HIGH STAKES!

Just what is happening here?                                    

The Jewish Messiah, the King they have waited 600 years for, has arrived at His city Jerusalem only to be confronted at God’s temple by the elders who would dearly love... to crown Him?...no, to arrest Him!                                                

He has already warned them with 2 parables so now He spells out His warning even clearer – God’s Kingdom is ready, just like a wedding. You murderers are going to be destroyed, your city burned and outsiders are going to be welcomed - so long as they wear that wedding garment (Christ). 

Do they repent? No, they try desperately to entangle Him with words instead! (Matt 22)

• Religious Pharisees join with worldly Herodians to test Jesus’ allegiance to Caesar.                                                  

Answer:  “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s...”

• Sadducees challenge Jesus over resurrection - that they don’t even believe in!                          

Answer:  “God is not the God of the dead but of the living”

• Pharisees not to be outdone, wheel in their top attorney...            

The greatest commandment??  “Love the Lord thy God...”        ...and the bonus??  “Love thy neighbour”

So who really is this Messiah who the children hail as ‘Son of David’?                                                   

To silence everyone all Jesus does is quote the climactic Psalm 110:  “The Lord said unto my Lord...”

Yes, the Messiah, Son of David,...is LORD!

Is He YOUR Lord??

"BY WHAT AUTHORITY...?"

The people see Jesus as ‘the prophet of Nazareth’ but the elders are ‘sore displeased’.                                                    Why??  The children acclaim Him as Son of David!         

Next day....                                                   

How about some figs to stave off hunger pains on the way back to the temple - except this tree has none. (Matt 21)          

Here’s what the prophet Hosea recorded:

‘I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig tree at her first time’

Yes, this fig tree should be producing figs on last year’s growth before the new season figs appear, just as today’s fathers should be producing fruit for God.                    

Instead, they confront Jesus...

“By what authority doest thou these things?...”

Doing what?? Teaching the truth!

Jesus answers them with 2 parables – the first about repentance, the second about wicked vineyard managers.

Do the elders repent? 

No, they pronounce their own judgment!

“The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth fruit thereof...”                                                                                                      
Judaism is finished! In fact...                                         
“...whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.”

Whoa! This Man sure means business so don’t dare challenge His authority.