A Question of Authority. (Luke 20:1-19)
When Jesus walked the earth, his authority was often a matter of contention, particularly among the religious leaders of his time. This questioning of his authority is evident both at the beginning and the end of his ministry.
From the outset, people noted that Jesus spoke with a unique authority, unlike the other rabbis of his time who would typically support their teachings by citing other authorities.
Jesus, however, spoke as if he possessed inherent authority. He often prefigure what he said with the phrase, “I say unto you”, rather than the usual, it is written”.
The climax of this challenge to Jesus' authority occurred during the final week of his life beginning here following his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, where he was hailed as the Messiah by the crowds.
Thereafter we saw in yesterday’s episode Jesus went to the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers and it was at this moment that the religious leaders questioned his authority, likely perplexed by his audacious actions.
This challenge prompts us to explore the source and nature of Jesus' authority. It's a topic rarely discussed, but as I have worked through the Gospel of Luke systematically with you over these last months, I encountered this passage and was compelled to investigate further. In doing so, I uncovered some intriguing insights that I believe are worth sharing.
And that is what we will do today, so welcome to TBPDP.
Okay, let's delve into Luke chapter 20, where we find the challenge to Jesus' authority, beginning in verse one.
The Authority of Jesus Questioned
1: One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2: “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?” 3: He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: 4: John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?” 5: They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6: But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” 7: So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.” 8: Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
The Parable of the Tenants.
9: He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. 10: At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11: He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12: He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out. 13: “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14: “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15: So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16: He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!” 17: Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? 18: Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.” 19: The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
The backdrop to this event is Jesus' recent cleansing of the temple, as discussed yesterday. This event likely occurred during the last week of Jesus' life, perhaps on the Tuesday.
On this particular day, Jesus was teaching and preaching in the temple, delivering the good news, possibly teeling tham about the Kingdom to come.
A formal committee from the Sanhedrin, the supreme ruling body in Israel, comprising the chief priests, scribes, and elders, then confront Jesus. They posed a crucial question: "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority?"
Their question aimed to discern the nature and source of Jesus' authority. If he claimed human authority, it would likely provoke the people. If he claimed divine authority, it could be seen as blasphemous. The religious leaders thought they had trapped Jesus by posing this dilemma.
However, Jesus responds cleverly by posing a question in return about the baptism of John: "Was it from heaven or from men?" This question puts the religious leaders in a bind. They realize that whichever answer they give, they will be caught in a dilemma. If they acknowledge John's baptism as divine, they would be compelled to accept Jesus' authority, but if they deny it, they risk angering the vast majority of people who regarded John as a prophet.
Faced with this dilemma, the religious leaders retreat, admitting, "We don't know." The correct response by the way. This response demonstrates Jesus' skill in navigating challenging situations and revealing the limitations of human wisdom in the face of divine authority.
The in the parable, a certain man (representing God) planted a vineyard (representing Israel) and leased it to vine dressers (representing the religious leaders). The owner sends servants to collect the fruit of the vineyard, symbolizing the payment due to him for what he has done for them. However, the vine dressers mistreat and beat each servant He sendsto them, ultimately casting them out empty-handed.
This mistreatment escalates with each servant sent, indicating the worsening response of the vine dressers. They not only refuse to give the fruit but also subject the servants to increasingly severe treatment, culminating in violence and expulsion.
The parable highlights the rejection and mistreatment of God's messengers throughout pretty much all of Israel's history, symbolized by the servants in the story. It meant to serve as a warning against the religious leaders' hardness of heart and their failure to fulfil their responsibilities towards God and His people.
The religious leaders in the crowd recognize that the parable is directed at them, understanding its implications for their own behaviour and accountability. They become further incensed, realizing that Jesus is exposing their failure and their impending judgment. This parable underscores Jesus' authority both as a teacher and prophet, as well as his courage in confronting those in power with the truth.
Jesus's use of this parable is indeed brilliant, as it convicts on multiple levels and layers of meaning.
By emphasizing that the owner sends his beloved son, Jesus highlights his own divine identity and relationship with God the Father. The religious leaders, being well-versed in scripture, would have understood the implication of this portrayal.
The vine dressers' decision to kill the owner's son represents the ultimate rejection of God's authority and the culmination of Israel's disobedience throughout history, including the rejection of prophets sent by God.
Jesus also prophecies that as a result of their rejection and killing of the son, the vineyard (representing God's kingdom and blessings) will be taken away from Israel and given to others. This foreshadows the expansion of God's kingdom to include the Gentiles, signifying a shift in the recipients of God's blessings.
By quoting Psalm 118, specifically verse 22 "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone", Jesus not only identifies himself as the rejected Messiah but also implies that his rejection by the religious leaders is part of God's plan for salvation. The stone that was rejected (Jesus) will become the cornerstone of God's new work, symbolizing the central role of Christ in God's redemptive plan.
Overall, this parable serves as a powerful indictment against the religious leaders of Israel, revealing their hardness of heart and their failure to recognize and accept Jesus as the promised Messiah. It also foreshadows the expansion of God's kingdom to include people like you and I from all nations and backgrounds, emphasizing the universal all encompassing scope of God's salvation plan.
He says in verse 18, Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”."
And he again is alluding to two passages of scripture. He's alluding to Isaiah Ch 8 and Daniel chapter 2 where the stone is again the Messiah.
There are two different images here. One is they stumble over it, they reject it, they stumble over it, and then Daniel 2: the stone comes and grinds them, falls on them, and destroys them, and that's the point.
So he's saying that some reject the stone, they will stumble over it, and it will crush them. The bottom line of this parable is you reject the son, and the son will reject you; you reject the stone, and the stone becomes the that crushes you.
On the other hand, if you accept the son, he will become the cornerstone upon which you can build your life.
It is a powerful, powerful parable.
So they say in verse 19, ": The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them.
The likely want to kill him, but they can't do that yet. It's not politically expedient just yet.
We got to figure this out because, they feared the peoples reaction. They realised if they grab him by force they are going to have a riot on our hands because the people just hailed him the Messiah.
Now, I want to talk about this for a bit. What's the point of all of this?
The point of all of this is: He cleanses the temple and they ask who gave you this authority"?
This passage of scripture is really about authority, the authority of Christ. And the point is that he has authority because he is the son of God.
I mean, that's clearly the point. John them who he was, and Jeus then says I'm going to give you a parable that's going to tell you who I am and the consequences of doing what you're thinking of doing.
So, the point of all of this is Jesus Christ is the son of God who has authority as the son. And if you reject him, he will reject you.
Now I said at the beginning, I don't think I've ever heard a sermon on the authority of Christ. So I want to talk about authority, and I want to point out some basic things:
Number one, Jesus has authority. All of us agree with that, so I want to probe what that authority means. Which is the source of authority?
I would like to suggest that there are different kinds of authority. There is the authority of function; you have authority because of something you can do.
An easy illustration is sports coach, can holds a camp for young people to teach them how athletes, and so the parents are willing to pay good money for the fell he has the authority to coach their kids.
Look what I did. I know how to do this. I did it, now I can teach you how to do it. A lot of the authority that we experience is based on the ability to perform a function.
You go to an lawyer because they can fulfil a function, you go to a mechanic because he has the ability to fix your car. It's the authority of performing a function.
There's a second kind of authority, and this is the one we're probably most familiar with, it's the authority of position. You have authority because somebody has given it to you. So, if somebody owns the company and they hire a manager and delegate to that manager the authority to hire and fire employees, and if the manager says, "You're hired," and you say, "By whose authority?" Well, it was given to me, it was delegated to me. Or, "You're fired," and you say, "How can you do that?" Well, I was given that authority by the owner.
So someone has that kind of authority because they have a position.
Then, I think there is an authority of what I'm going to call an authority of personhood. What I mean by that is you have authority, you did or not because it was delegated to you, but of just who you are.
So, it the power of authority of personhood. An illustration of this is the next king of England. He will be the king, not because he's brilliant, he may or may not be, and he did not gain his authority because he did or did not do something, not even because it's delegated to him, but because he was born the son of the Queen Elizabeth II, so it just who he is.
Now, I laid all that out to say this: by what authority did Jesus do what he did? What is his authority? Well, He is first and foremost the Son of God.
If you read the gospel of John, he constantly says, "I do this because the Father gave me this authority." So, there's some kind of arrangement in the Trinity where he's given the authority to do certain things, and he does it because the Father gave him the authority.
It's delegated. It's his position but on top of that he also has authority over us because of what he did. He died for us, paid for our sin.
So, we submit to his authority because of all three of these reasons, because of who he is ,and the position he held as the third person of the trinity and because of what he did .
So, I want to say, Jesus said, "I am the Son. That's all you need to know. The Father sent the son, and you guys will kill him. And if you reject it me in that way, you too are going to be rejected."
Now, I can't help but point out that this stands in stark contrast to those who appeal to authority in these days, and in his day.
The chief priests are in this crowd, and they say, "We have authority. because of Moses. Moses gave the priesthood to the Levites, so we appeal have Moses as our authority."
Also in this crowd, are the scribes, and they're the ones who would most likely to their authority as the elders, they might appeal to their experience, or the wisdom gained through years of living.
Jesus didn't do any of that. He said, "I'll tell you what authority I have."
I am the son of God, the Messiah.
So, Jesus has authority. That's one thing.
Secondly. What does he do with it? Obviously, he uses it.
What for? I suggest there are three things he uses his authority for.
Would you like to know what they are? I found this very interesting. He uses his authority for three things.
Number one, to give life. That's stated in John 17, verse 2, where, as in his prayer, and this is what he says, I'm going to quote, "As you have given him authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life."
So God gave his Son all authority so that he could turn around and use it to give life. Now, the rest of that verse is very interesting, "As many as you have given him." So the point is, he's given authority over all flesh so that he can give eternal life.
At one point, some of the disciples turned and left him, and Jesus asked the disciples, "Are you going to leave too?" And the disciples, said to him, "Where would we go, you have the words of life."
So, we know the story well, Jesus gives life to those who trust him for eternal life.
Secondly, listen to Matthew 28:18.
"All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth,"
I should say. Now, that's pretty comprehensive. This is the one passage above all the rest that so clearly says, "I have all the authority in all the universe."
So, what does he do with it?
He Jesus uses his authority to give life and Jesus uses his authority to give a command. You know the command, "Make disciples among all nations." How do you do that?, "You preach the gospel. and then you baptize those who trust Christ. And then you teach those who are baptized, translated, they start a church."
So, the authority of Jesus Christ is used to teach us to go win people and disciple them and teach them. He commands us to do that.
Now, the question is, do you recognize his authority in your life? Who is the authority in your life?
Well, I guess at the start, the way you start out in life, it's your parents because you have no choice; they're bigger than you are.
Then you go to school, and its the teachers, and again, you have no choice.
Then you get to be an adult and as a Christian being a disciple is deciding that Jesus is the authority. So, whether or not you're recognizing his authority is not that you signed a doctrinal statement that says, "I believe all authority belongs to Jesus Christ." The acid test is do you recognize the authority of Christ in your life?
Jesususes his authority to give life, he uses his authority to give commands, and he uses his authority to judge.
The third is in John, chapter 5, where it says, "For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself and has given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man."
Somewhere right back where we ended the parable in Luke 20, it says that if you reject him, he has the authority to reject you.
So if you reject him then Jesus is going to say, "I never knew you."
Embedded in that verse is, you rejected me, I'm going to reject you, or in the terms of the parable of Luke, chapter 20, they stumbled over the stone and the stone crushed them.
So just the nature of who he is, if you don't listen to him, you get crushed.
There is a tale of two battleships assigned to a training squadron that had been at sea on manoeuvres in heavy weather for several days.
As the story goes, as the lead battleship and was on course night fell, the visibility was poor, with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge, keeping an eye on all activities.
Shortly after dark, the lookout reported, 'Light bearing on the starboard bow.' 'Is it steady or moving?' the captain called out. The outlook replied, 'Steady, captain,' which probably meant they were on a dangerous collision course with another ship.
The captain then called to the signal, 'Signal that ship: we're on a collision course. Advise you to change course 20°.'
The signalman obeyed and came back another signal: 'Advice for you to change course 20°.'
The captain said, 'Send this message: I'm a battleship commander. Change your course 20°.'
The message came back, 'I'm able seaman, second class. Change your course 20°.'
At that time, the captain was furious. He said, 'Send: I'm a battleship. Change your course 20°.'
And the message came back, 'I'm a lighthouse. Change your course 20°.'
They changed course.'
Now there's some authority in this world you resist at your peril, and I suggest you change your course and submit to the one who has ultimate authority to give his life, save your life, and judge your life.