Luke 20:9-18 - The Crushing Rock and Cornerstone

That was good. That was much better than the first service who work there. Like I did I'd ask him twice every enjoying this beautiful crisp fall morning. Sympathy really what you mean enjoying. It's cold, I'm a winter guy. The colder it is to have your I am and so you hot weather people are crazy. Some you know, some of you are now questioning whether or not I'm saved. That's fine. You don't work. That's okay we can disagree on us, but you don't know me. My name is Reese. I'm one of the staff members here at Westland analyze church. And as always it is my joy to be able to share gods were with you this morning. When I Was preparing the message for this weekend reading over the passage. I was reminded of school assemblies from when I was a kid where you and you know, y'all assemble in the gym or whatever it was and the principal or a teacher will get up there and start telling a story of these kids. They've heard of from other school for doing this ridiculous things like vandalizing and breaking in and they're telling the story like it's some of the school but you know, they're actually talking about you guys anybody else ever experienced that just me being repute kind of excited kind of way, right? It did the principal the teachers is calling you and saying

Me up a little bit Jesus you're in our passes this morning. It is is is offering a public rebuke through a parable that is not nearly as closeted as my principal during an assembly but reminded me of that. Anyway, he's just he's up before the people telling them these things and using a parable to refute them in a very direct and very public way. Right he is he is clearly directly calling out his audience through this Parable this morning and the parable reads like the rebuke in the warning and the exportation that it is so or turn on your devices to Luke Chapter 20 Loop 20, we're going to read verses 9 to 18, and then we're going to pray and then we'll dig insta Loop 20 starting verse 9 And he that is Jesus began to tell to people this parable. A man planted a Vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while when the time came he sent a servant to the tenants that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed then he sent another servant but they also beat him and treated him shamefully and send him away empty-handed and he said yet a third this one also they wounded and cast out. Then the owner of the vineyard said what shall I do? I will send my beloved Son perhaps they will respect him saw him. They said to themselves. This is the air let us kill him so that the inheritance maybe in a threw him out of the vineyard and they killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them he will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. When they heard this they said surely not but he looked directly at them and said what then is this that is written the stone that the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone everyone goofballs on that stone will be broken to pieces. And when it falls on anyone it will crush him. Spray father. We thank you for your word. We thank you for how it teaches us how a train just how reviews us incorrect Sissonville to stop for righteousness father pray this morning that you would help us to come under your word to submit to a lord to be trained by a father encouraged by and built up bile or does it have a message for her? So I pray for those of us gathered here this morning to hear that you would open our hearts toward to take your lord and to not push it away or ignore because of the weight follow but to embrace it in to come under Lord be made more like Jesus because of its father pray that you would you just guard your words that goes for that. It would do the work that you have declared that it can and will do father. We discussed you this morning that your word will go for with power. We have some song Jesus name. Amen. What are passages for you in Fulton to Parts in versus 8 to the beginning of 15? Can we see the parable itself or Jesus tells the pair of on those Albany vs. In what we see in the parable is the grace of God abused by the grace of God abused look with me again at the opening verses were going to read from 8 to the beginning of 15.

1st and 9th Avenue 14th, and he began to tell the people this Parable a man who planted a man planted a Vineyard and let it out to tenants and went away into another country for a long while when the time came he sent a servant to the tenants that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard for the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant but they also beat him and treated him shamefully and send him away empty-handed. He sent yet a third this one also they wounded and passed out then the owner of the vineyard said, what should I do? I will send my beloved Son Perhaps they will respect him but when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves. This is the heir let us kill him. Set the inheritance maybe ours and they threw him out of the vineyard and they killed him. Jesus begins telling the story right after discussion on a story that we heard last week the pastor to preach on right verse 9 tells us that he's telling this Parable to the people. So there's a gathered crowd. We also know that the religious leaders that he was talking to in the previous Passage would also have been present right in every Jew there would have understood some basic things about the store some basic fact that every every Jew present would have understood that Jesus is talking about Israel in this Parable right Israel was often referred to as a Vineyard in the Old Testament. And so I understood that Israel is the vineyard in as they understood that Israel is the vineyard they would have understood that the man who planted the vineyard the man who owned it was gone, right? They also would have understood that the tenants rights. You were given the vineyard to care for where the religious leaders of the day those two are cast with the care The Vineyard of the people of Israel.

Those listening to him would have understood what he was saying in the broader context do they would have understood the imagery of his tail right? There would have known who the vineyard was. They would have known who did the man was and they would have understood for the tenants were and then Jesus says this when the time came he sent a servant to the tenants so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard but the tenants beat and sent him away empty-handed. This was a perfectly reasonable thing for the owner of the vineyard to do right? It's his land. He always The Vineyards he planted it. He did the work for it. He deserves he has a right to some of the crop. It's his right, but what happens to tenants beat the servant that beat him and they sent him away with nothing no more. Landlord going to come back there to kick down the gate there to get rid of the tenants in there to take some of their car from the cells for this. There's right, but instead instead. Jesus says that the Sent another servant but they also beat and treated him shamefully and they sent him away empty-handed and he said yet also wounded and cast out rice with the demands sent more servants in the treatment of the service gets worse every time with each serving the treatment gets ramped up their go from just beat the beat and routed did wouldn't say that writes. Imagine. Imagine being the crowd cheering this story. How amazed are you right now at the owner of this Vineyard, right? How how Blown Away are you by his mercy and Grace really by the mercy and the grace of God write the owner simply wants what is his right? And in any sense 3 service three servings each one treated worse than the first and the man continues to show Grace East Side Grace Grace Grace, right? I guarantee you that some of the People are sitting there cheering. This just amazed. I would Jesus is describing to them just amazed at the grace of the man who owns of in your butt but I bet that there are some who are also present who are starting to get nervous right there at the start of squirm in their seats little bit their seats, because there are those present to realize that the servants in this Parable represent the Old Testament prophets of old, right? They represent the prophet that God had sent to warn his people right to the correct and Lead Israel the past prophets that Israel had ignored abused beaten and killed at the grace that of the vineyard in those who are nervous because they understand the disturbance represent the prophets and they probably had a little bit of an idea of where Jesus is going with this right so there their and they're intensely interested in what Is the same but for two very different reasons and moves when he says this the owner of the vineyard said what shall I do? I will send my beloved Son my beloved Son perhaps they will respect him. Now, you're starting to freak out right? There's they're starting to go a little crazy because everybody will understand that by beloved Son. Jesus is talking about himself. Jesus is talking about himself. He's referencing what happened way back and Luke 3 verse 22 in following is baptism a voice Came From Heaven sing. You are my beloved Son with you. I am well pleased to Jesus just claimed to be the son of God. Jesus just claim to be the Son of God and the crowd would have liked understood than that the man who planted the vineyard right? And so Jesus is identify himself as the Son of God by saying that he's he's he's the beloved Son and this would have been blowing people's minds and it would have been raised the religious leaders who were present right in Jesus claiming to be the Son of God people's minds have been blown in the religious leaders would have been in raged right with Jesus is doing here in this part of the parable voice to be so beautifully you showing the amazing grace of God and taking back his Vineyard which which was what he was rightfully to do instead of doing that after his servants were ejected and beaded the owner of the vineyard more patients. Keep orzo still more grace and he sent his beloved Son to collect the crop, right? What's race? What Mercy for then what happens Jesus says this? Does the wind attendance saw him that is the Sun? They set themselves. This is the heir let us kill him. Let us kill him so the inheritance maybe ours and they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. imagine how the people at this moment Imagine that their shock and they're surprised by Jesus who just identified himself as the Beloved son. He just took on that identifier has just said that the people that he was sent to show Grace to people God's people Israel their religious leaders. He is just said that they will kill him.

Kid, once again prophesying for play me for telling his coming death right at the hands of those. He came to save some of the we now know comes to pass with some of the Vape at that moment. What I've been thinking is right. He's alive. Jesus is alive right now sitting in front of him telling them this story and he's saying that he's going to be killed that that must have been so confusing right the man who is who is proclaiming to you. The story is just saying to you that you're going to kill him right? But but the most amazing thing that we should see in these first versus is not necessarily Jesus predicting his death right? It's not as if it's the fact that Jesus the Beloved son was sent at all. That's what we need to see you're the most amazing thing here is the fact that the Beloved son was set right if we if we if we dropped the imagery of the parable for a moment. We just consider what it is that Jesus saying here. How amazing is it that God sent his beloved Son. Right foot. Let's look at the grace and the mercy on display here right again, and again and again God sent his Messengers to his people in order to call them to himself and again and again and again the people abused and beat and kill his Messengers ignoring God's please and his loving-kindness and spurning his mercy and his grace. We see the story play all throw the Old Testament over and over again. It's meant turn to me walking my waist. I will forgive love you and over and over and over again their answer is no no. And then in an act of Grace greater than anything we could ever comprehend. He sends his son to the people who have been neglecting him.

He sent his son to the people who have been abusing him and ignore him and spurning his grace in spite of their past is spite of their abusive is Grace. God sent his beloved Son in. This is amazing. It's amazing. We should never ever stop being in awe of God's Gift of his son, but But there is also a warning in these verses that we need to hear. We see so clearly in these tennis at the bend of the human heart is to word for Bellion and send study of the total depravity of humanity. Bright event of human heart is toward rebellion. And since there is no reason there is no reason for the tenants in this Parable to do what they have done to the owner to the servants and especially to the sun, right? The vineyard is his by right. It's his it belongs to him. He is all the rights to it all the rights to the crop and yet the tenants rebelled against his authority and they attempt to assert their independence from him. Their behavior is outrageous. It's lunacy. It's insane and in their actions in their actions, especially in the murder of the sun. We are meant to see the terrible truth of who we are in our sin. without Jesus without the Beloved so we are God's enemies spurning his grace and doing everything we can to try and assert our independence from him, right? We're like, we're like a toddler in a parking lot running away from our parents. Completely ignorant to the danger around us. Just wanting to be free just wanting to be free of her parents want that to have that freedom alone. Totally oblivious to the danger of the world around us to the reality of sin and death this Parable apples. So clearly the truth of the human existence. We are all born in sin rebellious tenants in the world. Not of our making the hearts of all people are turned away from God right in the only thing that can change our status of the has changed their status from from from enemies. Right is the work of the Holy Spirit and our lives the Holy Spirit brings us from enemies to Jesus and train changes our status from enemies two sons and daughters of the most high God or Christian. We must never forget. We must never forget that this is our heritage. We were enemies Right, and we have to remember that those who are not Christians are enemies of God. Still God will not a bison. God cannot a bison, right? And so we should not be surprised when God responds to the abuse of his grace. Why we should not be surprised when God responds to the abuse of his grace. We see that response in the remainder of our Parable following the murder of the beloved Son the owner of the vineyard response to the tenants his enemies, right and what we seeing his reaction to the abusive. His grace is Justice on display. What we see in vs 15 B 218 is the justice of God on display for all the world to see so look at me. They were going to read from 15b till the end of her Passage. Jesus says to them. What Jen will the owner of the vineyard do to them he will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others when they heard. This is surely not. Surely not but he looked directly at them and said what then is this that was written the stone that the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone everyone who falls on that stone everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces and when it falls on anyone it will crush him Jesus to Jesus begin his explanation of a parable with the rhetorical question that we see in verse 15 right in regards with the owner will do and then in verse 16 Jesus shocks the crowd right? He says that the owner will come and destroy those tenants and we'll give the vineyard to others and their reaction is an understandable reaction. I can't see what happens right there. They're panicking right now. Why? Why would they be shot? Right they would not be shocked if the owner of an actual literal Vineyard did this right? In fact, they would be shocked if the owner of in your didn't go and check these guys out and bring Justice for the death of his son. Right and claimed it as his they would be shocked that that didn't happen right there shock comes because right they understand that Jesus is talking about God's reaction toward them the people of Israel. They're they're not shocked because they made up some version of God in their minds at soft and kind and gentle right and fluffy and easy to the package you can can I carry on a makes you comfortable? That's not with a shock is at no Israelites were intimately acquainted with the justice and wrath and end in the Opium of God writes. They were intimately acquainted with that. The shock was not at the fact the god report his Justice on someone who shot was at the fact that God would pour out his Justice on them. What Jesus is seeing here? This is staying here in verse 16th. Is that because of Israel's unfaithfulness because of the Unfaithful list of the leaders, they will be destroyed and replaced as the people of God and that is understandably a shock to them. Right is very distressing for his couch here because the Jewish identity was it was wrapped up with consumed in the fact that they were the chosen people of God, right? They were a nation sent a part for his glory for himself in his chin. Jesus is telling the mirror. He's telling me that they're going to be destroyed. They're going to be destroyed in that distinction of they cling to you so tightly for their identity is going to be given to others right but he also tells them he also tells me they were warned that this can happen right to quote Psalm 118:22 to them directly says you look directly at them and said What then is this that has written the stone that the builders rejected has become the Cornerstone.

Second imagine Jesus looking directly at you. Right, that does does a kind of heavy eye contact that I don't think we can possibly comprehend right? This is currently begotten of the Father God from God light from light true God from true God begotten not made of one being with the father through him all things were made and he's staring right at you like

That's a little intense. Okay in the end, he's looking at you like that telling you that you have no reason to be shocked at his message of judgement and destruction.

How do you respond to that? I can't even imagine. He looks kills his wife at the few quote Psalm 118, right and implies that he is the promised Cornerstone that is rejected the stone that will break and crush his enemies. Bikes by identifying himself as the beloved Son the one who is rejected and killed by the tenants of the vineyard. He identifies himself as the Cornerstone by claiming to be one. He's claiming to be the other right those the connection that he's making in this Parable. He's the Beloved son. He's the Cornerstone and as he identifies himself as that Cornerstone, he wants his audience looking at everyone everyone not some of everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces and when not if when When it falls on anyone it will crush him.

What Jesus is saying to these people is if you reject my message if you fail to listen to what I am teaching you if you turn away from me and ignore me, then I will destroy you.

Kissing a dead and he's saying that to us now, right? This is this is a far cry from the soft and meek and Mild Jesus that many people today have fabricated for themselves in their own imagination this image of Jesus that they've made in their own image that they're comfortable with, right.

But far from being harsh and unloving In This Moment. Jesus is proclaiming the most loving message. He could ever bring he is declaring a warning. She is warning them of what will happen when he returns as the Victorious cling to Victoria's came to claim his people and judge the cosmos. Can he said he would listen to me. If you don't listen, if you don't come to me and repentance for forgiveness and new life. If you don't turn to me and let me save you if you continue to leaving my stint ever checked my message and to be my enemy and the enemy of God, then I will destroy you and it will be your fault.

He is making it so so clear that they are not an infant number of chances to come to him. Which we see that in the parable. the owner sends three servants then the Beloved son then destruction.

If you're here this morning, and you're not a Christian, please hear the warning of Jesus. By the grace of God you are here. Being told that you are a sinner in need of a savior and a savior is Jesus.

Like I said earlier, we are all sinners born enemies of God and in our so we cannot be made right with God and God sent his beloved Son. He sent his beloved Son to live the life. We could not live to Die the death. We could not die to pay the price. We could not pay and then he raised him from the dead on the third day and he is seated now in heaven right in Victory waiting for the day when he comes to judge and Destroy Satan sin and death and claim his bride the church as his own and to judge his enemies. So if you're here, and you're not a Christian morning, please come to Jesus now.

He is warning you and it is the most loving thing she could do to see is well within his right to just destroy the vineyard in his tenants. But instead he offers you a warning so come to him now confess your sin and your need for him and asked you to save him save you and he will he will it what the Bible says it was his choice to go to the cross for the Salvation of his people. He will save you. He is warned you that he is the Cornerstone the one that will crush and destroy those who do not belong to him on the day of his return flight. But if you can come to him instead of being a stone that crushes he becomes for you the exalted Cornerstone the one on whom you can build your life, right the Cornerstone of the ancient near East was the most important part of a building was it was the space were the walls of meat in the weight would bear down on that stone. And if that still wasn't set properly the building was useless. It was fall apart. So Jesus say I am not Cornerstone of which you can build you. Like you can trust me. You can do everything you need for your life on me and I will hold you fast. I am the best thing you could ever possibly build your life on the most stable thing in the cosmos you sing if you come to him you get to build your life on him. This is The Wonder of the grace of God that we see in this Parable it's so vast. It's Sylvester even as he closes the vineyard to self. He opens the vineyard to others, right? We see that in first 16th. Jesus said she will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. We trusted. We are the others work work. Both of us. I think probably aren't Jewish right? We're Gentiles. We are the others at the vineyard has been open to we are the ones that Jesus has been talking about in this Parable and God in his grace gives us more chances than we deserve to turn to him through Jesus and to be faithful tennis. Christian that the lesson from this Parable for us has this we must daily lean into God's grace to live in such a way that we are Faithfully Faithfully following Jesus right and building our lives on him our Rock our Cornerstone. We must not take for granted God's grace in our last we must not take for granted God's grace in our lives. And we need to strive to live Faithfully right in to follow Christ in every aspect of our lives right in in prayer and giving and thankfulness and scripture reading and Hospitality in relationships and church involvement and service in all these areas. So we've been called to live faithful we need to rely on God's grace and strive for faithfulness. Not perfection. Not for fashion for faithfulness relying on the power of the Holy Spirit and trusting him to empower us to live our lives for Christ right in Christ into Christ. We we build our lives on Jesus our exalted cornerstones by striving to be like him, right? We strive to be like Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit right through the gifts of the Holy Spirit and then we rest in his grace as the spirit leads us and sanctifies us. Does the parable of the tenants warns those who do not know Jesus of the danger of rejecting him? And it calls Christians to faithfulness as we build our lives on him. Right? Both calls need to be heard and responded to write in in in in many ways are Parable today is Jesus's response to the question. We heard of the passes last week. The question was by whose authority do you do these things on whose authority Parables Jesus is answer to that. Jesus says right through this parable of the authority of God's is the authority is God's and also that the authority is given to him as the air by God. He is the Son of God and so the authority is his kids warning is audio fuse warning us that he is the final messenger three servants were sent them the sun then destruction. Jesus is the final messenger. There are no more coming after him. He is it.

If you do not heed his message now, if we do not hear what he is saying now soon it will be too late. Jesus is coming with a sword. He's coming with you sortie of God to judge. He will destroy those who do not belong to him on that day. So like I said, like I pleaded with you if you don't know Jesus come to him today. There is no better day to do that. Then now right and believer build your life on Christ on our Cornerstone proclaimed gospel to those who don't know Jesus, right? Because Jesus is the final messenger. There is no other and we are called we are commanded to Proclaim his gospel to the whole world stop people from every tribe every tongue and every nation might come into the vineyard. Choose gates are open wide by and live their life building it on the cornerstone. That is Jesus a Sprite. All we thank you for this day. And we thank you for the opportunity to come and gather together as your people wanted to hear your word. What are print out, especially for those who would give us who don't know you that by the power of your spirit you would save them you would bring them to the realization that they need you that they need Jesus or they would that you would bring them to Jesus and repentance store that buy your loving kindness or they would come to you for celebration cuz you would do that this morning or even in their lives were in that for those of us who follow you that you would help us to live Faithfully as we build our lives on your son The Salted Cornerstone. Or we thank you for your word out even as it wrecks that sort of builds a 7.62 Jesus the only hope we have for the rock do we can claim to the Cornerstone of which we build Eliza page you'd be with us this week as we go. Did you help us to focus on Chrysler to build our lives on Christ to live our life in Christ for the glory of Christ, but we have to sell his awesome name MN.