Lesson 64L Who is in Charge? Luke 20:1- 18

The Challenge to Jesus Christ’s Authority 20:1- 8

King James Version Chapter 20

20 And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders, 2 And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority? 3 And he answered and said unto them,

The exact day in relationship to the entry into Jerusalem is not told us at this point. For us it is a beginning of ministry again in Jerusalem. Jesus has been well received but we know the city is going to turn on Him as the people’s religious leaders are planning the downfall and murder of the Son of God. Authority is a big issue on both sides of the issue. Is His authority from Heaven or men? Jesus puts the question from the first verses of this chapter into a Biblical perspective: He brings them back to the Baptism of John and asks if John’s authority was from Heaven or men. John was the forerunner of Jesus. He was the point man. He was the beginning mouthpiece.

As a trumpet player, I know that if I do not have the proper mouthpiece, I will not be able to play effectively. Or maybe not at all if the mouthpiece is gone. Lately as I follow brass instruments in social media I have found something that looks intriguing. It is a mouthpiece booster. It has no moving parts. The strength in the booster is added weight for quality, intonation, and making it easier to play. There is distance, though short, from the mouthpiece to the pipes. It attaches outside the perimeter of the horn. I’ve never used one and I am wondering if they are worth the $100 difference, just to stabilize vibration in the horn.

Was John worth the price he had to pay to be the mouthpiece of Jesus? Where they willing to say if his added influence was effective with the people in bringing people to Jesus? No, they were not. John was rough around the edges, but He was a quality servant in his ministry in the kingdom. His voice was clear and it could be heard distinctly from the wilderness. John was making himself an added blessing to the Savior. He was not the Savior, but he gave Jesus added strength to the ministry. Together their message was sweetly proclaimed so that multitudes could hear. I look forward to the day that Jesus actually plays the trumpet for us all. He is not going to need a booster for us to recognize the source: “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”

Advancement in Ministry

The entry into Jerusalem and the resulting preaching and teaching is ministry advancement., all the while He was being scrutinized by the chief priests, scribes, and elders of the Jews. People were being taught in authentic power and authority that was painfully evident to the entire throng of people. As Jesus brings in the teaching of John, He is now invoking the belief system of the religious leaders to come into the open and they even realize this as they question “how should we respond if we say he was a great teacher, or prophet from heaven. They did not want to come over to that side for fear of being stoned. The people believed John was a prophet. There was no doubt. The CPSE’s (chief priests, scribes and elders) were not acting with any faith or truth. Their stand was purely in the flesh. Jesus simply says, if you cannot say, I will not tell you where my authority comes from.” ( my loose translation.”)

This really is the Messiah we are talking about and the leaders are planning His demise. They had refused John’s ministry of truth and now they have rejected the king himself. We have seen some remarkable transformations of individuals by Jesus and it is sad, their rejection of Him is simply based on envy. That is why they eventually delivered Him up!

The Wicked Tenants of the Vineyard 20:9- 18

English Standard Version Chapter 20

9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “

Vineyards are really big business these days. I’m sure they would not just be given out to renters, even in this day of the Savior, without some contract in hand by the owner. After sending three representatives, the owner was unsuccessful in getting his share from the tenants. This is definitely worse than just breaking even. The intent is made known is that they are trying to steal the vineyard. In the end, they kill the owners son when He is sent to the tenants. The owner thinks they will reverence the son. They treat him with violence and he loses his life for his father.

Of course this gives a portrait of of Jesus in God’s plan. Prophets and special servants were sent to give Israel His message and they responded with no intent in complying. They had been given so much and wanted more. thinking the owner would give up his claim, he proceeds with punitive judgment. It is interesting that it was okay to kill the son and reject the representatives but when it comes to “should the tenants be destroyed,” they respond with”Surely Not!” They are outraged to think that their tenancy would be given to someone else. they are thinking “Probably He is speaking about Gentiles taking over.” Jesus now says, why is it written otherwise?

English Standard Version Chapter 20

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No matter where one places the cornerstone, it is essential to the framework and structure of the building. This verse, just one sentence ago is a quote of Psalm 118:22. Jesus was presenting His case of rejection by the people by using Scripture. Acts 4:11, and I Peter 2:7, are both quotes from Psalm 118. Sounds like a key verse. A Cornerstone verse. Jesus is the Cornerstone. He is the one by which the whole building of the church fits together. It is a stone, as it says in verse 20:18, that mankind will rise and fall based on their acceptance of Jesus as the the one who is that Cornerstone. Regardless of how the Son is presented, acceptance of Him is necessary to be a part of any kingdom business in the future.

Let’s just say, when someone rejects the the Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, is not the fault of Him or His messengers. The destructive power of the Son lies on the one who has willingly said “no” or the one who has kept his mouth shut and said nothing. This judgment of verse 18, is not just for then, and today, but also in the future. No matter how the scene and the situations change, flesh and blood will not prevail over the one who created them. A rejection attitude must be forsaken and Jesus must be embraced and welcomed into your life.