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Luke Chapter
Twenty
I.
Content of the Chapter
The Wisdom of the Son of Man the Savior
II. He told them a parable of the wicked vinedressers
in order to blame religious leaders (v.9-19).
III. He answered the problem of paying taxes cleverly
(v.20-26).
IV. He explained the problem of the resurrection
(v.27-40).
V. He asked men why they said that Christ is the Son of
David (v.41-44).
VI. He warned the disciples to beware of the scribes
(v.45-47).
II.
Verse by Verse commentary
Luke. 20:1 “Now it happened on one of
those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that
the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him”
YLT: “And it came to
pass, on one of those days, as he is teaching the people in the temple, and
proclaiming good news, the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders, came
upon [him],”
Literal Meaning: “one of those days”
indicates the following day after the Lord Jesus cleansed the
“The chief priests and the scribes,
together with the elders, confronted Him” The chief priests, the scribes and the elders
constitute the three kinds of members of Judaic council.
Spiritual Meaning: “the chief priests and the
scribes, together with the elders”
They symbolize the authority of the earth, men, letters and traditions.
Luke. 20:2 “and spoke to Him, saying,
‘Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or
who is he who gave You this authority?’”
YLT: “and spake unto him,
saying, `Tell us by what authority thou dost these things? or who is he that
gave to thee this authority?’”
Literal Meaning: “by what authority
are You doing these things?” “These things” refer to the acts after the Lord
Jesus sat on the colt and went into
They questioned the Lord that by what
authority He cleansed the
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Religious believers pay attention to authority
and one could do something unless they have given him the authority.
2) Those who truly have the authority do not need to
stress the authority, however, their words and deeds naturally have the
authority.
Luke. 20:3 “But He answered and said
to them, ‘I also will ask you one
thing, and answer Me:”
YLT: “And he answering
said unto them, `I will question you I also one thing, and tell me:”
Literal Meaning: to those who had hardened their hearts and did not
want to know the Lord intentionally, the Lord
did not answer their question directly and contrarily asked them a question in
reply to put them to silence.
Enlightenment
in the Word: when
men ask what they should not ask, believers should imitate the Lord and ask in
reply so as to help us out of a predicament.
Luke. 20:4 “The baptism of John--was
it from heaven or from men?’”
YLT: “the baptism of
John, from heaven was it, or from men?’”
Literal Meaning: “From heaven”: from God; the
Jews usually refer to heaven as God.
The Lord meant that where the authority
of John the Baptism came from was also the place that His authority was from.
If those who opposed Him could answer where the authority of John the Baptist
was from, they would naturally know where His authority was from. Jesus asked
it in return because if they confessed that John the Baptist was sent by God,
they had to receive his testimony for Jesus (See 3:16-17). Therefore they would
surely know that the authority of Jesus is from God.
Spiritual Meaning: “the baptism of John” is to
bury those who have repented (See 3:7-8), i.e. to put the old man
into death. The Lord Jesus asked this question with the aim of making them
confess that it is of God. He also implied that the true authority of God was
from resurrection, otherwise, it is only authority of men.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The true
spiritual authority rests with God Himself------“from heaven”, not with men’s
tradition or arrangement------“from men”.
2) Today in Christianity, many preachers pay great
attention to titles, the theological academic degrees and ones by whom one has
been ordained. Considering the principle, these are “from men”.
3) The most important condition in teaching the
word of God is to be filled with the Holy Spirit------“from heaven”.
Luke. 20:5 “And they reasoned among
themselves, saying, ‘If we say, ‘From heaven,' He will say, ‘Why
then did you not believe him?'”
YLT: “And they reasoned
with themselves, saying `If we may say, From heaven, he will say, Wherefore,
then, did ye not believe him?”
Literal Meaning: if they answered that the baptism of John was from the heaven, they had just condemned themselves, for
they did not believe Him.
Luke. 20:6 “But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone
us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.’”
YLT: “and if we may say,
From men, all the people will stone us, for they are having been persuaded John
to be a prophet.’”
The
Background: “all the people will
stone us” According to the Law of Moses, he whoever commits great sin (e.g.
adultery, blasphemy and etc.) should be stoned to death by men (See John. 8:5;
10:33). The false prophets would specially be stoned to death (See Deut.
13:1-13).
Literal Meaning: they could not directly say that the baptism of John was from men, for it would
offend the people.
Enlightenment
in the Word: “not
believing” (v.5) and “fearing the people”
were the two characteristics of religionists.
Luke. 20:7 “So they answered that
they did not know where it was from.”
YLT: “And they answered,
that they knew not whence [it was],”
Luke. 20:8 “And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these
things.’”
YLT: “and Jesus said to
them, ‘Neither do I say to you by what authority I do these things.’”
Literal Meaning: the Lord did not say that “I do not know” but
“neither will I tell you”. The chief priests and the elders of the people were
fully aware of the answer, but pleaded that “they
did not know” (See v.7). It was lying. The Lord
knew it and He “did not tell them”. It was true.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God is pleased to reveal (Gal. 1:15). However,
if men’s states are so bad that He cannot reveal to them------“neither will I
tell you”. It is woeful.
2) If our hearts are not upright and we are
dishonest towards the Lord, we should never dream to receive words from Him.
3) Today men may answer the Lord’s questions
perfunctorily. However, all of us shall stand before the judgment seat of
Christ and each of us shall give account of himself to God (Rom. 14:10-12).
Luke. 20:9 “Then He began to tell the
people this parable: ‘A certain man planted a
vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long
time.”
YLT: “And he began to
speak unto the people this simile: `A certain man planted a vineyard, and gave
it out to husbandmen, and went abroad for a long time,”
Spiritual Meaning: “a certain
man” refers to
God; “vineyard” refers to the kingdom of Israel (Is. 5:7); “leased” unveils
that the lordship of the vineyard still belongs to God; “vinedressers” refer to
the chief priests and the Scribes (See
v.19); “went into a far country”, it
reveals the generosity of God------He gives men certain
freedom to operate and manage His possessions.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The vineyard was “leased” to vinedressers and
its lordship still belonged to the landowner. The Lord lets His servants govern
His church and the lordship of the church is still in the Lord’s hands.
2) Service is our duty. However, we should not
trespass the Lord’s lordship in service but obey the Lord’s guidance in
everything.
3) Not only the church is of God but also all that
we have are of God and they have been leased to us by Him. If we make them our
own and are unwilling to dedicate them to God, actually we usurp God’s
dominion.
Luke. 20:10 “Now at vintage-time he
sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit
of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.”
YLT: “and at the season
he sent unto the husbandmen a servant, that from the fruit of the vineyard they
may give to him, but the husbandmen having beat him, did send [him] away
empty.”
Spiritual Meaning: “he sent a servant”
refers to the prophet in the times of the Old Testament.
“Some of the fruit of the vineyard” It
shows that we should give account to God about our service. “Now at
vintage-time”, it shows that we should give account to God on time.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) God has entrusted (leased) His spiritual
inheritance to us and asks us to bring forth fruit in season. And we should
dedicate the fruit to God and not keep them for ourselves.
2) What God hopes in us is that we can bear
fruit------to manifest Christ by our life.
Luke. 20:11 “Again he sent another
servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away
empty-handed.”
YLT: “`And he added to
send another servant, and they that one also having beaten and dishonoured, did
send away empty;”
Luke. 20:12 “And again he sent a
third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.”
YLT: “and he added to
send a third, and this one also, having wounded, they did cast out.”
Spiritual Meaning: “cast him out” It
symbolizes casting out from their hearts and ignorance.
God sent His prophets (servants) from ages and from
generations to the children of
Luke. 20:13 “‘Then
the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will
send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.'”
YLT: “`And the owner of
the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my son the beloved, perhaps
having seen this one, they will do reverence;”
Meaning of Words: “respect”: turn to, hear, honor;
Literal Meaning: “probably they will respect him” “Probably”
expresses the reasonable hope.
Spiritual
Meaning:
it meant that God sent His only begotten son Jesus Christ to come to the Jews.
Luke. 20:14 “But when the vinedressers
saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This
is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'”
YLT: “and having seen
him, the husbandmen reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir; come,
we may kill him, that the inheritance may become ours;”
The
Background: “that the
inheritance may be ours” According to the Judaic laws, if there was no heir to
identify a certain land, the land would be claimed to be “a land without
owners” and it could be owned by anyone.
Spiritual Meaning: these leaders of
Judaism (“vinedressers”) saw Jesus Christ and they sought to destroy Him (See
19:47). They thought that if they had killed Jesus, there would be no one who
would challenge their rights of the leaders and teachers of the children of
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The deepest hidden purpose of the enemy’s
persecutions to the servants sent by God (See v.10-12) is to destroy the beloved
son of God and usurp His position that He inherits all.
2) After the wicked vinedressers had rejected the
first servant that the owner of the vineyard had sent, they went from bad to
worse and even killed the son of the owner of the vineyard (See v.10-14). If we
are unwilling to receive the first enlightenment of God, we will be more in
darkness. If we disobey the first anointment and guidance of the Holy Spirit,
we will become more disobedient and finally reject the Lord (kill the beloved
son of God).
Luke. 20:15 “So they cast him out of
the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do
to them?”
YLT: “and having cast him
outside of the vineyard, they killed [him]; what, then, shall the owner of the
vineyard do to them?”
Spiritual Meaning: “they cast him out of the
vineyard and killed him”, “out of the vineyard”,
it typifies the outside of the city of
Enlightenment
in the Word: the most important thing in the church is our attitude towards
Christ------do we respect Him (v.13) or cast Him out and not seek Him?
Luke. 20:16 “He will come and destroy
those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.’
And when they heard it they said, ‘Certainly not!’”
YLT: “He will come, and
destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others.’ And having
heard, they said, ‘Let it not be!’”
Literal Meaning: “Certainly not!”
means “hope that it would not happen!” It shows that those who heard the
parable certainly understand the meaning of the parable.
Spiritual Meaning: “He will come and destroy those vinedressers”, God punished the obstinate and
disobedient Judaic leaders and people. It was
partially fulfilled in A.D. 70, the Raman prince Titus led soldiers to ruin the
city of
“And give the vineyard to others.”------These other vinedressers should not be another race but all that have been granted grace and saved,
i.e. “the Israel of God (Gal. 6:16)------the
church.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) He whoever usurps God’s dominion, persecutes
God’s servants and dishonors the Lord will be laid aside (“destroyed”) from the
will of God and lose what God has entrusted (“give” to other vinedressers) to
him.
2) Nowadays God has entrusted His spiritual
inheritance to believers, and we should never recommit the same error: a) seize
the fruit of service and usurp God’s sovereignty; b) persecute and kill God’s servants;
c) dishonor the son of God.
Luke. 20:17 “Then He looked at them
and said, ‘What then is this that is
written: ‘The stone which the
builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone'?”
YLT: “and he, having
looked upon them, said, ‘What, then, is this that hath been written: A stone
that the builders rejected this became head of a corner?”
Literal Meaning: “Then He looked at
them and said” The Lord Jesus fixed His eyes on them when speaking, showing
that the verse that He wanted to quote was very serious and it was an important
thing to them.
Spiritual Meaning: “builders” referred to the chief priests, the
scribes and the Pharisees and etc.; “the stone” referred to the Lord Jesus. The
Lord was rejected by the leaders of Judaism and was crucified on the cross. But
God made Him be raised and become “the chief cornerstone” (See
Ps. 118:22, Acts. 4:11), which, in the building of the church (house), is the
most fundamental and important cornerstone in whom all the building fitly
framed together (Is. 28:16, Eph. 2:20-21, 1Pet. 2:4-7).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The church must be built on the basis of Christ
(“the chief cornerstone”). All the buildings outside of Christ will finally be
fallen into pieces.
2) Any spiritual giant or knowledge cannot replace
the position of Christ------the center of the building of the church.
Luke. 20:18 “Whoever falls on that
stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.’”
YLT: “every one who hath
fallen on that stone shall be broken, and on whom it may fall, it will crush
him to pieces.’”
Meaning of words: “grind…to powder”: to winnow, to pulverize,
to triturate.
Spiritual Meaning: “Whoever falls on that stone
will be broken” Concerning the
Jews who do not believe in the Lord, the Lord is the stumbling block (See Is.
8:14-15, Rom. 9:32-33, 1Cor. 1:23, 1Pet. 2:8).
“But on whomever it falls, it will grind
him to powder.” When the Lord
comes back, the Lord is the stone which breaks them to pieces to nations who do
not believe in the Lord (See Dan. 2:34-35, 44-45).
Another meaning of this verse: the first
sentence indicates believers. Their old creation is broken on the stone the
Lord. They were born from above and become the new creation. The last one
indicates unbelievers and they will be ruined by Him the stone in the Day of
Judgment finally.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) One’s attitude towards the Lord determines
whether he is granted grace or disaster. He whoever receives the Lord will be
built up by the Lord (See v.17) and he whoever rejects the Lord will be “ground
to powder” by Him.
2) The Lord is the lord of grace and at the same
time the lord of judgment. If men do not receive His grace, they will be judged
by Him in due season.
Luke. 20:19 “And the chief priests and
the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the
people --for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.”
YLT: “And the chief
priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him in that hour, and they
feared the people, for they knew that against them he spake this simile.”
Enlightenment in the Word: though religious
believers were fully aware that the Lord’s words were specially said to them,
they did not want to repent at all and on the contrary they sought to lay hands
on Him. It shows that the understanding of mind and knowledge is totally
different from the insight of the enlightenment of the Lord’s words in the
inner hearts. Every time we read the Bible, we should read it with right
attitude and then we can profit from the Lord’s words.
Luke. 20:20 “So they watched Him, and
sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words,
in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.”
YLT: “And, having watched
[him], they sent forth liers in wait, feigning themselves to be righteous, that
they might take hold of his word, to deliver him up to the rule and to the
authority of the governor,”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The Pharisees cannot catch the Lord Jesus in
deeds, so then they tried to find fault in His words. Believers should beware
of both deeds and words (See Col. 4:5-6).
2) Today, the devil utilizes many people to find
faults in Christians. We should, therefore, learn to be aware of words and be
wise in words.
Luke. 20:21 “Then they asked Him,
saying, ‘Teacher, we know that You
say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the
way of God in truth:”
YLT: “and they questioned
him, saying, `Teacher, we have known that thou dost say and teach rightly, and
dost not accept a person, but in truth the way of God dost teach;”
Meaning of Words: “personal
favoritism”: face; “preach”: teach, instruct; “way”: approach.
Literal Meaning: “teach the way of God” means teaching
men to understand the will of God so as to walk on the way of God.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The flattering words of the Pharisees concerning
the Lord Jesus indicated that the Lord’s testimony was so perfect that even the
enemy could not but confess it. And it also showed that they knew the Lord in
the moral aspect only and yet lacked spiritual insight. Such knowledge did not
help them to receive the grace truly, so they came to tempt the Lord. We shall
not ignore the external moral testimony, or rather remain in moral views, but
seek the spiritual knowledge further.
2) Believers should imitate the example of the Lord
Jesus in behaviors and works. Believers should never make a trade of the word
of God (2Cor. 2:17) and the word should not be “Yes and No” (2Cor. 1:18). At
the same time, we should not make a difference among men (James. 2:4) or be
puffed up one for another against another (1Cor. 4:6).
3) Our enemies are not only from the outside of the
church but also from the inside; they are not only from outside of ourselves,
but also from the within.
4) Those who want to set a trap for you may say
sweat words to you. Even Satan could hide itself in the beautiful snake and
transform itself into an angel of light (See 2Cor. 11:3, 14). Therefore we
should not be deceived by men’s apparent sweat words.
Luke. 20:22 “Is it lawful for us to
pay taxes to Caesar or not?’”
YLT: “Is it lawful to us
to give tribute to Caesar or not?’”
The
Background: “tax” means
capitation in the original and it was only applied to provinces which were directly
administered by the
Literal Meaning: “Is it lawful for us
to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” this problem is very treacherous and it is the
trap of Satan. One may be taken hold of whether he answers yes or no. If the
Lord says yes, the Pharisees would accuse Him before the Jews that He is
unfaithful to the kingdom of the Jews as a slave of the foreign power and
betrayer of the Jews. If the Lord says no, the Herodians would accuse that He
is rebellious to the Roman governor and He may be sentenced to death for this.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) In daily life, believers may be in a dilemma
between things of God and things of men or between being of spiritual and of
the world. We could learn the principle to deal with this kind of problems from
the response of the Lord Jesus.
2) Believers should not be carless in dealing with
people; the Lord teaches us to beware of men and be wise as serpents (See Matt.
10:16-17).
Luke. 20:23 “But He perceived their
craftiness, and said to them, ‘Why do you test Me?”
YLT: “And he, having
perceived their craftiness, said unto them, `Why me do ye tempt?”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Though the Lord Jesus is “in truth” (v.21), He
is not muddy. Among the multitudes believes should be harmless as doves on one
hand and wise as serpents on the other (Matt. 10:16).
2) We
should primarily have spiritual sight to see men’s hidden hearts and thoughts
in the contact with others. This ability will be improved by the growth of
spiritual life because the spiritual discerns all things (1Cor. 2:15).
Luke. 20:24 “Show Me a denarius. Whose
image and inscription does it have?’ They answered and said, ‘Caesar's.’”
YLT: “shew me a denary;
of whom hath it an image and superscription?’ and they answering said, ‘Of
Caesar:’”
The
Background: “show Me a denarius”
At that time, three kinds of currency systems were in common use in the
“Whose image and inscription does it
have?” The image of the Roman Emperor Caesar was carved on one side of the
Roman coin in common use at that time. And on the other side the inscription of
Caesar was written in Latin, that “Tiberius Caesar, august son of the divine
Augustus, sacred and honorable”.
Literal Meaning: please note that there was not “the tax money” in
the Lord Jesus. The Pharisees brought the money with them, showing that they were under the authority
of Caesar. But
they were unwilling to pay taxes
and therefore the Lord Jesus called them “the hypocrites” (See Matt. 22:18), and that was why they were condemned.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The one who has “a denarius” should pay taxes (
2) “The image and inscription”, it stood for the
authority of men. The Lord also admitted that God had given men some authority
(See
3) Men’s authority given by God has its realm and
boundary. He whoever is under this realm and boundary should fear, honor and
obey the authority (See
4) “Whose image and inscription does it have?” Coins have to go through the procedure of
smelting and other procedures and finally be marked images. Our hearts also
have to go through different stages and finally be marked the image of Jesus in
the heavenly factory of coins. Dear believers, do you have “the marks of Jesus”
in your body (Gal. 6:17)?
Luke. 20:25 “And He said to them, ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
and to God the things that are God's.’”
YLT: “and he said to
them, `Give back, therefore, the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of
God to God;’”
Meaning of Words: “Caesar”: to slit, cut open along a
line (today men call the operation of cutting the belly open for birth as
Caesarian operation); “render”: pay
back, repay, requite.
Literal Meaning: “Render therefore to Caesar
the things that are Caesar's.” “Caesar” was the
title of the Roman Emperor and it represented the whole Roman regime. The Lord
Jesus here used the word “render” as “pay”, showing that paying taxes was not
bribery but paying one’s debt----it was the duty of the people to pay taxes to
the one who was in power. To God’s people who live in this world, paying taxes
to the government is not contrary to being a citizen of the
“And to God the things that are God’s”
It seems that all the possessions of believers are gained by their own
abilities, physical power and time, but actually they are given by God (See
1Tim. 6:17) and therefore we should dedicate ourselves to God with gratitude
(See Mal. 3:8-10).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) When believer walk on the earth, we have two
kinds of identities: we are citizens of both the
2) A good Christian could also be a good citizen.
In normal conditions, it is not contradictory of the obligations to God and the
country. We have responsibility for both of them. However, the most important
is that we should take the responsibility to God first.
3) “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are
Caesar’s”, some of the obligations of the people to the nation do not overpass
our responsibilities for God.
4) Political and spiritual things should never be
mentioned in the same breath. In political things, we should obey the authority
(
5) On one hand, believers are under the direct
authority of God, and on the other, believers are under the indirect authority
of men. When men’s authority exceeds the realm and trespasses the authority of
God, believers ought to “obey God rather than men” (See Acts. 5:29).
6) We should learn to discern what is of God and
what is of men, and spiritual things and worldly things. We should not garble
them with each other.
7) “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's.” It shows that God will never accept
anything that is not of Him. We should not use worldly things in spiritual
things (such as using rock and other worldly ways to preach the glad tidings).
8) “Caesar” means cutting. Satan wants to cut off
all that is of God and God is willing to cut off all that is of Satan.
9) “To God the things that are God’s.” It shows
that God never allows anyone to trespass all that is of Him. Believers should
be separated to God and not be gained by the king of the world.
Luke. 20:26 “But they could not catch
Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer
and kept silent.”
YLT: “and they were not
able to take hold on his saying before the people, and having wondered at his
answer, they were silent.”
Literal Meaning: this implies that
the Lord had overcome the difficulty. The enemy could do nothing for Him and
had to keep silent.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Believers should not rely on themselves to deal
with difficulties and we should look up to the Holy Spirit to give us what we
shall speak (See Matt. 10:19-20).
2) Once the Lord speaks, the opposed shall shrink
back from difficulties. And therefore when facing hecklings, the best way is to
call upon Him because whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved
(See Rom. 10:13).
Luke. 20:27 “Then some of the
Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,”
YLT: “And certain of the
Sadducees, who are denying that there is a rising again, having come near,
questioned him,”
The
Background: “the Sadducees” was a Jewish
party at that time, most of whose member were rich men in upper class. The name
stemmed from the chief priest Zadok in the times of Solomon (See 1King 4:4). They opposed the Pharisees who focused on
zeal only but ignored moral deeds, so they placed great emphasis on morality,
thus inclining to another extreme, i.e. stressing on deeds only but ignoring
faith. They did not believe resurrection, holding that men perished completely
after death and therefore there were neither ghosts nor angels. They received
the Pentateuch merely, but neither regarded the prophets as important, nor
received the traditions of the elders. They had high places in politics------the chief priest
Annas and
Caiaphas and etc. were all the Sadducees.
Enlightenment in the Word: “the Sadducees” were “rationalists” in Judaism.
They are likened to the “Modernism Liberalism” in Christianity------they only
stress on actuality and disregard the future and they only have hope in this
life (See 1Cor. 15:19).
Luke. 20:28 “saying: ‘Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies,
having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife
and raise up offspring for his brother.”
YLT: “saying, `Teacher,
Moses wrote to us, If any one’s brother may die, having a wife, and he may die
childless that his brother may take the wife, and may raise up seed to his
brother.”
Literal Meaning: this is a law in the
Jewish social system in the dispensation of the Old Testament and it was the
law concerning to raise up offspring for one’s brother (Deut. 25:5-6).
Originally it was set up to protect widows and assure the continuation of the
family pedigree. This is the well-known “Levirate Marriage”. The early
ancestors of the Jews already had this established precedent (See Gen. 38:8).
Enlightenment in the Word: “raise up offspring for his brother” The word
spiritually means that believers should supply life to brothers who lack life
so that they could have the continuance and offspring of life.
Luke. 20:29 “Now there were seven
brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children.”
YLT: “`There were, then,
seven brothers, and the first having taken a wife, died childless,”
Literal Meaning: it is the fictitious
narrative.
Luke. 20:30 “And the second took her
as wife, and he died childless.”
YLT: “and the second took
the wife, and he died childless,”
Luke. 20:31 “Then the third took her,
and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.”
YLT: “and the third took
her, and in like manner also the seven they left not children, and they died;”
Luke. 20:32 “Last of all the woman
died also.”
YLT: “and last of all
died also the woman:”
Luke. 20:33 “Therefore, in the
resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife.’”
YLT: “in the rising
again, then, of which of them doth she become wife? for the seven had her as
wife.’”
Literal Meaning: they made up this
story with the aim of making the resurrection seem to be ridiculous through
this problem. They did not believe the resurrection and held that the so-called
resurrection of others was only the resurrection of body and men would keep on
the family life in this life. If the resurrection is so in deed, it may bring
difficult problems to everybody.
Enlightenment in the Word: just as the Sadducees imagine the state after
resurrection by the view of this life, if we live in nature and walk by sight,
not by faith (See 2Cor. 5:7), we won’t comprehend spiritual things and
absolutely there will be many queer opinions and problems.
Luke. 20:34 “Jesus answered and said
to them, ‘The sons of this age marry
and are given in marriage.”
YLT: “And Jesus answering
said to them, `The sons of this age do marry and are given in marriage,”
Literal Meaning: this verse means
that marrying and being given in marriage only exist in this age and they won’t
go on in heaven.
Luke. 20:35 “But those who are counted
worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry
nor are given in marriage;”
YLT: “but those accounted
worthy to obtain that age, and the rising again that is out of the dead,
neither marry, nor are they given in marriage;”
Meaning of Words: “are counted
worthy”: deem entirely deserving, regard worthy; “attain”: obtain, achieve,
experience.
Literal Meaning: “but those who are
counted worthy to attain that age” “That age” refers to the
“And the resurrection from the dead” It
indicates that the dead in Christ (See 1Thess. 4:16; 1Cor. 15:22) shall rise
into the eternal life in future.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “This age” (v.34) and “that age” are two
different ages. The things in “this age” won’t exist in “that age”. What
believers pursue is not to gain “that age” but to be counted worthy “that age”.
2) One does not obtain “that age” by accident. One
has to strive to run all his life and finally achieves and apprehends it (See
Pill. 3:13-14).
3) Those who live in the hope of Christ’s abundant
manifestation of the eternal age------“are counted worthy that age”, and the
reality of resurrection------“the resurrection from the dead”, will forsake the
temporary satisfaction------“do not marry” and the earthly reliance------“do
not be given in marriage”.
Luke. 20:36 “nor can they die anymore,
for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the
resurrection.”
YLT: “for neither are
they able to die any more for they are like messengers and they are sons of
God, being sons of the rising again.”
Literal Meaning: “for they are equal
to the angels” The main point is that angels do not have flesh and blood and
therefore there aren’t differences between male and female and certainly they
do not get married to have heirs. The Lord Jesus mentioned “angels” and this
also rebutted the wrongness of the Sadducees that they did not believe angels.
Now our bodies are earthly, corruptible,
dishonorable, weak, of soul and of earth. However, the bodies after
resurrection are heavenly, incorruptible, honorable, strong, of spirit and of
heaven (See 1Cor. 15:35-50). The age wherein we live and that to come belong to
different realms and therefore we should not infer the states that we will face
in future according to works and deeds in the bodies today.
“And are sons of God, being sons of the
resurrection.” Believers are “sons of God” when we are alive. However, it is
not obvious apparently. That we are “sons of God” will be manifested until
Christ comes to carry us and will we appear with Him in resurrection (See
1John. 3:2; Col. 3:4).
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) The life style after men’s resurrection will be
greatly distinct from that in this age.
2) Believers should manifest the image of “sons of
God” by life and we should not walk as “sons of this age” (v.34). Only those
who manifest the life of the son of God won’t love “this age” (v.34) and will
pursue “that age” whole-heartedly.
Luke. 20:37 “But even Moses showed in
the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of
Jacob.'”
YLT: “`And that the dead
are raised, even Moses shewed at the Bush, since he doth call the Lord, the God
of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;”
Literal Meaning: “the burning bush”
At that time the Old Testament of the Bible had not been marked with chapters
and verses and therefore common people used it to call the scriptures in the
front and rear of the third chapter of Exodus (See Exod. 3:2-4).
When the Lord Jesus argued about the
resurrection of dead with the Sadducees, He quoted the words in Pentateuch (See
Exod. 3:6) for the Law of Moses was still in authority to the Sadducees who did
not believe the resurrection. Jesus means that:
a) Since God calls Himself the God of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob and He Himself is not the God of the dead, though Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob were dead, God will raise them, otherwise He may be the God of
the dead.
b) Though Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were all dead,
when God mentioned them before Moses, He still testified that He was the God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, unveiling that He kept close relationship with them.
We could see that the fleshly death did not end their life (See 16:19-31;
23:43; Phil. 1:23). In other words, they will surely rise again and be with God
forever (See Matt. 8:11).
Enlightenment in the Word: from the words of the Lord we could know that being
familiar with and knowing the Scriptures are the key to open the mysteries of
the coming age.
Luke. 20:38 “For He is not the God of
the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.’”
YLT: “and He is not a God
of dead men, but of living, for all live to Him.’”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “He is not the God of the dead”, showing that:
a) all that make men die and unable to touch life have nothing to do with God.
b) If believers live in dead conditions, we may bring disgrace to our God.
2) “God is the God of living” shows that: a) He is
the lord of life------he should not be held by death (Acts. 3:15). b) He is the
source of “life”------we can live only by drawing near to Him and enjoying Him.
3) Christ shall be magnified in believers’ bodies
whether by life or by death (See Phil. 1:20). Thus though we have been dead in
the flesh, our spirit will still live before God.
Luke. 20:39 “Then some of the scribes
answered and said, ‘Teacher, You have spoken
well.’”
YLT: “And certain of the
scribes answering said, `Teacher, thou didst say well;’”
Luke. 20:40 “But after that they dared
not question Him anymore.”
YLT: “and no more durst
they question him anything.”
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) We may have many reasons beyond Christ. However,
if we are truly brought to the Lord, all the reasons will become unnecessary.
No one makes an exception and no word is meaningful.
2) All problems of life will disappear in Christ.
He is the answer of all problems. He is the one that “I am” (John. 8:58). He is
whatever we need.
Luke. 20:41 “And He said to them, ‘How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?”
YLT: “And he said unto
them, ‘How do they say the Christ to be son of David,”
Meaning of Words: “Christ”: the
anointed one.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) People may generally notice various kinds of
questions beyond Christ. However, the Lord is only concerned about our
knowledge towards Him because it is the first question of all questions and the
greatest matter of life.
2) The most important matter of the world is the
knowledge of Christ. The reason why men doubt about many things is that they
lack the knowledge of Christ.
3) Men commonly pay attention to the problems of
politics, religion and the letters of the law but neglect Christ. Politics,
religion and the letters of the law without Christ are vanity of vanities.
4) The Apostle Paul had known the excellency of the
knowledge of Christ, for whom he had suffered the loss of all things, and
counted them dung (See Pill. 3:8) therefore he knew nothing but Jesus Christ,
and Him crucified (1Cor. 2:2).
Luke. 20:42 “Now David himself said in
the Book of Psalms: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand,”
YLT: “and David himself
saith in the Book of Psalms, The Lord said to my lord, Sit thou on my right
hand,”
Literal Meaning: the Pharisees could only know that the coming
“Messiah” (the name of Christ in Hebrew and it means the anointed one) was the
Son of David according to the literal prophecy of the prophet. However, they neither knew nor sought the words
written by David in the spirit (Ps. 110:1).
“The LORD said to my Lord” The first
“LORD” is Jehovah God and the second “Lord” is the Messiah. The key of this
quotation is “my Lord”.
Spiritual Meaning: “Sit at My right
hand.” “Sit” shows that the work has been finished. “Right hand” is the place
of honor. The whole sentence means that the Lord Jesus has accomplished the
will of God and has got the place of honor before God.
Enlightenment in the Word: we could know Christ only by the revelation of God
(See Eph. 3:5).
Luke. 20:43 “Till I make Your enemies
Your footstool.’”
YLT: “till I shall make
thine enemies thy footstool;”
Spiritual Meaning: “Your enemies Your
footstool” is the sign of overcoming. This verse indicates that the Lord Jesus
has conquered the enemies and He will actually enjoy the achievements of
overcoming until the coming of God’s time.
Luke. 20:44 “Therefore David calls Him
‘Lord'; how is He then his Son?’”
YLT: “David, then, doth
call him lord, and how is he his son?’”
Spiritual Meaning: according to the
flesh, Christ is “the Son of David”; according to the Spirit of holiness, Christ
is also “the Lord of David” (See
Christ is “the Son of David”, showing the aspect of
the lowliness of His humanity. Christ is “the Lord of David”, showing the other
aspect of the glory of His divinity.
Enlightenment in the Word:
today do we have complete knowledge of this glorious and all-sufficient Christ?
May the Lord ask this question to each of us.
Luke. 20:45 “Then, in the hearing of
all the people, He said to His disciples,”
YLT: “And, all the people
hearing, he said to his disciples,”
Luke. 20:46 “‘Beware
of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the
marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts,”
YLT: “`Take heed of the
scribes, who are wishing to walk in long robes, and are loving salutations in
the markets, and first seats in the synagogues, and first couches in the
suppers,”
Literal Meaning: “who desire to go
around in long robes” “Long robes” were usually white linen robes with the
borders long unto the insteps of the feet and they were the sign of the class
of the scribes. Usually they put on the long robes when they performed their
ministry. The Lord here rebuked them for putting on the garments for the
purpose of showing off their status.
“Love greetings in the marketplaces” It
means that they love to be flattered, respected and honored.
“The best seats in the synagogues” “The
best seats” referred to the seats in the front of the synagogues, which were
usually left for those who have the highest status.
Spiritual Meaning: “the best seats in the
synagogues” symbolizes the spiritual status; “the best places at feasts”
symbolizes the worldly status.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) Those who works for the purpose of making others
see it are the hypocrites, and they want to have glory of men deliberately (See
Matt. 6:1-2, 5, 16).
2) Religious believers like to show off themselves,
denote money, bear witness, do service, preach and write books and many
spiritual good works. Perhaps the motives of them are to seek vain glory (See
Pill. 2:3).
3) The
greatest temptation of leaders in the church is from their inner
hearts------they like to be held high by others to show their important
statuses in the multitudes.
4) He whoever cares about titles and status in the
church cannot do the service well.
Luke. 20:47 “who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will
receive greater condemnation.’”
YLT: “who devour the
houses of the widows, and for a pretence make long prayers, these shall receive
more abundant judgment.’”
Meaning of Words: “condemnation”: judgment,
conviction.
The
Background: “who devour widows’
houses” On that day the system for taking care of the pious widows may be
established in the Holy Temple, so that they could work and rest in the temple
(See 2:37; 1Tim. 5:3-16) and their previous properties were handed to the
scribes and others for management.
Literal Meaning: “who devour widows’
houses” They extorted money from the helpless ones and swindled them out of
money by making use of the widows who were easily swindled.
“For a pretense make long prayers”, they maintained
the form of piety to conceal their sins of avarice.
Enlightenment in the Word:
1) “Widows” here referred to the believers who were
helpless and easily bullied and oppressed (See 1Tim. 5:5, Zech. 7:10). The
religionists usually hold gain to be piety (See 1Tim. 6:5) and deceive the
hearts of the simple by good works and fair speeches in order to serve their
own belly (Rom. 16:18).
2) Religionists like to pretend the spiritual form
of piety and lead captive silly women (2Tim. 3:5-6) and make them dedicate
money willingly. These religionists who are greedy for money have been erred
from the faith and the Lord condemns that they will receive greater condemnation
and they have pierced themselves through with many sorrows (1Tim. 6:10).
3) Religionists are good at making prayers “for a
pretense” and they utilize prayers to humbug men into wrong impressions.
4) “These will receive greater condemnation” The more men are respected, the more
strict requirements of righteousness will God request from them. The more men
are hypocritical (See Matt. 23:1-36), the greater condemnation will they
receive.
5) The hypocritical scribes will “receive greater
condemnation”. The true dedication will be praised by the Lord (See 21:1-4).
III.
Outlines of the Spiritual Lessons
The Lamb of the Passover Was Proved by Men
II. He was proved by spies (the Pharisees and the
Herodians) (v.20-26).
III. He was proved by the Sadducees (v.27-38).
The Nature of the
I. The authority of the
II. One could partake in the
III. There must be separation between what is of
the world and what is of God (v.20-26).
IV. Only the life of resurrection could live in the
V. Christ is the king in the
VI. Citizens of the
Men’s Attitude towards the Lord
I. The religionists------they did not believe Him
and even killed Him (v.1-19).
II. The politicians------they wanted to catch Him
in His words (v.20-26).
III. The philosophers------they heckled Him with
reasons that they made up (v.27-40).
Teachings Learned from the Parable of the
Wicked Vinedressers
I. The characters of the
A. A
vineyard------it is of the realm of life.
B.
Leased it to vinedressers------it is given to men of God for management and its
dominion belongs to God Himself.
C.
Went into a far country------He gives men the will of freedom to manage it.
II. Men’s responsibility for the
III. God is full of tolerance and patience towards
men’s irresponsible behaviors------He sent servants again and again (v.10b-12).
IV. The utmost of God’s love and men’s
disobedience------He sent His beloved son and the son was killed
(v.13-15)------men’s opposition to God is extremely manifested in the Lord.
VI. The building of the
The Lord Is the Stone
II. Has become the chief cornerstone
(v.17b)------the Lord is the foundation to build the church.
III. The stone that would break men (v.18a)------unbelievers
shall be offended because of Him.
IV. The stone that would grind men
(v.18b)------unbelievers shall be judged by Him in future.
The Problems of Believers in Life
I. The problems concerning the world (v.20-26):
A. The
key problem is not “whether we should pay taxes or not”, but we should be
separated from the world.
B.
Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are
God's.
II. The problems concerning faith (v.27-40):
A.
Only those who are counted worthy that age could partake in the resurrection.
B. God
is not a God of the dead, but the God of the living ---- the knowledge of God
does not depend on reasons, but life.
III. The problems concerning the interpretation of
the Scriptures (v.41-44):
A. The
Scriptures testify of the Lord (See John. 5:39) and we should find Christ in
the Bible when reading.
B.
Christ is both God and man.
IV. The problems concerning religionists (v.45-47):
A.
Beware of religionists (the scribes) who lay stress on regulations.
B. The
feature of religionists is that they love vanity and money.
The Features of the Carnal Christians
I. They desire to go around in long robes
(v.46a)------they love the outward vanity.
II. They love greetings in the marketplaces
(v.46b)------they want to be praised by men publicly.
III. They love the best seats in the synagogues
(v.46b)------they love to have high positions in the church.
IV. They love the best places at feasts
(v.46c)------they love to become outstanding in the world.
V. They devour widows' houses (v.47a)------they are
greedy for money and gain it at the cost of lawless ways.
VI. They for a pretense make long prayers
(v.47b)------they pretend to be spiritual for a pretense.
──
Caleb Huang《Christian Digest Bible
Commentary Series》
Translated by Sharon Ren