Luke 20:1
On one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him,
(a) Teaching. Jesus often taught and preached the gospel in the temple (Matt. 26:55). He did this because that’s where people congregated (Luke 21:38) and to fulfill the words of the prophet Malachi: “the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple” (Mal. 3:1).
(b) Preaching. Announcing the good news. The original word for preaching (euaggelizo) is closely related to the word for gospel (euaggelion). This is one of three words that are commonly translated as “preaching” in the New Testament. See entry for Acts 5:42.
(c) The gospel refers to the gospel of Christ or the gospel of God or the gospel of the kingdom. These are all different labels for the gospel of grace. See entry for The Gospel.
(d) The chief priests; see entry for Matt. 2:4.
(e) Scribes; see entry for Matt. 5:20.
(f) Elders; see entry for Matt. 16:21.
Luke 20:13
“The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’
My beloved son. This is a direct reference to Jesus, the beloved Son of God. See entry for Matthew 3:17.
Luke 20:41
Then He said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is David’s son?
It was widely believed that the Messiah or Christ would descend from David’s line (Matt. 22:42).
Luke 20:42–43
“For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET.”’
(a) The Lord. Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1 to show that David referred to the Messiah as Lord.
(b) Sit at my right hand. The Son shares his Father’s throne; see entry for Matt. 22:44.
(c) Enemies; see entry for Matt. 22:44.
Luke 20:44
“Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son?”
Lord. Fathers don’t call their sons Lord, yet David referred to the Messiah as Lord. How can he be both? The Pharisees could not answer (Matt. 22:46), but the implication was clear: The Messiah is more than David’s descendent, he is David’s Lord. He is more than the Son of David, he is the Son of God.
Luke 20:47
who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
Greater condemnation. Jesus is not saying there are levels to God’s judgment. Condemnation of any sort is self-inflicted (Matt. 12:37, John 3:18). The greater condemnation is that inflicted by the hardened and grace-resistant heart. See entry for Matt. 23:14.
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