On the fence is a dangerous place to sit

I want to start with a question this morning.

How would you fill this out? I believe that Jesus Christ is, A) a liar, B) a lunatic, or C) the Lord, signed…………………………………

If you had to decide, right now, which box would you tick? What would you be willing to sign your name to?

It's a question that a man called C. S. Lewis famously one asked. Here's what he said…

[What] I am trying here to prevent [is] anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say.A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic…or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice.Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God.

Do you believe that Jesus Christ is a liar, a lunatic or the Lord? That's the question that C. S. Lewis asked. And it's also the question that Jesus asks us in our passage this morning.

Let's pray. 

Look at 19v47-20v2…

Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him. 48 Yet they could not find any way to do it, because all the people hung on his words.One day as he was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. "Tell us by what authority you are doing these things," they said. "Who gave you this authority?

The people loved what Jesus said. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders, hated Jesus, and wanted to kill him. And so they ask him, in v2, 'Who gave you the authority to teach like this?'

You see in their world you were only allowed to teach, if you'd been trained at the right school, and had the right religious degrees, and had been approved by them. So they ask Jesus (who had none of those) where he gets his authority,

But Jesus doesn't bother answering their question, instead he asks his own. Look at vv 3-4…

He replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me, John's baptism--was it from heaven, or from men?

'Was John the Baptist a true prophet, who spoke the words of God?' 'Or was he a fraud? Who just made it up as he went along?'

Well, the religious leaders have a think about it, in v5, and they realise they've got a problem. You see they hated John almost as much as they hated Jesus. But again, the people loved him. So we read in vv 5-8…

They discussed it among themselves and said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?' But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet." So they answered, "We don't know where it was from." Jesus said, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.

And then Jesus told them a story. And it's a very simple story. Look at v9b…

A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.

Nothing strange about that. v10a…

At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard.

Again, that's nothing strange is it. People still do the same sort of thing today. If someone owns some land, instead of farming it themselves they might decide to rent it out to someone else who does the farming and in exchange gives them a percentage of the profits. What is strange is what happens next, v10…

At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

What just happened? Was this some sort of mix-up? Had the servant of the owner been mistaken for a burglar? Had there been some terrible accident? No. No mistake, no accident. Look at v11…

He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.

There had been no mistake or accident. The tenants are revolting. They don't want to give some of the fruit of the vineyard to the owner, in fact they don't want to give anything to the owner. They want to keep it for themselves. So they refuse to give the servants anything.

But it's more than that, isn't it? Because the tenants didn't just send the servants away empty-handed. They treat them shamefully. They insult them, disgrace them and beat them. And then they do it all over again in v12…

He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

So what will the owner of the vineyard do? Well, he makes a plan, v13… 

Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.

Here is the man's son. And just to make sure we don't miss the point, Jesus adds that this is the owner's son, "whom he loves."

"Perhaps they will resp ect him." He says. But we know they won't. We're prepared for them not to. But we're not prepared for what happens next, vv 14-15a…

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.' So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

Now of course their plan is a ridiculous plan, isn't it? Does killing the son mean that they will inherit the vineyard? No, of course it doesn't. Their logic makes no sense at all, but their plan is clear isn't it, they want the vineyard for themselves.

Being tenants isn't enough for them. Keeping some of the profit isn't enough for them. They want to have it all. They want to be the owners. And they think that if they kill the son the vineyard will be theirs.

Which is ridiculous isn't it? When the owner of the vineyard hears that they have killed the son that he loves, is he going to say, 'Well, OK, you win, keep the vineyard and the fruit for yourself'? No! What will he do? v16…

He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "May this never be!

It's a shocking story isn't it? And so the people think, 'Surely, nothing like this would ever actually happen.' 'Surely no tenants would never actually behave like that.' vv17-18… 

Jesus looked directly at them and asked, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: " 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone ' ? Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.

Yes, says Jesus, it will happen. The OT, where that quote comes from, says it will happen. In fact, he says, it's happening right now. Look at v19…

The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.

The parable is about them. The teachers of the law and the chief priests, they are the tenants in Jesus' story. And even as he's telling them the parable, they are putting it into action.

For 100s, even 1000s, of years the Jews had rejected God. He sent them servant after servant, prophet after prophet, to show them what they were doing, and to call them to turn back to Him. And what did they do to the prophets? Well, like Zechariah, in our reading earlier. They rejected the prophets, they ignored the prophets, they insulted them, and beat them, and some of them they even killed.

And so finally God sent them his son, Jesus, whom He loved. Surely they would listen to God's son, wouldn't they? But what did they do? Well, we saw how they treated Jesus back in vv 1-8 didn't we. 

They refused to accept his authority. They refused to believe that he was the Son of God. He fed 5000 people with 5 loves and 2 fish. He walked on water. He calmed a storm with a word. He gave the blind their sight, and made the lame walk again. He healed those who had diseases. He brought dead people back to life! He drove out demons. When he spoke and taught, he had wisdom and authority unlike anyone else who has ever lived. But they refused to recognise that he was the Son of God.

Why? Because they wanted the vineyard for themselves. They didn't want to recognise that God ruled over them. They didn't want to give God what is rightfully his, their thanks and praise and worship and love. No. They wanted to live their lives doing their own thing, going their own way, being their own god.

And so when God sent his Son, Jesus, they hated him and insulted him and despised him and killed him. They thought that if they got rid of Jesus, then they would win. They thought that if they killed the Son, the vineyard would be theirs! But is that right? Does that make any sense at all? Of course not. v15b…

What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

You know that the owner of the vineyard will do. He'll do exactly what he should do. v16a…

He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.

And that's where we come in. You see this parable is really a summary of the whole Bible. 

God made the world, and he made us to live in his world. And at first he chose to reveal himself just to one nation, the Jews. And he sent them his prophets, to ask the people to give him what was rightfully his, their thanks and praise and worship and love. But they refused. That is the story of the OT. And so finally God sent them his son, Jesus, whom he loved. That's what we read about in the NT. 

But did they respect Jesus? Did they listen to him, and acknowledge their guilt and turn back to God? No. They said in their hearts, "This is the heir. Let's kill him and the inheritance will be ours." They rejected Jesus just like their forefathers had rejected the prophets before him. So, what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants.

But that's not the end of the story, look at v16 again…

He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.

When the Jews rejected Jesus, what happened? The gospel, the message of Jesus, in the Bible went out to other people. God gave his vineyard to others. In his word, the Bible, God gave the message of Jesus to all the world. And now, this morning, you are holding it in your hands. 

Do you see? You and I are the new tenants of the vineyard. We live in God's world. He had given us everything we have. He has lavished on us so many good things. And all he asks in return is that we give him what is rightfully his. Your thanks and your praise and your worship and your love. So the question is, what will the new tenants of the vineyard do with Jesus?

Will you accept him, or reject him? Will you give God what is rightfully his, or will you refuse? How will you answer this question? I believe that Jesus Christ is, A) a liar, B) a lunatic, or C) the Lord, signed…………………………………

Firstly, let me speak to those who are ready to recognise that Jesus Christ is The Lord.

If you want to give God your thanks, your praise, your worship and your love. Well, then I want you to see two things from this story. The first is that you can and should expect life to be hard sometimes. Some tenants reject the owner. And instead of listening to the owner's servants, they mock them, insult them and beat them. And if you follow Jesus Christ as Lord then sometimes people will do the same to you. But never forget, the owner is coming back. And when he does, just imagine what he will do for those of us who follow him. The one who gave us this wonderful vineyard to live in will not fail to reward those who are His.

Secondly, let me speak to you if you are willing to say that you believe that Jesus Christ is a liar or a lunatic. 

If you want nothing to do with him, and are only here this morning because you were dragged along. Well then please, take a look at this story again.
If you reject Jesus, do you really think you're going to get rid of God? When the tenants killed the son, did they defeat the owner? Did they have the vineyard to themselves? No, of course not! If you refuse to recognise God, and give him what is rightfully his, you won't win. You will only make God your enemy. And one day the owner of the vineyard will come and kill those who rejected Him. So turn back. It's not too late. God still loves you, he still wants you, turn back to Him.

But finally, let me speak to those of you who wouldn't tick any of those boxes.

You can't answer that question, or perhaps you don't want to. You wouldn't say that Jesus is a liar or a lunatic, that doesn't seem right. But nor are you willing, yet, to say that he is the Lord, because you know that if you do you will have to start living with him as your Lord.

My dear friends, if that is you, do you see what danger you are in? You're like the chief priest and the teachers of the law in vv 1-8. Unwilling to say one thing…and unwilling to say the other, so all you say, week after week, is 'I don't know'.

You are sitting on the fence. But, on the fence is a dangerous place to sit. Because the truth is, that you or I are either giving God what is rightfully his, our thanks, our praise, our worship and our love. Or we're not. And right now, if you're on the fence, you're not. And that makes you God's enemy every bit as much as the people who call Jesus a liar or a lunatic.

Don't fool yourself, don't kid yourself. You are God's enemy, until you are God's joyful and willing servant. If you refuse to decide, then you have decided already. And one day the owner of the vineyard will come back. He came once before, at Christmas time, and he will come again.

You need to decide. Jesus Christ is either a liar, a lunatic or the Lord. Your Lord. Don't sit on the fence any longer. Because on the fence is a dangerous place to sit.

Let's pray.