Luke 19, verse 45.
When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling.
It is written, he said to them, my house will be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of robbers.
Every day he was teaching at the temple, but the chief priests, the teachers of the law,
and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.
Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.
One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news,
the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him.
Tell us, by what authority you are doing these things, they said.
Who gave you this authority?
He replied, I will also ask you a question.
Tell me, John's baptism, was it from heaven or of human origin?
They discussed it among themselves and said, well, if we say from heaven, he will ask,
why didn't you believe him?
But if we say it's of human origin, all the people will stone us,
because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.
So they answered, we don't know where it was from.
Jesus said, neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
He went on to tell the people this parable.
A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers, went away for a long time.
At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.
But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
He sent another servant, but that one they also beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.
He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.
Then the owner of the vineyard said, what shall I do?
I will send my son whom I love.
Perhaps they will respect him.
But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over.
This is the heir, they said.
Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.
So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.
When the people heard this, they said, God forbid.
Jesus looked directly at them and asked,
Then what is the meaning of that which is written?
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces.
Anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.
The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately,
because they knew he had spoken this parable against them.
But they were afraid of the people.
Well, let's pray together.
Father, help us to have a mind that, as it were, takes us into the operating theatre.
Father, to come before you and ask that by your word and by your Holy Spirit,
you would cut us open.
Show us what we are like.
Show us who you are.
Father, we submit to you.
And pray that you would do your careful, skillful work on our hearts and lives today.
In Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, this is the last week of Jesus' life.
As we move into chapter 20, it's four days' time before Jesus dies,
when he will be executed on a wooden cross.
After all, that's why Jesus came to Jerusalem.
He came to die.
But instead of keeping a low profile,
perhaps spending the last few days with family and friends,
Jesus heads straight for the temple.
Chapter 20, verse 1.
One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts
and proclaiming the good news.
The temple was the centre and focus of all religious and social life.
It was also the home to what was called the Sanhedrin,
which was a powerful ruling council
made up of about 70 people.
Although Sanhedrin isn't mentioned,
the makeup of that ruling council is at the end of verse 1,
where we read about the chief priests,
the teachers of the law,
together with the elders.
They were responsible for overseeing all religious and social affairs.
They were the rulers,
the ones who held authority.
They were like the church,
the police,
the law courts,
all rolled into one.
Get on the wrong side of the Sanhedrin
and you could lose your life.
Their word was final.
But then if you remember from last week,
Jesus has just arrived in Jerusalem
and here he is claiming to be king.
That he is the one who has supreme authority
and that all people are answerable to him.
That his word is final.
And Jesus goes straight to the temple,
the most public place,
and confronts the Sanhedrin,
this ruling council,
on their home turf.
This was a clash of authority.
Now as we follow Jesus into the temple courts,
we want to also see that Jesus is there
confronting us.
Two big things we're going to look at this morning.
First, Jesus confronts us with his authority.
Two ways Jesus does this.
First, through his word.
Let's pick it up again.
Chapter 20, verse 1.
One day as Jesus was teaching the people
in the temple courts
and proclaiming the good news,
the chief priests,
the teachers of the law,
together with the elders,
that's the Sanhedrin,
the ruling council,
came up to him.
Tell us,
by what authority
you are doing these things,
they said.
Who gave you this authority?
They were concerned about
the things Jesus was doing in the temple.
Well, what was Jesus doing in the temple?
What were they so concerned about?
Well, back up to chapter 19, verse 45.
When Jesus entered the temple courts,
he began to drive out those who were selling.
Again, if you remember from last week,
we learned it was Passover time.
Thousands,
tens of thousands of people
are making their way to Jerusalem,
to the temple.
And as they arrived,
they would go,
if they didn't have a sacrifice with them,
they would have to buy an animal
for sacrifice.
But to buy,
you had to have the right currency,
the right kind of money.
So those who had come from outside Jerusalem,
first had to go and exchange their money.
Get the right kind of currency,
and then they could buy
an animal for sacrifice.
The problem was,
the temple officials,
which was overseen by the Sanhedrin,
this ruling council,
had it all fixed in their favour.
It was a way of making
lots and lots of money.
So Jesus confronts them head on
with the authority of his word.
Verse 46.
It is written,
he said to them,
my house will be a house of prayer,
but you have made it a den of robbers.
Look at what Jesus says at the beginning there.
He says,
my house will be a house of prayer.
Jesus is quoting here
from Isaiah the prophet,
who was looking forward to a day
when all people,
regardless of their race and religion,
would be welcomed to come to God.
That has been the ministry of Jesus
all the way through Luke, isn't it?
He's been welcoming outsiders.
Here's more of what Isaiah said
in Isaiah 56,
where this quote comes from.
And foreigners,
outsiders,
who bind themselves to the Lord,
who trust in the Lord,
these are the people
I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy
in my house of prayer.
This is why Jesus had come
to welcome people in.
But he has to confront
these religious authorities.
You're actually hindering people
from coming.
Look at the rest of verse 46.
You've made it a den of robbers.
This time,
Jesus is quoting from
Jeremiah the prophet,
who is calling on the people
to repent and
turn around to God.
Here's what Jeremiah said.
You can follow the quote on the screen.
This is what the Lord Almighty,
the God of Israel,
says,
reform your ways
and your actions.
Will you steal and murder,
commit adultery
and follow other gods
you have not known,
and then come to me and say,
we are safe,
safe to do these detestable things?
Has this house,
referring to the temple,
which bears my name,
become a den of robbers to you?
But I have been watching,
declares the Lord.
You see,
Jesus is coming,
confronting
with the authority of his word.
He speaks
God's word,
the words of the prophets,
as if it was
his very own word.
And Jesus is saying
to the people,
you need to get in line
with my word.
You need to listen to me.
reform your ways,
repent,
get on board
with what I am doing,
with my mission.
So Jesus confronts,
firstly,
by his word,
and second,
he confronts us
with his authority
through his identity.
Chapter 20,
verse 2.
Tell us,
they said,
by what authority
you are doing these things,
they said.
Who gave you
this authority?
What right
have you
to be coming
into our temple,
telling us
to reform
and to change
our lives?
Who do you think
you are?
You're no member
of the Sanhedrin.
Where did you come from?
Well,
Jesus answers them
in a strange way.
It's really
an expression,
again,
of his authority.
Verse 3.
He replied,
well,
I will also
ask you
a question.
You have
to answer
me.
Tell me,
verse 4,
John's baptism,
was it from heaven
or of human origin?
If you remember
back in Luke
chapter 3
where we first
met John the Baptist,
he was baptizing
people
and as he
baptized people,
he was pointing
people to Jesus
and preparing
people for Jesus.
His message
was crystal clear.
John was saying,
I'm not the Messiah,
it's not me.
Jesus is the Messiah.
Jesus is God's
chosen king
and you need
to be ready
to meet him.
Verse 5.
So they discussed
it amongst themselves
and if we say,
well, look,
if we say
that what John
was saying
was from heaven,
then he's going
to ask us,
why didn't we
believe John the Baptist?
Why didn't we trust
that Jesus
is the Messiah?
We don't want
to do that.
But,
verse 6,
what if we say,
well,
what John was saying
is of human origin,
it's all made up
and Jesus really
isn't the Messiah.
Well,
all the people
are going to stone us
and, I mean,
look at all the stones
around here.
We're going to be
in trouble
because they
were persuaded,
the people knew
that John was
a prophet
and he spoke
the truth.
So they chickened out,
didn't they,
verse 7?
Oh, well,
you know,
we don't know
where it was from,
taking no sides
other than
to protect themselves.
Well,
Jesus said,
verse 8,
neither will I tell you
by what authority
I'm doing these things.
You see,
they do know
what the correct answer is.
They just don't want
to admit to it.
Jesus is the Messiah.
He is their King.
You see,
while the Sanhedrin
love to maintain
this control
and authority
over the people
and telling people
who could come
and who had to stay out,
well,
isn't that a little bit
like us?
We like to control
our own lives.
I am the ruler.
I am the authority.
I decide what is best
for me and my life.
None of us likes
any one of us
telling us what to do.
It's my life
and I will do
as I please.
But if Jesus
is the Messiah,
that means
he has supreme
authority over us
and the way
that authority
is expressed
to us
is through
his words.
You see,
we can't claim
to be followers
of Jesus
and not listen
to his word.
You can't have Jesus
and ignore his word.
To accept Jesus
as the Messiah
means we must submit
to what
he has to say.
And that implies
that we are
the kind of people
who are spending time
reading his word
and applying it
to our life.
To go from
week to week
without even
opening our Bibles
is to say to Jesus,
Jesus,
keep your mouth shut.
I don't want to hear
anymore.
Because to close
our Bibles
is to close
our ears
to what Jesus
has to say.
And to close
our ears
to what Jesus
has to say
is to shut
Jesus out
of our life.
The point
is so simple.
We can't have
Jesus without
his word.
And the evidence
that we accept
Jesus is that
we welcome
his word
into our lives.
Look back
at verse 47.
Look at the
different responses
of the people.
Sorry,
chapter 19,
verse 47.
Every day
Jesus was teaching
at the temple.
But the chief
priest,
the teachers
of the law
and the leaders,
that's that
council again,
among the people
were trying
to kill him,
silence him.
They didn't want
to hear his voice.
Yet they could
not find a way
to do it
because all the
people hung
on his words.
Which one
best describes
you?
Do we want
to silence
Jesus?
Or are we
hanging on
his every word,
listening to
what he has
to say?
You see,
we can come
every Sunday,
read the Bible,
listen to the
Bible being taught.
We can tick
that little
religious box
and we can be
like the people
in Jeremiah's
time who said,
do you remember?
We are safe.
They do their
little bit of
worship and
kind of safe
within the walls
of the temple.
God's not going
to do anything
to us.
We're his people.
We're good
religious people.
No,
says Jesus,
stop hiding
behind that
veneer of
religiosity.
Reform your
ways.
Get in line
with my
word.
For I am
your king.
So first,
Jesus confronts
us with
his authority.
Second,
here's the
second big
idea,
Jesus confronts
us with
our response
to his
authority.
He confronts
us with our
response to
his authority.
Look down
at verse 9.
He went
on to tell
the people
this parable.
Now,
you'd imagine,
you know,
he's come
into the
temple grounds.
This is the
home turf
for the
Sanhedrin.
They're the
rulers.
They're the
ones in
authority.
They have
the power.
They're trying
to kill
him.
You would
think Jesus
would kind
of like
back off
a little
bit at
this stage.
But no,
he goes
right for
the jugular.
Look down
at verse
19.
Here we get
the conclusion
of the
parable.
The teachers
of the law
and the chief
priests
looked for
a way to
arrest him
immediately
because they
knew he
had spoken
this parable
against them.
Jesus is
confronting
full on.
He's not
backing off.
So what do
we learn
from this
parable?
Well,
first,
fruitful
obedience.
Let's read
verse 9.
He went
on to tell
the people
this parable.
A man
planted a
vineyard,
rented it
to some
farmers,
and went
away for
a long
time.
Now,
when we
read about
the vineyard,
it's a
picture,
it's picture
language for
God's people.
So let me
show you.
If you go
back to
Isaiah chapter
5,
so keep
your finger
in Luke
20 and
jump all
the way
back to
Isaiah
chapter 5.
So as
Jesus starts
talking about
vineyard,
it brings
with us
a certain
picture and
image.
Isaiah
chapter 5
and verse
1.
Isaiah
5 verse
1.
So here
it is.
It's really
speaking about
God's people.
He says,
I will sing
for the
one I
love a
song about
his vineyard.
My loved
one had a
vineyard on
a fertile
hillside.
He dug
it up,
cleared it
of stones,
planted it
with the
choicest
vines.
He built
a watch
tower in
it and
cut out
a wine
press as
well.
Then he
looked for
a crop
of good
grapes.
but it
yielded
only bad
fruit.
Down to
verse 7.
The
vineyard of
the Lord
Almighty
is the
nation
of Israel,
the people
of Judah,
and the
vines he
delighted in.
And he
looked for
justice but
saw bloodshed,
for righteousness
but heard
cries of
distress.
Now let's
go back to
Luke 20,
back to the
parable.
You see,
God,
just as
the time
in Isaiah
was looking
for fruitful
obedience.
People who
would listen
to the
words of
the prophets,
those who
would obey
it,
those who
would take
God's word
on board,
and would
be changed,
the fruit
of obedience.
Chapter
20,
verse 10.
So at
harvest time,
he sent
a servant
to the
tenants,
so they
would give
him some
of the
fruit of
the vineyard.
But the
tenants beat
him and
sent him
away empty
handed.
Three times
the owner
sends his
servants,
and each
time they're
rejected.
And Jesus'
point is clear
to them.
Look,
God has
been so
patient and
persistent
with you.
He has
spoken his
word to
you through
his servants,
the prophets,
time after
time.
People like
Isaiah,
people like
Jeremiah,
people like
Elijah,
they've come
time after
time.
But you
will not
listen to
what God
has to
say.
And to
drive the
point home,
Jesus makes
it very
personal.
Verse 13.
Then the
owner of the
vineyard said,
what shall
I do?
I will
send my
son whom
I love.
Perhaps
they will
respect him.
But when
the tenants
saw him,
they talked
the matter
over.
This is
the heir,
they said.
Let's
kill him
and the
inheritance
will be
ours.
So they
threw him
out of
the vineyard
and killed
him.
You see,
Jesus,
as he speaks
this parable,
is making
it quite
clear that
he is
the ultimate
prophet.
He is
the very
word of
God.
He is
God's
king.
I am
here to
speak God's
word to
you,
and I
am giving
you time
to repent,
to change
of your
ways.
But rather
than accept
my authority
and listen
to me,
you will
kill me.
God is
so patient,
so
persistent,
longing for
fruitful
obedience from
his people.
But if we
fail to
respond, if we
fail to take
his word on
board and
get in line
with his
vision,
we will
face his
judgment.
So the
second thing
we learn
from this
parable is
divine judgment.
Let's pick it up at the
end of verse 15.
What then will the
owner of the
vineyard do to
them?
He will come
and kill those
tenants and
give the
vineyard to
others.
It's so
clear, isn't
it?
If you
continue to
ignore my
authority, if
you persist in
closing your
ears to my
word, then
God will
ignore you and
close his
ears to you.
Verse 16.
He will come
and kill those
tenants and
give the
vineyard to
others.
The opportunity
that you have
been given is
going to be
taken away and
is going to be
given to
someone else.
Taken away from
those whom God
had called, said
you will be my
people.
Of course, those
who are his
people, the
evidence, are
those who
accept the
son.
who welcome
his word.
You see, we
might have had a
lifetime of being
taught God's
word.
We might have
scripture
memorized.
We could have
been raised in a
Christian home where
we had parents who
taught us, had the
privilege of being
in a good church
family.
All signs of God's
amazing grace,
his desire and
longing that we love
him and obey
him.
But yet, as the
years have gone
by, it's as if
our hearts have
become more
calloused and
more hardened to
God's word.
I used to read
God's word, but
now I have no
time.
I used to listen to
the sermon and
engage, but
well now I
can't wait for it
to be over.
I used to
enjoy the
challenge of
what other
people had to
say and the
intimacy of
meeting God
in his word,
but not for
me.
Slowly but
subtly, the
rejection of
God's authority
in our life.
Well, if
that's you this
morning, listen
very carefully.
God's
persistence and
patience will
one day come to
an end.
The
opportunities that
we have been
given will be
taken away,
will be given to
someone else.
The point was
not lost on his
hearers.
Look at the
end of verse
16.
When the
people heard
this, they
said, God
forbid.
Oh, that
would never
ever happen
to me.
I would
never ever
ignore God's
word.
Not me.
It's a
sobering
thought.
Jesus
confronts us
with our
response to
his authority.
So,
what
what is
my response
to the
authority of
Jesus?
What is
our response?
This is
deeply
personal.
Look at
verse 17.
Jesus
looked
directly at
them.
It's like
he's
eyeballed
them,
staring
intently.
A
dramatic
pause.
Nobody's
speaking.
They're just
looking at
each other.
This was
pointed and
personal.
Jesus
demands a
response.
He
asked them,
then what
is the
meaning of
that which
is written?
The
stone the
builders
rejected
has become
the
cornerstone.
Well,
we need to
do some
thinking here.
The imagery
has changed,
hasn't it?
We've gone
from the
vineyard and
now we're
in a
construction
site.
But Jesus
wants us to
make a
connection
between the
two.
The stone
that we
read about
here in
the parable
is also
like the
sun in
the parable.
Both have
been rejected.
Back at
verse 15,
the sun
is thrown
out and
killed.
He's
rejected.
The stone
in verse
17,
well,
the builders
have rejected
that.
But just
as the
stone,
verse 17,
becomes the
cornerstone,
the cornerstone
was that
big foundation
stone on
which everything
is built
on and
holds everything
together.
It's the
most important
stone.
Remove that
stone and
there's
nothing.
Well,
he was
saying,
so the
sun has
become the
foundation,
the most
important
one.
And in
case we're
missing the
point,
Jesus is
saying,
listen,
I am
that
sun and
I am
that
stone.
You may
reject me,
you may
throw me
out,
you may
kill me,
and in
four days
time,
Jesus
will be
killed,
executed
on the
cross with
the Sanhedrin
at the
heart of
it.
But I
will rise
again.
I will
rise again.
You may
discard me,
you may
have no
use for
me,
you may
choose
another
foundation
to build
your life
upon,
but mark
this,
I am
that
cornerstone
to build
your life
on the
authority
of my
word and
you will
be saved.
But reject
my authority
and my
word,
it will
be like
removing
that
foundation,
that
cornerstone
and it
will come
toppling
down with
a crash.
Verse 18,
everyone who
falls on
that stone
will be
broken to
pieces.
Anyone on
whom it
falls
will be
crushed.
Jesus
will have
the last
word.
His
authority
reigns
supreme.
And one
day we
will all
have to
stand
before the
risen
Jesus
and give
an account
of our
life to
him.
Nobody
else
but us
and him.
There is
only one
authority,
only one
true word
and that
is Jesus
the Messiah.
You cannot
split
Jesus
and his
words.
You cannot
say,
oh I
like
Jesus
but shut
my ears
to what
he says.
Submit
to his
word and
you will
live.
You will
know life.
You will
enjoy life
the way it
is meant
to.
Reject
his word
and you
will be
crushed.
There is
just one
authority.
What is
our response
to him
today?
As we
close,
we are
going to
pray.
I would
like us to
turn to
those words
in Hebrews
that we
read at
the beginning.
Hebrews
chapter 4,
we are
going to
use it
as our
prayer as
we close.
Hebrews
chapter 4.
If somebody
could help
me again
with a
page number
that would
be helpful.
Hebrews
chapter 4,
verse 12.
So as
we read
it, let
us hear
God speak
to us
and ask
him to
do an
effective
work in
our life
and that
it might
lead us
to run
to Jesus.
Chapter 4,
verse 12.
For the
word of
God is
alive
and active,
sharper
than any
double-edged
sword.
It
penetrates
even to
dividing soul
and spirit,
joints and
marrow.
it judges
the thoughts
and attitudes
of my
heart.
Nothing
in all
creation
is hidden
from God's
sight.
Everything
is uncovered,
laid bare
before the
eyes of
him to
whom we
must give
an account.
Verse
16.
Let us
then
approach
God's
throne of
grace,
with
confidence
so that
we may
receive
mercy
and find
grace to
help us
in our
time of
need.
There's
pain
in being
cut open
but there
is great
healing
as we
come to
Jesus,
the true
word,
who
fills our
life with
grace and
mercy.
What a
king.
Let us
pray.
Father, thank
you for your
word to us
today.
We
recognize that
it is hard,
it is
painful.
we submit
ourselves to
you afresh
and pray
that you
would give
us open
hearts and
open ears
to your
word, to
the Lord
Jesus,
and accept
his authority
in our
lives.
We pray
this in
Jesus' name.
Amen.
We're
going to
sing,
which is
another
prayer,
and a
way to
encourage
us as
we sing
this, we
sing to
each other,
as we
pray to
God, that
as we go
into this
week, that
we don't
just close
the Bible
over, close
our ears to
the Lord,
but go
into this
week wanting
to hear from
him and
to live our
lives as
followers of
him.
Speak, O
Lord, as
we come to
you to
receive the
food of
your holy
word.
Let's
stand as
we sing.