Promise or Performance

Build Connection

Let’s play a little game called would you rather…

Would you rather move north where it cooler or south where it warmer?

Would you rather have a little influence over a lot of people or a lot of influence of a few people?

Would you rather start losing your eyesight or start losing your hearing?

Would you rather be given 10 million right away or one hundred thousand a month for 10 years.

Create Tension

Would you rather be a person who says good things or who does good things?

Provide Solution

We have been in a series called, “Once upon a time” where we are looking at some of the parables of Jesus.

This morning we are looking at a parable Jesus tells about two sons

Not the prodigal son, but another story about two sons, this story is found in Matt 21.

Matthew 21:28–32

“28 “But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go. 31 “Which of the two obeyed his father?” They replied, “The first.” Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.”

What we see in this parable is one son whose says he will obey his father but does not and another son who says he will not obey his father but does. You may have been like me once where I though Jesus was teaching it was OK to lie as long as you did the right thing in the end…That is not the point of the story.

When you study the Bible to get the best understanding, the most accurate, you have to look at context. What do the verses around it say. This story is like that.

This is one of the shortest parables in the bible but also one of the most profound and challenging. To understand what it means we have to look at why Jesus told it.

Matthew 21:23–27

“23 When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?” 24 “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. 25 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?” They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn’t believe John. 26 But if we say it was merely human, we’ll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet.” 27 So they finally replied, “We don’t know.” And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

What’s going on here?

It is two days after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He goes to the temple to teach and he is questioned by the leading priests and elders.

They wanted to know “by what authority are you doing all these things?”

A person’s authority is important in life. It tells them what they can and can not do.

Eli has certain authority in his life, but that authority does not supersede my authority as his parent.

For instance, Eli can choose what toys he wants to play with when he goes in his room to play but he can’t choose whatever he wants to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I am also subject to authority. I also can choose what toys I want to play with then I go into the garage to play with my toys, I can also choose to wear whatever clothes I want to, as long as my wife says they match.

We all live under authority. The question asked to Jesus wasn’t about his ability to choose what he wanted to eat or wear, it was a serious question about what he was teaching and doing. “These things” in vs 23 involved healings, teachings, and what we read just prior to this, the flipping of tables in the temple courts.

In Jewish practice, your authority came from who you were discipled by. You follow a teaching of a certain rabbi who followed a teaching by his rabbi and so on.

When questioned like this, Jesus asked them, where John’s authority came from, Heaven or man? God or institutional rabbinical teaching?

Using John’s authority was very significant.

Because If John’s authority came from heaven not only would they have to answer why they didn’t listen to him about the baptism of repentance, but also what did John say Jesus was?

John 1:29 “29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

John 1:27 “27 Though his ministry follows mine, I’m not even worthy to be his slave and untie the straps of his sandal.””

You could almost say John’s authority was given to Jesus!

So if John’s authority comes from God and Jesus’ authority comes from John then Jesus’ authority comes from God, according to Jewish thought

We know Jesus’ authority comes directly from God!

Matthew 11:27 ““My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.””

Entrusted means given all authority over.

Matthew 28:18 “Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.”

The only one who can give that authority is the one whom it belongs to, God the Father…

So in dealing with authority Jesus gives them a parable of who was the son who did what was right?

Was it the son who said he would do it but didn’t or was it the one who said he wouldn’t but then “changed his mind” and did it?

The Greek word for “changed his mind” is “metamelomai”

I looked in 22 different translations on how they translated the word.

10x as changed his mind

1x as changed his heart

6x as regretted

5x as repented

How do we know repented is a good interpretation is because of what he did afterward, he obeyed.

Encourage Change

Are you a person of Promise or performance?

Ultimately the important difference between these two sons is their final destination.