Luke 20:17
But Jesus looked directly at them and said, "Then what is the meaning of that which is written: 'The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?
But Jesus looked directly at them
This phrase emphasizes the intentional and penetrating gaze of Jesus. The Greek word for "looked directly" is "emblepo," which conveys a deep, discerning look. Jesus is not merely glancing; He is engaging with the hearts and minds of His listeners. This direct look signifies His authority and the seriousness of His forthcoming message. In a historical context, this moment is charged with tension, as Jesus is addressing the religious leaders who are questioning His authority. His gaze is both a challenge and an invitation to understand the truth He is about to reveal.

and said
The act of speaking here is significant. Jesus, the Word made flesh, uses His words to convey divine truth. The Greek word "lego" is used, which means to speak or to say. This is not just casual conversation; it is a declaration of profound truth. In the scriptural context, Jesus often uses parables and direct statements to reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom of God. His words are life-giving and authoritative, demanding a response from His audience.

Then what is the meaning of that which is written
Jesus refers to the Scriptures, highlighting their divine authority and eternal relevance. The phrase "that which is written" underscores the importance of the written Word of God. In the Jewish tradition, the Scriptures were revered as the ultimate source of truth and guidance. By asking about the meaning, Jesus is inviting His listeners to delve deeper into the Scriptures, to seek understanding beyond the surface. This question challenges the religious leaders to reconsider their interpretation and understanding of the prophetic writings.

‘The stone the builders rejected
This phrase is a direct quotation from Psalm 118:22, a messianic psalm. The "stone" symbolizes Jesus Himself, and the "builders" represent the religious leaders of Israel who failed to recognize Him as the Messiah. The Greek word for "rejected" is "apodokimazo," meaning to reject after testing. Historically, builders would discard stones that did not fit their plans, yet this rejected stone is chosen by God for a pivotal role. This rejection is prophetic of Jesus' crucifixion, where He was rejected by His own people.

has become the cornerstone
The cornerstone is the most crucial stone in a building, providing stability and alignment. The Greek word "kephale gonias" refers to the chief cornerstone, essential for the structure's integrity. In the context of Jesus' ministry, this signifies His foundational role in the new covenant and the Church. Despite being rejected, Jesus is exalted by God, becoming the foundation of salvation for all who believe. This transformation from rejection to exaltation is central to the Christian faith, illustrating God's redemptive power and sovereignty.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus
The central figure in this passage, Jesus is addressing the religious leaders who are questioning His authority. He uses a parable to convey a deeper spiritual truth.

2. Religious Leaders
These include the chief priests, scribes, and elders who are challenging Jesus. They represent the builders who have rejected the stone.

3. The Stone
Symbolically represents Jesus Himself, who is rejected by the religious leaders but becomes the cornerstone of God's redemptive plan.

4. The Cornerstone
A critical element in construction, symbolizing the foundation of the Church and the Kingdom of God, with Jesus as the essential and foundational element.

5. Psalm 118:22
The Old Testament scripture Jesus quotes, which is a messianic prophecy about the rejection and ultimate exaltation of the Messiah.
Teaching Points
The Rejection of Jesus
Recognize that Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders of His time, yet this rejection was part of God's sovereign plan for salvation.

Jesus as the Cornerstone
Understand that Jesus is the foundation of our faith and the Church. Our lives should be built upon Him, aligning with His teachings and example.

Prophetic Fulfillment
Appreciate the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies in the New Testament, affirming the reliability and divine inspiration of Scripture.

Personal Reflection
Consider areas in your life where you might be rejecting Jesus' authority or teachings, and seek to align more closely with His will.

Community and Unity
As believers, we are called to be part of the spiritual house built on Jesus. This calls for unity and cooperation within the body of Christ.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding Jesus as the cornerstone impact your personal faith and daily life?

2. In what ways can you ensure that Jesus remains the foundation of your decisions and actions?

3. How does the rejection of Jesus by the religious leaders serve as a warning for us today in our spiritual walk?

4. What are some practical steps you can take to build unity within your local church community, recognizing Jesus as the cornerstone?

5. How can the fulfillment of prophecy in Jesus' life strengthen your confidence in the truth and reliability of the Bible?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 118:22
This is the direct Old Testament reference Jesus uses, highlighting the prophetic nature of His rejection and exaltation.

Acts 4:11
Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, reiterates this truth, emphasizing Jesus as the cornerstone rejected by the builders, which is now the foundation of salvation.

1 Peter 2:6-7
Peter again references this cornerstone imagery, encouraging believers to come to Jesus, the living stone, and be built into a spiritual house.

Ephesians 2:20
Paul speaks of the Church being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
The Rejection and Exaltation of ChristW. Clarkson Luke 20:17
Christ's Collision with the SanhedrinR.M. Edgar Luke 20:1-19
Abused MercyJohn Trapp.Luke 20:9-19
Fruitfulness the Test of ValueSword and Trowel.Luke 20:9-19
God's Manifold MercyC. H. Spurgeon.Luke 20:9-19
LessonsJ. Foote, M. A.Luke 20:9-19
Parable of the Vineyard Let to HusbandmenJ. Thomson, D. D.Luke 20:9-19
The Herodians and Pharisees Combined Against JesusJ. Thomson, D. D.Luke 20:9-19
The Madness of Opposing ChristC. S. Robinson, D. D.Luke 20:9-19
The Rejected SonD. O. Mears.Luke 20:9-19
The Son RejectedCharles M. Southgate.Luke 20:9-19
The Wreck of InfidelityLuke 20:9-19
People
David, Isaac, Jacob, Jesus, John
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Beheld, Builded, Builders, Building, Capstone, Chief, Corner, Cornerstone, Corner-stone, Mean, Meaning, Rejected, Stone, Writings, Written
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Luke 20:17

     1670   symbols
     2069   Christ, pre-eminence
     2203   Christ, titles of
     2366   Christ, prophecies concerning
     5175   reading
     5207   architecture
     5240   building
     5403   masons
     5433   occupations
     6231   rejection of God
     7024   church, nature of

Luke 20:3-26

     7552   Pharisees, attitudes to Christ

Luke 20:9-18

     2309   Christ, as judge
     6223   rebellion, of Israel

Luke 20:9-19

     7135   Israel, people of God

Luke 20:17-18

     1240   God, the Rock
     4366   stones
     5269   cornerstone

Library
Whose Image and Superscription?
'Whose image and superscription hath it?'--Luke xx. 24. It is no unusual thing for antagonists to join forces in order to crush a third person obnoxious to both. So in this incident we have an unnatural alliance of the two parties in Jewish politics who were at daggers drawn. The representatives of the narrow conservative Judaism, which loathed a foreign yoke, in the person of the Pharisees and Scribes, and the Herodians, the partisans of a foreigner and a usurper, lay their heads together to propose
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

Tenants who Wanted to be Owners
'Then began He to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time. 10. And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty. 11. And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. 12. And again he sent a third: and they wounded him
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The God of the Living.
He is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.--ST LUKE xx. 38. It is a recurring cause of perplexity in our Lord's teaching, that he is too simple for us; that while we are questioning with ourselves about the design of Solomon's earring upon some gold-plated door of the temple, he is speaking about the foundations of Mount Zion, yea, of the earth itself, upon which it stands. If the reader of the Gospel supposes that our Lord was here using a verbal argument with the Sadducees,
George MacDonald—Unspoken Sermons

The Resurrection of the Sleeping Saints.
"And the dead in Christ shall rise first." This is the second blessed event which shall occur at the Redeemer's return--the sleeping saints will be awakened and raised. This brings us to a branch of our subject upon which there is much ignorance and confusion in Christendom generally. The idea which popularly obtains is that of a general resurrection at the end of time. So deeply rooted is this belief and so widely is it held that to declare there will be two resurrections--one of saints and another
Arthur W. Pink—The Redeemer's Return

The Morality of the Gospel.
Is stating the morality of the Gospel as an argument of its truth, I am willing to admit two points; first, that the teaching of morality was not the primary design of the mission; secondly, that morality, neither in the Gospel, nor in any other book, can be a subject, properly speaking, of discovery. If I were to describe in a very few words the scope of Christianity as a revelation, [49] I should say that it was to influence the conduct of human life, by establishing the proof of a future state
William Paley—Evidences of Christianity

In Reply to the Questions as to his Authority, Jesus Gives the Third Great Group of Parables.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) Subdivision A. Introduction ^A Matt. XXI. 23-27; ^B Mark XI. 27-33; ^C Luke XX. 1-8. ^c 1 And it came to pass, on one of the days, ^b they [Jesus and the disciples] come again to Jerusalem: ^a 23 And when he was come into the temple, ^b and as he was walking in the temple [The large outer court of the temple, known as the court of the Gentiles, was thronged during the feasts, and was no doubt the part selected by Jesus and his apostles when
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

In Reply to the Questions as to his Authority, Jesus Gives the Third Great Group of Parables.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) Subdivision C. Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen. ^A Matt. XXI. 33-46; ^B Mark XII. 1-12; ^C Luke XX. 9-19. ^b 1 And he began to speak unto them ^c the people [not the rulers] ^b in parables. { ^c this parable:} ^a 33 Hear another parable: There was a man that was a householder [this party represents God], who planted a vineyard [this represents the Hebrew nationality], and set a hedge about it, and digged a ^b pit for the ^a winepress in it
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Cix. Jewish Rulers Seek to Ensnare Jesus.
(Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) Subdivision A. Pharisees and Herodians Ask About Tribute. ^A Matt. XXII. 15-22; ^B Mark XII. 13-17; ^C Luke XX. 20-26. ^a 15 Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might ensnare him in his talk. ^c 20 And they watched him, and sent forth { ^b send unto him} ^a their disciples, ^b certain of the Pharisees and of { ^a with} ^b the Herodians, that they might catch him in talk. [Perceiving that Jesus, when on his guard, was too wise for them,
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Third Day in Passion-Week - the Events of that Day - the Question of Christ's Authority - the Question of Tribute to Cæsar - The
THE record of this third day is so crowded, the actors introduced on the scene are so many, the occurrences so varied, and the transitions so rapid, that it is even more than usually difficult to arrange all in chronological order. Nor need we wonder at this, when we remember that this was, so to speak, Christ's last working-day - the last, of His public Mission to Israel, so far as its active part was concerned; the last day in the Temple; the last, of teaching and warning to Pharisees and Sadducees;
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

The Third Day in Passion-Week - the Last Controversies and Discourses - the Sadducees and the Resurrection - the Scribe and the Great Commandment - Question
THE last day in the Temple was not to pass without other temptations' than that of the Priests when they questioned His authority, or of the Pharisees when they cunningly sought to entangle Him in His speech. Indeed, Christ had on this occasion taken a different position; He had claimed supreme authority, and thus challenged the leaders of Israel. For this reason, and because at the last we expect assaults from all His enemies, we are prepared for the controversies of that day. We remember that,
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Fac-Similes
OF ANCIENT NEW TESTAMENT MANUSCRIPTS, TO ILLUSTRATE CHAPTER XXVI., PAGE 380. Most of the following specimens of ancient manuscripts are taken from Scrivener's Introduction to the Criticism of the New Testament. No. (1) is from Tischendorf s Novum Testamentum Graece ex Sinaitico Codice; Nos. (2) and (11) from Smith's Dictionary of the Bible; and No. (5) from Horne's Introduction, Vol. IV. No. (1). PLATE I. SINAI CODEX, Century IV. Heb. 12:27-29. Notice the occasional use of very small letters. In
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Third Day in Pasion-Week - the Last Series of Parables: to the Pharisees and to the People - on the Way to Jerusalem: the Parable
(ST. Matt. xix. 30, xx. 16; St. Matt. xxi. 28-32; St. Mark xii. 1-12; St. Luke xx. 9-19; St. Matt. xxii. 1-14.) ALTHOUGH it may not be possible to mark their exact succession, it will be convenient here to group together the last series of Parables. Most, if not all of them, were spoken on that third day in Passion week: the first four to a more general audience; the last three (to be treated in another chapter) to the disciples, when, on the evening of that third day, on the Mount of Olives, [5286]
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah

Wherefore I Cannot Indeed Say, of Females who have Fallen Away from a Better...
14. Wherefore I cannot indeed say, of females who have fallen away from a better purpose, in case they shall have married, that they are adulteries, not marriages; but I plainly would not hesitate to say, that departures and fallings away from a holier chastity, which is vowed unto the Lord, are worse than adulteries. For if, what may no way be doubted, it pertains unto an offense against Christ, when a member of Him keepeth not faith to her husband; how much graver offense is it against Him, when
St. Augustine—On the Good of Widowhood.

Difficulties and Objections
"Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not My way equal? are not your ways unequal?" (Ezek. 18:25). A convenient point has been reached when we may now examine, more definitely, some of the difficulties encountered and the objections which might be advanced against what we have written in previous pages. The author deemed it better to reserve these for a separate consideration rather than deal with them as he went along, requiring as that would have done the
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

Synopsis. --Account to be Made of the Law of Atrophy through Disuse. --The virgin Birth and the Corporeal Resurrection of Jesus
VII SYNOPSIS.--Account to be made of the law of atrophy through disuse.--The virgin birth and the corporeal resurrection of Jesus, the two miracles now insisted on as the irreducible minimum, affected by this law.--The vital truths of the incarnation and immortality independent of these miracles.--These truths now placed on higher ground in a truer conception of the supernatural.--The true supernatural is the spiritual, not the miraculous.--Scepticism bred from the contrary view.--The miracle narratives,
James Morris Whiton—Miracles and Supernatural Religion

Of the Practice of Piety in Holy Feasting.
Holy feasting is a solemn thanksgiving, appointed by authority, to be rendered to God on some special day, for some extraordinary blessings or deliverances received. Such among the Jews was the feast of the Passover (Exod. xii. 15), to remember to praise God for their deliverance out of Egypt's bondage; or the feast of Purim (Esth. ix. 19, 21), to give thanks for their deliverance from Haman's conspiracy. Such amongst us is the fifth of November, to praise God for the deliverance of the king and
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

Jesus Attends the First Passover of his Ministry.
(Jerusalem, April 9, a.d. 27.) Subdivision A. Jesus Cleanses the Temple. ^D John II. 13-25. ^d 13 And the passover of the Jews was at hand [We get our information as to the length of our Lord's ministry from John's Gospel. He groups his narrative around six Jewish festivals: 1, He here mentions the first passover; 2, another feast, which we take to have been also a passover (v. 1); 3, another passover (vi. 4); 4, the feast of tabernacles (vii. 2); 5, dedication (x. 22); 6, passover (xi. 55). This
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Cix. Jewish Rulers Seek to Ensnare Jesus.
(Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) Subdivision B. Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection. ^A Matt. XXII. 23-33; ^B Mark XII. 18-27; ^C Luke XX. 27-39. ^a 23 On that day there came { ^b come} unto him ^c certain of the the Sadducees, they that { ^b who} say there is no resurrection [As to the Sadducees, see p. 71. We may regard their attitude toward Christ as expressed by their leader Caiaphas, see p. 528]; and they asked him, saying, 19 Teacher, Moses wrote unto us [See Deut. xxv. 5,
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The King on his Throne.
"Crown Him with many crowns, The King upon His Throne." When the time came for our Blessed Lord to return into Heaven again, He ascended in the presence of His Apostles, whilst in the act of blessing them; "and a cloud received Him out of their sight" (Acts i. 9). And, we are told, they "returned to Jerusalem with great joy" (S. Luke xxiv. 52), not sorrowing as before at His being taken from them. And when we consider what His Ascension implied, we can see that they had good reason for their joy.
Edward Burbidge—The Kingdom of Heaven; What is it?

The Barren Fig-Tree;
OR, THE DOOM AND DOWNFALL OF THE FRUITLESS PROFESSOR: SHOWING, THAT THE DAY OF GRACE MAY BE PAST WITH HIM LONG BEFORE HIS LIFE IS ENDED; THE SIGNS ALSO BY WHICH SUCH MISERABLE MORTALS MAY BE KNOWN. BY JOHN BUNYAN 'Who being dead, yet speaketh.'--Hebrews 11:4 London: Printed for J. Robinson, at the Golden Lion, in St. Paul's Churchyard, 1688. This Title has a broad Black Border. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. This solemn, searching, awful treatise, was published by Bunyan in 1682; but does not appear
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

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