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Surely Not

February 2 2025

Book: Luke

Scripture: Luke 19:47-20:18

Thank you for reading this sermon from Christ Fellowship. I hope and pray that this sermon will be a blessing of grace and truth to you. With that said, let me encourage you not to use this sermon as a replacement for your local church. Christ Jesus did not establish his Church simply for us to consume content. Instead, He calls us to be part of a real, covenant family. 

On Wednesday nights, we have begun studying theology and the first section deals with the authority of Scripture. Our study in Luke happens to dovetail nicely with that theme. Now that Jesus is in Jerusalem, days before his crucifixion, the religious leaders begin to challenge the authority of Jesus. They are looking for a way to trap him and turn the people against him. Let’s start reading at the end of Luke 19:

47 And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests and the scribes and the principal men of the people were seeking to destroy him,

48 but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.

20:1 One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up

2 and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.”

Remember, that Jesus just finished clearing out the court of the Gentiles in the temple – driving out the money changers with a whip. It’s not just His teachings, but also His public actions that are being called into question by the religious leaders.

And their question here is about authority. Who or what has given you the authority to correct us? They ask this question because they saw themselves as the custodians of faith and practice. They saw themselves as the ones responsible for interpreting God’s Word.

They consider Jesus to be a human rabbi, at most an equal. More likely, they considered Him to be an illegitimate teacher and blasphemous, because He said and did things that implied divine authority.

In their eyes, Jesus was an untrained rabbi with no formal endorsement. But the people loved Jesus. As Luke said, they hung on every word he spoke. And so, the religious leaders were desperate to discredit Jesus.

3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me,

4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?”

This is a brilliant reply, because it exposes their own failures to define authority.

5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’

6 But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from.

8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Jesus refuses to play their game. But He takes the opportunity to expose their own hypocrisy. These men are not looking for the truth. They are trying to preserve their own way of life.

And I think this is a good moment for us to ask some hard questions about the way we approach God’s Word. When we come to God’s Word, are we doing so in a self-interested way?

Pride and fear of change are powerful impulses that can keep us from submitting to God’s Word. We don’t have the right to question Jesus. He has the right to tell us who God is and who we are. And we should respond in humility, repentance, and faith.

I think it is also important to acknowledge the clear distinction between His authority and human authority. Human authority has its place, as we have discussed at Family Night. But the writings, creeds, confessions, and edicts of humans must never be considered equal or above the inspired Word of God.

9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while.

10 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

11 And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out.

13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’

14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’

15 And 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 destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!”

This is the reply of the religious leaders to the parable. Surely God will not give our inheritance to someone else! So they understand what Jesus means by this.

The servants were the prophets sent by God, including John. They were rejected by the people. And now God has sent His own Son, but they are going to reject Him as well. Giving the vineyard to others means that God will transfer His covenant blessings to the Gentiles.

It’s at this point that the religious leaders respond in shock. “Surely not!” In Greek, this is a strong statement of disbelief, something like “May it never be so!” or “God forbid!”

17 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’?

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

Jesus defends Himself from Scripture, claiming to be the fulfillment of another Messianic prophecy. He’s making it so plain for them. He’s giving them every opportunity to repent.

But they are going to reject Him, trusting in their own judgment instead of His authority. And therein lies the issue. This is what Scripture consistently teaches about humanity.

God’s Word presents to us an uncomfortable reality. He challenges our assumptions. And instead of examining our hearts and humbling ourselves under God’s assessment, we retreat into self-justification.

Surely Not! Surely, I’m not in any real danger. Surely, God will not reject me. Surely, I’ve been good enough. Surely, I’ve done my best. Surely, I’ve earned His favor.

I’m becoming somewhat of a mechanic by necessity. I’m trying to save some money on repairs. Full disclosure, it takes me 5 times longer than it should to do anything. And part of the problem is that I have a tendency to think I understand the issue, I do it my way, and then later realize I did it wrong.

Thankfully, there are repair manuals and YouTube videos that explain everything. I’ve also got a good friend who knows way more than me about cars.

If I would just humble myself and consult the experts in advance, I would save myself a lot of time and frustration.

Very often, as sinful humans, we try to approach life on our own terms instead of submitting ourselves to the Designer. God tells us, in His Word, how life is supposed to work. But our own instincts, which are twisted by pride and self-sufficiency, continue to revolt against our intended design.

This is why we keep coming up with creative ways to hurt ourselves and others. This is why we submit to the laws we are personally comfortable with and reject or minimize the ones we personally struggle with.

It’s also why we are far more likely to submit ourselves to human interpretations of God’s Word that suit our own preferences instead of letting God’s Word and the Holy Spirit undress us before His holiness – just like the religious leaders in our text.

So, what do we do?

First, I think we need to submit ourselves to Christ’s authority in every area of our life. We don’t get to pick and choose. If God says it is good, then it is good. If God says it is bad for us, then it is bad. We need to make an honest appraisal of our lives through the lens of Scripture. He has told us what is good and what the Lord requires of us.

Second, it needs to be done in humility. Expect it to hurt. No one in this room, me included, is living a life that is perfectly pleasing to God. Far from it. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.

Third, I think we need to examine the foundations of our faith. That’s a major reason why we are studying theology on Wednesday nights. Jesus calls Himself the chief cornerstone.

The Apostle Paul in Ephesians 2 teaches that the church is built on the foundation of the Apostles and the Prophets, with Jesus Himself serving as the Chief Cornerstone. He’s talking about the Word of God, which is now complete. It’s the primary means of grace that God uses to convict and purify His people.

And the primary doctrine that our salvation depends on is union with Christ. By faith alone, we are united to Christ in His death and resurrection. All the benefits of the Christian life flow from that relationship.

Finally, we need to feel a burden for people who are still living in active rejection of Christ. The Gospel is both an opportunity and a warning. If we reject the cornerstone, we will be crushed by it. But if we receive and rest in Christ, we will be saved. This is the mission of the church – to reach the lost and make disciples of Jesus.
Father, thank You for the authority of Your Word and the mercy You extend to us through Your Son. Forgive us for resisting Your authority and help us to submit every area of our lives to You. Help us be people who trust in Christ as the cornerstone of our faith and help us proclaim His truth in humility and with boldness. And as we come now to your table, make it a means of grace for us – that we might experience our union with Christ together. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”