Jesus Takes Questions Series

Welcome to a three month long study of one week in the life of Jesus. We’ve given the series a title, The Greatest Week in History. That may seem like hyperbole to you but I ask you to think again. Think of it … Jesus Christ never held a political office, never ruled a nation, and never commanded an army. In fact, during His day He was so obscure that He never even met a Roman emperor. He spent His life in obscurity teaching and explaining the Scriptures to the Jewish people. And yet, when your smartphones flashes the date today, it recognizes that the birth of Jesus split history into two parts, no matter what you think about Him. Today, some two billion people adhere to His teachings around the globe. Jesus is so influential that non-religious people all over the globe use His name to curse. Can you imagine a plumber saying, “Mahatma Gandhi!” when he smashes his finger? He’s easily the most influential figure in history and we’re focusing on His final week on earth. The power of this week lies in all that happened. And it deserves both retelling and a careful scrutiny.

Bracketed by Palm Sunday on one end and Easter Sunday on the other, this is the most important week in history. On Friday, Jesus will die. On Thursday, Judas will betray Him. Today’s focus is Tuesday.

And before we read our passage, allow me to set the scene. It’s Tuesday, just seventy-two hours away from His death and about sixty-four hours away from Judas’ famous kiss. So many items are going on Tuesday that we will devote three Sundays to the happenings on Tuesday. We’ll focus our attention today on simply three items from Tuesday:

1) The Disciples see the fully withered fig tree; 2) Jesus authority is question by the religious leaders; and 3) Jesus teaches several parable. It’s traditionally called the Parable of Vinedressers or the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. And this parable is told in three of the four gospels. I know the traditional names seem odd but Jesus’ story is amazingly relevant.

Today’s Scripture Passage

And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10 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 him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And 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 destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17 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’?

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. (Luke 20:9-19)

Think with me about the cause of World War I for a moment. Sixteen million people died before it was over. And all of it was started by a wrong turn and an assassin’s bullet. In the end, one hundred nations would join together for the Great War (WW I). Yet, it was the slightest tremor that pushed the tectonic plates together to start this conflict. And all of it began when Archduke Ferdinand and his wife were assassinated while they visited Sarajevo. And yet, what’s amazing is that he could have easily escaped and possibly prevented the war itself. His convoy took a wrong turn on that day placing Ferdinand directly in front of the murderer’s bullet on June 28, 1914. Just one wrong turn and millions of people lives may have been spared?

What was the ONE thing that caused Jesus to die? The past two days, Jesus had come into Jerusalem receiving the crowd’s praise (Palm Sunday) and He has cleansed the Temple (Monday). This got the attention of the religious authorities. In fact, they ask Jesus this question: “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority” (Luke 20:2). Jesus’ response is the story we just read. Note carefully the reaction of the religious authorities: “The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people” (Luke 20:19). In essence, Tuesday of the Passion Week is essentially a day where Jesus and the religious leaders of Israel are in verbal conflict. Tuesday’s verbal conflict sets the stage for Friday’s crucifixion. Thursday they will seek to take His life physically but on Tuesday they seek to set the ground work for His death. It’s here they seek to take Him verbally. Jesus tells a parable that isn’t simply for them, it’s for us.