The King is Still Sovereign
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Text: Matthew 21:23-22:14
23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”
24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went.
30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go.
31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.
32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.
34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’
39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them.
46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,
3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
4 Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” ’
5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’
10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.
13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Main Point/FCF:
Application:
This passage includes four sections which could each have their own sermon, but all four passages point to the same truths and build to the conclusion at the end of the last section, so we’re going to deal with them all together.
Sovereignty demands submission.
Sovereignty demands submission.
Recall that Jesus has just rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, publicly proclaiming that he is the Messiah, the rightful heir to the throne of King David. (Mt. 21:1-11)
5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ”
He asserts his kingly sovereignty by publicly challenging the highest religious authorities in the land—the priests (Mt. 21:12-17)
12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons.
Now, in Mt. 21:23, the priests and religious leaders challenge his self-proclaimed authority:
23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”
Jesus responds with a simple question that stumps them and reveals the heart of the issue.
25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.”
Jesus demonstrates through his question and their response that the root of the issue is not that they have merely rejected Jesus’ authority, but that they have rejected God the Father’s sovereignty.
Two prophets—John the Baptist and Jesus—have both come proclaiming the same message. Both have been attested by undeniable miracles and wisdom that refutes the most learned men of their day.
And yet, the religious leaders have refused to believe them. Why? Because despite all their talk, they do not submit to God’s sovereignty.
And so, Jesus responds with three parables that hammer down on this point, that God’s sovereignty as king of the universe demands our submission.
In the first parable, God the Father is pictured as a Father who tells his sons to go work in the vineyard.
28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’
In the second parable, God the Father is pictured as the owner of a vineyard who expects fruit.
33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country.
34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit.
In the third parable, God the Father is pictured as a king giving a wedding feast for his son.
2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,
Throughout the three parables, the level of authority is progressively heightened, from father, to master, to king.
But the point in each parable is the same—a father has a right to expect obedience from his sons, a master has the right to expect obedience from his employees, a king has a right to expect obedience from his subjects, and God has the right to expect submission to his sovereignty.
Rebels receive retribution.
Rebels receive retribution.
Judgement is coming upon all who reject the King’s rightful rule.
Judgement is coming upon all who reject the King’s rightful rule.
31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.
41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
“ ‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Those who suffer the King’s wrath have no one but themselves to blame.
Those who suffer the King’s wrath have no one but themselves to blame.
25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’
The religious leaders’ response to Jesus’ question in 21:25 is a judgement upon themselves. If John was not from heaven, then they should have judged him, but they didn’t; and they withheld judgment not because they thought it was the right thing to do, but because they feared the people more than God. And, if John was speaking the truth (as he, in fact, was), then they should have listened and obeyed him, but they didn’t. So, in either case, they stand condemned because of their reaction to John the Baptist.
32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
And furthermore, they had multiple opportunities to humble themselves, acknowledge their mistake, and repent. Instead, they hardened their stance against him and the Kingdom of God. Jesus illustrates this hardening in the parables that follow.
35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them.
This part of the story illustrates the long history of prophets and messengers that God had sent his people. It points back to Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and many more prophets whom God sent to speak truth to Israel’s leaders. In each case, they were rejected by the religious and political authorities.
Jeremiah prophesied about Judah’s exile by Babylon and because he told the king to submit to the King of Babylon and accept God’s judgement and not to fight against him. They accused him of being a traitor and they beat him and threw him in prison. All of this is recorded in Jeremiah 37-38.
37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’
39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
In 21:35-39, Jesus even prophesies that they are going to murder him. This is a clear opportunity and call for repentance. But, obviously, they don’t take it. Instead, they do exactly what Jesus has said they will do, because that’s what they want to do.
Finally, near the end of the third parable, we clearly see the culpability of those who reject God:
12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.
There’s a lot of people that think that when they die, they’re going to finally get a chance to give God a piece of their mind. Some think that they’re going to get to finally lecture God about all the perceived injustices that they think are God’s fault.
Others think they’re going to get a second chance, an after-death opportunity to believe. So, they can just live their lives now with no regard to God’s kingdom, and they’ll just bow to God when they finally face him at the judgement.
But that’s not what’s going to happen. No one, when they face God, will be able to give an excuse. No one will be able to argue with God’s justice, not just because he’s all powerful, but because it will be obvious that he was right and righteous.
Royalty still reigns.
Royalty still reigns.
Up until 22:13, the focus has been upon the actions of those who have rebelled against God’s authority and rejected the Messiah.
But, this might naturally raise the question, “Is God’s sovereignty so limited, is God the King so weak in power that he could not protect his own son? Was Christ merely the victim of disobedient rebels who were too powerful for him to resist?”
If that is true, then Jesus may deserve our sympathy as one who was unjustly condemned and executed. But, it doesn’t exactly speak to the majesty and sovereignty of God. In fact, such a conclusion would undermine God’s sovereignty, because then God is revealed to always be reacting to whatever sinful humans and rebellious angels are doing. God’s always playing “catch-up” and trying to make the best of a bad situation that is spiraling out of control.
Or, we might ask, “Was the king such a poor ruler that through his actions, he invited a coup? Lesser kings than God have been winsome enough to secure the love and devotion of their subjects. Isn’t the mark of a good king that his people willingly follow him? Why has the king of the universe been unable to secure the love and devotion of his subjects?”
All throughout these three parables, Jesus has focused on the resistance that the religious leaders have put up to his rightful authority. It’s painfully clear that they are responsible for their actions and they deserve the judgement that is coming upon them.
The focus up until this point has been on the free agency of man, the ability of man to do what he desires to do and to reject the King’s rule.
But, verse 14 flips all of that upside down and reveals that all along the King has had a plan.
Verse 14 starts with “For,” which means it is giving us an explanation of why the previous events took place; why the king’s servants were rejected and killed, why there’s a man without wedding garments sitting at his wedding feast who gets cast out and judged.
Verse 14 zooms out beyond the free agency of man and focuses on the divine sovereignty of the King, God.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
The word “called” in this context simply means “invited.” The invitation has gone out broadly.
Now, this verse is in the passive construction, which means it doesn’t explicitly tell us who the Subject or Actor is (for you English teachers), but it’s obviously God/the King. So, if we re-phrase it in active voice, it becomes much clearer what’s going on:
14 For [God] invites many, but he chooses few.”
What this verse reveals is that even the disobedience and rejection of the King by rebels is under his sovereign control.
From a human perspective, the rebels rebelled because they hated the king and they did not want to submit to his rule. The religious leaders hated and eventually crucified Jesus because he was a reflection of the God whose rule they refused to submit to. So, they can be rightly held responsible for their actions, because their motives and actions were sinful.
But, from a divine perspective, the reason that the religious leaders reject Jesus is not merely because that’s what they wanted to do, but because God has rejected them. They are not chosen.
And this word here is the same word that is elsewhere translated, “elect,” and from which we get our doctrine of “election.”
Election simply means that God, as sovereign king of the universe, has the right to choose who enters his kingdom.
The reason that Jesus puts this tag about divine sovereignty at the end of this passage about human responsibility is to show us that God’s plan has not failed. When the religious leaders reject Jesus and ultimately crucify him, they’re not thwarting his plans but fulfilling them. Those who reject him have already been rejected by God.
When God the Father raises Jesus from the dead, he’s not reacting with a “plan B” but fulfilling his perfect, unchanging plan which was set before creation.
And if we go back through the passage, we see hints that this is what God was doing all along. Jesus says in Matthew 21:42 that they have stumbled over the cornerstone:
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
But this is a reference to a prophecy from Psalm 118:22-23
Notice what it says at the end of that— “This is the LORD’s doing...” God laid the stone (which is a reference to Jesus) over which they would stumble.
6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Peter states the words of Christ even more strongly. He says that God himself has laid the cornerstone (divine sovereignty).
He says that they stumble over the cornerstone because they disobey the word (human responsibility).
He says that this is what they were destined to do (divine sovereignty).
And then, he says that the reason that believers believe is because they are chosen, which is the same word we saw Jesus use in Mt. 22:14.
So, what about Judas? Did he have a choice? Or was he just doing what he was destined to do? The answer, of course, is “Yes—both!”
What does Scripture say? In the book of John, Jesus says:
While I was with them, I kept them in your name, which you have given me. I have guarded them, and not one of them has been lost except the son of destruction, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.
So wait, is Jesus saying that Judas had to betray him?
“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.
And again, Jesus says to the twelve disciples:
If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he.
So, from the perspective of God, the Scriptures had to be fulfilled, Judas was destined for this, it was determined.
But, Judas still acted in accordance with his own sinful desires. We’re told that he was stealing from the disciples’ pocketbook. He obviously thought he deserved more than what he was getting as a lowly disciple. So, he betrayed Jesus for some cash. His actions are filled with his own choices and motives. So he is responsible.
And so, Jesus says:
For the Son of Man goes as it has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!”
God is sovereign, he’s in control, nothing happens outside of his plan. And yet, man is responsible for his actions.
this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place.
So, the point is that Jesus wants us in Mt. 22:14 to realize that what is coming is not an accident, it’s not outside of God’s sovereign control. Royalty still reigns. The king is on the throne.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
How to understand the interplay of divine sovereignty and human responsibility?
The famous American Bible teacher Donald Grey Barnhouse (1895–1960) often used an illustration to help people make sense of election.
He asked them to imagine a cross like the one on which Jesus died, only so large that it had a door in it.
Over the door were these words from Revelation: “Whosoever will may come.”
We see this in the first part of Jesus’ statement in Mt. 22:14
14 For many are called (invited)...
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
These words represent the free and universal offer of the gospel. By God’s grace, the message of salvation is for everyone. Every man, woman, and child who will come to the cross is invited to believe in Jesus Christ and enter eternal life.
On the other side of the door a happy surprise awaits the one who believes and enters. From the inside, anyone glancing back can see these words from Ephesians written above the door: “Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world.”
4...he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,
We think of the second half of Jesus’ statement in Mt. 22:14
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
14 They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.”
16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.
Election is best understood in hindsight, for it is only after coming to Christ that one can know whether one has been chosen in Christ. Those who make a decision for Christ find that God made a decision for them in eternity past.
Play video silently while the following explanation is given (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyVOAUAFLY8&t=128s):
Ultimately, Scripture does not give us a complete explanation of how God can be sovereign over everything that happens in his creation, and yet mankind is still responsible for his own actions. It simply says that both are true. Scripture doesn’t leave us totally in the dark on this, but some aspects of this will remain a mystery until we meet God one day.
For now, what we see around us looks quite messy. Like a frantic artist throwing paint everywhere on a canvas. We read of Jesus’ ministry and we see gloom and doom on the horizon. We see our savior betrayed by sinful men, beaten, spit upon, mocked, falsely accused, handed over to pagan authorities, and then crucified to satisfy the lusts for power and vengeance of wicked men.
We hear the taunts of his enemies:
Matthew 27:42–43 (ESV)
42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’ ”
And yet, he doesn’t come down from the cross. The Messiah, the King, is dead. It seems as if God has lost. The King has been overthrown. He must have been too weak and powerless to secure the loyalty and obedience of his subjects.
In our day, we see the choices of men and women that bring ruin and despair to families. We see broken families, people that are living in rebellion to God. We see choices that people make that defy God’s law and spit in his face. We hear of wars and rumors of wars, famines, pandemics, and our culture spirals into moral decay. It seems dark, hopeless, chaotic. It’s messy, it doesn’t make sense.
We have questions that we can’t fully resolve. “How can a good God allow evil and suffering in his creation?” And we hear the explanations of scoffers that say, “Either he is powerless to prevent it, or he is not good.” We read in Scripture that God is sovereign over the actions of sinful men, and yet they’re still held responsible for their actions which are a part of his plan, and that doesn’t make sense to us.
Every now and then, we catch a glimpse of God’s plan, but no sooner than we think we have it figured out, something happens and we think, “That couldn’t have been part of the plan...” But at the end of time, when God flips everything around and we can finally see it from his perspective, we see that all along God has been crafting a masterpiece.
Every brush stroke was under the control of the master artist, and it all will one day point to the glory of God revealed in Christ.
