into prayer, let us offer to God what truly belongs to Him: our hearts, our worship, and our full allegiance.
Dear Heavenly Father, We praise You for the wisdom and authority of Your Son, Jesus Christ. We believe that He is the Cornerstone of our salvation and the final authority for our lives. Thank You for the clarity of Your Word, which guides us through the difficult questions of this world and points us toward eternal life.
Lord, I ask that You would be the foundation of everything I do today. Forgive me for the times I have questioned Your authority or tried to trap You in my own "fine print" instead of simply obeying Your commands. Help me to live as a faithful citizen of this world while keeping my heart fully devoted to Your Kingdom. Strengthen my faith in the reality of the Resurrection; may the truth that You are the God of the living give me hope in the face of loss and courage in the face of uncertainty. Holy Spirit, guide me and teach me to honor Jesus as my Lord, just as David did.
We pray for our local church, that we would never reject the Cornerstone, but build everything we do upon the person and work of Christ. We lift up those who are confused by the conflicting authorities of this world; may they find the "Peace of God" by submitting to the Lordship of Jesus. We pray for a world that often tries to silence the Gospel; may Your Church continue to speak with the boldness and wisdom of Christ, showing everyone that there is salvation in no one else. Amen.
Jesus warned against the religious leaders who "devoured widows' houses" while making long prayers for show. Is there any area of your life where your outward religious "performance" is covering up a heart that isn't fully surrendered to God’s authority?
What is the meaning of the "Cornerstone" in verse 17? A cornerstone was the most important stone in a building, aligning and supporting the entire structure. Jesus is saying that while the religious leaders rejected Him, God has made Him the essential foundation of the Church and of salvation.
Why did the Sadducees not believe in the resurrection? The Sadducees only accepted the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch) as authoritative and claimed they did not find the resurrection taught there. Jesus corrected them by quoting from Exodus (the burning bush) to prove that God is currently the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
How can Jesus be both David’s Son and David’s Lord? This points to His two natures: as a human, He is a descendant (Son) of David; as God, He is the eternal Lord whom David worshipped. This aligns with our belief that Jesus is fully God and fully man.
Thank you for joining us for Luke 20. May you build your life on the Cornerstone today, standing firm in the wisdom of Christ. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow for the widow’s mite and the signs of the end times in Luke Chapter 21.
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