LUKE LESSON 48

     We will begin this lesson in Luke 20:1 "And it came to pass,
[that] on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple,
and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon
[him] with the elders,"  Luke 20:2 "And spake unto him, saying, Tell
us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave
thee this authority?"

     Palm Sunday was when Jesus and His disciples had entered into the
city.  This teaching in the temple took place, probably, soon after
Jesus' triumphal entry into the city.  Jesus had been bringing the
good news (gospel) to the people in the temple.  These religious
leaders, possibly, had confronted Him as He came to speak again.  As
we have said before, they were jealous because the people had such
high regard for Him and His teachings.  His teachings were different
than the law which they had brought.  He taught love of God and your
fellowman, and He brought hope to the downtrodden and hopeless.  He
ministered to sinners that they refused to have anything at all to do
with.  He had even stopped their money making ventures in the temple
when He drove them out.  He taught with such power and authority.  Now
they ask Jesus where He got the authority to do this.

     Luke 20:3 "And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask
you one thing; and answer me:"  Luke 20:4 "The baptism of John, was it
from heaven, or of men?"

     Jesus always answered them with a question they could not answer.
Here, again, they cannot trap Him.  He asks them a question they will
not answer.  The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or men?

     Luke 20:5 "And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall
say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?"  Luke
20:6 "But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for
they be persuaded that John was a prophet."

     Jesus has done it again.  Either way they answer, they will
defeat their own cause.  John had been very popular with the people as
a prophet of God and after he was beheaded, became even more popular
with the people.  If they say John was from heaven, they would have to
believe what he said was true; and he had recognized Jesus as Messiah.
Either way, they made a fool of themselves, or they would be stoned by
the people if they answered.

     Luke 20:7 "And they answered, that they could not tell whence [it
was]."

     This is the only way they could answer, and yet this did not give
them any proof of Jesus being worthy of death.  They were defeated.

     Luke 20:8 "And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what
authority I do these things."

     If it is legal for them to not answer, then it is legal for Jesus
not to answer, either.

     Luke 20:9 "Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A
certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and
went into a far country for a long time."

     The vineyard here is symbolic of the House of Israel.  The
husbandmen, the vineyard was let to, were these very leaders of the
temple He was speaking to.  This long time is the approximately 2,000
years that they had the Abraham covenant.  You see, Jesus was
answering their previous question in such a way, that they would not
be able to accuse Him.  The man in this parable is symbolic of God.

     Luke 20:10 "And at the season he sent a servant to the
husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard:
but the husbandmen beat him, and sent [him] away empty."

     You see, the House of Israel brought forth no fruit.  The
husbandmen failed their job.  This prophet God had sent, they beat and
did not accept him.

     Luke 20:11 "And again he sent another servant: and they beat him
also, and entreated [him] shamefully, and sent [him] away empty." Luke
20:12 "And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast
[him] out."

     This is just saying, that over and over God has sent prophets to
warn Israel and their religious leaders of their errors, and they have
beaten them, and even killed some, and threw them out of the temple.

     Luke 20:13 "Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do?
I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence [him] when
they see him."

     Jesus is telling these religious men, in this verse, who He is.
He is the beloved Son of God.  In this, Jesus shows that God tries
time and time again to win Israel.  Even when Jesus is telling them
this, God is making one last effort.  Undoubtedly, they will know the
Scriptures well enough that these priests, scribes, etc.  will
recognize the Son of God.

     Luke 20:14 "But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among
themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the
inheritance may be ours."

     From this Scripture above, Jesus is saying these men know who He
is and want to destroy Him, so they can take over.

     Luke 20:15 "So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed
[him]. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?"

     He is saying here, that the Israelites totally reject the Lord
Jesus and even kill Him.  Then He asks the question: what do you think
God will do to these Israelites?
     Luke 20:16 "He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall
give the vineyard to others. And when they heard [it], they said, God
forbid."

     We see, here, that God will turn His back on Israel and turn His
work on earth over to the Gentiles.  There was no question what this
meant and it frightened them so badly that before they thought, they
cried out: God forbid.

     Luke 20:17 "And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that
is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become
the head of the corner?"

     Jesus is speaking of Himself as being the stone which had been
rejected.  He is telling them that they have rejected the foundation
of the church.  Jesus, whom they rejected, is the cornerstone upon
whom all the lively stones (Christians) are fitted together to build
the church of the living God.

     Luke 20:18 "Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken;
but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

     Falling on that stone is repenting and receiving Jesus.  We must
be broken and made new all over before we can truly serve Him.  To
reject Jesus is when the stone falls on you.  Total destruction lies
ahead for that person.

     Luke 20:19  "And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour
sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they
perceived that he had spoken this parable against them."

     These learned men of the law knew that Jesus had spoken this
parable against them.  There was no question as to who He had said the
Son was.  These religious leaders wanted to destroy Jesus even though
they understood.  The only reason they didn't is because they were
afraid of the people.

     Luke 20:20 "And they watched [him], and sent forth spies, which
should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his
words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of
the governor."

     This is nothing new.  They have been trying to find something
that they could accuse Him of so they could destroy Him all the time.
These spies claim to be followers of Jesus so that they can gather
proof to judge Him by.  The governor really did not have the power and
authority over Jesus.  The only time they had any power over Jesus is
when He wanted them to in order to fulfill His purpose.






                          Luke 48 Questions

1.  While Jesus was speaking in the temple, who came upon Him to
    question Him?
2.  What did they ask Him?
3.  What day had Jesus entered Jerusalem?
4.  Why were they jealous of Jesus?
5.  What was different about His message?
6.  He taught with ------ and -----.
7.  What did Jesus ask them about John's baptism?
8.  Why would they not answer ?
9.  How did they answer Jesus?
10. Why did Jesus not answer them?
11. Who is this parable directed at?
12. In the parable, who is the vineyard symbolic of?
13. Who are the husbandmen symbolic of?
14. What is the long time mentioned here?
15. Who are the servants symbolic of?
16. What did they do to these servants?
17. In verse 13, the beloved Son was symbolic of whom?
18. What did the parable say they did to the Son?
19. God will come and ---------these husband men .
20. Before they thought, these religious leaders said --------------.
21. The stone the builders rejected has become --------.
22. Whosoever shall fall upon the stone shall be -------.
23. What will happen if the stone falls on you?
24. What was the only reason they didn't grab Jesus then?
25. Who did they send to gather information against Jesus?
26. Who did they pretend to be?