Thematic Bible


Thematic Bible




Then the Pharisees went and made a plot to trap Him in argument. So they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, to say to Him, "Teacher, we know that you are in the habit of telling the truth and of teaching the way of God in honesty, and you do not care what anyone says, for you are not partial. So give us your opinion on the question: Is it right to pay Caesar the poll-tax, or not?"

"Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his brother must marry his widow and raise up a family for him.' Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died without children, and left his widow to his brother. The second also died, and the third, and all down to the seventh. read more.
Last of all, the woman died, too. Now at the resurrection which one's wife, of the seven, will she be? For they all married her."

And while they were sitting at table and eating, Jesus said, "I solemnly say to you, one of you, one who is now eating with me, is going to betray me." And they began to show that they were hurt and to ask Him one by one, "It cannot be I, can it?" He answered them, "It is one of the Twelve, the one who is dipping his bread in the dish with me. read more.
For the Son of Man is going away, as the Scriptures say of Him, but a curse will be on that man by whom He is betrayed. It would have been better for that man, if he had never been born." While they were eating, He took a loaf and blessed it and broke it in pieces and gave it to them, saying, "Take this; it is my body." He also took the cup of wine and gave thanks and gave it to them, and they all drank some of it.

Then the scribes and the high priests tried to arrest Him at that very hour, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that He meant this story for them. So they closely watched and sent spies who pretended to be upright men, to catch Him in His conversation, so as to turn Him over to the power and authority of the governor. They asked Him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and show no favors to anyone, but teach the way of God honestly. read more.
Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" But He detected their cunning, and said to them, "Show me a twenty-cent coin. Whose picture and title does it bear?" They answered, "Caesar's." He said to them, "Then pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and pay God what belongs to God!" So they could not use what he said before the people, and in astonishment at His answer they said no more.

Then He began to speak to them in stories. "A man once planted a vineyard and fenced it in and hewed out a wine-vat and built a watchtower; then he rented it to tenant farmers, and went abroad. At the proper time he sent a slave to the tenants to collect his part of the grape crop. But they took him and beat him and sent him back empty-handed. read more.
And again he sent another slave to them, and they beat his head and treated him shamefully. Then he sent a third one, and they killed him, and many others, some of whom they beat, some they killed. He had one more to send, his dearly loved son; at last he sent him to them, for he said to himself, 'They will surely respect my son.' But those tenants said among themselves, 'This is his heir; come on, let us kill him, and all that is coming to him will be ours.' So they took him and killed him, and threw his body outside the vineyard. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come back and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you never read this passage of Scripture: "'That stone which the builders threw away has now become the cornerstone; This is the work of the Lord, and seems wonderful to us'?" Then they were trying to have Him arrested, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that He aimed this story at them. And so they left Him and went away.

"Listen to another story. There was once an owner of an estate who planted a vineyard and built a fence around it, and hewed out a wine-vat in it, and built a tower, and rented it to tenant farmers, and then went abroad. But when the time for gathering grapes was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his rent. But the tenants took his slaves and beat the first one, killed the second, and stoned the third. read more.
Again he sent other slaves, and more than at first, and they treated them exactly the same way. At last he sent his son to them, for he said to himself, 'They will surely respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is his heir, come on, let us kill him, and get all that is coming to him!' So they took him and drove him out of the vineyard and murdered him. Now when the owner of the estate comes back, what will he do to these tenants?" They answered, "In vengeance he will put the scoundrels to death, and rent the vineyard to other tenants who will promptly pay him the rent." Then Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: 'That stone which the builders threw away has become the cornerstone; this is the work of the Lord and seems wonderful to us!' "This, I tell you, is why the kingdom will be taken away from you, and given to a people who will pay a fair rent for it. Who ever falls upon that stone will be broken to pieces, but whomever it falls upon will be crushed to powder." When the high priests and the Pharisees heard His stories, they knew that He was speaking about them, but although they were trying to have Him arrested, they were afraid of the people, for they considered Him a prophet.

Then He went on to tell the people the following story: "Once upon a time a man planted a vineyard and leased it to tenant farmers, and then went abroad for a long stay. So at the proper time He sent a slave to the tenants, that they might pay him his part of the grape-crop, but the tenants beat him and sent him back empty-handed. Then again he sent another slave, and they beat him and insulted him, and sent him back empty-handed. read more.
And again he sent a third slave, and they wounded him and threw him out of the vineyard. Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my dearly loved son. They will, I should think, respect him.' But when the tenants saw him, they argued among themselves, 'This is the heir; let us kill him, so that what he inherits may be ours.' So they drove him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and put those tenants to death and give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "May it never be so!" But He glanced at them and said, "Then what does this Scripture mean: 'That stone which the builders threw away has now become the cornerstone'? Everyone who falls upon that stone will be shattered, and he on whom it falls will be crushed to dust." Then the scribes and the high priests tried to arrest Him at that very hour, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that He meant this story for them.

Then He began to speak to them in stories. "A man once planted a vineyard and fenced it in and hewed out a wine-vat and built a watchtower; then he rented it to tenant farmers, and went abroad. At the proper time he sent a slave to the tenants to collect his part of the grape crop. But they took him and beat him and sent him back empty-handed. read more.
And again he sent another slave to them, and they beat his head and treated him shamefully. Then he sent a third one, and they killed him, and many others, some of whom they beat, some they killed. He had one more to send, his dearly loved son; at last he sent him to them, for he said to himself, 'They will surely respect my son.' But those tenants said among themselves, 'This is his heir; come on, let us kill him, and all that is coming to him will be ours.' So they took him and killed him, and threw his body outside the vineyard. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come back and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you never read this passage of Scripture: "'That stone which the builders threw away has now become the cornerstone; This is the work of the Lord, and seems wonderful to us'?" Then they were trying to have Him arrested, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that He aimed this story at them. And so they left Him and went away.

"Listen to another story. There was once an owner of an estate who planted a vineyard and built a fence around it, and hewed out a wine-vat in it, and built a tower, and rented it to tenant farmers, and then went abroad. But when the time for gathering grapes was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his rent. But the tenants took his slaves and beat the first one, killed the second, and stoned the third. read more.
Again he sent other slaves, and more than at first, and they treated them exactly the same way. At last he sent his son to them, for he said to himself, 'They will surely respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is his heir, come on, let us kill him, and get all that is coming to him!' So they took him and drove him out of the vineyard and murdered him. Now when the owner of the estate comes back, what will he do to these tenants?" They answered, "In vengeance he will put the scoundrels to death, and rent the vineyard to other tenants who will promptly pay him the rent." Then Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures: 'That stone which the builders threw away has become the cornerstone; this is the work of the Lord and seems wonderful to us!' "This, I tell you, is why the kingdom will be taken away from you, and given to a people who will pay a fair rent for it. Who ever falls upon that stone will be broken to pieces, but whomever it falls upon will be crushed to powder." When the high priests and the Pharisees heard His stories, they knew that He was speaking about them, but although they were trying to have Him arrested, they were afraid of the people, for they considered Him a prophet.

Then He went on to tell the people the following story: "Once upon a time a man planted a vineyard and leased it to tenant farmers, and then went abroad for a long stay. So at the proper time He sent a slave to the tenants, that they might pay him his part of the grape-crop, but the tenants beat him and sent him back empty-handed. Then again he sent another slave, and they beat him and insulted him, and sent him back empty-handed. read more.
And again he sent a third slave, and they wounded him and threw him out of the vineyard. Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my dearly loved son. They will, I should think, respect him.' But when the tenants saw him, they argued among themselves, 'This is the heir; let us kill him, so that what he inherits may be ours.' So they drove him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and put those tenants to death and give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "May it never be so!" But He glanced at them and said, "Then what does this Scripture mean: 'That stone which the builders threw away has now become the cornerstone'? Everyone who falls upon that stone will be shattered, and he on whom it falls will be crushed to dust." Then the scribes and the high priests tried to arrest Him at that very hour, but they were afraid of the people, for they knew that He meant this story for them. So they closely watched and sent spies who pretended to be upright men, to catch Him in His conversation, so as to turn Him over to the power and authority of the governor.