Chronological Plan

¹Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples:

²“The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses.

³Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach.

⁴They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them.

⁵They do everything to be seen by others: They enlarge their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.

⁶They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues,

⁷greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.

⁸“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters.

⁹Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven.

¹⁰You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah.

¹¹The greatest among you will be your servant.

¹²Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

¹³“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in.

¹⁴

¹⁵“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are!

¹⁶“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the temple, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.’

¹⁷Blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold?

¹⁸Also, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it means nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.’

¹⁹Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?

²⁰Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it.

²¹The one who takes an oath by the temple takes an oath by it and by him who dwells in it.

²²And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God’s throne and by him who sits on it.

²³“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These things should have been done without neglecting the others.

²⁴Blind guides! You strain out a gnat, but gulp down a camel!

²⁵“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.

²⁶Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside of it may also become clean.

²⁷“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity.

²⁸In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

²⁹“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous,

³⁰and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’

³¹So you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.

³²Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors’ sins!

³³“Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell?

³⁴This is why I am sending you prophets, sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town.

³⁵So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

³⁶Truly I tell you, all these things will come on this generation.

³⁷“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!

³⁸See, your house is left to you desolate.

³⁹For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say,’ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’!”

¹One day as he was teaching the people in the temple and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders, came

²and said to him: “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?”

³He answered them, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me,

⁴was the baptism of John from heaven or of human origin?”

⁵They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’

⁶But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

⁷So they answered that they did not know its origin.

⁸And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

⁹Now he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time.

¹⁰At harvest time he sent a servant to the farmers so that they might give him some fruit from the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

¹¹He sent yet another servant, but they beat that one too, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

¹²And he sent yet a third, but they wounded this one too and threw him out.

¹³“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.’

¹⁴“But when the tenant farmers saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so that 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 farmers and give the vineyard to others.” But when they heard this they said, “That must never happen!”

¹⁷But he looked at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?

¹⁸Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him.”

¹⁹Then the scribes and the chief priests looked for a way to get their hands on him that very hour, because they knew he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.

²⁰They watched closely and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, so that they could catch him in what he said, to hand him over to the governor’s rule and authority.

²¹They questioned him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach correctly, and you don’t show partiality but teach truthfully the way of God.

²²Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

²³But detecting their craftiness, he said to them,

²⁴“Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” “Caesar’s,” they said.

²⁵“Well then,” he told them, “give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

²⁶They were not able to catch him in what he said in public, and being amazed at his answer, they became silent.

²⁷Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came up and questioned him:

²⁸“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother has a wife, and dies childless, his brother should take the wife and produce offspring for his brother.

²⁹Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children.

³⁰Also the second

³¹and the third took her. In the same way, all seven died and left no children.

³²Finally, the woman died too.

³³In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For all seven had married her.”

³⁴Jesus told them, “The children of this age marry and are given in marriage.

³⁵But those who are counted worthy to take part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.

³⁶For they can no longer die, because they are like angels and are children of God, since they are children of the resurrection.

³⁷Moses even indicated in the passage about the burning bush that the dead are raised, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

³⁸He is not the God of the dead but of the living, because all are living to him.”

³⁹Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.”

⁴⁰And they no longer dared to ask him anything.

⁴¹Then he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is the son of David?

⁴²For David himself says in the Book of Psalms: The Lord declared to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand

⁴³ until I make your enemies your footstool.’

⁴⁴David calls him ‘Lord’ how then can the Christ be his son?”

⁴⁵While all the people were listening, he said to his disciples,

⁴⁶“Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes and who love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets.

⁴⁷They devour widows’ houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”

¹He looked up and saw the rich dropping their offerings into the temple treasury.

²He also saw a poor widow dropping in two tiny coins.

³“Truly I tell you,” he said. “This poor widow has put in more than all of them.

⁴For all these people have put in gifts out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”

⁵As some were talking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said,

⁶“These things that you see — the days will come when not one stone will be left on another that will not be thrown down.”

⁷“Teacher,” they asked him, “so when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?”

⁸Then he said, “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Don’t follow them.

⁹When you hear of wars and rebellions, don’t be alarmed. Indeed, it is necessary that these things take place first, but the end won’t come right away.”

¹⁰Then he told them: “Nation will be raised up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

¹¹There will be violent earthquakes, and famines and plagues in various places, and there will be terrifying sights and great signs from heaven.

¹²But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you. They will hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name.

¹³This will give you an opportunity to bear witness.

¹⁴Therefore make up your minds not to prepare your defense ahead of time,

¹⁵for I will give you such words and a wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

¹⁶You will even be betrayed by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will kill some of you.

¹⁷You will be hated by everyone because of my name,

¹⁸but not a hair of your head will be lost.

¹⁹By your endurance, gain your lives.

²⁰“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that its desolation has come near.

²¹Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. Those inside the city must leave it, and those who are in the country must not enter it,

²²because these are days of vengeance to fulfill all the things that are written.

²³Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days, for there will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people.

²⁴They will be killed by the sword and be led captive into all the nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

²⁵“Then there will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and there will be anguish on the earth among nations bewildered by the roaring of the sea and the waves.

²⁶People will faint from fear and expectation of the things that are coming on the world, because 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.

²⁸But when these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”

²⁹Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees.

³⁰As soon as they put out leaves you can see for yourselves and recognize that summer is already near.

³¹In the same way, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near.

³²Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all things take place.

³³Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

³⁴“Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly

³⁵like a trap. For it will come on all who live on the face of the whole earth.

³⁶But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”

³⁷During the day, he was teaching in the temple, but in the evening he would go out and spend the night on what is called the Mount of Olives.

³⁸Then all the people would come early in the morning to hear him in the temple.