Luke 20:6 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet."

NIV: But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet."

NASB: But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, since they are convinced that John was a prophet.'

CSB: But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet."

NLT: But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.'

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

NKJV: But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

A group of Jerusalem's religious leaders are in a dilemma. Jesus has driven out merchants and money changers who cheated pilgrims. Most of the victims were Jews traveling for Passover, in need of birds for sacrifices and special coins for the temple tax (Luke 19:45–46). The elders probably owned some of those merchant booths and paid some of the priests for the opportunity. They have asked Jesus who gave Him the authority to cost them so much money and they've brought lawyers with them. If Jesus says He got the authority from heaven, they can arrest Him for blasphemy (Luke 20:1–2). Maybe they can even describe it as an attack on the temple itself—it was a capital offense against Roman law to damage a religious structure.

But Jesus, having turned over literal tables at the temple, "turned the table" on this attack. He doesn't tell them where He got His authority. Rather, He asks a question to establish what they mean by "authority." He asks if they believe the prior witness to Jesus: John the Baptist. Do they believe in the baptism of John (Luke 20:3–4)? To believe in a teacher's baptism is to believe in his body of teaching. That would include the part where John called Jesus the Lamb of God, the Son of God, and He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit (John 1:29–34).

It would easy for the leaders to deny John as well as Jesus, if not for the people surrounding them, listening intensely. The leaders want Jesus to blaspheme God in front of the crowd. But they are afraid to publicly deny John; the crowd around them loves John nearly as much as Jesus (Luke 7:28–30). Even though John had been killed about three years prior (Mark 6:14–29; Luke 9:9; 20:5), the common people think of him as a prophet, perhaps even the return of Elijah (John 1:21). The leaders want Jesus dead, but not at the expense of their own lives.

So, they prevaricate: they dodge the issue with an evasive, ultimately untrue answer. They say they don't know (Luke 20:7). They lose their argument and keep the crowd from reacting in anger. Jesus recognizes this as a lack of conviction, and therefore a lack of sincerity. If these men cannot say how they view authority, and cannot say what they really think, there is no reason for Jesus to respond to their questions (Luke 20:8).

And yet, Jesus won't set the issue aside. He tells a parable about tenants of a vineyard who rebel against the owner. After they kill the owner's only son, the owner kills and replaces them. The Jewish leaders understand the threat and increase their efforts to destroy Jesus (Luke 20:9–18).

Luke 20:1–8 begins the religious leaders' attack on Jesus' authority. Chief priests, scribes, and elders question Jesus' religious authority regarding the cleansing of the temple (Luke 19:45–46). In turn, Jesus challenges them to judge John the Baptist, the witness to Jesus' authority. Afraid of the crowd who believed John was a prophet, the religious leaders refuse to answer. Jesus responds with a parable about the Son of God (Luke 20:9–18). In the mirror image of this segment, Jesus will describe how the scribes' own sinful actions prove them unqualified to lead (Luke 20:45–47). Matthew 21:23–27 and Mark 11:27–33 also give accounts of this interaction.

Luke 20 is a chiasm about authority. Jesus has entered Jerusalem and cleansed the temple (Luke 19:28–46). Now, the priests and teachers attack Jesus' authority in religion, law, and doctrine; Jesus defends Himself and shows their sinful lifestyles disqualify them for authority. After holding up a widow as a better role model (Luke 21:1–4), Jesus warns His disciples about the challenges they will face in the coming years, including the destruction of Jerusalem (Luke 21:5–38). The events in Luke 20 are also discussed in Matthew 21—23 and Mark 11—12.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.