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But they discussed it among themselves, saying ‘ If we say ‘from heaven’ He will say ‘For what reason did you not believe him?’

Luke 20:5

Makes sense. Why didn’t they believe him? What more would John or Jesus have had to do in order to convince these men. Jesus asks them very pointedly in their minds what it was that kept them from accepting John’s message.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word. It pulls us out of ourselves and reminds us of the Truth. You do not lie. Everything You have shared with us is vitally important. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

The baptism of John was from heaven; or was it from men?

Luke 20:4

The way Jesus asks this He suggests that ‘from heaven’ is the correct answer. He likely said it in such a way that anyone listening would know this. This, He incurred no negative response from the people, and yet left a dangerous question for the Jewish leadership to answer.

Heavenly Father, thank You for this world You have made! It is so beautiful and I am so amazed by it. Your creation is wonderful, and even with the horrible impact of sin, I enjoy it so much. Your Word is even more wonderous, and I hope I can learn and apply a fraction of what it teaches. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But He answered and said to them, ‘I also will ask you one, and you answer Me.’

Luke 20:3

Some might view this as a way to avoid conflict, or even to keep from claiming divinity, but neither is the case. Jesus knew their intent with this question, but His answer would get to the heart of the issue. John the Baptist was the forerunner of Christ. Acceptance of John’s authority was crucial to an understanding of the true identity of Jesus.

Heavenly Father, thank You for loving us like You do. We are so self-focused. Thank You for teaching us how to love others with genuineness. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things, or who is it that gave you this authority?

Luke 20:2

This is actually a really good question, even if the goal was to catch Jesus equating Himself with God so as to have, in their minds, legal course to kill Him. It is the question they really needed to know the answer to.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wisdom! You have set before us the path for our feet, and yet we so often fail to walk in it. How can I ever thank You enough for Your blessings? In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And it happened on one of the days that He was teaching in the temple and preaching the gospel, that the priests and the scribes together with the elders stood and spoke to Him, saying,

Luke 20:1

This was an organized event intended to catch Jesus. It could give the Jewish leaders an opportunity to accuse Christ in spite of the people. The opposition to Him was strong even if it was not completely unified. The priests and scribes likely had different motivations than the elders. But they were in enough agreement to have the same end goal.

Heavenly Father, You always know what is best. We so often think we know the best things, and are so far off. Thank You for not leaving us alone. Thank You for the convicting power of Your Spirit. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

But they could not find a way to do anything to Him because all of the people hung around to hear Him.

Luke 19:48

When Jesus was at the temple, He would have been easy to take aside on the sly. But He was so popular that the people were always gathered around to hear Him. Too many witnesses.

The Jewish leaders wanted rid of this menace, but they had to be careful. One of the reasons they wanted rid of Him was because they feared trouble with the Romans. But taking action against Christ without being very careful about it could also cause that kind of trouble.

Heavenly Father, thank You for controlling everything. Evil people want to be in control, but they cannot resist You successfully. You have it all figured out. Thank You for each day that we have in Your care. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests and scribes wanted to destroy Him, as did the rulers of the people.

Luke 19:47

It is so sad that most of the Jewish leaders failed to recognize Jesus for Who He is. They wanted rid of Him for several reasons, but mainly it was because of His popularity.

Heavenly Father, Your plan is beautiful and yet we have difficulty understanding it. We fail to see Your Truth even though You put it in front of us. Thank You for Your grace! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Saying to them, ‘It is written, My house is a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’

Luke 19:46

Jesus is quoting from Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. These are passages that the leaders of the Jews would have been familiar with. As a result, this comment from Christ would have hit hard. And if Jesus’s hearers reflected upon the context of these quotes, they would have clearly understood how serious He was.

Heavenly Father, thank You for how Your Word intertwines and makes Your Truth clear to us. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Then He went into the temple and began to drive out those who sold in it, and the purchasers,

Luke 19:45

In preparation for the Passover the Jews would cleanse their homes of leaven. Jesus does the same here. His house must not contain the leaven of unholiness.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your ongoing work in our hearts. You are active in sanctification by Your Spirit. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

And they will raze you to the ground, and your children in you; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not understand the time of your visitation.

Luke 19:44

Remember Jesus is addressing the city, which is why He says it the way He does. The event here described was a major turning point in the history of the Jewish people. There has been no Jewish temple since that time.

Heavenly Father, it is reassuring to know that You have a purpose in everything. When we see the success of the enemy it confuses us. But we know Your plan is not frustrated. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.