Luke 20:1-18

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Day Six of Steps to the Cross: Luke 20:1-18

 ¹One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. ²"Tell us by what authority you are doing these things," they said. "Who gave you this authority?"

 ³He replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me, ⁴John's baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?"

 ⁵They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?' ⁶But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet."

 ⁷So they answered, "We don't know where it was from."

 ⁸Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things."

 ⁹He went on to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. ¹⁰At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. ¹²He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

 ¹³"Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.'

 ¹⁴"But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. 'This is the heir,' they said. 'Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' ¹⁵So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

   "What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "May this never be!"

 ¹⁷Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: 
   " 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone? ^{18 [a] [b]} everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."

Footnotes:

1. Luke 20:17 Or cornerstone
2. Luke 20:17 Psalm 118:22