Luke 20:1-19

1One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts1 and proclaiming the gospel, the chief priests and scribes, together with the elders, came up to Him. 2“Tell us,” they said, “by what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”

3“I will also ask you a question,” Jesus replied. “Tell Me: 4John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men?”

5They deliberated among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

7So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

8And Jesus replied, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

9Then He proceeded to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it out to some tenants, and went away for a long time. 10At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.

11So he sent another servant, but they beat him and treated him shamefully, sending him away empty-handed.

12Then he sent a third, but they wounded him and threw him out.

13‘What shall I do?’ asked the owner of the vineyard. ‘I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.’

14But when the tenants saw the son, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”

And when the people heard this, they said, “May such a thing never happen!”

17But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:

18Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.”

19When the scribes and chief priests realized that Jesus had spoken this parable against them, they sought to arrest Him that very hour. But they were afraid of the people.