January 19, 2014
Scripture:
Scripture:
Hymn 92 – Have you any room for Jesus?
Prayer
It is time for another parable. It’s another vineyard story; It always amazes me how many vineyard parables there are!
Luke 13:6-10
A parable is a story with a meaning. In today’s parable there was a fig tree that wouldn’t produce figs. The owner had watched it for three years, and then decided to cut it down since it wasn’t producing, just using ground where they could plant a new tree. His servant thought that they should give it more time: fertilize it and the tree would produce fruit again. What does this parable mean?
After King Solomon’s death, the nation of Israel divided in two: Israel (10 tribes) and Judah (2 tribes). Israel was taken away captive and we are not sure where they are today. Judah was taken captive by Babylon, but after a time they were allowed to go back home. The vineyard in our parable is a picture of the people of Judah, who were allowed to come back to Israel, but didn’t. The fig tree is a picture of those who did return. These are also the people that Jesus was telling the parable to. He had been ministering to them for three years and they have not borne any fruit. They ended up killing Him; but on the cross, Jesus asked God to forgive them. Basically, He was giving them a second chance. I believe this parable is trying to teach God is a God of second chances.
We aren’t told if the tree was ever cut down. In Romans, we are told that the blessing was taken from the Jewish people and given to all those who trust the Lord. Today, God is looking for fruit from believers.
Before we read our passage today, let’s remember that there is no extra material in the Bible. All this history was written in the Old Testament because God wanted it that way. It’s all necessary. In this chapter we get the final offer made to the Jews to officially repent and accept Christ. They rejected the offer. After this the gospel goes out beyond the Jews to the Samaritans and Gentiles.
Something that we’ll see in Stephen’s recount of history is rejections: the Patriarchs reject Joseph and the Israelites reject Moses. They rejected the prophets, and finally they will reject Stephen and the Holy Ghost. They send the same message through Stephen to Christ that the people in Luke 19:11-14 sent to their nobleman: we will not have this man to reign over us.
Acts 7
The whole council was present, and Stephen had just been falsely accused. The High Priest asked, “Are these things so?” In his reply, Stephen brings the glory of God to their attention. He calls God the “God of glory” instead of the “God of Abraham”. He then starts in Genesis: Abraham was called by God, but didn’t fully obey that call until his father died. We get the story of Isaac’s arrival, and then move on to Jacob and the patriarchs. The patriarchs give us our first rejection: the rejection of Joseph. This rejection caused Israel to move to Egypt, which opened the way for Moses.
God raised Moses up, but at first he was challenged and rejected by his brethren, so he spent forty years tending sheep before returning as their ruler and deliverer. In the wilderness Moses got a second rejection; this time rejected as the ruler and lawgiver to God’s people (verse 39). Israel then turned to other gods: the golden calf, Moloch, and Remphan (not all of which is in the Old Testament). Finally they got into the promised land and Solomon built a temple to the Lord.
After this history, Stephen comes on strong in verse 51. These men resisted the Holy Ghost like their fathers did. They had slain the prophets. They had refused Jesus. They had rejected Christ’s word and works while He was living, and now they rejected His witness Stephen.
This rebuke cut these men to the heart. They didn’t repent, they gnashed on Stephen with their teeth. A sad response. Stephen, though, was full of the Holy Ghost, and looked up steadfastly into heaven. The history of his nation was earthly, but now, with Pentecost and the death, resurrection, ascension, and throning of Jesus, things were changing to be heavenly. The Holy Spirit could now indwell men. Stephen started with the God of glory, and ended by seeing the glory of God. May we set our minds on things above as he did!
Stephen didn’t see Jesus seated at the Father’s right hand: Jesus was standing. When he told the Jews what he saw, they could take it no longer. They stopped their ears, yelled, and ran on him with one accord. Earlier it was the believers who were of one accord, but now these enemies are also in union.
The Jews threw Stephen out of the city, laid their clothes at Saul’s feet, and started to stone him. Stephen called on God, but not for his own safety. Like our Lord, he commended his spirit to God, and with a loud voice asked that this sin would not be laid to their charge. Then he fell asleep. 1 Thessalonians 4:14.
The Lord had prayed, “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do,” but Stephen prayed, “Lay not this sin to their charge.” These men knew what they were doing, as verse 52 makes clear.
As we said, the Lord was standing in heaven: He had not yet sat down on His throne. This was Israel’s last opportunity to repent and have the kingdom set up. If they had repented, Christ would have returned and started His rule. They reject Him once more, and as Hebrews 1:3 and 10:12 tell us, He sat down. Any of these men could have been saved after this—like Saul was—but the kingdom wasn’t going to come. They are still waiting for it.
Hymn 136—When the harvest is past and the summer is gone
Prayer