5 And G1161 they reasoned G4817 with G4314 themselves, G1438 saying, G3004 G3754 If G1437 we shall say, G2036 From G1537 heaven; G3772 he will say, G2046 Why G1302 then G3767 believed ye G4100 him G846 not? G3756
John G2491 bare witness G3140 of G4012 him, G846 and G2532 cried, G2896 saying, G3004 This G3778 was he G2258 of whom G3739 I spake, G2036 He that cometh G2064 after G3694 me G3450 is preferred G1096 before G1715 me: G3450 for G3754 he was G2258 before G4413 me. G3450 And G2532 of G1537 his G846 fulness G4138 have G2983 all G3956 we G2249 received, G2983 and G2532 grace G5485 for G473 grace. G5485 For G3754 the law G3551 was given G1325 by G1223 Moses, G3475 but grace G5485 and G2532 truth G225 came G1096 by G1223 Jesus G2424 Christ. G5547 No man G3762 hath seen G3708 God G2316 at any time; G4455 the only begotten G3439 Son, G5207 which G3588 is G5607 in G1519 the bosom G2859 of the Father, G3962 he G1565 hath declared G1834 him.
And G2532 they came G2064 unto G4314 John, G2491 and G2532 said G2036 unto him, G846 Rabbi, G4461 he G3739 that was G2258 with G3326 thee G4675 beyond G4008 Jordan, G2446 to whom G3739 thou G4771 barest witness, G3140 behold, G2396 the same G3778 baptizeth, G907 and G2532 all G3956 men come G2064 to G4314 him. G846
He that believeth G4100 on G1519 the Son G5207 hath G2192 everlasting G166 life: G2222 and G1161 he that believeth not G544 the Son G5207 shall G3700 not G3756 see G3700 life; G2222 but G235 the wrath G3709 of God G2316 abideth G3306 on G1909 him. G846
Ye G5210 sent G649 unto G4314 John, G2491 and G2532 he bare witness G3140 unto the truth. G225 But G1161 I G1473 receive G2983 not G3756 testimony G3141 from G3844 man: G444 but G235 these things G5023 I say, G3004 that G2443 ye G5210 might be saved. G4982 He G1565 was G2258 a burning G2545 and G2532 a shining G5316 light: G3088 and G1161 ye G5210 were willing G2309 for G4314 a season G5610 to rejoice G21 in G1722 his G846 light. G5457
And G1161 as G5613 John G2491 fulfilled G4137 his course, G1408 he said, G3004 Whom G5101 think ye G5282 that I G3165 am? G1511 I G1473 am G1510 not G3756 he. But, G235 behold, G2400 there cometh one G2064 after G3326 me, G1691 whose G3739 shoes G5266 of his feet G4228 I am G1510 not G3756 worthy G514 to loose. G3089
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Luke 20
Commentary on Luke 20 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 20
Lu 20:1-19. The Authority of Jesus Questioned, and His Reply—Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen.
(See on Mt 21:23.)
2. these things—particularly the clearing of the temple.
4. baptism of John—his whole ministry and mission, of which baptism was the seal.
5. Why then believed ye him not?—that is, in his testimony to Jesus, the sum of his whole witness.
7. could not tell—crooked, cringing hypocrites! No wonder Jesus gave you no answer (Mt 7:6). But what dignity and composure does our Lord display as He turns their question upon themselves!
9-13. vineyard—(See on Lu 13:6). In Mt 21:33 additional points are given, taken literally from Isa 5:2, to fix down the application and sustain it by Old Testament authority.
husbandmen—the ordinary spiritual guides of the people, under whose care and culture the fruits of righteousness might be yielded.
went, &c.—leaving it to the laws of the spiritual husbandry during the whole length of the Jewish economy. (See on Mr 4:26.)
10. beat, &c.—(Mt 21:35); that is, the prophets, extraordinary messengers raised up from time to time. (See on Mt 23:37.)
13. my beloved son—Mark (Mr 12:6) still more affectingly, "Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved"; our Lord thus severing Himself from all merely human messengers, and claiming Sonship in its loftiest sense. (Compare Heb 3:3-6.)
it may be—"surely"; implying the almost unimaginable guilt of not doing so.
14. reasoned among themselves—(Compare Ge 37:18-20; Joh 11:47-53).
the heir—sublime expression of the great truth, that God's inheritance was destined for, and in due time to come into the possession of, His Son in our nature (Heb 1:2).
inheritance … ours—and so from mere servants we may become lords; the deep aim of the depraved heart, and literally "the root of all evil."
15. cast him out of the vineyard—(Compare Heb 13:11-13; 1Ki 21:13; Joh 19:17).
16. He shall come, &c.—This answer was given by the Pharisees themselves (Mt 21:41), thus pronouncing their own righteous doom. Matthew alone (Mt 21:43) gives the naked application, that "the kingdom of God should be taken from them, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof"—the great evangelical community of the faithful, chiefly Gentiles.
God forbid—His whole meaning now bursting upon them.
17-19. written—(in Ps 118:22, 23. See on Lu 19:38). The Kingdom of God is here a Temple, in the erection of which a certain stone, rejected as unsuitable by the spiritual builders, is, by the great Lord of the House, made the keystone of the whole. On that Stone the builders were now "falling" and being "broken" (Isa 8:15), "sustaining great spiritual hurt; but soon that Stone should fall upon them and grind them to powder" (Da 2:34, 35; Zec 12:3)—in their corporate capacity in the tremendous destruction of Jerusalem, but personally, as unbelievers, in a more awful sense still.
19. the same hour—hardly able to restrain their rage.
Lu 20:20-40. Entangling Questions about Tribute and the Resurrection—The Replies.
20-26. sent forth—after consulting (Mt 22:15) on the best plan.
spies—"of the Pharisees and Herodians" (Mr 12:13). See Mr 3:6.
21. we know, &c.—hoping by flattery to throw Him off His guard.
22. tribute—(See on Mt 17:24).
25. things which be Cæsar's—Putting it in this general form, it was impossible for sedition itself to dispute it, and yet it dissolved the snare.
and unto God—How much there is in this profound but to them startling addition to the maxim, and how incomparable is the whole for fulness, brevity, clearness, weight!
27-34. no resurrection—"nor angel nor spirit" (Ac 23:8); the materialists of the day.
34. said unto them—In Mt 22:29, the reply begins with this important statement:—"Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures," regarding the future state, "nor the power of God," before which a thousand such difficulties vanish (also Mr 12:24).
36. neither … die any more—Marriage is ordained to perpetuate the human family; but as there will be no breaches by death in the future state, this ordinance will cease.
equal—or "like."
unto the angels—that is, in the immortality of their nature.
children of God—not in respect of character but nature; "being the children of the resurrection" to an undecaying existence (Ro 8:21, 23). And thus the children of their Father's immortality (1Ti 6:16).
37, 38. even Moses—whom they had just quoted to entangle Him.
38. not … of the dead, … for all, &c.—To God, no human being is dead, or ever will be; but all sustain an abiding conscious relation to Him. But the "all" here meant "those who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world." These sustain a gracious covenant relation to God, which cannot be dissolved. In this sense our Lord affirms that for Moses to call the Lord the "God" of His patriarchal servants if at that moment they had no existence, would be unworthy of Him. He "would be ashamed to be called their God, if He had not prepared for them a city" (Heb 11:16). How precious are these glimpses of the resurrection state!
39. scribes … well said—enjoying His victory over the Sadducees.
they durst not—neither party, both for the time utterly foiled.
Lu 20:41-47. Christ Baffles the Pharisees by a Question about David and Messiah, and Denounces the Scribes.
41. said, &c.—"What think ye of Christ [the promised and expected Messiah]? Whose son is He [to be]? They say unto Him, The son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit [by the Holy Ghost, Mr 12:36] call Him Lord?" (Mt 22:42, 43). The difficulty can only be solved by the higher and lower—the divine and human natures of our Lord (Mt 1:23). Mark the testimony here given to the inspiration of the Old Testament (compare Lu 24:44).
46, 47. Beware, &c.—(See on Mt 23:5; and Lu 14:7).
47. devour, &c.—taking advantage of their helpless condition and confiding character, to obtain possession of their property, while by their "long prayers" they made them believe they were raised far above "filthy lucre." So much "the greater damnation" awaits them. What a lifelike description of the Romish clergy, the true successors of "the scribes!"