Study Desk

^(C1)On one of the days while ^(C2)He was teaching the people in the temple and ^(C3)preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders ^(C4)confronted Him,

and they declared, saying to Him, "Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?"

But He replied to them, "I will also ask you a ^(F1)question, and you tell Me:

"Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"

They discussed among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'

"But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us to death, since they are convinced that John was a ^(C1)prophet."

And so they answered that they did not know where it came from.

And Jesus said to them, "Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things."

^(C1)But He began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and leased it to ^(F1)vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time.

"At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him his share of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

"And he proceeded to send another slave; but they beat him also and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

"And he proceeded to send a third; but this one too they wounded and threw out.

"Now the ^(F1)owner of the vineyard said, 'What am I to do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will ^(C1)respect him.'

"But when the vine-growers saw him, they discussed with one another, saying, 'This is the heir; let's kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.'

"And so they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What, then, will the ^(F1)owner of the vineyard do to them?

"He will come and ^(C1)put these vine-growers to death, and will give the vineyard to others." However, when they heard this, they said, "^(C2)May it never happen!"

But ^(F1)Jesus looked at them and said, "Then what is this statement that has been written: '^(C1)A STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS HAS BECOME ^(C2)THE ^(F2)CHIEF CORNERSTONE'?

"^(C1)Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will crush him."

The scribes and the chief priests ^(C1)tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and yet they feared the people; for they were aware that He had spoken this parable against them.

^(C1)And so they watched Him ^(F1)closely, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, in order ^(C2)that they might catch Him in some statement, so that they could hand Him over to the jurisdiction and authority of ^(C3)the governor.

And the spies questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You ^(F1)are not partial to anyone, but You teach the way of God on the basis of truth.

"Is it ^(F1)permissible for us ^(C1)to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"

But He saw through their trickery and said to them,

"Show Me a ^(F1)denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?" They said, "Caesar's."

And He said to them, "Then ^(C1)pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

And they were unable to ^(C1)catch Him in a statement in the presence of the people; and they were amazed at His answer, and said nothing.

^(C1)Now some of the ^(C2)Sadducees (who maintain that there is no resurrection) came to Him,

and they questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that ^(C1)if ^(F1)a man's brother dies, ^(F2)leaving a wife, and he is childless, that his brother is to ^(F3)marry the wife and raise up children ^(F4)for his brother.

"So then, there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless;

and the second

and the third ^(F1)married her; and in the same way ^(F2)all seven ^(F3)died, leaving no children.

"Finally the woman also died.

"Therefore, in the resurrection, ^(F1)which one's wife does the woman become? For ^(F2)all seven ^(F3)married her."

Jesus said to them, "The sons of ^(C1)this age marry and the women are given in marriage,

but those who are considered worthy to attain to ^(C1)that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;

for they cannot even die anymore, for they are like angels, and are ^(C1)sons of God, being ^(F1)sons of the resurrection.

"But as for the fact that the dead are raised, even Moses revealed this in ^(C1)the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord ^(C2)THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB.

"^(C1)Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for ^(C2)all live to Him."

Some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."

For ^(C1)they did not have the courage to question Him any longer about anything.

^(C1)But He said to them, "How is it that they say the ^(F1)Christ is ^(C2)David's son?

"For David himself says in the book of Psalms, '^(C1)THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

^(C1)UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."'

"Therefore David calls Him 'Lord,' and so how is He his son?"

^(C1)And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples,

"Beware of the scribes, ^(C1)who like to walk around in long robes, and love personal greetings in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets,

who ^(F1)devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers. These will receive all the more condemnation."

^(C1)Now He looked up and saw the wealthy putting their gifts into the temple treasury.

And He saw a poor widow putting ^(F1)in ^(C1)two ^(F2)lepta coins.

And He said, "Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all of them;

for they all ^(F1)contributed to the ^(F2)offering from their ^(F3)surplus; but she, from her poverty, put in all ^(F4)that she had ^(C1)to live on."

^(C1)And while some were talking about the temple, that it was decorated with beautiful stones and ^(F1)vowed gifts, He said,

"As for these things which you are observing, the days will come when ^(C1)there will not be left one stone upon ^(F1)another, which will not be torn down."

They asked Him questions, saying, "Teacher, when therefore will these things happen? And what will be the ^(F1)sign when these things are about to take place?"

And He said, "See to it that you are not misled; for many will come in My name, saying, '^(C1)I am He,' and, 'The time is near.' ^(C2)Do not go after them.

"And when you hear of wars and revolts, do not be alarmed; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately."

Then He continued by saying to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,

and there will be ^(F1)massive earthquakes, and in various places plagues and famines; and there will be terrible sights and great ^(F2)signs from heaven.

"But before all these things, ^(C1)they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, turning you over to the synagogues and prisons, ^(F1)bringing you before kings and governors on account of My name.

"^(C1)It will lead to ^(F1)an opportunity for your testimony.

"^(C1)So ^(F1)make up your minds not to prepare beforehand to defend yourselves;

for ^(C1)I will provide you ^(F1)eloquence and wisdom which none of your adversaries will be able to oppose or refute.

"But you will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, other relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death,

and you will be hated by all people because of My name.

"And yet ^(C1)not a hair of your head will perish.

"^(C1)By your endurance you will gain your ^(F1)lives.

"But when you see Jerusalem ^(C1)surrounded by armies, then ^(F1)recognize that her desolation is near.

"Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside ^(F1)the city must leave, and ^(C1)those who are in the country must not enter ^(F1)the city;

because these are ^(C1)days of punishment, so that all things which have been written will be fulfilled.

"Woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for ^(C1)there will be great distress upon the ^(F1)land, and wrath to this people;

and they will fall by ^(C1)the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and ^(C2)Jerusalem will be ^(C3)trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until ^(C4)the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

"There will be ^(F1)signs in the sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,

people fainting from fear and the expectation of the things that are coming upon the ^(F1)world; for the powers of ^(F2)the heavens will be shaken.

"And ^(C1)then they will see ^(C2)the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

"But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because ^(C1)your redemption is drawing near."

And He told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees:

as soon as they put forth leaves, you see for yourselves and ^(C1)know that summer is now near.

"So you too, when you see these things happening, ^(F1)recognize that ^(C1)the kingdom of God is near.

"Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.

"^(C1)Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

"But ^(C1)be on your guard, so that your hearts will not be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of life, and that ^(F1)this day will not come on you suddenly, like a trap;

for it will come upon all those who live on the face of all the earth.

"But ^(C1)stay alert at all times, praying that you will have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to ^(C2)stand before the Son of Man."

Now ^(F1)during the day He was ^(C1)teaching in the temple, but ^(F2)(C2)at evening He would go out and spend the night on ^(C3)the ^(F3)mountain that is called ^(F4)Olivet.

And all the people would get up ^(C1)very early in the morning to come to Him in the temple to listen to Him.