Jesus' Authority Challenged
(Matthew 21:23-27; Mark 11:27-33)

1And it came to pass on one of the days He was teaching the people in the temple and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came up with the elders, 2and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us by what authority You do these things, or who is the one having given to You this authority?”

3And answering, He said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and you tell Me: 4The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?”

5And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we should say ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6But if we should say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are having been persuaded John to be a prophet.”

7And they answered, they did not know from where.

8And Jesus said to them, “Neither do I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
(Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12)

9And He began to speak to the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, and rented it to farmers, and went abroad a long time. 10And in the season, he sent a servant to the farmers, that they will give to him from the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers sent him away empty-handed, having beaten him.

11And he proceeded to send another servant; but having beaten him and having dishonored him, they sent him away empty-handed.

12And he proceeded to send a third; and having wounded him also, they cast him out.

13Then the master of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’

14And having seen him, the farmers began reasoning among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him, so that the inheritance might become ours.’ 15And having cast him forth outside the vineyard, they killed him.

What therefore will the master of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and will destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.”

And having heard it, they said, “Never may it be!”

17But having looked at them, He said, “What then is this that has been written:

‘The stone which those building rejected,

this has become into the head of the corner’a?

18Everyone falling on that stone will be broken, but on whomever it might fall, it will grind him into powder.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar
(Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17)

19And the scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on Him in that hour, and they feared the people. For they perceived that He was speaking this parable against them.

20And having watched Him, they sent spies, feigning themselves to be righteous, that they might catch Him in His word, in order to deliver Him to the rule and to the authority of the governor. 21And they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach rightly, and do not receive any person, but teach the way of God on the basis of truth. 22Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”

23But having perceived their craftiness, He said to them, 24“Show Me a denarius.b Whose image and inscription does it have?”

And they said, “Caesar’s.”

25And He said to them, “Therefore give back to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God.”

26And they were not able to catch Him in His word before the people. And having marveled at His answer, they became silent.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection
(Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:18-27)

27And some of the Sadducees, the ones denying there is a resurrection, having approached, questioned Him, 28saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote to us if anyone’s brother should die having a wife, and he is childless, that his brother should take the wife and should raise up seed to his brother. 29Therefore there were seven brothers. And the first, having taken a wife, died childless; 30and the secondc 31and the third took her; and likewise also the seven did not leave children and died. 32Finally the woman also died. 33Therefore in the resurrection, the woman, whose wife does she become? For the seven had her as wife.”

34And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35But those having been considered worthy to obtain that which is to the age, and the resurrection which is from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36For neither are they able to die any more, for they are like the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

37But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and God of Isaac, and God of Jacob.’d 38Now He is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to Him.”

39And some of the scribes answering, said, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40And no longer did they dare to ask Him anything.

Whose Son is the Christ?
(Matthew 22:41-46; Mark 12:35-37)

41And He said to them, “How do they declare the Christ to be Son of David? 42For David himself says in the book of Psalms:

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

43until I place Your enemies,

as a footstool of Your feet.”’e

44David therefore calls Him Lord, and how is He his son?”

Beware of the Scribes
(Mark 12:38-40)

45While all the people were listening, He said to His disciples, 46“Beware of the scribes, desiring to walk in long robes, and loving greetings in the marketplaces and first seats in the synagogues and first places in the banquets, 47who devour the houses of widows, and pray at great length as a pretext. These will receive more abundant condemnation.”