The King's Authority Questioned

I. Challenging the King (23-27)

​A. The Elder’s Question (23)

Matthew 21:23 NASB95

23 When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?”

Matthew 21:23

B. Jesus’ Question (24-25)

Matthew 21:24–25 NASB95

24 Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 “The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

Matthew 21:24-2

The religious leaders didn’t ask, “What is the truth” they were more concerned with asking “what are the consequences of answering Jesus.”

C. The Elder’s Answer (25-26)​

Matthew 21:25–26 NASB95

25 “The baptism of John was from what source, from heaven or from men?” And they began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26 “But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the people; for they all regard John as a prophet.”

D. Jesus’ Answer (27)​

Matthew 21:27 NASB95

27 And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

Principle—They did not believe in the light of truth about the source of the baptism of John that they were given, and therefore no further light of truth is given to them.

Principle—They did not believe in the light of truth about the source of the baptism of John that they were given, and therefore no further light of truth is given to them.

Silence is often the best answer to the questioning of unbelief. Peals before swine.

II. Rejecting The Father (28-32)

A. The Parable Taught (28-30)

Matthew 21:28–30 NASB95

28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’ 29 “And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 “The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go.

Matt

First Son — honest unbelievers

Second Son — the religious leaders

B. Application Made (31-32)

Matthew 21:31–32 NASB95

31 “Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get 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 prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.

Example of an “Honest Unbeliever” — Paul. “Saul, go into my vineyard.” “I will not!” Until he came to Damascus.

A man in the church who was quite disagreeable decided that he was going to take a trip to the holy land. He went in to see the minister and said, “I am going to the holy land.” and the minister said, “well that’s good.” He said to the minister, “not only am I going to the holy land, but I have a copy of the 10 commandments and and I am going to climb so the top of mount Sinai and read the 10 commandments from the top of the mountain.” The minister replied, “I have an idea, instead of going all the way over there and reading the 10 commandments, why don’t you stay home and do them.”

“before” rather than “instead” of you — this leaves room for salvation for them as it is always open for us.

III. Rejecting the Son (33-46)

A. The Parable Taught (33-41)

Matthew 21:33–41 NASB95

33 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey. 34 “When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce. 35 “The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third. 36 “Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first; and they did the same thing to them. 37 “But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 “But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 “They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 “Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” 41 They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”

Based on Isaiah 5:1-7

Isaiah 5:1–7 NASB95

1 Let me sing now for my well-beloved A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. 2 He dug it all around, removed its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it And also hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones. 3 “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge between Me and My vineyard. 4 “What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones? 5 “So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground. 6 “I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned or hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it.” 7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel And the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.

Is 5:1-7

They were to be the judge and jury.

They were to be the judge and jury.

B. Application Made (42-46)

Matthew 21:

Matthew 21:42–46 NASB95

42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone; This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. 44 “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust.” 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46 When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet.