The Bryce Crawford Podcast - Luke Series Chapter 20 (EP 74)

Episode Date: December 20, 2024

In this episode, Bryce breaks down Luke Chapter 20.

What's going on, guys. Welcome back to another episode of the Bryce Carper podcast. I'm Bryce, and today we are on Luke chapter 20 of the 24 day Luke Christmas series where every day we've been reading a chapter of Luke. So by the time you get to Christmas Eve, you would have read the whole gospel of Luke. Guys, this is our fifth to last one. I think I said that. We are five days away from completing the whole gospel of Luke. It's going to be powerful. Before we get into it, guys, January 19th, 6 p.m., first ever live podcast show in Los Angeles. It's going to be awesome. Come join us. the funds help mobilize us and create the videos for you guys. So if guys want to come out, support our ministry,

and come be a part of an amazing night, powerful night, January 19, 6 p.m., go to Jesusinthestreet.org slash tickets and get your tickets. For some reason, the website says 21 and up. It's not 21 and up. Anyone can come. It's going to be a great night. Let's dive into Luke chapter 20 and see what Jesus is saying. Now, it's going to open up this chapter here where the Pharisees were challenging the authority of

Jesus here. One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel of the chief priests and the scribes where the elders came up and said to him, tell us by what authority do you do these things or who it is that gave you this authority? He answered them, I'll also ask you a question. Now tell me, was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Now, some people might hear that and they might think, but Jesus totally dodged this question. He did not. He's not dodging it at all. he's making a statement here saying you guys believe john the baptist was a prophet sent from god it's undeniable the people believe it and if you guys believe that john was sent from god then he was also right in saying that jesus christ was the messiah because they believed john john the baptist was a prophet

from god and john the baptist was literally saying here's jesus he's the messiah so he's like if you think that john was from god then you think i'm from god and they discussed it with one another saying saying, if we say from heaven, he will say, why did you not believe him? But if we say from man, all the people will stone us to death for they are convinced that John was a prophet, like we just said. So they answered that they did not know where he came from. And Jesus said to them, neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things? Jesus decided not to answer their question directly, not because he didn't want to, but he recognized that the Pharisees were insincere seekers of him. Jesus has extreme compassion on sincere seekers of him.

Jesus is not going to entertain in sincere seekers of him. Verse 9. And then he began to tell the people this parable. A man planted a vineyard and let it out to the tenants and went into another country for a long while. Now, the phrase vineyard, these Jews would understand that in the Old Testament, this picture of a vineyard was known to be Israel. Okay? So when they hear this phrase and they're like, oh, okay, this is cool. like we think about Israel, which is very important.

Because Jesus' earthly ministry, he came to the Jewish people. Jesus didn't write the Bible to America. Jesus, like the Bible wasn't written to America, is what I'm saying. It was written for believers, but the audience in this time period is Jews. Okay, so when he's speaking to them, they recognize this phrase vineyard is referencing to Israel. Okay, this is important. When the time came out, he sent a servant to the tenant so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

And he sent another servant, but they also beat and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed. And he sent yet a third. This one also, they wounded and cast it out. Imagine how many prophets have been sent by God. And people have persecuted them, tried to kill them, all these things. I mean, you look at like Jezebel headhunting the prophets in the Old Testament. You look at so many other stories. How many times were the prophets persecuted? Then the owner of the vineyard said, what shall I do? Will I send my beloved son? Perhaps they will respect him. Now keep in mind, God looks down on mankind and says there needs to be a perfect sacrifice for this wicked, sinful mankind. I'm going to have my son, beloved son, take on flesh and live a perfect life for mankind.

Maybe then they'll believe. Right? That's the heart posture of a man. Maybe then they'll believe if Jesus comes in the flesh. But when the tenant saw him, they said to themselves, this is the air. Let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours. And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to the others. When they heard this, they said, surely not, 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. This is a quote from Psalm 118. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. Everyone who comes to Jesus Christ, the foundation, the cornerstone of our faith, the author and perfector of our faith, everyone who comes to him,

their pride will be broken to pieces. And when it falls on anyone, it will crush him. those that don't come to Jesus, his righteous judgment, judgment will crush them in the end. Verse 19. The scribes of the chief priest sought to lay hands on him in that very hour. For they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. So they watched him and sent spies who pretended to be sincere that they might catch him in something he said so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. They're trying to trip up Jesus, basically what they're saying. So they asked him, teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly and show no partiality.

They're trying to show flattery to Jesus to butter him up. That doesn't work. But truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar or not? So now they're trying to trip him up. Because they're testing whether he's going to honor the sovereignty of God or not here. But he perceived their craveness and said to them, show me a denarius.

Show me a coin. Whose likeness and inscription does it have on it? They said to Caesar's. He said to them, then render to Caesar's the things that are to Caesar's and to God the things that are to gods. What is he saying here? He's saying that in the natural, we have the civil duty because God has delegated authority to people and the authorities have created the governments of the world. We must honor the government authorities and the practical and

the natural. But then he says, and renter to God the things that are gods, every human being that has the imprint of the image of God on them, which if you don't know this, here's a little secret. Every human being is made in the image of God. That's a little secret. Then we render to God what his gods. Okay, very clear. And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him and what he said, but marveling at his answer, they became silent. There came to him some Sadducees and those who deny that there is a resurrection. And they asked him a question saying, teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. Look, they're making him this

hypothetical, this extremely hypothetical situation about the afterlife. Now there were seven brothers, the first took his wife and died without children and the second and the third took her and likewise all seven left no children and died. Afterward the woman died also. And the resurrection therefore whose wife will the woman be for the seven had her as a wife? So they're trying to trip him up with this hypothetical question here

and their perspective of the eternal life with Jesus the eternal life with God is drastically different than when Jesus is about to paint a picture here. The sons of this age marrying are given in marriage in this lifetime but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age into the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given a marriage when he says

neither marry nor are given a marriage he's saying what happens in eternal life is going to be drastically different than what's going on here it's going to be totally different it's not like the same things that happened in this life time just correlate into an infinite amount of time like it's going to be two totally different worlds two totally different things but that the dead are raised even moses showed in the passage about the bush where he calls the lord the god of abraham and the god of isaac and the god of Jacob. He couldn't be called the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob if they weren't still alive in an afterlife, okay, if they didn't have an eternity. Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living for all to for all live to him. When some of the scribes answered, teacher,

you have spoken well for they no longer dared to ask him any questions. But then Jesus said to this, how can they say that the Christ is David's son? For David himself says in the book of Psalms, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. David thus calls him Lord. So how is he his son? This quote is from Psalm 110 verse 1, where David calls the Messiah Lord. And we can see this in Revelation 22, verse 16,

that Jesus Christ is both the root and the offspring of David. He is the root of salvation for all mankind for David, but he is the physical genetic offspring of David from a legal standpoint. Verse 45 to close out chapter 20. and in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, beware of the scribes. Beware of these people who claim to be close to me with their mouth but are far from me in their heart. Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts. Who devour widows houses and for a pretense make long prayers.

See these scribes thought if they said longer prayers that they would be heard by God and if they used fancy words, that their prayers would be heard by God faster and things like that. they will receive their greater condemnation. They've received their reward. What is the reward that the scribes has seen have received for their unrighteousness? What is the reward that they've received? They've received the approval of man. They've done everything for the approval of man.

Jesus says they've received their reward, but they will receive their greater condemnation on the day of judgment. Man, that was a powerful chapter. There was a lot going on there. There was a lot of pushback from the Pharisees and Sadducees and religious leaders. But man, Jesus does not falter under their craftiness and their foolishness. It's so powerful to watch Jesus navigate these tough situations. And I love personally how Jesus asks questions in return to their questions.

Man, I pray that Luke chapter 20 blessed you guys. We got four more days of this. Guys, join our live podcast show, Jesus in the street.org slash tickets. Get your tickets January 19th. I love you guys. See you guys tomorrow for Luke chapter 21.