What are you going to do with Jesus? 

Luke 20:14 – 16

¹⁴ ‘But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. “This is the heir,” they said. “Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.” ¹⁵ So 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 kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.’

When the people heard this, they said, ‘God forbid!’

That’s the question every one of us who hears the story of Jesus has to contend with. We might think that there are many ways to connect with God and to become a spiritual person, but Jesus makes it clear that he comes from God as God’s only son with all the authority of his Father. We can’t connect with God without connecting to Jesus. What we do with Jesus determines our eternal future. We either embrace him and his claims over our lives or we reject him and face his judgement. 

Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, he builds the new temple where we come for salvation and blessing. 

Jesus tells this parable against the religious leaders to show them the significance of what they are doing to him. They think that by killing Jesus – the vineyard owner’s son – they will take the inheritance for themselves. It’s a way of trying to keep what they had for themselves. This included their power over people through their religious system that feathered their owns nests at the expense of the people who suffered under their regime. But it only exposes what they really valued and worshiped – their power, position and authority, not to mention the wealth associated with this system they oversaw.  

This parable is about to become enacted in real time as Jesus is handed over to the authorities and is killed. But verse 16 contains a beautiful promise that continues to be fulfilled whereby the blessings of God’s vineyard are being handed over to others. These others are you and me and all who trust in God’s own son to bring us into his kingdom of blessing. 

Head: Do you see Jesus as God’s beloved son with all the authority of the Father? 

Heart: if not where does Jesus sit in your life right now?  

Hands: What practices can you change today that will help you better wholeheartedly to follow Jesus? 

Prayer: Dear Father. It is easy for us to look back at these religious leaders and judge them for what they did to Jesus and for wanting to hold on to the power they had in their lives. But often we are not much different. We can easily worship our own idols that are opposed to your rule in our lives, but idols that bring us power and reputation in our little worlds. Help us to repent of the false gods and to embrace Jesus as king and beloved son of the Father. 

A song to listen to: You Are My King

Tim Hewlett 

Living Church – Creek Road