Luke 20

AND it came pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him, with the elders.

And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, By what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority? We have along the History of the Gospel observed, that the Scribes and Pharisees, took all advantages imaginable against our Saviour; failing in all their acts they now come to question his Authority, which seemeth not so much to have respect to his Preaching, as to his act in casting of the Buyers and Sellers out of the Temple, for as to Preaching, they seemed by the History of Scripture to have given a great liberty, especially if any had the repute of a Prophet.

And he answered, and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:

The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, if we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?

But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.

And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.

And Jesus said unto them, Nether tell you by what authority I do these things. See the Notes on Matth. 21.24, 25. Mark 11.28, 29. The substance of our Saviours answer is this. From whence had Iohn his Authority? he Preached, and Baptized, who gave him his Authority? They had sent much such another Message to Iohn, Iohn 1.21, 22, 23. was Iohns Authority ordinary or extraordinary? It is plain that he had no Authority from them, for then they would not have sent to him to know who he was. He must therefore have it from Heaven, now if they had allowed Iohn's call extroardinary, why should not they allow Christs to be such, to whom Iohn gave so large a testimony, and who confirmed his extroardinary M ssion by Miraculous Operations, which we do not read that Iohn ever did? Besides the Pharisees saw that if they allowed Iohn's Mission to be extraordinary, and from Heaven, they had obviously exposed themselves to a check, for not believing what he said, they therefore refuse to make any answer, and Christ refuseth also to satisfie them.

Then began he to speak to the people this parable: A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.

And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.

And again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.

And again he sent the third; and they wounded him also, and cast him out.

Then said the Lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.

But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.

So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?

He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.

And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is writen, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner.

Whosoever shall fall upon that stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. We met with this Parable at large both in Matth. 21.33. to the end, and in Mark 12.1. Its obvious Scope is to let them know, that God in righteous Judgment, for the Iews abusing the Lord's Prophets, Iohn the Baptist, and himself, who was in a few Days to be killed by them, would unchurch and destroy them, and raise up to himself a Church amongst the Gentiles, and that this was no more then was Prophecied of, Psal. 118.22

And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they mig deliver him unto the power and authority of the governour. There is nothing in these verses, but what we before met with, and is opened in the Notes on Matth. 21.45, 46. or Mark 12.12, 13. They let us see as in a Glass the Spirit, and Genius of Wicked Men filled with Malice against the Gospel. They are continually seeking to destroy such as have any relation to Christ, and to effect their ends, they will judge no means unfair, and their great art is to represent them as dangerous Persons to the Civil Government, so as if good Men find the same things still, they have this to comfort them, That the Disciple is not above his Master, nor the Servant above his Lord.

And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly.

Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Cesar, or no?

But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?

Show me a penny: Whose image and superscription has it? They answered and said, Cesars.

And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Cesar the things which be Cesars, and unto God the things which be Gods.

And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace. This piece of History we have likewise met with both, in Matth. 22.16. and Mark 12.13. See the explication of it there.

Then came to him certain of the Sadduces which deny that there is any resurrection and they asked him,

Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any mans brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.

And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.

And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also. And they left no children, and died.

Last of all the woman died also.

Therefore in the resurrection, whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.

And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage

But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage.

Neither can they die any more; for they are equal unto the angels, and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. See the Notes on Matth. 22.23. &c. and on Mark 11.18, &c. where all the passages in this piece of History are fully opened. By equal with the Angels, in v. 36 we must not understand in all things, but in the thing mentioned; the number of the Elect shall be perfect; so there shall be no need of Marrying, or giving in Marriage, to multiply the number of Men. 2. There shall be no more Marriages amongst Men, than amongst Angels, v. 38. All live unto God. Tho Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, were dead at the speaking of those words, yet they were not so in Gods Eye, who was determined to raise them up in the last Day, and who with the same Eye beholds things past, present, and to come. But see more in the Notes before mentioned.

Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said.

And after that, they durst not ask him any question at all. The Scribes were the Jewish Doctors of the Pharisees Faction, and nemies to the Sadduces; they applaud our Saviour's answer, as the Herodians before (in the case of the Tribute) so the Sadduces here are put to silence. He will now put the Scribes and Pharisees to silence.

And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is Davids son?

And David himself says, in the book of psalms. The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son? The answer had been easy if the Scribes and Pharisees, who (Matthew says) were there also, had owned Christ to be the Son of God. But this they did not own, and so (as Matthew tells us) ch. 22.46. No Man was able to answer him a Word, neither durst any Man from that Day forth ask him any more questions. Thus Christ Nonplust all his Adversaries.

Then in the audience of all the people, he said unto his disciples,

Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts:

Which devour widows houses, and for a show make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation. We have met with all this before, ch. 11.43. Matth. 23.6, 7. Mark 12.38, 39, 40. See the Notes on those Texts.