HarperCollins Study Bible

by Harold W. Attridge

  20.24 A Roman denarius of this era bore the engraved image of Tiberius Caesar (see 3.1; cf. Ex 20.4; Deut 5.8) and the inscription “SON OF THE DIVINE AUGUSTUS” (cf. Ex 20.23).

  20.25 Jesus’ answer changes the question from what one owes the emperor (i.e., coins with his image) to what belongs to God (people with God’s image; Gen 1.26–27). See also Rom 13.6–7; 1 Pet 2.13–17.

  20.27–40 Cf. Mt 22.23–33; Mk 12.18–27. The third controversy introduces new opponents (cf. vv. 1–8, 20–26).

  20.27 The Sadducees denied the Pharisaic teachings of resurrection and angels (see also Acts 4.2; 23.6–10) and were closely linked with the temple leadership (Acts 4.1; 5.17).

  20.28–33 The case cited by the Sadducees is absurd but refers to the law of levirate (brother-in-law) marriage, which kept a deceased husband’s name alive (Deut 25.5–6; see also Gen 38.8).

  20.34–36 Marry, i.e., to procreate. This is no longer necessary for those who inherit eternal life in the age to come.

  20.37 Moses himself. Sadducees recognized only the authority of the books of Moses (the written Torah), which contain no explicit references to the resurrection. Jesus finds an implicit reference in Ex 3.6.

  20.38 See 4 Macc 7.19.

  20.41–44 Cf. Mt 22.41–46; Mk 12.35–37a. Jesus now poses a question to his former questioners.

  20.41 The Messiah is David’s Son. See notes on 1.55; 18.38.

  20.42–43 See Ps 110.1. For a somewhat different use of this text, see Acts 2.32–36.

  20.44 Since elsewhere the messianic title son of David is applied to Jesus (18.38–39; see also 1.32, 69), the meaning here is that this title, though correct, is not adequate, especially insofar as it suggests Jesus’ subordination to David. Cf. 1.35.

  20.45–47 Cf. Mt 23.1–36; Mk 12.37b–40. Jesus’ concluding attack in the hearing of all the people on the scribes recalls his denouncement of the Pharisees in 11.37–52.

  20.46 Places of honor. See 14.7–11.

  20.47 Widows. See note on 18.3; cf. 21.1–4.

  Luke 21

  The Widow’s Offering

  1He looked up and saw rich people putting their gifts into the treasury; 2he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins. 3He said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; 4for all of them have contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

  The Destruction of the Temple Foretold

  5When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 6“As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.”

  Signs and Persecutions

  7They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 8And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’a and, ‘The time is near!’b Do not go after them.

  9“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” 10Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.

  12“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; 15for I will give you wordsc and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17You will be hated by all because of my name. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By your endurance you will gain your souls.

  The Destruction of Jerusalem Foretold

  20“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near.d 21Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it; 22for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfillment of all that is written. 23Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people; 24they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

  The Coming of the Son of Man

  25“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. 26People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

  The Lesson of the Fig Tree

  29Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

  Exhortation to Watch

  34“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

  37Every day he was teaching in the temple, and at night he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives, as it was called. 38And all the people would get up early in the morning to listen to him in the temple.

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  a Gk I am

  b Or at hand

  c Gk a mouth

  d Or is at hand

  21.1–4 Cf. Mk 12.41–44. The contrast between the abundance of the rich and the poverty of the widow is rehearsed three times in these verses (see also 6.20–26;18.18–25; note on 7.12).

  21.1 Treasury, i.e., offering box.

  21.4 All she had. See 8.43.

  21.5–36 Luke’s version of the “Synoptic apocalypse” (cf. Mt 24; Mk 13) is located at the temple and rivals the Sermon on the Plain (6.20–49) for length and significance.

  21.5–24 Cf. Mt 24.1–21; Mk 13.1–19. A collection of signs that will precede the destruction of Jerusalem.

  21.6 Not one stone…upon another. See 19.44; Jer 7.1–15; 22.5.

  21.7 Jesus continues to speak as a Teacher, interpreting tradition (see note on 18.18). On the request for a sign, see 11.16, 29–30.

  21.8 False prophets declare the destruction of the temple to be near, but the divine plan has more phases. Cf. Acts 5.36–37; 21.38.

  21.9 Wars and insurrections. See Dan 11.25, 44; Rev 6.3–4; 9.7–11.

  21.10–11 On God’s judgment through cosmic struggle and warfare, see 2 Chr 15.6; Isa 19.2; Jer 4.13–22; 14.12; 21.6–7; Ezek 14.21; 38.19–23; 2 Esd 13.31.

  21.12 Acts narrates the fulfillment of this prediction with stories of arrest, persecution, and imprisonment because of Jesus’ name (see, e.g., Acts 4.1–22; 5.17–41; 12.1–11; 22–26; cf. Lk 6.22).

  21.13 An opportunity to testify. See Acts 3.15; 4.33;5.32; 26.22.

  21.14 On not preparing a defense in advance, see also 12.11.

  21.15 A wisdom. Cf. 12.12; Acts 6.10.

  21.16 Put…to death. See Acts 7.54–60; 12.1–2.

  21.17 Hated by all recalls Jesus’
statement in 6.22 (cf. Acts 2.47).

  21.18 Hair. See note on 12.7.

  21.19 Endurance, faithful reliance on God to preserve life (see 8.15; 9.23–27).

  21.20–24 The destruction of Jerusalem is described in language that echoes scriptural warnings of God’s judgment (see also 13.34–35; 19.41–44).

  21.20 Desolation, i.e., of Jerusalem. See Dan 9.26–27; see also Jer 26.9; cf. Mt 24.15; Mk 13.14.

  21.22 Days of vengeance. See Deut 32.35; Hos 9.7.

  21.23 Woe. See note on 6.24.

  21.24 The edge of the sword. See Jer 21.7; Sir 28.18. Captives among all nations. See Deut 28.64; Ezek 32.9. Trampled on by the Gentiles. See Zech 12.3; see also Dan 8.13; Rev 11.2. Until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled, either the time when the gentile (i.e., Roman) triumph is complete or a divinely imposed limitation of the Gentiles’ dominance (see also Rom 11.7–32). An expression of God’s ultimate saving purpose for Israel has strong scriptural precedents (see Deut 32.26–27; Isa 45–47; Zech 12.1–6).

  21.25–36 Cf. Mt 24.29–35; Mk 13.24–31. An apocalyptic vision of cosmic distress that will confuse the Gentiles and usher in the kingdom of God.

  21.25 Signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, common features of prophetic and apocalyptic pronouncements (see Joel 2.30–32, cited in Acts 2.19–21; see also Isa 13.10; 34.4; Ezek 32.7). On the distress of nations, see Isa 17.12–14. On the sea and the waves, see Pss 46.3; 89.9; 93.3–4.

  21.26 See Isa 24.17–20.

  21.27 The appearance of the Son of Man with power and great glory is the conferral of dominion for all to see (Dan 7.13–14; cf. Acts 1.11).

  21.28 Redemption (see 1.68; 2.38; 24.21) and the kingdom of God (21.31; see also 10.9, 11) are now publicly imminent.

  21.32 This generation, i.e., the generation of the signs (see also 7.31; 9.41; 11.29–32, 50–51; 16.8; 17.25).

  21.34 That day, i.e., the day of the Son of Man (see also 10.12; 17.22–37; see also 1 Thess 5.1–11).

  21.36 To stand before the Son of Man, i.e., to face his judgment with confidence.

  21.37–38 These verses and (see note on) 19.47–48 form a bracket around Luke’s depiction of Jesus’ teaching in the temple, which goes on for an indefinite period.

  Luke 22

  The Plot to Kill Jesus

  1Now the festival of Unleavened Bread, which is called the Passover, was near. 2The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to put Jesusa to death, for they were afraid of the people.

  3Then Satan entered into Judas called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve; 4he went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers of the temple police about how he might betray him to them. 5They were greatly pleased and agreed to give him money. 6So he consented and began to look for an opportunity to betray him to them when no crowd was present.

  The Preparation of the Passover

  7Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. 8So Jesusb sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.” 9They asked him, “Where do you want us to make preparations for it?” 10“Listen,” he said to them, “when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters 11and say to the owner of the house, ‘The teacher asks you, “Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?” ’ 12He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.” 13So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

  The Institution of the Lord’s Supper

  14When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16for I tell you, I will not eat itc until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 20And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.d 21But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. 22For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” 23Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.

  The Dispute about Greatness

  24A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. 25But he said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. 26But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. 27For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

  28“You are those who have stood by me in my trials; 29and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, 30so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

  Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

  31“Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demandede to sift all of you like wheat, 32but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” 33And he said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!” 34Jesusf said, “I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.”

  Purse, Bag, and Sword

  35He said to them, “When I sent you out without a purse, bag, or sandals, did you lack anything?” They said, “No, not a thing.” 36He said to them, “But now, the one who has a purse must take it, and likewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak and buy one. 37For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me, ‘And he was counted among the lawless’ and indeed what is written about me is being fulfilled.” 38They said, “Lord, look, here are two swords.” He replied, “It is enough.”

  Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives

  39He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. 40When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”g 41Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, 42“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” · 43Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. 44In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground.‚h 45When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, 46and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”i

  The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

  47While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; 48but Jesus said to him, “Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?” 49When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, “Lord, should we strike with the sword?” 50Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. 51But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him. 52Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? 53When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!”

  Peter Denies Jesus

  54Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. 55When they had kindled a fire in the midd
le of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, “This man also was with him.” 57But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him.” 58A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, “You also are one of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” 59Then about an hour later still another kept insisting, “Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.” 60But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about!” At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62And he went out and wept bitterly.

  The Mocking and Beating of Jesus

  63Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; 64they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?” 65They kept heaping many other insults on him.

  Jesus before the Council

  66When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. 67They said, “If you are the Messiah,j tell us.” He replied, “If I tell you, you will not believe; 68and if I question you, you will not answer. 69But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” 70All of them asked, “Are you, then, the Son of God?” He said to them, “You say that I am.” 71Then they said, “What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!”

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  a Gk him

  b Gk he

  c Other ancient authorities read never eat it again

  d Other ancient authorities lack, in whole or in part, verses 19b-20 (which is given…in my blood)