Who Died And Made You Boss? Part 1
Luke 19:45-20:19
“Tell us by what authority you are doing these things…” vs. 2
I can do and go anywhere I want
A government official with the Department of Water Resources down in the state of Texas made a surprise visit to an old rancher to inspect the water pipes and the property. After introducing himself he tells the rancher, “I need to inspect your ranch for your water allocation.” The old rancher says, “Okay, but don’t go in that field over there.” The government official gets out his ID card and says: “Mister, do you know who I am? I have the authority of the Federal Government with me. You see this card? This card means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I wish on any agricultural land in the state of Texas, no questions asked. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand?” The old rancher nods politely and almost embarrassed and goes back to doing his chores. Little later, the old rancher hears this loud blood curdling screams and sees the Government Official running for his life because close behind him was the rancher’s 1500 lb prize bull and the bull was gaining with every step. The Official was terrified, so the old rancher immediately throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs, “Your card! Show him your card!”
There are times where people think that they are above the law and that they have the right to do and say anything they want. People can react as well when they have a certain amount of power and somehow feel that power is threatened.
Read Passage – Luke 19:45-20:19
45 When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 46 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’[c]; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” 47 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48 Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.
20“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.” 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.
Who’s In Charge?
This story raises an important issue for us that also was a concern for the religious leaders in Jesus time; “Who’s in charge?” They are struggling with the fact that Jesus is dictating and teaching the people what worship looks like and this, in their mind, is undermining their authority. So they ask him a question which comes in verse 2:
“Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?” vs. 2
What they are really saying is “Who are you that you can tell people, and us, what to do and what worship is and how to approach God?” Before you get too down on the religious leaders, think about how they might have looked at this. They were from the tribe of Levi and God had designated that tribe as the ones who would run the temple. This was their “God-given” job. They went to synagogue early in their lives, they memorized the Old Testament scriptures and they spent their life guiding the people in worship. They held a lot of respect in the peoples eyes. They were considered to be the voice of God and his chosen instruments when it came to religious things. In the O.T. they were not given land as the other tribes were they were given the responsibility of the religious things and God was their inheritance. They were probably thought of as God’s chosen leaders.
Now this Jesus comes along. He is not from the tribe of Levi but he is from the tribe of Judah. That was the kingly line but at this time the Israelites had no king. He wasn’t trained in religious things or brought up with the training of the importance of the religious practices. Remember, he was a carpenter’s son and probably only went to the temple on the Sabbath to worship. How could this guy come along and tell them what worship was about? Yet, the people were following him and listening to him. He did miracles, he healed people, he turned water to wine, he cast out spirits, and he even told things of nature like the wind and waves how to act. He amazed the people and they looked up to him and gave him a lot of credibility. So who was he to tell them how to live?
A House Of ???
We are in the Easter season. It struck me that we live in a culture where Easter is not as celebrated as it once was and that Jesus is not thought of as Savior and Lord. So…I wanted to do a series where we take a deeper look at Jesus and who we understand him to be. Many people think of Jesus as a prophet or a good teacher, so did the people of Israel, but we believe differently.
The events in this chapter are on the coat tails of Jesus going into the temple and turning over the tables and disrupting their business and throwing the tables, chairs and money all over the place. He is upset with their religious practices and the inappropriate way they are using the temple as a place of business and moneymaking venture. This is not what the temple was meant to be. He reminds us of what God’s view of the temple should be, Luke 19:
“It is written,” he said, “’My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it a ‘den of robbers.’” Luke 19:46
God intended his house to be a place of worship and prayer (that comes from Isaiah 56:7) and they had gotten far away from that. Jesus confronts them on that and this intensifies their desire to find a reason to kill him. His voice and credibility are beginning to overtake theirs and his influence has gotten too strong. In fact, it’s as if he now has the authority to tell the people what true worship of God looks like. The difficulty is that he has become so popular that they have to find a way to discredit him and make it look like they have justification to put him to death.
The Validity Of Jesus Authority
A group of Jewish leaders confront Jesus and ask him, “Who authorized you to do what you did in the temple? We have the temple police force stationed to protect its sanctity;” in other words, like the title of the sermon says, “Jesus, who died and made you boss?” “Who told you that you could act like this?” That question is still one that many ask today.
Ex. Just yesterday in our parking lot I had a discussion with a man walking through our parking lot and he said this exact thing to me; “I believe Jesus was a good man but I’m not convinced he was the Son of God as those Christians claim, including my dad.”
Many people will claim that the Christians have overtaken Easter or that our celebration of Easter is not really valid. They don’t believe that Jesus was who he said he was and that we are just blowing a lot of smoke. So let’s look at our passage today to discover a little more about the validity of Jesus authority.
- He’s Our Protector
Chapter 19 verse 45 through the end of chapter 20 all tie together to bring us a unique picture of Jesus and it validates his authority. In the last part of chapter 19 there is this important story of Jesus entering the temple. He is deeply disturbed by what he sees. The religious leaders have turned the temple and worship practices into a money making scheme and true worship has been tainted. In verse 45 we read:
“Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling.” Luke 19:45
Notice the strong language that is used here. He “drives” them out. Jesus is not gentile here. He is angry. It’s not just that the religious leaders are using the temple to make money, they have hamstrung the people by charging exorbenent prices for the animals used for sacrifice and they have skewed thee idea of what real worship is and have mad e the worship practices a burden to the people. There should be a joy in coming to the temple to worship and instead it is oppressive. Their hearts have been tampered with. Jesus realizes that no one is protecting the hearts of God’s people. He steps up and becomes our protector. When he was praying in John 17 he said these words (vs. 12):
“While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me.” John 17:12
Jesus knew the religious leaders were supposed to protect the people’s hearts and keep them focused on God. They were failing. He steps in and fills that roles and that is a validation of his love for us and of his role as our Savior and is a validation of his authority.
Point: The role of the pastor today is the same. Pastors should be protecting their flocks hearts and leading them to a deeper love of God. To many pastors are worried about money, fame, etc.
Ex. The example of our rib cage as a protector of our heart. The heart is a delicate and fragile organ and needs to be protected. Our rib cage stops those bumps and things that — our body and protects our most vital and important organ.
2. He’s Our Voice Of Wisdom
A second validation of Jesus authority comes when these same religious leaders confront Jesus and try to trap him. They try to trick him into saying something that will discredit him and allow them to arrest and kill him. His response is classic because he sees right through their scheme. Verse 4:
“He replied, ‘I will also ask you a question.’” vs. 4
He answers their question with a question. Sometimes when that happens to me I get frustrated. Jesus sees through their scheme and he is wise enough to throw their plot right back at them. He gives them a scenario that he knows will trap them about the baptism that John is performing. Jesus had been preparing his whole life for just these type of things. Do you remember the words about him as he was growing from Luke 2:52?
“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52
Jesus is a voice of wisdom. I would even go so far as to say that he passes his wisdom on to us. He is our voice of wisdom. Many people get nervous or scared about talking about God to other people because they might not know what to say. In a sense, you don’t have to. He is our voice of wisdom, that is why we have the Holy Spirit. Let me give you two examples.
Example 1: Moses; when God calls him and sends him to Pharaoh he is not sure about going but God says not to worry because he will give him the words.
Example 2: ____ says that there will be times when we don’t know what to say but he will give us the words.
Jesus wisdom is another validation of his authority. No one can outsmart Jesus.
3. He’s Our Provider
And the third validation comes in this wonderful story in Luke 20 9:19 about a landowner who has a piece of land and when it comes time to collect he sends some messengers but the workers kill them so he sends his sons and the workers kill him too. Luke 20:13:
“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’” Luke 20:13
The story is explained to us. The landowner is God, we are the workers, the messengers are the prophets of old, and of course, the son is Jesus. It’s within this story that we Jesus provides for us something that we could never provide for ourselves; salvation. This is the third validation of his authority. The religious leaders of his day missed that the purpose for Jesus and his life was to be our provider. They were worried about their power, their prestige, the place in society, even their money and earthly possessions but they forget the one who gave it to them. The owner of the vineyard was God and he gave it to the workers to work and their provision. They tried to assume possession of something that was not theirs in the first place.
Ex. Buy a child a bag of French fries from McDonald’s then when they start eating ask them for one. A lot of kids won’t. They say “There mine!” and you could say “Yeah, but I bought them.” That wouldn’t matter to them. We do the same to God. He gives us things, possessions, and we are reluctant to acknowledge him and we assume the ownership.
Some don’t. Some may give you one back. Jesus came to give us God’s word, his ways which are best for us and he came to be our provider, our provider of salvation.
“For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them.” John 17:8
As I said earlier, we are in Easter and many will not accept why Jesus came. But you know why he came, you are hearing it now, to be our provider and this is another validation of his authority. He is the only one who could provide salvation.
The Capstone
The pinnacle of this idea of Jesus authority is summed up in verse 17:
“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.” Luke 20:17
The capstone is a stone that sets on the very top of a structure and really holds it together with pressure. The dictionary gives this definition which illustrates the point perfectly:
A crowning achievement; peak, chockstone, copestone, one of the set of slabs on the top of a wall or building.
ILLUS: At the corner of any major building of that day, a builder would place a foundation stone. This was a very large and carefully shaped rock, and the builder was so careful about this stone because the stability of the rest of that building depended upon how solid that rock was.
All the rest of the building tied into that one huge stone
800×600
Who Died And Made You Boss? Part 1
Luke 19:45-20:19
“Tell us by what authority you are doing these things…” vs. 2
I can do and go anywhere I want
A government official with the Department of Water Resources down in the state of Texas made a surprise visit to an old rancher to inspect the water pipes and the property. After introducing himself he tells the rancher, “I need to inspect your ranch for your water allocation.” The old rancher says, “Okay, but don’t go in that field over there.” The government official gets out his ID card and says: “Mister, do you know who I am? I have the authority of the Federal Government with me. You see this card? This card means I am allowed to go WHEREVER I wish on any agricultural land in the state of Texas, no questions asked. Have I made myself clear? Do you understand?” The old rancher nods politely and almost embarrassed and goes back to doing his chores. Little later, the old rancher hears this loud blood curdling screams and sees the Government Official running for his life because close behind him was the rancher’s 1500 lb prize bull and the bull was gaining with every step. The Official was terrified, so the old rancher immediately throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs, “Your card! Show him your card!”
There are times where people think that they are above the law and that they have the right to do and say anything they want. People can react as well when they have a certain amount of power and somehow feel that power is threatened.
Read Passage – Luke 19:45-20:19
45 When Jesus entered the temple courts, he began to drive out those who were selling. 46 “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be a house of prayer’[c]; but you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’” 47 Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48 Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.
20“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.” 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.
Who’s In Charge?
This story raises an important issue for us that also was a concern for the religious leaders in Jesus time; “Who’s in charge?” They are struggling with the fact that Jesus is dictating and teaching the people what worship looks like and this, in their mind, is undermining their authority. So they ask him a question which comes in verse 2:
“Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?” vs. 2
What they are really saying is “Who are you that you can tell people, and us, what to do and what worship is and how to approach God?” Before you get too down on the religious leaders, think about how they might have looked at this. They were from the tribe of Levi and God had designated that tribe as the ones who would run the temple. This was their “God-given” job. They went to synagogue early in their lives, they memorized the Old Testament scriptures and they spent their life guiding the people in worship. They held a lot of respect in the peoples eyes. They were considered to be the voice of God and his chosen instruments when it came to religious things. In the O.T. they were not given land as the other tribes were they were given the responsibility of the religious things and God was their inheritance. They were probably thought of as God’s chosen leaders.
Now this Jesus comes along. He is not from the tribe of Levi but he is from the tribe of Judah. That was the kingly line but at this time the Israelites had no king. He wasn’t trained in religious things or brought up with the training of the importance of the religious practices. Remember, he was a carpenter’s son and probably only went to the temple on the Sabbath to worship. How could this guy come along and tell them what worship was about? Yet, the people were following him and listening to him. He did miracles, he healed people, he turned water to wine, he cast out spirits, and he even told things of nature like the wind and waves how to act. He amazed the people and they looked up to him and gave him a lot of credibility. So who was he to tell them how to live?
A House Of ???
We are in the Easter season. It struck me that we live in a culture where Easter is not as celebrated as it once was and that Jesus is not thought of as Savior and Lord. So…I wanted to do a series where we take a deeper look at Jesus and who we understand him to be. Many people think of Jesus as a prophet or a good teacher, so did the people of Israel, but we believe differently.
The events in this chapter are on the coat tails of Jesus going into the temple and turning over the tables and disrupting their business and throwing the tables, chairs and money all over the place. He is upset with their religious practices and the inappropriate way they are using the temple as a place of business and moneymaking venture. This is not what the temple was meant to be. He reminds us of what God’s view of the temple should be, Luke 19:
“It is written,” he said, “’My house will be a house of prayer’; but you have made it a ‘den of robbers.’” Luke 19:46
God intended his house to be a place of worship and prayer (that comes from Isaiah 56:7) and they had gotten far away from that. Jesus confronts them on that and this intensifies their desire to find a reason to kill him. His voice and credibility are beginning to overtake theirs and his influence has gotten too strong. In fact, it’s as if he now has the authority to tell the people what true worship of God looks like. The difficulty is that he has become so popular that they have to find a way to discredit him and make it look like they have justification to put him to death.
The Validity Of Jesus Authority
A group of Jewish leaders confront Jesus and ask him, “Who authorized you to do what you did in the temple? We have the temple police force stationed to protect its sanctity;” in other words, like the title of the sermon says, “Jesus, who died and made you boss?” “Who told you that you could act like this?” That question is still one that many ask today.
Ex. Just yesterday in our parking lot I had a discussion with a man walking through our parking lot and he said this exact thing to me; “I believe Jesus was a good man but I’m not convinced he was the Son of God as those Christians claim, including my dad.”
Many people will claim that the Christians have overtaken Easter or that our celebration of Easter is not really valid. They don’t believe that Jesus was who he said he was and that we are just blowing a lot of smoke. So let’s look at our passage today to discover a little more about the validity of Jesus authority.
1. He’s Our Protector
Chapter 19 verse 45 through the end of chapter 20 all tie together to bring us a unique picture of Jesus and it validates his authority. In the last part of chapter 19 there is this important story of Jesus entering the temple. He is deeply disturbed by what he sees. The religious leaders have turned the temple and worship practices into a money making scheme and true worship has been tainted. In verse 45 we read:
“Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling.” Luke 19:45
Notice the strong language that is used here. He “drives” them out. Jesus is not gentile here. He is angry. It’s not just that the religious leaders are using the temple to make money, they have hamstrung the people by charging exorbenent prices for the animals used for sacrifice and they have skewed thee idea of what real worship is and have mad e the worship practices a burden to the people. There should be a joy in coming to the temple to worship and instead it is oppressive. Their hearts have been tampered with. Jesus realizes that no one is protecting the hearts of God’s people. He steps up and becomes our protector. When he was praying in John 17 he said these words (vs. 12):
“While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me.” John 17:12
Jesus knew the religious leaders were supposed to protect the people’s hearts and keep them focused on God. They were failing. He steps in and fills that roles and that is a validation of his love for us and of his role as our Savior and is a validation of his authority.
Point: The role of the pastor today is the same. Pastors should be protecting their flocks hearts and leading them to a deeper love of God. To many pastors are worried about money, fame, etc.
Ex. The example of our rib cage as a protector of our heart. The heart is a delicate and fragile organ and needs to be protected. Our rib cage stops those bumps and things that — our body and protects our most vital and important organ.
2. He’s Our Voice Of Wisdom
A second validation of Jesus authority comes when these same religious leaders confront Jesus and try to trap him. They try to trick him into saying something that will discredit him and allow them to arrest and kill him. His response is classic because he sees right through their scheme. Verse 4:
“He replied, ‘I will also ask you a question.’” vs. 4
He answers their question with a question. Sometimes when that happens to me I get frustrated. Jesus sees through their scheme and he is wise enough to throw their plot right back at them. He gives them a scenario that he knows will trap them about the baptism that John is performing. Jesus had been preparing his whole life for just these type of things. Do you remember the words about him as he was growing from Luke 2:52?
“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.” Luke 2:52
Jesus is a voice of wisdom. I would even go so far as to say that he passes his wisdom on to us. He is our voice of wisdom. Many people get nervous or scared about talking about God to other people because they might not know what to say. In a sense, you don’t have to. He is our voice of wisdom, that is why we have the Holy Spirit. Let me give you two examples.
Example 1: Moses; when God calls him and sends him to Pharaoh he is not sure about going but God says not to worry because he will give him the words.
Example 2: ____ says that there will be times when we don’t know what to say but he will give us the words.
Jesus wisdom is another validation of his authority. No one can outsmart Jesus.
3. He’s Our Provider
And the third validation comes in this wonderful story in Luke 20 9:19 about a landowner who has a piece of land and when it comes time to collect he sends some messengers but the workers kill them so he sends his sons and the workers kill him too. Luke 20:13:
“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’” Luke 20:13
The story is explained to us. The landowner is God, we are the workers, the messengers are the prophets of old, and of course, the son is Jesus. It’s within this story that we Jesus provides for us something that we could never provide for ourselves; salvation. This is the third validation of his authority. The religious leaders of his day missed that the purpose for Jesus and his life was to be our provider. They were worried about their power, their prestige, the place in society, even their money and earthly possessions but they forget the one who gave it to them. The owner of the vineyard was God and he gave it to the workers to work and their provision. They tried to assume possession of something that was not theirs in the first place.
Ex. Buy a child a bag of French fries from McDonald’s then when they start eating ask them for one. A lot of kids won’t. They say “There mine!” and you could say “Yeah, but I bought them.” That wouldn’t matter to them. We do the same to God. He gives us things, possessions, and we are reluctant to acknowledge him and we assume the ownership.
Some don’t. Some may give you one back. Jesus came to give us God’s word, his ways which are best for us and he came to be our provider, our provider of salvation.
“For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them.” John 17:8
As I said earlier, we are in Easter and many will not accept why Jesus came. But you know why he came, you are hearing it now, to be our provider and this is another validation of his authority. He is the only one who could provide salvation.
The Capstone
The pinnacle of this idea of Jesus authority is summed up in verse 17:
“The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone.” Luke 20:17
The capstone is a stone that sets on the very top of a structure and really holds it together with pressure. The dictionary gives this definition which illustrates the point perfectly:
A crowning achievement; peak, chockstone, copestone, one of the set of slabs on the top of a wall or building.
ILLUS: At the corner of any major building of that day, a builder would place a foundation stone. This was a very large and carefully shaped rock, and the builder was so careful about this stone because the stability of the rest of that building depended upon how solid that rock was.
All the rest of the building tied into that one huge stone
Normal
0
false
false
false
EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE
MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) }
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:”Table Normal”;
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:””;
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:”Calibri”,”sans-serif”;}
