Matthew 21:33-46
Preached Sunday Morning, May 3, 2009
Introduction:
All men tend to be drawn toward the concept of God. In every culture, in every language, and in every era, people have embraced the concept of spirituality. Even now in our secular, post Christian society, people still identify themselves with religion and spirituality.
There is a dividing point. People do not have a problem with folks embracing a generic god, spirit, or higher power. A great deal of passion is stirred when one mentions Jesus Christ of Nazareth as the Messiah, God in the flesh, man’s only hope for salvation. You see, you cannot embrace the truths of the Bible without accepting fully its teachings about Jesus Christ.
Jesus is not just an important figure in the Bible; He is the foundation upon which the entire revelation of God is built. In our passage this morning, we will read some discussion about this subject. We will see just how central Jesus is to all of God’s revealed truth. I pray that God will stir your heart with love for the Savior as we consider Jesus, our Rock.
I. The Stone that the Builders Rejected
A. Israel rejected their Messiah
Matthew 21:33-41
33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
1. God is the householder
2. Israel is the husbandman
3. God desired fruits of righteousness from His chosen people
4. Servants = prophets
Acts 7:51-52
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
5. Son = Jesus
Matthew 27:22-25
22 Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified. 23 And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 24 When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children.
6. Other Husbandmen = Gentiles
Acts 11:18
18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.
B. Religious leaders through the history of the world have rejected Jesus as the Messiah
1. Reject His deity
John 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
2. Reject His bodily resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:12
12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
3. Reject salvation through faith alone
Galatians 2:21
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
C. Today spirituality is accepted but Jesus as the Christ is rejected
1. A way, not THE way
John 14:6
6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
2. An option, not the ONLY option
Acts 4:10-12
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
II. The Chief Cornerstone
Matthew 21:42-43
42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
A. Jesus is the foundation of salvation
1. Everything in the Christian life is built upon Him
1 Corinthians 3:10-11
10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
2. Without all the truth from Jesus, there is no foundation upon which one can build his life.
Matthew 7:24-27
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
B. Jesus is the foundation of the Church
Matthew 16:18
18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
III. The Breaking Stone
Matthew 21:44-46
44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.
è You have a choice
A. Fall upon Him and be broken
1. Broken from trusting in yourself
Romans 3:19-22
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
2. Broken from your pride
Habakkuk 2:4
4 Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.
3. Broken as a penitent sinner coming to Jesus as your only hope of salvation.
Psalm 51:2-4
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
B. Reject the Stone and have Him fall upon you and grind you to powder.
1. Judgment awaits all who refuse to believe in this life.
John 3:18-20
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
2. All will bow down to Jesus some day.
Philippians 2:9-11
9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.