A Question Of Power

Mark 11:27-33 (KJV) And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, THERE COME TO HIM THE CHIEF PRIESTS, and THE SCRIBES, and THE ELDERS, 28 And say unto {Jesus}, BY WHAT AUTHORITY DOEST THOU THESE THINGS? And WHO GAVE THEE THIS AUTHORITY TO DO THESE THINGS? 29 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The BAPTISM OF JOHN, was [it] from heaven, or of men? Answer me. 31 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? 32 But if we shall say, Of men; THEY FEARED THE PEOPLE: for all [men] counted John, that he was a prophet indeed. 33 And they answered and said unto Jesus, We cannot tell. And Jesus answering saith unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

A Rebuking Parable To A Foolish Question

When Jesus spoke a parable (Greek parabole), it was always in reaction to something someone said to Him. Parabole means to lay alongside. It taught a spiritual truth by comparing it to a physical story. In His parables, Jesus taught, but at other times rebuked or corrected. We’re going to look at a rebuking parable today.

You need to understand the background. Jesus has ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people celebrate His coming in an event we call Palm Sunday. In a few days Jesus will be crucified on a cross between two thieves. Before His crucifixion Jesus will cast the moneychangers out of the Temple, something that made the scribes and chief priests angry (Mark 11:15-19). Why? Because they were making money off of selling sacrifices to pilgrims during the Feast of the Passover. The next day we see:

Mark 11:27-28 (KJV) And they {Jesus and His Apostles} come again to Jerusalem: and as HE WAS WALKING IN THE TEMPLE, there come to him the CHIEF PRIESTS, and the SCRIBES, and the ELDERS, 28 And say unto him, BY WHAT AUTHORITY DOEST THOU THESE THINGS? And WHO GAVE THEE THIS AUTHORITY to do these things?

They lost their little side business in the Temple. They were selling sacrifices and exchanging money for Jewish coinage at a profit, taking advantage of the Law of God to make money. The “ELDERS” that are mentioned here are the ruling Elders of Israel called “The Sanhedrin”, considered the supreme authority among the Jews. It’s 70 or 71 members included high ranking priests, scribes, and Pharisees. The Sanhedrin was both a religious as well as a legal court, interpreting and enforcing the Law of Moses as they interpreted the Law.

The moneychangers and the sellers in the Court of the Gentiles were authorized by the Sanhedrin. Who gave Jesus authority to chase these moneychangers out? Religion doesn’t care about souls, but about prestige, power, and at heart profit.

Preach: Jesus’ authority was not derived from the Sanhedrin. Jesus didn’t just overthrow tables, He challenged the Sanhedrin’s power. How dare He do what He did? Jesus exposed the Sanhedrin as the self righteous bunch they were. He hurt their prestige. “We are the rulers – not You, Nazarene”. And where it really hurt, Jesus took away their unrighteous profit. Now it’s ON! They are HOT! How DARE You do what You did, you silly Nazarite Rabbi?

Jesus is more than a backwater Rabbi. Jesus is God in the flesh. Jesus applied the title “Son of Man” to Himself, a title for the Messiah. Jesus called Himself “The Son of God”, “making Himself EQUAL WITH GOD” (John 5:18). So what does Jesus do? How does He answer these enraged dupes? It’s genius!

Mark 11:29-30 (KJV) Jesus answered and said unto them, I will also ask of you one question, and answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 The BAPTISM OF JOHN, was [it] FROM HEAVEN, or OF MEN? answer me.

Who authorized John the Baptist to baptize in the wilderness? Was it something some man authorized, or did it come of God? Did the Sanhedrin approve John and authorize him to baptize? No, because John called them a “brood of vipers” (Matthew 3:7). John told them to “bear fruits worthy of repentance” (Matthew 3:8). They were not friends with John.

It Is A Question Of Authority

Did John come of his own accord and start baptizing, or did he come because God called him to come? It was prophesied that when the Messiah was to come, that He would have a Herald who would go before Him. The Prophet Isaiah foretold:

Isaiah 40:3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD, make straight in the desert a HIGHWAY FOR OUR GOD.

God was coming, and John was like the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY Highway Department. He was authorized to spiritually pave a road that the Messiah would enter into His ministry on.

God through the Prophet Malachi said:

Malachi 3:1 Behold, I WILL SEND MY MESSENGER, and he shall prepare the way before Me

When John came, he told the crowd that “I am not the Messiah”, but “I am the Voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah”. Jesus later affirmed that John the Baptist was chosen of God to be His Herald (Matthew 11:10, 14). God chose John to be the Herald of the Messiah. The Angel of God told Zacharias, John’s father that:

Luke 1:13-17 (AP) your wife Elizabeth shall bear you a son … and many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God … HE SHALL GO BEFORE MESSIAH … to PREPARE THE PEOPLE FOR THE COMING OF THE LORD …

The leaders of Israel are asked by Jesus, “By Whose authority did JOHN do what he did?” I want you to notice what the leaders of Israel did.

Mark 11:31-32 (KJV) And they REASONED WITH THEMSELVES, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; {Jesus} will say, Why then did ye not believe him? 32 But if we shall say, Of men; they FEARED THE PEOPLE: for all [men] counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.

The leaders of Israel did not turn to the Scripture. They “REASONED WITH THEMSELVES”. These are supposed to be leaders of Israel, but they have detached themselves from the Scripture. They are not living by the Law of Moses. They have taken God off of the throne, and their opinion is now the god they follow.

These people have never examined Jesus in the light of what God has said in His Word. They never saw the ministry of John as God’s fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Neither John nor Jesus suited their agendas. But they dare not deny John lest the people turn on them. And if they don’t deny John, and John affirmed Jesus is the Messiah, then they look like fools.

Jesus Doesn’t Answer Directly, But He
Does Answer With A Parable

Mark 12:1 (KJV) And {Jesus} began to speak UNTO THEM {the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders} by parables. A [certain] man PLANTED A VINEYARD, and SET A HEDGE about [it], and digged [a place for] the WINE FAT {hypolēnion}, and BUILT A TOWER, and let it out to HUSBANDMEN {geōrgos}, and went into a far country.

Word Study: In this parable a “MAN PLANTS A VINEYARD”. The purpose of a vineyard – a place where grapes are raised – is to make wine. This Man plants the vineyard, then “SETS A HEDGE” or a fence around that vineyard to protect it from harm. The Man puts in a wine press, and makes a place for the “WINE FAT” or the vessel that holds the juice of the grapes. It’s like a big vat. The Man also “BUILT A TOWER”, that is, He put a watchtower over the field, high above the crop to look after it. The Man, the Owner of the Vineyard, then contacts “HUSBANDMEN”, what you might call hired farmers or gardeners. It was the job of the farmers to oversee and make sure the vineyard was profitable for the owner.

Now what are all these elements? The Man is a picture of God, and the Vineyard a picture of God’s people. God planted the Vineyard. God loved the Vineyard. God came to Abraham., and told him:

Genesis 12:2-3 (AP) I will MAKE OF YOU A GREAT NATION {Israel} … in you shall ALL THE NATIONS OF THE WORLD WILL BE BLESSED

God asked Abraham to follow Him, to obey Him, and Abraham did. And God blessed Abraham. Over time God raised up Jacob, renamed him Israel, and from Israel came God’s people. God gave Israel great promises. He planted Israel in Egypt, allowed it to grow, then moved Israel toward the Promised Land. God loved His people, His Israel. God set a HEDGE around Israel:

Isaiah 5:1-2, 7 (NKJV) Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved REGARDING HIS VINEYARD: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill. 2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected [it] to bring forth [good] grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes…. 7 For the VINEYARD OF THE LORD OF HOSTS IS THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL

God put a HEDGE around His people. He gave them the Law and the Prophets. God puts a hedge around those whom He loves (Job 1:10). God gave Israel a place their own – the Promised Land. God built a TOWER for His people by watching over them.

Proverbs 18:10 The name of the LORD is a STRONG TOWER: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Psalm 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress… my HIGH TOWER…

Psalm 61:3 For Thou {O Lord} hast been a shelter for me, and a STRONG TOWER from the enemy

Preach: Then God called geōrgos, skilled Farmers to oversee the Vineyard. The FARMERS were the leaders God called to His people. The Leaders are the Priests, the Pharisees and Sadducees, the Sanhedrin itself. The Farmers do not own the vineyard. God planted the vineyard. Adam didn’t own the Garden of Eden. He was to farm it, as a sharecropper, to manage it for God. The Farmers were not to make the rules, but were to follow the rules set by the Owner of the Vineyard. You don’t make the rules. The Pastor doesn’t make the rules. The Southern Baptist Convention doesn’t make the rules. I don’t care if you’ve been to Seminary, and have a string of doctorates – no one makes the rules BUT THE OWNER OF THE VINEYARD.

Now we come to the meat of the parable. Jesus continues:

Mark 12:2-5 (KJV) And at the season He {this is God} sent to the HUSBANDMEN {the leaders of Israel} a SERVANT {a Prophet}, that He might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they caught {God’s Servant}, and beat him, and sent [him] away empty. 4 And again he sent unto them another SERVANT {another Prophet}; and at him they cast stones, and wounded [him] in the head, and sent [him] away shamefully handled. 5 And again HE {God, the Owner of the Vineyard, of Israel} sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.

The Owner of the Vineyard has the right to the FRUIT of that Vineyard. God told Israel:

Isaiah 5:2 (NKJV) {God} expected {His Vineyard Israel} to bring forth GOOD grapes, But it brought forth WILD grapes.

What did God mean by that? He explains in:

Isaiah 5:7 (NKJV) For the Vineyard of the LORD of hosts [is] the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for JUSTICE, but behold, OPPRESSION; For RIGHTEOUSNESS, but behold, a cry [for help].

The fruit that God expected was JUSTICE. He expected His people to love one another, and to help others find salvation through God. God said to Israel:

Leviticus 19:18 You shall not AVENGE or BEAR ANY GRUDGE … but YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF: I am Your LORD

God commands His New Testament Church, (Matthew 7:12) “All things that you want others to DO TO YOU, DO IT TO THEM”. It is in no way loving to sell sacrifices to people trying to get to God. It is OPPRESSIVE, not freeing. God looked for RIGHTEOUSNESS, but found only oppressed people crying out for HELP.

Righteousness doesn’t mean holier than thou. Righteousness means to DO THAT WHICH GOD CONSIDERS RIGHT, regardless as to what others say. The Owner of the Vineyard sets the standard, not the Vineyard nor the Farmers.

When God looks at the Vineyard, the fruit He expects is worship from His people. We are not to chase golden calves. The fruit the Owner expects is OBEDIENCE and REPENTANCE, HUMILITY and TRANSPARENCY. Anything else is a wild grape, unfit for the work of God. The Apostle tells us to avoid the wild grapes, the grapes Whose vine is not Christ. These wild grapes “have a form or show of godliness, but deny the very power of God. Turn away from these people!” (2 Timothy 3:5).

When Sin Is Not Cast Out Of The Vineyard, It Grows

I want you to notice something else that Jesus has in this parable. Notice what happens with the “SERVANTS” or the Prophets that God sent to the Vineyard Israel. When the FIRST Servant was sent, the Farmers/ Overseers of the Vineyard “caught {God’s Servant}, and beat him, and sent [him] away empty”. When the SECOND Servant was sent, “at him they cast stones, and wounded [him] in the head, and sent [him] away shamefully handled”. They didn’t repent of their sin. No, they got stronger in their sin. When the THIRD Servant was sent, “him they killed”. This is what sin does when it is not dealt with – it GROWS.

They BEAT the first
They STONED the second
They KILLED the third

When the Bible tells us “The wages of sin is DEATH” (Romans 6:23), the first sin is a small thing. Think about it. When Cain first sinned, he was ENVIOUS of his brother Abel. God told Cain, (and I paraphrase Genesis 4:7)

“If you DO WELL, YOU WILL BE ACCEPTED. But if you refuse to repent, SIN LIES AT YOUR DOOR like a monster or a trap.”

Cain refused to repent. Envy became HATRED, then HATRED boiled over into MURDER and LYING TO GOD! Oh that Cain had repented! And what of Peter the Apostle. As Jesus was being tried, Peter was asked if he knew Jesus. The first sin was “I don’t know Him”. When challenged, Peter refused to repent. “I tell you, I don’t know this Jesus”. But challenged a third time, Peter SHOUTS with OATHS and CURSES. “Are you all deaf? Can’t you hear me? He is NOTHING to me! Nothing at all! This Jesus – I hate Him!”

and Peter died a little that day.

Sin never stays small. Oh no, don’t you believe it. The Bible tells us in the very first Psalm:

Psalm 1:1 (NKJV) Blessed is the man Who WALKS not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor STANDS in the path of sinners, Nor SITS in the seat of the scornful

When sin starts, it is a WALK. But if you will not repent, it turns to a tarrying. You STAND in sin. Then in time you become comfortable enough in sin to where you SIT and stew in it. This is what happened with the leaders of Israel. They forgot that the Vineyard didn’t belong to them. Then when it came time to provide fruit to the Owner (God), they ran off, hurt, and ultimately killed those whom the Lord of Glory sent. Beloved,

You don’t play with sin. Sin plays with YOU. It drags you down. It robs you of your calling and your peace. It makes you into a monster who justifies wild grapes rather than honorable fruit for the Master.

Sin Ultimately Kills The Son

The Owner of the Vineyard (God) is so wonderfully patient. We read:

Mark 12:6-8 (KJV) Having yet therefore one Son, His Well Beloved, He sent Him also last unto them, saying, THEY WILL REVERENCE MY SON. 7 But those husbandmen {the Farmers, the leaders of Israel} said among themselves, This is the Heir; come, let us kill Him, and the inheritance shall be ours.’ 8 And they took Him, and killed Him, and cast Him out of the vineyard.

When Jesus was baptized of John the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). John the Baptist told the leaders of Israel, “Behold! The Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). The Bible says that “Jesus CAME UNTO HIS OWN, and HIS OWN WOULD NOT RECEIVE HIM” (John 1:11). The Sanhedrin knew by what authority Jesus did what He did. Jesus did not do what He did in the dark. He did not hide nor secret His word away. They knew that this was the Son of the Vineyard Owner. They knew that Jesus was the Son of God. But they said:

This is the Heir; come, let us kill Him, and the INHERITANCE shall be ours

They wanted the POWER and the PRESTIGE and the PROFIT of leading Israel. They wanted to be the BOSS, the OWNER, and not the SHARECROPPERS. Just like Adam, they forgot their place. Or knowing their place, they preferred damnation over obedience.

they took Him, and killed Him, and cast Him out of the vineyard

They saw the miracles He did. They heard from Heaven, but demanded yet another sign. So they killed Him. They had Him nailed to a Cross between two thieves. They mocked Him as He hung bleeding and dying.

Matthew 27:35-43 (KJV) And they crucified Him, and parted His garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture did they cast lots. 36 And sitting down they watched Him there; 37 And set up over His head His ACCUSATION written, This Is Jesus The King Of The Jews. 38 Then were there two thieves crucified with him, one on the right hand, and another on the left. 39 And they that passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads, 40 And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. IF THOU BE THE SON OF GOD, come down from the cross. 41 Likewise also the CHIEF PRIESTS mocking him, with the SCRIBES and ELDERS {The Farmers of the Vineyard}, said, 42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. IF HE BE THE KING OF ISRAEL, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. 43 HE TRUSTED IN GOD; let {God} deliver him now, if {God} will have Him: for He said, I AM THE SON OF GOD.

The Leaders of the Vineyard know Who Jesus is. But they killed Him, hoping to rule the Vineyard, to be gods themselves. This is what sinners do. They hope to rule the Vineyard, to control the Kingdom of God. The Parable ends with:

Mark 12:9 (KJV) What shall therefore the Lord of the vineyard do? He will come and DESTROY THE HUSBANDMEN, and will GIVE THE VINEYARD UNTO OTHERS.

God bent over BACKWARDS with Israel. He sent His Beloved Son Jesus “to the Jew FIRST, and also to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16; 2:9-10). The Kingdom of God on earth was Israel. But The Leaders of Israel thought they owned the Kingdom. Israel thought they could make up their own rules. The Sanhedrin thought they were gods. Jesus warned them:

Matthew 21:43 The KINGDOM OF GOD SHALL BE TAKEN FROM YOU, and GIVEN TO A NATION BRINGING FORTH THE FRUITS THEREOF.

Though many Israelites turned to Jesus and received Him as Lord and Savior, God moved His Kingdom from Israel to the Church. Because the Leaders of Israel rejected the Messiah – the “Builders” – God removed the Kingdom (for now) from Israel. Jesus told them:

Mark 12:10-11 (KJV) And have ye not read this scripture; The STONE which THE BUILDERS REJECTED is become the HEAD of the corner: [11] This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?

God moved His Kingdom from Israel to the Church. Today the Kingdom of God is composed of those who reverence the Son of God, and who bring forth grapes, NOT wild grapes. There are a few things I can say as we close this text today.

1. What God did with Israel, He can do with this CHURCH! This is God’s Vineyard. Jesus said, “I am the VINE, and you are the BRANCHES” (John 15:5). We are to abide in Jesus, in His Word. We are to produce grapes, not wild grapes. If we fail to do so, as the Owner shut Israel down, He can shut us down.

2. What God did with the Rulers, He can do with YOU. God gave you life, and only God can give you eternal life. God made you to walk with Him. He proved this by sending His Son. Will you walk with Him? Or will you, like the Rulers of Israel, kill Jesus so that you can rule your own life? If you do, if you reject Jesus, just know that Jesus is the HEAD of the CORNER. There is no building without Jesus. There is no vineyard, no fruit, no joy without Jesus. James S. Stewart wrote:

“Come, let us kill Him, and the Vineyard will be ours”. No, they killed Him once, and He arose. They could have killed Him a hundred times and a hundred times He has risen. And He is living tonight, and He is here. Of all the strange delusions, the strangest, wildest, insanest, is to think we can get rid of Jesus.