Luke 20 is a chapter in which we see Jesus teaching in the temple (19:47–48), having cleansed it so that he may reside in its precincts (19:45–46). The atmosphere is tense. The many questions put to Jesus are hostile and are designed to trap him into making an incriminating response (see esp. vv. 20–26). The chapter may be divided into the following six parts: (1) the question about Jesus’ authority (vv. 1–8); (2) the Parable of the Wicked Vineyard Tenants (vv. 9–19); (3) the question about paying taxes (vv. 20–26); (4) the question about the resurrection (vv. 27–40); (5) the question about the Son of David (vv. 41–44); and (6) Jesus’ warning about the teachers of the law (vv. 45–47). Virtually all of this material has been derived from Mark 11:27–12:40.

20:1–8 In 19:47 we were told that the chief priests and the teachers of the law desired to do away with Jesus. Now these same persons approach Jesus, questioning his authority to do the things that he has done. The second question in v. 2 is more specific: Who gave you this authority? The question is a trap. Had Jesus answered that his authority to act the way in which he has acted (cleanse and teach within the temple) had been given him by God himself, the religious authorities could have accused Jesus of blasphemy and so could have strengthened their case against him. Although Jesus does not provide a direct answer to their questions, his reply is much more than a dodge.

By asking if John’s baptism was from heaven, or from men, Jesus has forced his opponents either to deny John’s heavenly authority altogether, which would fly in the face of popular opinion (even Pharisees had gone out to John), or to acknowledge John’s authority, which would undermine their challenge to Jesus, since he had himself been baptized by John, who had declared Jesus to be superior (3:16). Of course, had they acknowledged John’s heavenly authority, their indifference to John’s ministry would then be difficult to explain or excuse. Their dilemma is acute. To answer that John’s authority was “from men” might provoke the crowd to violence, while to answer that his authority was “from God” would leave themselves open to the criticism that they had failed to heed God’s summons to repentance and, worse yet, had opposed John’s mightier successor. Consequently, the religious authorities “feign ignorance” (Fitzmyer, p. 1273). Jesus, however, recognizes that in reality they have refused to answer, and so he too refuses to answer the question put to him.

Additional Notes

20:1 temple: See note on 19:45, 47 above.

20:6 they are persuaded that John was a prophet: See 1:76; 3:2–20; 7:26–30; 16:16.