Essentials of Salvation

Questioning Jesus Authority

Introduction

​The questioning of Jesus’ authority in the Gospel According to Luke is a great example of the use of an Old Testament quotation by Jesus to defend not only His authority, but also His deity. In the selected periscope of Luke 20:1-26, Luke recounts the attack by the scribes and elders on the authority of Jesus’ teachings. Jesus rebuffs them by asking a question to them which they had no clear way to answer. Additionally, Jesus recounts the parable of the wicked vine-dressers and side-steps another accusation when the scribes ask if it is lawful to give tribute to Caesar. This paper seeks to use the methodology outlined by Beale in his work entitled Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament, Exegesis and Interpretation. Beale identifies nine questions which complete the outline for this paper.

A general outline of Beale’s methodology is given to identify the key focus areas for the outline. The paper will identify the Old Testament (OT) reference. Next an analysis of the broader context of the New Testament (NT) passage will be examined. Then an analysis of the OT passage quoted by Jesus will be examined for its original intended purpose by the Psalm writer. A survey of the use of Psalm 118 will be examined. Continuing on, various textual variants will be considered such as the LXX for Psalms and the Textus Receptus for Luke. An analysis of how Jesus used this quotation will be examined, including how Luke quoted Jesus. And lastly, an examination of how Jesus interpreted the OT quotation of Psalm 118 will be detailed. This completes Beale’s recommended methodology and concluding thoughts will be given. The purpose of the paper is to highlight how Jesus used the Old Testament as his defense.

Paul took up a similar method when he stated, “And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God”

Identifying the OT Reference

The quotation Jesus used comes from Psalm 118:22. Jesus appears to be taking a direct quote from the Septuagint (LXX). The direct translation from the Greek is “Stone rejected by the builders this anointed (head) of the corner.” The King James Version has almost identical wording when Luke records Jesus’ words as, “The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?” It is also interesting to note that Jesus alludes to another passage in the Old Testament, when he says that whoever falls on the stone will be saved but whoever the stone falls on will be ground to powder.

It should be noted the LXX was available at this time to both Jesus and Luke. Additionally, grinding idolatry to powder appears to be a common theme in the OT. Consider the following scriptures. In Deuteronomy 9:21 Moses had the golden calf, a symbol of idolatry, ground to powder. In 2 Kings 18:4 the brass snake was ground to powder as well, because it have become an idol and the people were offering sacrifices to it. Although there is no direct repetition used by Jesus, it is thematically cohesive. It agrees with the overall theme of identifying Jesus as Lord. The historic plausibility and prior interpretation of Luke 20:18b as relating to the end state of idolaters is scarce, however it does satisfy the general context of Luke’s gospel. In Luke’s narrative, Jesus is saying He is the Lord and Messiah, and that those who are wicked, such as the wicked vine-dressers seen in the parable, are equivalent to idolaters who need to be ground to powder as their just reward. Guzik notes, “Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder: Anyone who comes to Jesus will be broken of their pride and self-will, but those who refuse to come will be crushed by Christ in judgment.”This aligns well with the corpus of Luke’s testimony. The allusion reinforces in the mind of the Jew the need for accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Analyze the Broad NT Context

Luke 20 opens with Jesus preaching in the temple. There, he was interrupted by the Jewish religious elite, questioning his authority. Jesus side-steps their accusations by asking them a similar question with John the Baptist as the referent. Unable to answer, they give none, and Jesus gives them no answer to their question in return. Luke wrote the gospel, according to him, to provide an accurate account of the ministry of Jesus. Luke emphasizes on the telling of parables more-so than any other gospel. It should also be noted that Luke intended Luke and Acts to be read congruently. When put together, the entire message focuses on the ministry of Jesus and the actions of his disciples after his resurrection.

Continuing in Luke, Jesus then returns his attention to those gathered in the temple to hear him. He tells a parable of a servant who was hired to tend the vineyard. The servant was evil, and pride had taken him. He rejected all who were sent to him to collect of the vine, i.e. they rejected the gathering of the fruit. This illustrates how Jesus expects us to produce fruit for Him. If we deny him, we are worshiping something else, or ourselves, both of which distill down to idolatry.

Luke records Jesus’ parables here to emphasize the authority and deity of Christ. Guzik, notes “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone: Jesus instructs them from the ‘Hosanna Psalm’ (Psalm 118:22-28), because the Messiah has been officially presented to Israel at the Triumphal Entry.” After Jesus officially reveals himself as Messiah, he defends himself from his accusers by quoting the Scriptures, much as he did when defending himself from the Accuser of the Brethren, Satan.

Lastly, the scribes attempt once again to question Jesus’ authority. They ask him if it is lawful to pay taxes to the government.

Analyze the OT context

The Old Testament context for this verse is found in this overtly Messianic Psalm. It is evident that the psalmist had a prophetic view of Jesus Christ. The entirety of the Psalms portrays the history of the Jews. Anderson notes, “Just as the hymnbooks of church or synagogue unite the voices of many generations, so the Psalter (Psalms) is a condensed account of the whole drama of Israel’s history with God…” Although they did not know his name, they knew God was going to send a redeemer. Psalm 118 is set in the context of the triumphal entry of the Messiah. The cornerstone has been used throughout the Old Testament to refer to the coming Messiah, as our rock, the one on whom humanity can depend on for salvation. Walton notes “The cornerstone or, better, the foundation brick is always significant in temple building and restoration.” The cornerstone was the key to the foundation. The cornerstone is the key to God’s plan for building His kingdom. Keener notes, “Jesus here uses a standard Jewish practice of expounding one text (cf. Lk 20:17) by citing others sharing the same key word or concept, in this case, the divine stone.”

Upon the cornerstone the rest of the foundation was laid. They used the cornerstone to align all the other stones true for a firm foundation. According to Eerdmans’s, the definition of a cornerstone is given as “An architectural term used in the NT as a metaphor for Christ.”Throughout the Scriptures, a stone has been used to represent the power and authority of God. Walton continues saying, “Israelite Iron Age architectural design made increasing use of cut-stone masonry over the rough boulders and rubble construction of earlier periods. In order to provide stability and to bind two adjoining walls together, a finely shaped block of stone was inserted that became the cornerstone.” This aligns nicely with the overall motif of Psalm 118. They have rejected the Cornerstone, but the Cornerstone will become their anointed one, the Messiah. The Hebrew word used for the word head means top. The LXX Greek word for head is κεφαλή, head, ruler or lord according to Strong.

The 118th Psalm forms the last psalm in what is known to Judaism as Hallel. The Hallel consists of Psalm 113-118 and was recited at major holy days including Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot. The 117th Psalm is often considered a prelude to Psalm 118. This Psalm encourages the people of Israel to lean upon God for their strength and salvation. The opening verses seem to invite not only Israelites, but all who fear God to praise Him.

Survey the Use in Late Judaism

​The Talmud teaches that every verse in the 118th Psalm is repeated twice. This Psalm is the culmination of the history of Israel and ends with this Psalm and the ushering in of the messianic age. The Psalm was also recited at almost every Jewish festival as noted earlier. Additionally, the Epistle of Barnabas quotes from the same Psalm Jesus quotes from. The passage reads:

‘Woe to you, because you will all grow old like a garment, and a moth will devour you!’And again the prophet says, since he was set in place like a mighty stone that crushes, ‘Behold, I will set into the foundations of Zion a precious stone, especially chosen, a cornerstone, highly valued.’ Then what does he say? ‘And whoever sets his hope on him will live forever.’ Does our hope, then, rest on a rock? By no means! But he says this because the Lord has established his flesh in strength. For he says: ‘And he established me like a solid rock.’ And again the prophet says: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.’ And again he says: ‘This is the great and wonderful day that the Lord has made.’”(Barnabas 6:2–4 AF-E)

Other than the Talmud, Midrash, and Epistle of Barnabas, nothing else is identified for sources in antiquity.

Comparison of texts

​A comparison of the book of Luke in several translations will help to identify points of interest. Lanier notes:
Two significant observations bear on the authenticity of the Psalm 118. First, numerous scholars have recognized that the narrative flow from the body of the parable to the stone quotation hinges to a large degree on the ‘son’/’stone’ wordplay, which, though obviously lost in the Greek (υιος and λιθος), would have been glaringly obvious in the Aramaic.

The translation of the KJV for Luke 20:17-18 is near identical to the translation of the Latin Vulgate.

The text of the Psalms where the quotation in Luke was found offers:

These, like the Luke passage, are strikingly similar. It is most likely that no alteration has been found for Psalm 118:22.

To grind to powder has some disagreement among scholars. Jesus’ use of this phrase signifies the authority of God, and Jesus’ identity as the messiah. Deissmann offers, “If λικμάω = grind to powder be possible at all, then it is only a matter of contingency that the word has not; yet been found with that meaning outside the Bible. There is, however, a Papyrus which appears to the author to supply the want.” The passage from Luke is properly translated in most English versions of the Bible which could readily be compared. “Grind to powder” is most likely original to the text, and is not debated except for a small minority such as Deissmann.

Analysis of Jesus’ textual use of Psalm 118

​Jesus used this verse to defend his triumphal entry. There are no major changes in the use of the LXX or the Masoretic Hebrew text. The quotation is essentially verbatim. The addition of the “grinding to powder” phrase is an allusion to other OT verses as noted earlier. Jesus is using the Psalm to identify himself with the Messiah. Parsons keys in on the word truly as used in Luke 20:21 to indicate that what follows can be regarded as “… confirming the truthfulness (theological or historical) of the statement which follows.”

Analysis of Jesus’ interpretation of Psalm 118

The parable of the wicked vine-dresser condemned Israel’s killing of the prophets. “It also portrays allegorically the history of Israel and its leaders who had continually rejected the messengers of God.” Using the force of the messianic Psalm, Jesus asserts his authority as the stone which will make all subject to him. The parables are all told in this periscope to highlight Jesus’ kingship. All three major sections, the challenge of his teaching, the parable of the wicked vine-dresser, and the challenge of political allegiance, build upon each other and culminate in verse 26 where the scribes and priests wanted to seize him, but could not for fear of the crowd. Interestingly, chapter 20 ends with a warning about the scribes, and their false religion.

Analysis of Luke’s theological use of the parables

​Luke’s intent on using parables is evident in that he is the most prolific recorder of the parables Jesus told. His aim, as stated earlier, is to record an accurate account of the life and ministry of Jesus, Additionally, he builds his gospel in a way that leads to the triumphal entry of Jesus into his messianic role. Berkhof notes, “Triumphantly He enters Jerusalem, where He cleanses the temple, answers the questions of the Chief Priests, the Scribes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and instructs his followers regarding his future coming,” Using the 118th Psalm was a perfect capstone for answering the scribes after Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

Analysis of the Rhetorical use of Psalm 118

​Luke includes the parables Jesus spoke in order to emphasize the messiahship of Jesus. By building his narrative, he displays a careful attention to detail. Luke builds up to Jesus’ triumphal entry, and then retells the parable Jesus told in which Jesus quotes from a Psalm designed to reflect upon the triumphal entry of the messiah as Lord and King into Jerusalem. The telling of the parable of the evil vine tender is a type and shadow of the condition of the scribes and priests who stood against Jesus as he was teaching.

Conclusion

​Although Luke is only half way through his writing of the Luke-Acts narrative, he builds his story carefully, highlighting the rightful claim of Jesus as Lord and God. The periscope in Luke 20 was bolstered in its authority by Jesus, God manifest in the flesh, quoting from the LXX version of Psalms 118. This Psalm highlights the triumphal entry into Jerusalem by the messiah to come, and parallel’s Jesus’ own triumphal entry just prior to this scene of Jesus teaching of the multitudes.

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