Did religious leaders try to trap Jesus? How did He answer their challenges? Do people ever try to trap us? Let’s look at Luke 20.
Wise leaders do not answer every question. Some questions are traps. Did Jesus answer every question?
On one of the days when Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests, legal experts, and elders approached him. They said, “Tell us: What kind of authority do you have for doing these things? Who gave you this authority?” He replied, “I have a question for you. Tell me: Was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin?” They discussed among themselves, “If we say, ‘It’s of heavenly origin,’ he’ll say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘It’s of human origin,’ all the people will stone us to death because they are convinced that John was a prophet.” They answered that they didn’t know where it came from. Then Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you what kind of authority I have to do these things.” (Luke 20:1-8 CEB)
Jesus often told stories with a lesson attached, parables. What can we learn from the parable of the evil vineyard tenants?
Jesus told the people this story: A man once planted a vineyard and rented it out. Then he left the country for a long time. When it was time to harvest the crop, he sent a servant to ask the renters for his share of the grapes. But they beat up the servant and sent him away without anything. So the owner sent another servant. The renters also beat him up. They insulted him terribly and sent him away without a thing. The owner sent a third servant. He was also beaten terribly and thrown out of the vineyard. The owner then said to himself, “What am I going to do? I know what. I'll send my son, the one I love so much. They will surely respect him!” When the renters saw the owner's son, they said to one another, “Someday he will own the vineyard. Let's kill him! Then we can have it all for ourselves.” So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Jesus asked, “What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? I'll tell you what. He will come and kill those renters and let someone else have his vineyard.” When the people heard this, they said, “This must never happen!”(Luke 20:9-14 CEV)
Was the parable directed towards religious leaders? Can we become like them or are we humble and repentant?
But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. (Luke 20:17-19 ESV)
Did the scribes and chief priests repent or seek to trap Jesus?
They watched closely and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, so they could catch Him in what He said, to hand Him over to the governor’s rule and authority. They questioned Him, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You don’t show partiality, but teach truthfully the way of God. Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But detecting their craftiness, He said to them, “Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” “Caesar’s,” they said. “Well then,” He told them, “give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s.” They were not able to catch Him in what He said in public, and being amazed at His answer, they became silent. (Luke 20:20-26 HCSB)
Did the Sadducees now try to set a trap for Jesus?
Now some Sadducees, who claim there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no child, the man should marry the widow and have children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died childless. Then the second and the third married her. In the same way, all seven died and left no children. Finally, the woman died, too. Now in the resurrection, whose wife will the woman be, since the seven had married her?” (Luke 20:27-33 ISV)
Will we still be married in the resurrection? Do angels marry?
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 shewed 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. Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said. And after that they durst not ask him any question at all. (Luke 20:34-40 KJV)
Is the Trinity hinted at in the Old Testament? What is one example?
Then He said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies as a footstool for Your feet.”’ Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord,’ so how is He his son?” And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, “Beware of the scribes, who want to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, and best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” (Luke 20:41-47 LSB)
Did the religious leaders try to trap Jesus? How did He answer their challenges? Do people ever try to trap us? You decide!
