Verse-by-Verse Commentary
The Book of Luke
Chapter 20: The Stone Which the Builders Rejected
Luke 20 is a day of confrontation in the temple, as the rulers of Israel try one snare after another to trap the Lord, and He answers each with wisdom that silences them and exposes their hearts. When they demand by what authority He acts, He asks about the baptism of John, and their cowardice leaves them speechless. He tells the parable of the wicked husbandmen who beat the servants and kill the beloved son, and declares Himself the rejected stone become 'the head of the corner.' When they ask about tribute, He answers, 'Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.' When the Sadducees mock the resurrection, He shows from Moses that God 'is not a God of the dead, but of the living.' And He turns the tables with His own question: how can Christ be David's son when David calls Him Lord? He closes by warning the people to 'beware of the scribes,' who parade their religion while they 'devour widows' houses.' The chapter reveals Christ as the rejected but exalted cornerstone, the Lord of both Caesar's realm and God's, the God of the living, and the Lord whom David himself adored.
About This Commentary
This is a verse-by-verse study of Luke chapter 20. For each section you will find the KJV text, the Greek words that sharpen the meaning, plain explanation, and a Gospel Focus. Here Jesus faces the challenges of the chief priests, Pharisees, and Sadducees, and answers with the parable of the husbandmen, the word on tribute, the truth of the resurrection, and the mystery of David's Lord. Every Scripture quotation is from the King James Version.
Setting the Stage
By What Authority?
The rulers challenge Him; His counter-question silences them.
The Head of the Corner
The beloved son is killed; the rejected stone is exalted.
Render Unto Caesar
Give Caesar his due, and to God the things that are God's.
God of the Living
The dead are raised; David's Lord is more than David's son.
The Stone Which the Builders Rejected (Luke 20:1-19)
The rulers challenge Jesus' authority, and He answers with a parable that foretells His rejection and death, and His exaltation as the cornerstone.
The Same Is Become the Head of the Corner
"And it came to 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? 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, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 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 a 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 written, 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. 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."
Word Study
"the head of the corner," Greek kephale gonias (κεφαλὴ γωνίας). The phrase means the chief cornerstone, the head of the corner, the great stone set at the angle of a building to bind two walls together and to which every other stone is aligned. Jesus applies to Himself the words of the Psalm: "The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner." The builders, the leaders of Israel, examined the stone and cast it aside as worthless; but God made that very rejected stone the foundation and cornerstone of His whole building. It is a picture of the cross and resurrection: Christ rejected and slain by men, then raised and exalted by God to be the one foundation of the Church, "for other foundation can no man lay" (1 Corinthians 3:11).
Explanation
Challenged over His authority, Jesus traps the leaders with a question about John's baptism they dare not answer, then tells the parable of the wicked husbandmen: the vineyard owner sends servants (the prophets) who are beaten, and finally "my beloved son," whom the tenants kill to seize the inheritance. He is openly foretelling His own murder and its result -- the vineyard given to others -- and seals it with Psalm 118: "the stone which the builders rejected... is become the head of the corner." The leaders perceive He spoke the parable against them, and their fury at the truth only fulfills it.
Gospel Focus
The rulers open the day's contest by challenging Jesus' authority: "by what authority doest thou these things?" Rather than answer directly, He poses a question that exposes them: "The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?" They are trapped, not by ignorance but by cowardice; they will not say "from heaven," for then they should have believed John (and John pointed to Jesus), and they dare not say "of men," for fear of the people. So they plead ignorance, and Jesus declines to answer men who will not deal honestly with the truth already given. Then He tells a parable that lays their hearts bare. A man plants a vineyard, Israel, and lets it to husbandmen, the nation's leaders, then sends servants, the prophets, to collect the fruit. One after another the servants are beaten, shamed, and wounded, just as Israel treated the prophets. At last the owner sends "my beloved son", and here the parable becomes prophecy of what these very men are about to do, "This is the heir: come, let us kill him", and "they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him," even as Jesus would be led outside the city and crucified. The judgment follows: the lord of the vineyard "shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others", the kingdom taken from unbelieving leaders and given to a new people who bear fruit. The hearers recoil, "God forbid," but Jesus fixes His eyes on them and cites the Scripture that seals it: "The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner." Their rejection of Him will not defeat God's plan; it will fulfill it, for the very stone they cast away God will make the cornerstone. And He adds a solemn warning about this stone: "Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." Christ is a stone men must reckon with; to stumble over Him in unbelief is ruin, and to be found against Him at the last is to be crushed. The leaders understood perfectly, "they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them," and only their fear of the people held back their hands. The rejected Son is the exalted cornerstone; how a man deals with this stone decides everything.
He Is Not a God of the Dead, but of the Living (Luke 20:20-40)
Jesus answers the snare about tribute and the mockery of the Sadducees, teaching both true citizenship and the reality of the resurrection.
Render Unto Caesar, and Unto God
"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 might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor. 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 Caesar, or no? But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's. And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's. And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace. Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him, Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's 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 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."
Word Study
"render," Greek apodidomi (ἀποδίδωμι). The word means to give back, to pay what is due, to render as a debt owed. Jesus does not say merely "give" to Caesar but "render", pay back, for the coin bears Caesar's image and is his due. "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's." The word cuts to the heart of the matter: some things are owed to earthly government, taxes, order, honour, and paying them is a duty, not a compromise. But the greater debt is to God: as the coin bears Caesar's image and is rendered to Caesar, so man bears the image of God and is owed wholly to God. Give the state its due, but give God yourself, for you are stamped with His image.
Explanation
Spies try to trap Jesus on taxes, and He turns it with "render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's" -- the coin bears Caesar's image, but the man bears God's. The Sadducees mock the resurrection with a riddle, and Jesus answers that the risen are "equal unto the angels" and "children of God," then proves the resurrection from the Torah: God calls Himself "the God of Abraham" long after Abraham died, "for he is not a God of the dead, but of the living." The covenant God does not lose His people to the grave; all live to Him.
Gospel Focus
Unable to seize Him openly, the rulers send spies "which should feign themselves just men" to trap Him with a political question: "Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?" If He says yes, He offends the people who hate Roman rule; if no, He can be reported as a rebel to the governor. Jesus perceives their craftiness and asks for a coin: "Whose image and superscription hath it?" It bears Caesar's image, so Caesar has a claim; "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's." In one sentence He affirms the legitimate claims of civil government and the higher claims of God, and neither cancels the other. The believer is a citizen of two realms, owing honour and taxes to the state and total devotion to God; and as the coin bears Caesar's stamp, so man bears the image of God and belongs wholly to Him. They marvel and fall silent. Then the Sadducees, who "deny that there is any resurrection," try their own trap with a fabricated riddle: a woman married in turn to seven brothers, so "in the resurrection whose wife of them is she?" Jesus corrects their fundamental error. Resurrection life is not a mere continuation of this world's arrangements: "The children of this world marry... but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage." The risen are "equal unto the angels" in that they no longer die, and are "the children of God, being the children of the resurrection." Then He proves the resurrection itself from the very books of Moses the Sadducees revered: at the burning bush God called Himself "the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob", long after the patriarchs had died. "He is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him." Because God is the covenant God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and God does not belong to the dead and gone, those patriarchs must live to Him still, and must one day rise. The living God guarantees the life of His people beyond the grave. Even some scribes are impressed, "Master, thou hast well said," and after this "they durst not ask him any question at all." Christ has answered every snare, upholding duty to the state, devotion to God, and the certainty of the resurrection.
David Calleth Him Lord (Luke 20:41-47)
Jesus poses the question that reveals His deity, and warns the people against the proud, devouring scribes.
How Is He Then His Son?
"And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's son? And David himself saith 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? 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 shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation."
Word Study
"Lord," Greek kurios (κύριος). The word means lord, master, owner, one who has supreme authority; in the Greek Old Testament it stands for the covenant name of God, the LORD. In the Psalm Jesus cites, the first "LORD" renders the divine name (YHWH), and "my Lord" (adoni, "my lord") is the one to whom God says, "Sit thou on my right hand." David, by the Spirit, calls the Messiah his "Lord", his sovereign, the One seated at God's right hand. The Christ is therefore not merely David's descendant according to the flesh but David's Lord, God manifest. This is the mystery of the incarnation: the Son of David is the very LORD of David, for in Jesus Christ the one God has come in flesh, and the throne at God's right hand is His own.
Explanation
Jesus poses the question the leaders cannot answer: how can the Messiah be David's son when David calls Him "my Lord" in Psalm 110 -- "The Lord said unto my Lord"? The unspoken answer is that the Christ is more than David's descendant; He is David's Lord, God come in the flesh of David's line. Then He warns the people against the scribes who love long robes and chief seats yet "devour widows' houses" and pray long prayers for show. Their outward religion masks inward greed, and "the same shall receive greater damnation." The King whom David called Lord sees through every pious pretense.
Gospel Focus
Having answered every question put to Him, Jesus now asks one of His own, and it goes to the very heart of who He is. The scribes taught, rightly, that the Christ would be "David's son," of David's royal line. But Jesus points to the opening of Psalm 110, which David wrote by the Spirit, where David says, "The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand." In that verse the LORD, the covenant God, addresses David's "Lord," the Messiah, inviting Him to the place of highest honour and authority at God's own right hand. So Jesus presses the point: "David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?" How can the Messiah be at once David's descendant and David's Lord? The answer, which the scribes could not give, is the mystery of the incarnation: the Christ is truly the son of David according to the flesh, but He is also, and gloriously, David's Lord, God Himself come in flesh. The One who would sit at God's right hand is no mere man of David's line but the LORD manifest, the King exalted above all. This is the confession the gospel proclaims, that the child born of David's house is the Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, in whom the fullness of the Godhead dwells. Then, with the true Lord thus revealed, Jesus turns to warn the people against the false shepherds. "Beware of the scribes," He says, whose religion is all show: they love the long robes, the public greetings, the best seats, and the places of honour, feeding their pride on the reverence of men. Worse, "they devour widows' houses," exploiting the vulnerable under a cloak of piety, "and for a shew make long prayers," using religion as a mask for greed. Their doom is fixed: "the same shall receive greater damnation," for privilege and pretended holiness only deepen judgment when the heart is false. So the chapter closes with the two great realities side by side: the true Lord, David's son and David's Lord, God in flesh, worthy of all worship; and the false teachers, proud, greedy, and hollow, under the greater judgment. Know the real Lord, and beware the counterfeits.
Chapter 20 in Review
Luke 20 is a chapter of confrontation in which every attempt to trap the Lord ends in His triumph and the exposure of His challengers. He silences the demand for His credentials with the question about John's baptism; He unmasks the murderous hearts of the leaders in the parable of the wicked husbandmen and declares Himself "the stone which the builders rejected," become "the head of the corner." He answers the tribute trap with "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's," and refutes the Sadducees' mockery of the resurrection by showing that God "is not a God of the dead, but of the living." Then He asks His own question, how Christ can be David's son when David calls Him "Lord," and warns the people to "beware of the scribes" who "devour widows' houses."
For the Apostolic reader the chapter is a portrait of Christ in His authority and His deity. He is the beloved Son sent last of all, rejected and killed by the husbandmen, yet made by God the cornerstone of a new people, the one foundation on which all must be built; and He is the stone men cannot avoid, salvation to those who fall on Him in faith, and judgment to those against whom He falls. He teaches His people to give the state its due and God His greater due, for we bear God's image and owe Him ourselves. He guarantees the resurrection by the living God who is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob still. And in the mystery of David's Lord He unveils His own glory: the son of David is the LORD of David, God manifest in flesh, seated at God's right hand, Jesus Christ our Lord. Against the backdrop of the proud, devouring scribes who shall receive greater damnation, He stands as the true and only Lord, the rejected stone now exalted, worthy of all worship. Build on this cornerstone, render to God what is God's, hope in the God of the living, and worship David's Lord.
- The beloved Son is rejected and slain, yet made the cornerstone (20:13-17).
- How a man deals with the rejected stone decides everything (20:18).
- Give the state its due, and give God yourself, for you bear His image (20:25).
- God is the God of the living; the dead in covenant with Him shall rise (20:38).
- Christ is David's son and David's Lord, God manifest in flesh (20:42-44).
- Beware religion that is all show and preys on the weak (20:46-47).
Questions for Reflection
- Have you built your life on Christ the cornerstone, or stumbled over Him?
- Do you give God the devotion owed to the One whose image you bear?
- Does the hope of the resurrection shape how you live and grieve?
- Do you worship Jesus as David's Lord, God come in flesh?
References & Sources
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version (KJV). Supporting passages are listed so every claim can be verified in its own setting. The vineyard and its husbandmen: Isaiah 5:1-7; Matthew 21:33-46. The rejected stone made the cornerstone: Psalm 118:22-23; Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:6-8; Ephesians 2:20. Render to Caesar and to God: Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17; Genesis 1:27. The resurrection and the God of the living: Exodus 3:6; Matthew 22:31-32; 1 Corinthians 15. David's Lord and the deity of Christ: Psalm 110:1; Acts 2:34-36; Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 3:16. If anything here does not look right, a verse, a reference, or a wording, please tell us at info@FruitBearers.net. Thank you for helping us keep Bible Learning error free.
- Authority and the wicked husbandmen: Luke 20:1-19; Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 118:22-23.
- Tribute to Caesar and the resurrection: Luke 20:20-40; Romans 13:1-7; Exodus 3:6.
- David's Lord and the scribes: Luke 20:41-47; Psalm 110:1; Acts 2:34-36.