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Jesus Tells of His own death And No one Understands by Rev. Dr. Leslie Mary Trombly Biblical References: Matthew 21:33-44; Matthew 25:20-30; Luke 19:12-26 During the week that followed Jesus' ride into Jerusalem on the back of an ass to the loud hosannas and praises; he had tried again to tell his disciples and even the chief priests and elders, but none of them understood a single thing he said about it. This is where the biblical reference found in 1 Corinthians 1:19-21 would aptly apply. Let's read it before I get further on into the meat of this week's sermon or lesson, [whatever you prefer to call it]. "For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? For after that, in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe." Jesus did this very same thing to the chief priests and elders, because they considered themselves all wise and knowing all the things that were of God. In reality, by their own words they made fools of themselves. No let's turn to Matthew 21:28-46. This, as you will soon see how his parable was of his own death and how relevant it was as further proof of Jesus knowing all along what was going to happen to Him and by whom. Reading from Verse 33-39, it says, "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: And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, "They will reverence my son." 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. And they caught him, and cast [him] out of the vineyard, and slew [him]. Let's define the verses: That certain householder is God. The vineyard and the tower are the earth and the heavens that he created. The fruit are the people of the earth. The husbandmen are those in authority. The servants God sent are the prophets and teachers of His Word. God sent them to the husbandmen {evil doers] they beat one and killed the other. When God sent more to them; yet they still killed them. In God's great love for his children, he was willing to sacrifice his only son saying they would reverence him and some did, but most did not and what did they do? They caught him in the vineyard and killed him. But God gave them a warning through his son concerning this. We see this in the next verses from Matthew 21:41-43 "When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 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. 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 marvelous in our eyes? Therefore say I unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. If you haven't figured it out, Jesus was telling them that those who have who killed the son of God, would themselves be destroyed by Him and the vineyard would be given to others who chose to follow the path of righteousness and truth who would produce good fruits and give them to the householder [God] The stone that the builders rejected is who? It is Jesus Christ, the householder's [God's] son who will become the head of the corner. When it is said that God will take his kingdom from you and given to a nation that is bringing forth the fruits. The next question I have is this: do you know what nation that he is talking about? It is the nation of faithful and just who were good and faithful servants of the Lord. To them he will say, "Well done good and faithful servant." How we who serve the Lord, long to hear that! From Matthew 25: 20-30, Jesus gives us an example of this nation. Hear the words of the Lord: "And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Then we turn to Luke 19:12-26 we see what also constitutes a good servant and a bad servant. We have already seen it in Matthew 21:41-44, 25: 20-30, Jesus again states what constitutes a good servant and what will happen to those who are not. These are all relevant re-affirmations to what we are discussing about Jesus final journey to his death and resurrection. Please read with me: "He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, "We will not have this man to reign over us". And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, "Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities." And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities. And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury? And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds. (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.) For I say unto you, that unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me. In verse 44 of Mathew 21, Jesus puts the finality on it. "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder." What is he saying here? Those who fall on the stone are those who fall at the feet of Jesus will be broken and made anew; but those on whom the stone falls will be ground into powder. These are those who are unrepentant sinners and the Lord [stone] will destroy them. Even as Jesus told the people time after time, no one person understood what he was saying. When he shared the last supper with his disciples and he once again told them, they still didn't comprehend it until it actually happened. Then when Jesus rose from the grave 3 days later, they still couldn't believe what he had told them about it. They finally believed when they saw him. When Jesus first appeared to the disciples they thought they were seeing a ghost. {Luke 24:36-45} For Thomas, he was the example for all those who do not believe unless they see for themselves. In John 20: 24-29, we see that Thomas was not there when Jesus first showed himself to his disciples. What we are about to read confirms this and what Jesus said about faith. Let's read it: "But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, "Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe." And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, "Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." In today's world nothing has changed concerning the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Jesus also said this, as we have seen concerning faith and believing in Him. The mere fact that he had suffered and died to fulfill the will of his father by becoming the sacrificial lamb for the sins of mankind is reason enough to believe. You know there is a funny thing that happens when you receive Christ into your heart and life. That which is in you [your spirit] becomes alive and that empty slot you have always had in your heart and tried to fill with various things of the world; then becomes filled, because that was left there just for Jesus to fill. For mankind Christ death and resurrection was the beginning of a new life and so it is for us, if we choose it to be. On this Holy of holy days, I ask you: Won't you invite Jesus into your heart and life? Won't you let him fill that empty slot in your heart that nothing else seems to fill? You won't be sorry that you did. If you want to accept this Invitation and free Gift of Salvation, then say this simple prayer: "Our Father in heaven, I know that I am a sinner and I know that the penalty of sin is death, not only in this world, but in the next as well. I come before you to seek salvation and to confess my sins before you and before mankind. Forgive me, my Father, for all my sins, wash me as white as snow. I ask that you baptized me in the water and in the Holy Spirit. Make me one of your children, Lord; for this is my heartfelt prayer. Enter my name into your book of life, so that I may dwell with you forever. Be my teacher and guide; for it is now that I completely surrender all that I am and all that I have and all that you wish me to be, completely to you. I acknowledge that you are the Lord and Savior of this world. I further acknowledge that you took upon yourself and bore the sins of the world. I acknowledge that you were the great sacrifice for the sins of all mankind and that price was paid at Calvary. I further acknowledge that my sins are paid for in full by your sacrifice and that with my true repentance comes with the gift of eternal life. Father, save me now! Make me whole and a permanent part of your family, forever! Amen" 
Top tags: jesus, lord, god, servant, faithful, good, hast, husbandmen, talents, things
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