1. PART II The Rejection of Christ’s Divine Authority March 29, 2015

2. Jesus In The Jerusalem Temple Again  The chief priests, the scribes and the elders questioned Jesus’ authority.  Jesus does not answer, instead he responds with a question of his own.  Jesus’ Question : Was John’s ministry from God or from man?

3. Reasons For Asking About John the Baptist 1)John’s ministry was divinely connected to Jesus’ ministry. 2)To say that John’s ministry is from God is to admit their unbelief. 3)To say that John’s ministry is from man is to defy the people, for the people saw John as a prophet from God.

4. Their Answer : We do not know. Jesus’ Answer: Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

5. The Parable of the Tenants  The owner of the vineyard planted a vineyard, did all of the preparation and then leased it out to tenants.  At harvest, the vineyard owner sent a servant to bring back fruit to the owner.  The tenants of the vineyard beat the servant and sent him away with no fruit.

6. The Parable of the Tenants  The owner sent another servant and the tenants struck this servant on the head and treated him shamefully.  The owner sent yet another servant and the tenants murdered him.  The owner sent many others and some they beat and some they killed.  Finally, the owner sent his beloved son.

7. The Parable of the Tenants  The caretakers knew it was the owners beloved son and so they plotted to kill him and in so doing they gain the inheritance.  They killed the beloved son of the vineyard owner and threw him out of the vineyard.

8. Jesus Asks a Question What will the owner of the vineyard do? Jesus Answers the Question The vineyard owner will come and destroy the tenants and he will give the vineyard to other tenants.

9. Response of the Jewish Leaders  The leaders wanted to arrest Jesus but did not because of fear of the people – not fear of God.

10. Allegorical Meaning of the Parable The ParableThe Meaning The Vineyard OwnerGod The VineyardIsrael TenantsJewish Leaders Servants of Vineyard OwnerProphets of God Son of the Vineyard OwnerJesus, the Son of God

11. Spiritual Meaning of The Parable 1) God chose Israel out of all the nations and he blessed them by making a covenant with them.

12. Spiritual Meaning of The Parable 2) God sent them his prophets to testify of the coming Messiah and to testify to his plan of redemption and the prophets saw little fruit in the vineyard.

13. Spiritual Meaning of The Parable 3) Israel rejected, mistreated and sometimes even murdered the prophets of God.

14. Spiritual Meaning of The Parable 4) In love, God sent his own beloved Son, he was treated worse than all of the prophets before him and was eventually murdered.

15. Spiritual Meaning of The Parable 5) God’s only Son was dragged out of Jerusalem, killed on a tree and buried in a borrowed grave.

16. Spiritual Meaning of The Parable 6) God will divinely judge those who reject his beloved Son as God and Savior.

17. Spiritual Meaning of The Parable 7) God will give the vineyard to those who receive the Son as Savior and Lord.

18. Spiritual Meaning of The Parable 8) The stone, Jesus, was rejected by the builders, but this stone has now become the cornerstone – the one upon which the entire kingdom of God stands!

19. A Question to Consider Who Is YOUR Authority?