The Question of Jesus’ Authority

1 One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, came up to him.

2 They said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Or who is it that gave you this authority?”

3 He answered them, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me:

4 Was the baptism of John from heaven, or was it of human origin?”

5 They discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why did you not believe him?’

6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from.

8 And Jesus said to them, “Then I will not tell you by what authority I do these things either.”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

9 He then began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to some tenants, and went away on a long journey.

10 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

11 He sent another servant, but they beat him as well, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

12 He sent a third servant, but they wounded him, too, and threw him out.”

13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, “What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will show him some respect.”

14 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, “This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours!”

15 And 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 destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “May it never be!”

17 But he looked at them and said, “What then is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?”

18 Everyone who falls on this stone will be shattered, but it will crush anyone on whom it falls.

19 And the scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him that very hour, yet they feared the people, for they realized that he had told this parable with them in mind.

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Hello everyone! I am Kiki. The Chinese name of the second phase of our program is “读经大讲堂”. Its English name is “Bible Study”.

We will adopt a relaxed and enjoyable learning approach to take you into a new world of learning. Each time, I will share my personal summary and analysis from a learner’s perspective. Then Sister Ingrid will help me explore the topics in greater depth and discuss related questions with everyone.

I hope that this interesting and interactive process will bring you new knowledge and learning experiences.

The following is my interview with Sister Ingrid on related topics. Today is our 57th lesson on the Gospel of Luke.

Everyone is welcome to leave a message in the comment section to join the discussion!

2. My Summary of the 57th Bible Study on Luke

Well, everyone! First of all, here is my personal summary of today’s study.

The religious leaders asked Jesus who had given him the authority to teach. Jesus asked them whether John the Baptist’s baptism came from God or from human beings. They were afraid to answer, so they said they did not know.

Then Jesus told a story about a vineyard owner. He sent servants to collect his share of the fruit from the tenants, but they treated the servants badly. Finally, he sent his beloved son. The tenants killed the son because they wanted the vineyard for themselves.

Jesus said that the owner would punish the wicked tenants and give the vineyard to others.

The religious leaders realized that Jesus was talking about them. They wanted to arrest him but were afraid of the people.

Jesus also said that a rejected stone had become the cornerstone, the most important stone in a building. This points to Jesus: people may reject him, but he is essential to God’s plan.

Now, let’s hear Sister Ingrid’s further explanation and summary.

3. Sister Ingrid’s Comments on My Study Summary

Hello, Sister! The first thing that stands out to me is the conversation about Jesus’ authority.

Of course, they wanted him to admit that his authority came from God and that he was God’s Son, so they could immediately sentence him to death. However, he did not do so because the purpose of his mission was to die together with the lambs on Friday. Dying on another day would have disrupted God’s plan, and Jesus’ death would have been in vain.

In the parable of the vineyard, the owner represents God, and the tenants represent the people of Israel. God wanted them to serve him and bear fruit for him, but they preferred to remain in idolatry all the time instead. When God sent out prophets to ask for the fruit, the people mistreated and even killed them.

Then Jesus talks about the owner’s son. Everyone knew that he was referring to himself and that the tenants would kill the son. He also explained that the son would become very important in the construction of God’s temple.

The Jewish leaders became very angry because Jesus had openly spoken about what they had in mind.

4. Questions and Answers Based on Luke 57

Okay! Based on the Bible study content above, let me now ask Sister Ingrid some related questions.

We hope the following questions will be helpful to our brothers and sisters.

1. Who asked Jesus where his authority came from?

The Jewish leaders.

2. What did Jesus ask them about John the Baptist?

He wanted to know whether John’s baptism came from heaven or from human authority.

3. Why were the religious leaders afraid to answer Jesus?

为什么宗教领袖害怕回答耶稣？

The common people loved Jesus, and the religious leaders were afraid that the people might turn against them.

4. What did the vineyard owner ask the tenants to do?

They were supposed to give him his share of the fruit.

5. How did the tenants treat the owner’s servants?

租户们怎样对待主人的仆人？

They treated them badly.

6. Who did the owner send after the servants?

His own son.

7. Why did the tenants kill the owner’s son?

Because they wanted to have the vineyard for themselves.

8. What did the owner do to the wicked tenants?

He took the vineyard away from them and gave it to other people.

9. Who do the owner, the servants, and the son represent in the story?

The owner represents God, the servants represent the prophets sent to the people of Israel, and the son represents Jesus.

10. What does the rejected stone teach us about Jesus?

It teaches us that Jesus is the most important stone in God’s eternal temple.