Luke 20:20

And they watched him, and sent foorth spies, which should faine themselues iust men, that they might take holde of his words, that so they might deliuer him vnto the power and authoritie of the gouernour. Luke 20:20 (KJV)

To fully understand this verse, it is important to consider the context in which it was spoken. In Luke 20, Jesus is teaching in the temple, and the religious leaders confront Him, questioning His authority. They try to trap Jesus with their questions and discredit Him.

In Luke 20:20, we see that the religious leaders watched Jesus closely, suspicious of His teachings and seeking a method to entrap Him. To achieve this, they sent spies or agents who pretended to be righteous individuals, hoping to catch Him saying something that could be used against Him.

The religious leaders’ intention was to trap Jesus and deliver Him to the Roman authorities. They hoped that by doing so, they could remove Him as a threat to their own authority and maintain control over the people.

The spies who were sent to watch Jesus pretended to be just men. They acted as if they were genuinely interested in Jesus’ teachings, but their true purpose was to find evidence against Him. The leaders also aimed to present a seemingly innocent inquiry that would force Jesus into a compromising answer. This highlights the malicious intent behind their actions and the lengths they were willing to go to undermine Jesus.

Jesus, being fully aware of their intentions, was not deceived by their tactics. Throughout the Gospels, we see Jesus’ wisdom and discernment in dealing with those who opposed Him. He consistently responded with truth and wisdom, exposing their hypocrisy and challenging their motives.

This verse serves as a reminder to be discerning in our interactions with others and to guard against deceitful intentions. It also reminds us of the opposition Jesus faced during His ministry and how He handled it with grace and wisdom. As followers of Christ, we can learn from His example and seek to respond to challenges and opposition in a manner that reflects His character.

Luke 20:20 reveals the plot of the religious leaders to trap Jesus through deceitful means. It highlights Jesus’ wisdom and discernment in the face of opposition. As we study this verse, we can learn valuable lessons about discernment, motives, and following Christ’s example in responding to challenges.