Rev. Cyril A. Stevens – Sermon 0131A recorded on January 27, 1980 teaching from Luke 20:1-19 – 3 Parts – Authority, A Vast Illustration, and a Beautiful Finale.
Pastor Cyril A. Stevens explores the meaning of Luke 20:1-19, focusing on Jesus’ confrontation with religious leaders. Stevens unfolds the passage in three distinct movements. First, Pastor Stevens examines the debate over Jesus’ authority, highlighting the religious leaders’ attempts to discredit Him by questioning the source of His power. Second, Stevens delves into the parable of the vineyard, where Jesus uses an allegorical story about a landowner and his tenants to expose the hypocrisy and defiance of the religious leaders. The parable highlights their rejection of God’s prophets and ultimately their rejection of Jesus, the Son of God. Finally, Pastor Stevens uses the parable to connect Jesus to Psalm 118:22, showing how this passage is a prophecy of Jesus’ rejection and ultimate triumph as the “cornerstone” of God’s kingdom. Pastor Stevens encourages listeners to recognize their own potential blindness to God’s will and to accept Jesus Christ as the “solid rock” upon which they should build their lives.