Jesus’ Authority Challenged (Matthew 21:23–27; Mark 11:27–33)
1 UDB One day during that week, Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard and telling them God's good message. As he was doing that, the chief priests, the teachers of the Jewish laws, and other elders came to him. BSB BSB: One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and scribes, together with the elders, came up to Him.
2 UDB They said to him, "Tell us, what right do you have to do these things? And who gave you this right?" BSB BSB: “Tell us,” they said, “by what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”
3 UDB He replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me, BSB BSB: “I will also ask you a question,” Jesus replied. “Tell Me:
4 UDB about John baptizing people: Did God command him to baptize or did humans command him?" BSB BSB: John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?”
5 UDB They discussed this among themselves. They said, "If we answer, 'God commanded him,' then he will say, 'So why did you not believe him?' BSB BSB: They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why did you not believe him?’
6 UDB But if we say, 'It was only humans who told him to baptize,' the people will stone us to death because they all believe that John was a prophet that God sent." BSB BSB: But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”
7 UDB So they replied that they did not know who told John to baptize. BSB BSB: So they answered that they did not know where it was from.
8 UDB Then Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you who sent me to do those things." BSB BSB: And Jesus replied, “Neither will 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)
9 UDB Then Jesus told the people this parable, "A man planted a vineyard. He rented the vineyard to some men to care for it. Then he went to another country and stayed there for a long time. BSB BSB: Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants, and went away for a long time.
10 UDB When it was time to harvest the grapes, he sent a servant to the men who were taking care of the vineyard so they would give him his share of the grapes that the vineyard had produced. But after the servant arrived, they beat him and sent him away without any grapes. BSB BSB: At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.
11 UDB Later, the owner sent another servant. But they beat and shamed him also. They sent him away without any grapes. BSB BSB: So he sent another servant, but they beat him and treated him shamefully, sending him away empty-handed.
12 UDB Still later, the owner sent another servant. This third servant they wounded and threw out of the vineyard. BSB BSB: Then he sent a third, but they wounded him and threw him out.
13 UDB So the owner of the vineyard said to himself, 'What should I do now? I will send my son, whom I love very much. They will probably respect him.' BSB BSB: ‘What shall I do?’ asked the owner of the vineyard. ‘I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.’
14 UDB "So he sent his son, but when the men who were caring for the vineyard saw him coming, they said to each other, 'Here comes the man who will inherit the vineyard! Let us kill him so that this vineyard might become ours!' BSB BSB: But when the tenants saw the son, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
15 UDB So they dragged him outside the vineyard and killed him. So I will tell you what the owner of the vineyard will do to them! BSB BSB: So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
16 UDB He will come and kill those men who were taking care of the vineyard. Then he will arrange for other people to take care of it." When the people listening to Jesus heard this, they said, "May a situation like this never happen!" BSB BSB: He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” And when the people heard this, they said, “May such a thing never happen!”
17 UDB But Jesus looked directly at them and said, "You can say that, but think about the meaning of these words that are written in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the most important stone in the building. BSB BSB: But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?
18 UDB "Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls." BSB BSB: Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”
Paying Taxes to Caesar (Matthew 22:15–22; Mark 12:13–17)
19 UDB The chief priests and the teachers of the Jewish laws realized that he was accusing them when he told the story about those wicked men. So they immediately tried to find a way to arrest him, but they did not arrest him, because they were afraid of what the people would do if they did so. BSB BSB: When the scribes and chief priests realized that Jesus had spoken this parable against them, they sought to arrest Him that very hour. But they were afraid of the people.
20 UDB So they watched him carefully. They also sent spies who pretended to be sincere. But they really wanted to get Jesus to say something wrong for which they could accuse him. They wanted to be able to turn him over to the governor of the province. BSB BSB: So they watched Him closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They were hoping to catch Him in His words in order to hand Him over to the rule and authority of the governor.
21 UDB So one of the spies asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right. You tell the truth even if important people do not like it. You teach truthfully what God wants us to do. BSB BSB: “Teacher,” they inquired, “we know that You speak and teach correctly. You show no partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
22 UDB So tell us what you think about this matter: Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman government, or not?" BSB BSB: Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 UDB But he knew that they were trying to trick him to get him into trouble, either with the Jews, who hated to pay those taxes, or with the Roman government. So he said to them, BSB BSB: But Jesus saw through their duplicity and said to them,
24 UDB "Show me a Roman coin. Then tell me whose picture is on it. And tell me whose name is on it." So they showed him a coin and said, "It has the picture and name of Caesar, the head of the Roman government." BSB BSB: “Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?” “Caesar’s,” they answered.
25 UDB He said to them, "In that case, give to the government what belongs to them, and give to God what belongs to him." BSB BSB: So Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
26 UDB The spies were amazed at his answer, so much that they could not answer him. There was nothing that Jesus said before the people standing around him that the spies could find anything wrong with. BSB BSB: And they were unable to trap Him in His words before the people. And amazed at His answer, they fell silent.
The Sadducees and the Resurrection (Matthew 22:23–33; Mark 12:18–27)
27 UDB After that, some Sadducees came to Jesus. They were a group of Jews who said that no one will rise from the dead. BSB BSB: Then some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to question Him.
28 UDB They also wanted to ask Jesus a question. One of them said to him, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us Jews that if a man who has a wife but no children dies, his brother should marry the widow so that she can have a child by him. In this way, people will consider that the child is the descendant of the man who died. BSB BSB: “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.
29 UDB Well, there were seven brothers in one family. The oldest one married a woman but she did not have any children. Later he died, leaving her to be a widow. BSB BSB: Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a wife but died childless.
30 UDB The second brother followed this law and married the widow, but the same thing happened to him. BSB BSB: Then the second
31 UDB Then the third brother married her, but the same thing happened again. All seven brothers, one by one, married that woman, but they had no children, and one by one they died. BSB BSB: and the third married the widow, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children.
32 UDB Afterwards, the woman also died. BSB BSB: And last of all, the woman died.
33 UDB Therefore, if it is true that there will be a time when people who have died will become alive again, whose wife do you think that woman will be then? Keep in mind that she was married to all seven brothers!" BSB BSB: So then, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”
34 UDB Jesus replied to them, "In this world, men take wives, and people give their daughters in marriage to men. BSB BSB: Jesus answered, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.
35 UDB But the people whom God considers worthy of being in heaven after they rise from the dead will not marry. BSB BSB: But those who are considered worthy to share in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage.
36 UDB Also, they cannot die anymore, because they are like the angels of God who live forever. They are God's children, since they are children whom God raised to new life. BSB BSB: In fact, they can no longer die, because they are like the angels. And since they are sons of the resurrection, they are sons of God.
37 UDB But Moses wrote about how God raises the dead to life in the Old Testament. We see this in the passage about the burning bush. In that scripture he calls the Lord, 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' Moses showed us that although the leaders of God's people had died, they still worship and honor God. BSB BSB: Even Moses demonstrates that the dead are raised, in the passage about the burning bush. For he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
38 UDB Now he is the God of those who are alive. He is not the God of people who are dead! But all of us are given life so we can be with God, and when we are with him, we can honor him!" BSB BSB: He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.”
39 UDB Some of the teachers of the Jewish law replied, "Teacher, you have answered very well!" BSB BSB: Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, You have spoken well!”
40 UDB After that, no one dared to ask him any more questions like that to trap him. BSB BSB: And they did not dare to question Him any further.
Whose Son Is the Christ? (Matthew 22:41–46; Mark 12:35–37)
41 UDB Later Jesus said to them, "How can it be said that the Christ is King David's son? How is that possible? BSB BSB: Then Jesus declared, “How can it be said that the Christ is the Son of David?
42 UDB David himself wrote in the Book of Psalms about the Christ: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit here beside me and I will give you the honor you deserve. BSB BSB: For David himself says in the book of Psalms: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand
43 UDB Sit here while I completely defeat your enemies and put them all under your control."' BSB BSB: until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’
44 UDB "If King David calls the Christ 'my Lord,' then how can the Christ be his descendant? But the Christ comes through the family of King David, and so he is much more than a descendant!" BSB BSB: Thus David calls Him ‘Lord.’ So how can He be David’s son?”
Beware of the Scribes (Mark 12:38–40)
45 UDB While all the other people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, BSB BSB: In the hearing of all the people, Jesus said to His disciples,
46 UDB "Beware that you do not act like the men who teach our Jewish laws. They like to put on long robes and walk around to make people think they are very important. They also like people to greet them respectfully in the marketplaces. They like to sit in the most important places in the synagogues. At dinner parties they like to sit in the seats where the most honored people sit. BSB BSB: “Beware of the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, and they love the greetings in the marketplaces, the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets.
47 UDB They also steal all the property of widows. Then they pray for a long time in public. God will certainly punish them very severely." BSB BSB: They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”