INTENSE CONFRONTATION FOR THE TRUTH – JESUS ON TUESDAY

Tuesday is the second day of the Passion Week. It is not only the most intense of all the days in the Passion Week, but in all likelihood, one of the most intense days of the entire earthly ministry of the LORD Jesus.  On Tuesday, Jesus embarks upon teaching again the eternal TRUTH, to the very people to whom was given the TRUTH and the LIGHT. They were the ones who were chosen by YAHWEH Himself, to be His ambassadors. The LORD confronts the custodians of this eternal TRUTH and LIGHT in the very same place, the temple, which God Himself chose to make His permanent dwelling. It is indeed a very sad picture to see. God Almighty defending His truth, confronting the religious leaders with such intensity as never seen during the entire there and a half years of the LORD Jesus’ earthly ministry. 

Let us not forget to note that, these religious leaders and the people were chosen for specific purpose – to be God’s ambassadors, ministers and mediators, representing the needs of the people to God, and instructing the people on behalf of the LORD, the commands of God, entrusted to their care. The anger and the intensity of the LORD is because of what these custodians have turned the plans and the purposes of God Almighty into – an enterprise of evil. This is no anti-semitism. Rather, this is placing of the plain facts, known to all, as recorded in the very words of the LORD Jesus Christ. These words are without any prejudice towards any. 

The LORD Jesus, to emphasise the anguish and the anger of the LORD God Almighty, tells them the Parable of the Vinedresser. The crux of the heart of God and His anger is found in the following words of the LORD Jesus.
– “6 Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not even read this Scripture: The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. 11 This was the LORD’s doing, And it is marvellous in our eyes’?” 12 And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.” – Mark 12:6-12

Here is a breakup of the Parable of the Vinedresser.
– God is the sole owner of the vineyard.
– The workers in the vineyard are the Chosen People.
– The workers were employed by the Owner of the vineyard, and are not the owners themselves.
– Workers were employed specifically by the Vinedresser to tend and keep His vineyard, so that it will yield good fruit, more fruit and much fruit – John 15.
– The workers turn rogue, and kill the people sent by the Owner, revealing the true heart of the fallen man, with nothing but evil at its core – Romans 3:22b-23.
– The Owner sends His only and the beloved Son, hoping the workers would respect the Son, who is the sole Heir of the whole vineyard.
– The Son of the Owner of the vineyard is cruelly and mercilessly killed by the workers, whom the Owner of the vineyard employed to tend and keep His vineyard, revealing their wicked and evil hearts, their true and original nature…our hearts included…the whole world, without any distinction.

What will the Owner of the vineyard do to all those workers who were employed to take care of the vineyard, but turned out to be wicked and evil, so much so that they do not hesitate to kill the very Son of the owner of the vineyard? All such will be surely and certainly dealt with, justly and fairly.
– “9 “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.” – Mark 12:9
– “43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” – Matthew 21:43-44

What did the religious leaders do when they were intensely confronted and questioned by the LORD Jesus, the God whom they claimed to worship, and be His “chosen” representatives? A shameful tragedy to say the least. Yes, a shameful tragedy.
– “19 And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.” – Luke 20:19
– “45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.” – Matthew 21:45-46
– “12 And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.” – Mark 12:12

The workers did not know the heart of their EMPLOYER. The workers were not interested in doing what their EMPLOYER wanted them, and has appointed them for. God wanted these workers to be His representives, and spread the gospel of Good News, to the whole world, which is the original vineyard of God. The God of the Bible always wanted to include all the people of God’s “vineyard” the whole world, so that, all who turn to the LIVING GOD for His grace and mercy, would be redeemed by the Son, our Redeemer, the LORD Jesus Christ.
– “9 That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” – John 1:9-13
– “8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 10 let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” – Acts 4:8-12
– “The sphere in which we must look for God at work in salvation is no longer the nation of Israel but another nation. This is not the Gentiles as such (that would require the plural ethnesin, not the singular ethnei), but a people of God derived from all nations, Jew and Gentile.” – R. T. France

The same measure that was applied to the Jews, by the LORD Jesus, would be applied to us, the Church, if we don’t take God and His work entrusted to us, seriously. Sadly and tragically we don’t look like we have learnt any lessons from the history of the People of God. Let us look at four incidents from the Church History that happened on this very day, 31st March across the centuries. We have turned out to be just like the religious leaders of Jesus’ time.
– 31 March 1376 – Gregory XI issues an interdict against the city of Florence, which had joined a league to abolish the pope’s secular power. This interdict gives anyone the right to plunder the city and to make slaves of its people wherever they might be found.
– 31 March 1492 – Queen Isabella, having compelled Muslims to convert to Christianity or leave Spain, now signs a similar decree relating to her Jewish subjects, ordering them to convert to Christianity or face expulsion. It will not actually be issued for another month and will allow three months for compliance.
– 31 March 1515 – Needing money to rebuild St. Peter’s basilica, Pope Leo X announces a sale of indulgences to run for eight years beginning this day. Albert of Brandenberg, deeply in debt after purchasing his position as archbishop, is allowed to keep half the proceeds, but will not profit as greatly as he hopes because the indulgence will anger the friar Martin Luther, who will post his Ninety-Five Theses in response. The Reformation will result.
– 31 March 1799 – Missionary and physician Johannes Van Der Kemp reaches South Africa. He will study the Xhosa and Khoikhoi languages and outrage European opinion by marrying a young African woman.

How about us this morning dear brothers and sisters? *Beginning with myself, let us honestly look into our hearts to evaluate ourselves. 
– Are we being faithful, obedient and trustworthy servant, employee and worker in God’s vineyard? 
– Would God find us to be His good and faithful servant – Matthew 25:14-30? 
Let us be brutally honest with ourselves in answering these questions. Even so the LORD help us.