Unashamed with the Robertson Family - Ep 809 | Phil Doesn’t Look Much Like a Preacher & Government Corruption Isn’t a New Thing

Episode Date: December 28, 2023

Phil recognizes that believing in Jesus will make you really unpopular, something he has learned firsthand over the past several years. The guys dive into the power structure of Israel during Jesus’ time and its similarities to the power structures of the modern world. Jase and Zach reckon that we all have a little bit of pharisaical tendencies sometimes and that Jesus was at the forefront of many social issues we still suffer from today.  In this episode: Luke 20, verses 1-28; Luke 6, verses 20-26; Hebrews 12, verse 2; Acts 7, verse 51; Acts 4, verse 12; John 14, verse 6 https://philmerch.com — Get your “Unashamed” mugs, shirts, hats & hoodies! Own "The Blind: The True Story of the Robertson Family" on digital, DVD & Blu-ray today: https://theblindmovie.com/watch — Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am unashamed. What about you? So welcome back to Unashamed. Last podcast, we got into a lot of what we've been doing around here lately. So today we're going to dive right into our text that we didn't quite get to last time. We kind of gave an overview because I preached a sermon about it. But it's back to Luke 20, which is now Jesus is sort of holding court. So I want to read this text because it's just going to lead us into our other. What I'm saying is seven different instances or teachings or questions.

And Jay's made a point in a past podcast about how many times you say, Jay's, that he asked questions? Was it like in the hundreds? 588 total. Some of those are repeats. 310 roughly if you take out the repeats in the Gospels. He was 40 to 1. times more likely to ask a question than give an answer or straight answer. Yeah, which is really interesting because, and I hadn't thought about that, but how much

he does that, and he's going to do it here in this first text. If you think about it, this thing is coming to a head, Al, with what you went through yesterday and all that. What's interesting about all this, Jesus knew enough about it and was dead on. Correct. We're going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. That's a lot. You just think about it behind him, all the scriptures. He'll be handed over to the Gentiles.

They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. I mean, he's so detailed about the exact way he was going to die. On the third day, he will rise again. The disciples did not understand any of this. So what you preached on yesterday, the Roman world, including the ones that Jesus handpicked to do his work, they did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from him,

and they did not know what he was talking about. To me, that's the most amazing thing. Yeah. I mean, because you'd say, well, it was a failure. They all, they didn't believe him. Right. But they believed enough. They had enough faith to say, okay.

But they had to look. at the resurrection makes it. Right, right, right. What he said, they said, had to see if it was true or not. And then they got to look around saying, that night, that's what he was talking about. Right. I mean, that, that takes a lot of grit to get people to turn all the way back to here.

Yeah. It's just, it's just the way it is. No, you're right. And it's always... There are more knowledge of it, of Jesus than what he did and what he's now do and will do, has come miles. Miles, it's been remarkable.

Oh, yeah. No, you're right, Dad. And what's amazing is anytime you get here in the text, because you're a week away from him dying and being resurrected. So they're right there at the precipice of understanding. Even they didn't know what it. They didn't get it. At this point, they were like everybody else. They thought the lead in to Jerusalem was to take over and put us in charge.

That's why we shouldn't be surprised when somebody says, what is it? Jesus, why are you talking about? That's right. That's exactly right. Well, I was saying about what Zach said. They look at it like a joke. Yeah, Zach said something in the overtime about, from, Jace was reading from John 14, and the idea that, you know, they were with Jesus, you know, and he was saying,

but look, it's, you know, when I said my Holy Spirit is going to be better. But you remember, Zay, you were on target when you were talking about that because he said that you're blessed because you're with me and you see me, but the people that don't see me that believe in me, they're even more blessed than you are. Which is pretty amazing when you think about it, because that's us. I mean, that's anybody that's been around since or anybody that was there before that believed that somehow there was redemptive power because of the Messiah. So I think that proves exactly what you were talking about, that the Holy Spirit,

gives us something that gives us an advantage, even over the ones that walk with Jesus. Well, Jesus himself said in that text in John 14 through 16 or 17, I think Jay's quoted John 16. He said, and I think it's 14, he says, it's good. He said, it is good that I leave. Yeah. You know, and you think about it. It's better for you that I leave. And he gives a reason, because if I, if I don't leave, then he won't.

come. That's right. And so it's it's it is this picture of like because it is I mean you got to think about that must have been difficult. I mean it was difficult it was difficult for the disciples when they saw Jesus crucified. I mean we know what Peter did. I mean Peter denied him three times they scattered they were afraid they were hiding you know what they didn't know what it was going to tell him Peter knew what he said. Yeah but he didn't understand them and they're going to Oh, yeah. He said it multiple times. He did.

And it's like they just couldn't get it. They just could not get it. But then the spirit came in Acts 2. And you do see just a marked difference from that moment on the day of Pentecost. And then just, I mean, the church just, I mean, exploded. I mean, on that day and it continued to you, move into the stoning of Stephen, which, by the way, I mean, think about even that, the stoning of Stephen, he was hitting at this same kind of message. I mean, Stephen, the reason why he got killed was because he said,

God doesn't live in your temples. He doesn't live in the temples made by the hands of men, which, by the way, the one giving the approval for the stoning of Stephen was Saul of Tarsus, who also said the same thing when he became Paul. When he went to the Ariopagus in Acts chapter 17, what did he tell the Greco-Roman philosophers? The Lord your God doesn't live in your temples built by man's hands. So there's this idea of God not living in the man-made temples, but he lives in us as temple, as the living stones of the temple, via the Holy Spirit living in us. That's what Jesus was getting at when he said, it's good that I leave, y'all. Trust me, you want me to go so that he will come.

It's the full fruition of the scheme of, we heard it growing up called the scheme of redemption, but that's what it is. It says how God accomplishes. Which is basically the entire story of the Bible. Bible in the Old Testament. Personally, I believe that Peter was all in until he cut that guy's ear off because he's like, he pulled his sword out and said, let's go, let's get it, I'm ready. And then Jesus put the guy's ear back on and said, that's not the way we're going to do this.

And he was the one that preached the gospel. And he was saying to him, save yourself from this corrupt generation. And those who accepted his message were baptized. It's amazing that there was, 3,000 were added to their number that day. What's always I've thought about is what they did after that. They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to the fellowship, the breaking of bread, to prayer, just what we would call, not terribly big things, but a lot of small ones.

Everyone was filled with all. Many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. You say, why would the apostles be doing that? To show them this is real. Yeah. This is real. I mean, they were looking at some of the things they were doing. They were like, I don't know.

Well, it took that much for them to get together. And there's the 3,000. Yep. Well, you could fast forward to 23. You could say, hmm, it's grown a lot. But think about it, Dad, and that was, what was Peter's immediate reaction after Jesus said, that's not the way we're going to advance this kingdom. He went out in the courtyard, and three times he was asked if he was with him,

and he said, I don't even know the blankety-blank man. So his immediate reaction was, like many of us, if we're not going to fight our way out of this, then I'm out. But two things changed between... They were getting out of Dodge. Two things changed between that episode and the one you described to him leading the church. And what were they? The resurrection and the giving of the Holy Spirit.

Those two things changed Peter and the rest of his life, and it's changed our lives as well. It's the same exact thing. Well, you look at when he cut the man's ear off, I mean, Jesus in that moment clearly displayed the ability and the power because he took the ear and reattached it. So, I mean, it wasn't a matter. I think it, I think it's a good point. You're talking to a man, Peter, that had watched him, raised the dad. You'd think, yeah, I'd, I'd ought to get it.

It wasn't a lack of powers out here, right? I don't think it was. I think it was he saw, when he realized, wait, wait, wait, wait, what? Like, this is going to require suffering and, like, he didn't have a category for it. And I don't think he, I mean, I think it was like he would probably must have been super confused because he did not have a category for the gospel, which is kind of interesting. I'll tell this through all the time. The greatest apologetic for Jesus is Jesus.

I mean, there's no category for the story of Jesus. There's no, like, there's no reference. There's no like, I mean, in that moment, he did not have a way to make sense of this to think, wait, wait, you have the power clearly because you're putting the man's ear back on, but you're letting them arrest you. Yeah. And then when they were beating them, I mean, I had the power to heal himself, but he didn't. Because I'm sure Peter must have just been like, what is going on here?

Yeah. Big time. Well, I think what you're going to see is I think most religious people think we had the Pharisees on one side, which we're fixed to read a story that he just lit them up. You know, the teachers of the law in this parable of the tenants. and then the Sadducees and the very next, well, one paragraph later, and so then religious people today was, so, you know, Jesus was, because they were at two polar ends of the religious spectrum back then. You know, the Sadducees kind of represented the rich and the first class,

and they were more liberal in all that. They didn't believe in. A little bit of that lately. Yeah, they didn't believe in the actual. afterlife or angels or judgment. It was just, you trust us and nothing really matters, you know. And then the Pharisees, they're all like the total opposite. They're representing the middle class and the poor.

But they're like, if you work hard enough, long enough, ritualistic worship, and you're morally good, you get more right than wrong, then God will have favor on you. So we think, well, Jesus is somewhere in the middle. No, he's nowhere even in the spectrum. He's not on that spectrum. Because he redefined power to go back to what you said about cutting the guy's ear off. In that Luke 6th, you remember when we went back and he gave the blessings and the woes,

and he said, blessed are you who are poor for yours is the kingdom of God. Well, that's the opposite of power that we know. whoever has the most money has the most power. That has, that has transitioned to every culture and every kingdom. Money is the power. But he's like, well, you're blessed when you're poor. He's redefining what power is.

So blessed are you when you hunger now? Well, that's when you're comfortable, you feel good. Why do you go out there and do anything? Well, you want to be comfortable. You don't want to be hungry. That makes you uncomfortable and makes you, you know, people look at you as not very powerful. It could make you even desperate. Yeah.

So then he's like, well, blessed are you when you weep for you will laugh. And you're like, wait a minute. If people are crying around, that doesn't seem like a powerful position. It makes us uncomfortable when people cry. Right. I mean, like, when people are crying, And we're like, oh, we got to do something to stop that, right? Let's take it.

Yeah, so if you like, look at money as power and you look as, you know, having enough food and being well off as successful, which is what we do. You can buy anything at a restaurant. And then you look at it's crying as maybe the comfort aspect in that. And then he hits the recognition. Blesser you when men hate you. Well, how are you going to have a following? people hate you. He's redefining what his kingdom is like, and it's the exact opposite of everybody

else's kingdom. They're like, we got all the money, we can make you comfortable, we'll make you happy, and we'll take care of you, and people will love you if you're with us. I mean, that's what a kingdom does. That's what it offers. And he's saying the opposite, woe do you. you who are rich for you have already received your comfort woe to you who are well fed for you'll go hungry woe to you who laugh now for you will mourn woe to you when all men speak well of you but that is

how their how their fathers treated the false prophet so that's what they were having trouble with how are we going to be successful if we're crying hungry have no money and people hate us So that's where his power was going to move in and do his best work, which he proved on the cross. That's why we're here to serve and surrender and sacrifice and be humble and do all these things. Yet he then exudes a boldness when he says, I'm the way, I'm the truth, I'm the life. You're like, well, who do you think you are? Who's giving you this authority? And my kingdom is the polar opposite of what you think.

So that's what he's presenting, which is why they're challenging his authority in where we're at. So he does that with the John's baptism, which confused him. He never answers the question because really he's not going to prove his authority until his death, bail, and resurrection. Even though they should have known by all the miracles, but you know, you can rationalize against miracles. But that's my point, Jay's. I think, I say they framed a dishonest question to Jesus because they already knew. Well, they're all dishonest. Yeah.

We're fixed to see three questions and they're all dishonest. All dishonest. Should we pay taxes? What was the one that, the one we're talking about John the Baptist? What was their question? Are you talking about the one he asked? Oh, by what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this?

And we know why they were asking that because they aren't. trying to get him on record in the temple in Jerusalem to paint this picture to get him killed, which is what happened. He's in the temple courts. That's right. Hey, we've already got this arrangement with God. Yeah. And you're from, you know, go back to building your house.

We've got the authority to be here. That's what they're saying. Yeah. Who are you? You don't, he'd have no credentials. He didn't go to the Pharisee Bible school. You know, he had one argument when he was 12. Yeah.

That's right. from what I'm gathered. And every time he goes in there, he makes everybody mad. That's right. And now he's driving out people who have turned it into a way to make money. But here's the beauty of it. This is this what I made the point in my sermon yesterday. He took a dishonest question and gives them an honest question back. Okay. Let me ask you a question. John's Baptist. Was it from God or was it from men? And then they immediately look at it from a dishonest way. Well, if we say this, well, either it is or it isn't, there's no if we say this, but when you have bad motives, this is where you go.

If we say it was from God, he's going to say, well, why didn't you do it? But if we say it's for men, then we've got to deal with the people because they recognize John as a prophet because he was. Jesus had truth on his side. So when they said, well, we don't know. That was a lie to another, now they're answering dishonestly and they asked this honest question. And Jesus said, okay, so I won't tell you about whose authority. In other words, if you're not going to approach me honestly, you get no answers from me.

And so I made the point a step further. Jesus doesn't answer dishonest questions. And I think the picture of the rich young ruler in Zacchaeus is a perfect example of that. That rich young ruler came up and said, good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? He already knew the answer to that question. He wanted Jesus to tell him something else. And when Jesus said, okay, just get rid of your stuff and you're good to go. And he walked away sad.

Why? Because he loved his stuff more than he loved God. Which is the underlying theme here about the kingdom that he was bringing is for the world. But when you go out there and announce that Jesus is king and Lord, the understood byproduct of that is they may take away all your money. They may take away all your food because you're making people mad here. They may take away the things that make you laugh. They may make you cry and they're surely going to hate you and say all kind of false things that, Phil, you've been a poster child for that and insults you because of the son of man, because of who you're following, which that makes this kingdom less appealing to people, which is why all the high and mighties don't want anything to do with it. They want to attack him.

And that's why the only people that are showing up to this are the people that are already crying hungry. The only thing that makes them quiet, if you say, yeah, I noticed you're ranting and raven, but if I had agreed with you and said, well, these sins here, you go ahead and do what you want to. And you just go on and on and on, and you never, they'll leave you alone then. Just agree with them. They'll get off right up. You'll be one of theirs. That's exactly right.

You'll be accepted. Well, I would say this. I've noticed this interesting caveat to that, though. There is a caveat to that. That it, I don't know if it's as much about the actual issues. And this is evident when you see things like what's happening right now in Israel. And, you know, Hamas invades Israel. And, I mean, if you read the atrocities of what happened there, I mean, it was brutal.

I mean, absolutely brutal. Awful. And you think about what. what is Hamas actually? What do they stand for and what do they stand against? I mean, if you want to talk about real oppression of the LGBTQ community, I mean, these guys are brutal. I mean, very brutal. But yeah, then you have a somehow you have like emerging of a lot of young people now, a lot of progressive leaning people are actually siding with Hamas over and over Israel. It's like, wait a second. Like this doesn't make any sense. And you start to look even deeper into it. J.K. Rowland a few years ago had said something about women who menstruate or people who menstruate. She said, you mean women? And then the trans community came after her, but she's a known feminist.

And it's like it's just this weird thing happening in our culture where the left is actually eating itself in all forms. And so I don't know if it's necessarily to me. It's not about the issues. I mean, when you think about what is so offensive about Christianity, I don't think it is our stance on morality. I don't think it's that because other religions are way more oppressive if you want to look at it as oppression. It's not oppression, but definitely from Islam it is. But they say, what is it?

What is it about Christianity that is so hard for people to get? And I think it actually is the man, Jesus. I think it's who he is. It's that this is not a religion in the sense of, you know, this is actually a way of life. It's the Jesus is the way. He's claiming to be the way. And this Holy Spirit invading and living in a human heart, I mean, that's a whole other level that I think that's what's so scary for people. They don't understand it's actually liberating, but what scary is is that it demands your whole entire being.

That's what Christ is going. think the problem is with what you just said i actually am i'm going to give you a different view on this because and i got this from when we get to the resurrection and marriage that the saddracies bring up because if you think about it here's people who don't believe in the afterlife they don't believe in any kind of spirits angels you know the god's a million miles away they do believe in god but he's a million miles away and don't really care about yeah they were sort of deist yeah current affairs but when you think about it in our culture today because in light of the afterlife if you don't believe in an intelligent design to the earth if you don't believe in any kind of afterlife well then it's actually

absurd to follow any kind of moral basis yeah because does it it's like that song rock and roll song. Nothing really matters to me. What's it really matter? If there was no intelligent design, if we were just, if this just happened by random chance, and there's no afterlife, well, what does it really matter? Yeah. So I think that's what you see in our culture when people in mass numbers have the lack of belief in those two things. No, I agree with that. They would say to you, what y'all are saying is impossible. Well, right. It's without saying.

matters. Just put that on your playlist and play it over and over. And then you'll start making decisions that are irrational. No, I agree with you, Jays. In fact, I think that's the foundation to this whole section is because they're presenting this mindset and view. And you're right, the Sadducees were even more than the Pharisees because they did believe in some of those things after life and heaven.

But it's interesting because that's their point. they're coming to Jesus in this case. And just like I was mentioned about the rich on ruler, but they're ultimately saying, what do I get out of this? But that's a bad, that's a terrible question. That's a dishonest way to approach. Jesus, what do I get out of this?

I need to read that list. If anybody ever asked you that, what did I get out of this if I become a Christian? Read them, that list you read a minute ago. Well, you're going to get it. You're probably going to lose your money. You're probably going to be hungry at times. you're going to do some crying.

It may be from a jail cell. Get a little persecution. And you're going to get a lot of persecution. But guess what? That's what it looks like following Jesus. But what I was going to make the point earlier about bringing that up, redefining the kingdom, you're not going to get those things. If you don't declare publicly, Jesus is king and Lord.

Yeah, that's true. Nobody's going to mess with it. I'd have another caveat, though, what you just said, of what you're going to get out of it. If we use Jesus himself as kind of the one we're going to fix our eyes on the model who did suffer, right? Jesus suffered the cross. He suffered scorning and shamed.

He suffered a lot. But if you look in Hebrews, it gives us a caveat of the motivation, not a caveat, it gives us the motivation for why Jesus. suffered on the cross and why he despised the shame. And it says here, it says that looking to Jesus, so we look to him, this is Hebrews 12, 2, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for, this is the reason why, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and it seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

If someone asks, like, what's in it for us, you may suffer and endure a cross, but you do it for the joy that's set before you. And what is that joy. That joy is what Jesus talked about in John 14, through John 17. It's union with Christ. It's being one, it's being grafted into the triune God. It's, he's inviting us into the relationship. He's inviting us into the dance, as C.S. Lewis said. And it's that.

that's what we hang on to. And the kingdom here, in the kingdom now that we teach a lot on this podcast, is the idea that we don't have that in its full form here. But we do get to taste it. We get to taste it a lot as we walk in the spirit. We get to taste the deeper things of reality that really speak to the core of our being and the longings of our heart. And that's what's in it for us.

It's a satisfaction. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. For what? they shall be filled. That's the thing that we're going after and all the other things that we think are going to satisfy us. They don't. And it's giving, it's, it's, it's letting those things die away and then letting the things of God, the new wine be pouring into us. Well, I agree with you. And that's what we mainly preach on. But I'm just saying in Luke's context of Jesus, this is why they're not grasping it because he is saying these things are going to happen. This is not.

going to be popular that you're you're you're you're getting you may be crushed and look they eventually all were yeah so I think we do a good job of giving what Zach just said because that is true this we're winning on this when death is not a problem obviously this is way better you get to spend eternity with the Lord and the people that you love and and have this fellowship with in what is known as the real church, which is people who are housing the Holy Spirit. I mean, I wouldn't miss that for the world. But you do have to remember that it's not like the Pharisees and the Sadducees saying that, oh, because I have a lot of money and I have a position of importance, that means God has shown favor to me. No, you're just wrapped up in the material things of life and have missed the true king.

Exactly, which was the point of that earth. So let me read this next section because this goes to write what you just said. Well, before you read it, so we never summed up, why do you think he asked him the question John's baptism? Why did he bring up John's baptism when it came to authority? I mean, we never gave a bumper sticker reason for that. Well, here's my bumper sticker for it. You didn't believe in John.

How would you ever believe in me? I mean, in other words, that was pretty clear that this man was from God and was the picture of Micah, the, you know, for the coming in the spirit of Elijah, you wouldn't listen to him. You don't even have a clear answer for who he was. You can't even answer the question. Well, good. So now you have enough. I'm glad you said that because I just wanted to say before you read this, the reason they, the, his point was, because you don't like the package. Yeah, exactly.

John the Baptist was wearing animal skins. And it just looked like... And he went out in the middle of nowhere. Like a freak. And then you don't like me because I'm riding donkeys and, you know, building houses over here, a carpenter. And from nowhere in the wrong side of the tracks. And guess what? Today, they still don't like the package.

I mean, Phil, they look at you and say, no. I mean, it doesn't matter what you say. When you go out there and stand up, you've lost some of the audience. because they thought no way this guy's affiliated with anything godly. And dad embraced it because dad used to say when he'd be in front of an audience, hey, what do I look like? Some kind of preacher? And everybody would laugh.

But what I'm saying is when you go out and share Jesus that some people are going to respond by saying, well, who do you think you are? Well, guess what? When Jesus went and preached, what did they say? Well, who do you think you are? Well, what authority? What? you're claiming you're you're not a sinner that's what they tell us now jesus was the only one that could say that's exactly what i'm claiming well let me let me say this because i love what you just

said al uh they didn't believe john the baptist right and he's thinking about well the same group of people or type of people going back to what i mentioned in a i think maybe you've previous podcast or over time and i mentioned the stoning of stephen and i said what what got Stephen Kill was that he said that God doesn't live in houses made by a man's hand. As the prophet says, heaven is my throne. I keep bringing it back to this temple idea because I think it's key. Heaven is my throne. And the earth is my footstool.

This is an Old Testament prophecy. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord? Or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hands make all these things? Like, who's going to build? What am I going to build for? God. You know, and this is what he says here in verse 51 of Acts 7, you stiff-necked people, uncircumcised

in your heart and ears. You always resisted the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. And I love this next line because it hits with the same thing that's going on here at Luke 20. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the righteous one, whom you now have betrayed and murdered.

You who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it. I mean, this is the core of what Jesus is saying here. You guys didn't, you always killed the prophets. You never listened to the prophets. You didn't listen to the Bible. You didn't listen to Isaiah. You didn't listen to any of them. And every time they were all talking about me.

You don't even like listen to the scriptures. I mean, you study the scriptures diligently and by them you think you're saved. But they're pointing to me. I'm right here standing in front of you. and you're not, you guys are, you're hard-hearted. And I think that's the key of what Jesus is, he's pointing out here, is this heart and this mentality that is just refuses to submit to the God who is right there in front of them.

Instead, they said, not, we want to put you in our context and we want to control you instead of the other way around. And I think that's what he did not. They killed Stephen on the spot, the one that was telling him that. They killed him. Yeah, right after he said. said that, right after he said that, they killed him. You know, we don't have any problems, but then they killed him immediately. So to your point, Zay, they practiced it by killing

a guy who was telling him. All right, read our text, so. All right, before I read the text, I'll mention one thing, because you brought this up about not liking the package. One is Zach's right, they haven't, they've really never liked the package because it didn't fit into their narrative. But when you said that, it took me back to Jesus saying, John came, not eating or drinking. Yeah. And you said he had a demon. In other words, he kept all the food laws.

He was a Nazarite. He never drank a drop of anything. You said he had a demon with me. I drink. I eat. I'm not one of these, you know, teetotlers. And yet you say, what, I'm a drunker than a, you know. Yeah, because he's hanging out.

That's exactly right. So when he says, then I'm not going to tell you, I'm not going to tell you about what authority I do these things. What he's basically saying is, like, you wouldn't listen anyways. That's it. That's the bummer. In Matthew's version, he went on to say, wisdom is proved right by our actions. Because you're not listening to what I'm saying, but just watch me.

Just watch. All right. So here's his response to all this. It's the next thing he does in this teaching setting where he's holding court here in the temple. So he goes on to tell this parable. Now, this is in response to what we've just been talking about. Where are you reading from? This is Luke 20, verse 9.

A man planted avengered. rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenant so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and send him away empty-handed. So to Zach's point, he's talking about these prophets that have been coming along. He sent another servant. But that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

verse 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 but when they're talking about himself clearly talking about himself but when the tenants saw him they talked the matter over well this is the heir they said let's kill him and the inheritance will be ours which is so crazy that makes no logical sense but because the Pharisees States of law love money. That's right. Money was power. He's a threat.

Kill him. I mean, just thinking about that. There's no way this could work out for them. It's so weird because the next paragraph, he doesn't even have a coin to do an illustration about whether you should pay taxes. Exactly. Right. So they threw him out of the vineyard and they killed him.

And that's exactly what's about to happen in a week to Jesus. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and kill those tenants. and give the vineyard to others. Now, that's the whole thing about opening up to all the nations. When the people heard this, now this, the people are listening, and they say, may this never be. I mean, they recognize the injustice.

They recognize the wrongness of it all. They see it, right? So Jesus looks directly at the people who've just said this and said, then what is the meaning? Here's another question. Then what is the meaning of that which is written? The stone the builders rejected has become. the capstone or the cornerstone. Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces,

but he on whom it falls will be crushed. I mean, there is no way out of this situation. The teachers of the law and the chief priest look for a way to arrest him immediately because they knew he had spoken this parable against them, but they were afraid of the people. So there's still no moral clarity here. They still don't have an answer. But they're still don't have an answer. But they look at the situation and they claim, we've got to shut this guy up because he's totally talking about us. But then they're so afraid of the people because the people are sitting there saying, may this never happen? Which is another illustration because you're like, well, what happened to all this coming on a donkey in service and gently? Because this is bold.

It is bold. But he is a bold servant. His claims are bold and his actions are all in humility. And he's doing it for us. And that's why they can't recognize him as a true king. Right. That's exactly right. So, yeah. And going back to what does he quote here when he said, I mean, he's given this picture of really the history of Israel of just one continual rejection of the prophet after another who were talking about the coming of the sun. And then it's, and then, so that's all of that history.

And then it's also what's about to be history in the coming days here is that Jesus will be killed, like the son's going to be killed. But listen to what he takes it back to in verse 17. I mean, we read it, but it's another, it's the old, going back to this Old Testament idea, but Jesus looked at them and said, what then is this that is written? The stone which the builder rejected, this became. chief cornerstone. And everyone who falls on that stone will be broken into pieces, but on whoever it falls, it will be scattered on him like dust. And you think about, I think this is a lot of what Paul was talking about in 1st,

15th, 23, when he says that Christ, he said, we priest Christ, him crucified unto the Jew, a stumbling block. And unto the Greek, it's foolishness. So it's like, this is like Christ being that cornerstone. And you cannot detach the teaching of Jesus here. from, and I hate to be repetitive, but it's repetitive in the scripture that he is establishing a new temple, a new cornerstone and new living stones built on that temple. Paul talks about it in Ephesians. It's in, it's in, Peter talks about it. I mean, this idea that Christ being a cornerstone upon which everything is built. That is what's happening here, and it's just systematically Jesus is laying out his case.

It's the same case Stephen May that got him killed. It's the same case that Jesus will make that will get him killed. the end. Yeah, Ephesians 2, 19 through 22, 1st Peter 2, Hebrews 3, 6. Yeah, which we've talked a lot about in the podcast. Let's take our last break. So I think we can move on to the... Well, one thing I want to say about this, one more thing before we leave it, is this also show, we've kind of made the bigger leaping picture of where this is going to go, but this also speaks to just how corrupt the religious system was at the time of Jesus. I mean, we, we... Jason's mentioned before about their love of money. I mean, this thing has gotten worse than ever.

Like, it's been bad all along, and he makes the case here with the parable. But it's particularly bad now. And you can tell that because every time there's an answer for them to make with some bit of clarity, they can't even make an answer. I thought about this guy, this senator from New Jersey, to show you how corruption works. So they go in, they raid his house. It's full of gold bars. fresh $100

bills, minted, I mean, they're sticking together fresh, just all stacked and sewn into his suits and clothes. And so his answer to this obvious curve, he's got all these ties to Egypt and so he says, well, everybody, you know, it's just money I've been saving back for a rainy day. I mean, like, it's so obvious that you're hiding money.

Yeah, everybody. I mean, doesn't everybody sell $100 bills and gold bars into the, suits and their closets. And it's like when you look at it, it's so obviously corrupt. But then the people who are corrupt say, well, no, it's just, I have every right to have closets full of cash and go because, you know, I'm just saving for a rainy day. So that's his argument. But it reminds me of these guys. It's like they look at the history of everything that's happened. They're so corrupt. There's so much lovers of money. Jesus points it out and they're like, well, you're the problem. if we just shut you up, then we're going to be fine.

That's why the world, and I mean the world like the far left, they do so many movies about attacking corporate America and, you know, the oil people and even the government, you know, misusing all the money. Religion. You know, some religions are, it's all about money. Yeah. But they lump that in there and throw out the true kingdom dwellers who operate by Jesus' principle. So, but what I was saying is Jesus is really the most appealing option for these people.

They just don't realize it. That's right. I mean, he is all about helping the poor, the downtrodden, the injustice happens. I mean, he was on the forefront of all of those issues. Yeah. And you would think they would embrace that, but it's just kind of weird that you would think he would never be the champion of all those issues that they can't be any further away from and by way they live.

And I like the way he framed that about the cornerstone that if you fall on it, you'll be busted to pieces. If it falls on you, you'll be crushed. In other words, there's no way around me. You may think there is, but there's not.

And I thought back. Well, he's going to prove it when he comes back from the dead. But he's getting into our point about why light, you know, the world is so messed up. Is because anything other than Jesus, it doesn't matter. That's right.

If we're just molecules, floating around without a purpose, without an origin, and without any kind of way of sustaining life. Okay. Well, just whatever your mind can conceive, let's try it. Right. And so that's why he said John 14.6, I'm the way, the truth in the life. No one gets to the Father except through me. And then Peter says that in Acts 412, there is no other name under heaven by which men can be saved. He was repeating that to the same people Jesus was talking to after he was raised with the dead. I want to read this passage so we can talk about a little bit because we're almost out of time. And then we'll talk about some in overtime as well because we've been alluding to it.

But it is the perfect. Now you see the next step, now they're wanting to kill him. But they're trying to do it in a way where they can still appease to the people. So verse 20 of Luke 20, keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies. So now it's not just them there. They're sending in people who just look like a normal person. Intending to be honest. That's right.

What a statement. Pretending to be honest. I mean, doesn't that just... Wrecking Jesus saw them coming? Doesn't that just sum up their whole mindset? And it's something we've all done. Yeah. You know, I mean, we're throwing them on the bus.

But we've all, in moments, pretended to be honest. That's right. When we're being... I can give you a handful of illustrations from my kids at various stages of their life where they're like, well, no, I don't know what have. man. That's key that. We all got a,

we all got a little bit of the Pharisee heart in us. Oh, it's there. And we all have that experiences. Thank how many people yesterday who heard your sermon, whose life is an absolute debacle, who were hearing what you said. That's right.

And in that moment, didn't respond. You say, why? Because they were pretending to be honest. Like, oh, that was great.

That was fantastic. I mean, there was too many people in the room. That's right. whether or not to be people who don't care if Jesus was shot, hung, or who he was. No, you're right. No, it's a problem. I mean, we have to be real here.

You know, we have narratives in our minds that are uncomfortable for us because we have to look at ourselves and what we're doing and how we're viewing our money. They hope to catch Jesus in something he said so they may hand him over, hand him over to authority. Yeah, they're trying to do amen. So that's... There were spies trying to find one... Just think about being cornered, somebody trying to corner you up and trap you and then kill you.

Well, if you share Jesus out there, people are going to do the same thing. It shows you how powerless they are ultimately because they couldn't even do anything to them anyway. Well, finish it out, so we only got a couple of them. So the spies questioned him, these people pretending to be honest, in verse 21, teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right and that you do not show partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And I always said, when I read that, I would say, watch it when people flatter you because whatever's coming next is a sucker punch of the kidney.

Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not? You know, because you're always so fair and right-minded. He saw through their duplicity and said to them, Show me a Denarius. Because he didn't have one, as Jason made the point. Whose portrait and inscription are on it? So here's another question to a question. Caesar's, they replied.

He said to them, then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God was God's. Another drop Mike. They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public and astonished by his answer, so they became silent. I mean, it's just another. But now we're getting obviously deeper and deeper into this. Because as I read when we get to Luke 23, they're just going to lie about that. They're going to say, oh, he said we don't have to pay taxes to Caesar, which is not.

Yeah. But he did. I mean, there was a lot more in there in that because he did have the, you know, Caesar representing, like I said, the son of the divine. I said that last podcast. the priest and him being king. Right. Well, here's Jesus. That's what he's claiming.

Yeah. He's the son of God. He's king and priest. Right. So him by saying that it's, and this coin was Caesar, he made money from his own wealth. Yeah. And so it's kind of crazy that he comes up with a tax system and you're supposed to pay this

to show that I've made you a citizen, you are to be privileged to do this of mine. So it's really about who is Lord. So he answers it in a way that is just incredible because he, I mean, it's basically like, give him his little coin. Because to us in the true kingdom of God, it's just a piece of metal. Yeah. With some guy's face on it who thinks he's king. So we're out of time. And so we're going to go to overtime now.

Talk a little bit more about this. idea because I think there was the way they went at this was very pointed because nobody likes to pay taxes. So that's my... Well, and he made them ask a question to themselves, well, what is God's? That's right. Because then you get into that. I'd say, everything. So if you want to follow us over blaishtivy.com slash unashamed. Thanks for listening to the Unashamed podcast. Help us out by rating us on iTunes.

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