Luke 20
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. 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 also they 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. Luke 20:9-19 NIV
God spent centuries trying to establish a relationship with the Israelites, but they continually turned away from Him. The religious leaders were supposed to be the example for the rest of the Israelites to follow, but they completely missed the opportunities that were given to them. They disrespected the prophets and priests that God sent to guide them over the centuries. By telling this parable Jesus lets everyone know that He was fully aware of their plot to reject and kill Him as well. Despite the knowledge that the Israelites were going to kill Him, Jesus expressed His never-ending love for them: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing” (Luke 13:34). God called the Israelites to be His chosen people. They were to be the first group of people to have a close relationship with God, and then were supposed to teach others about Him. Unfortunately, time and time again, the Israelites turned away from God and towards idols and false gods. For this reason, God sent His only Son to save all of mankind, including gentiles (or non-Israelite people). Because Jesus was sent to Earth and died for the salvation of all people, anyone is able to share in the promise of an eternal relationship with God: “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:6). God has chosen to have a relationship with everyone, including you. This is great news! We can all freely receive His blessings on our lives, along with eternal salvation, simply because we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Being a member of the Body of Christ comes with innumerable blessings, but we also have a job to do as well. It is our duty to reach out to others and teach them about God’s love and mercy. Who can you tell today? Let His love and the Good News of Jesus spread to others: it is WAY too important not to share!
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, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ But if we say, ‘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.” 26- They were unable to trap Him in what He had said there in public. And astonished by His answer, they became silent. 39- Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!” And no one dared to ask Him any more questions. Then Jesus said to them, “Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.’” David calls Him ‘Lord.’ How then can He be his son?” Luke 20:1-8, 26, 39-44 NIV
Jesus, the Son of God, was a very wise teacher. These passages describe how Jesus baffled and silenced the most educated religious leaders in His day. The religious leaders were constantly trying to trap Jesus into saying something blasphemous or get Him to say something that would get Him in trouble with the Romans. Time and time again, He effortlessly outsmarted them by giving them an answer they did not see coming. Jesus is the Master of eternal truths because He is the Creator of everything that is seen and unseen. “For in Him (Jesus) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). The religious leaders were blinded by their hard hearts and selfish motives. They were not acting out of love for God and love for others. They were most concerned with protecting their status as leaders, which included getting rid of anyone that threatened that status. Thankfully, today we have help when we are trying to understand eternal concepts. That same wisdom that Jesus possessed is available to each of us, thanks to His generous gift of the Holy Spirit.