Luke 20:9-19 - Your Responsibility to Trust the Divine Cornerstone
9 Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.10 “Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
11 “Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.
12 “And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’
14 “But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’
15 “So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
16 “He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”
17 Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone’?
18 “Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”
19 And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.
Related Scripture:
Matthew 21: 40-41
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”
Main Topics/Questions
Please consider the following topics/questions as you listen to the sermon:1. What is the point of the parable?
2. Who is the intended audience of the parable?
3. What is important to note about the two very different reactions that are given at the end of this parable according to Matthew and Luke?
4. Why is the setting of this parable in a vineyard significant?
5. Although sending representatives to collect the owner's share of a harvest was typical of how things were done in the ancient world, what was atypical in the actions of the tenants?
6. While the owner hoped that the tenant farmers would recognize the authority of the beloved son, what did the tenant farmers hope to gain by doing what they did?
7. When Jesus asked the question about what would the owner do to those who had killed his son, what did the people say? Why did the Jewish leaders have a different reaction?
8. What is the break down of the symbolism from this parable. In what ways did Jesus applies Psalm 118:22-23 to Himself?
9. What are some verses where God is identified as a Rock or a Stone? Where does the New Testament say that Jesus Christ is the same as that Old Testament Rock or Stone? How does this apply to today's lesson?
Conclusion:
And this brings us back to the main point of Christ’s Parable of the Vineyard. Every single human being has a responsibility to trust and obey Jesus Crist. And one of the reasons why is because we are sinners. Your sin separates you from God even though you need God in order to obtain eternal life. Therefore you need the forgiveness of sins that only comes through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. But if you come before Christ without faith your sins will cause His holiness to either break you or crush you. And you will be left out of the glorious kingdom that is coming with the new heaven and the new earth. So quite being obstinate like the tenant farmers in this text! Humbly submit yourself to the Lord Jesus and He will save you.
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Do you feel an emptiness in your life? Are you seeking answers but don't know where to look? Have you ever wondered if you are good enough? Please read the summary of the gospel message, "Four Things You Need to Know About God"
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