Sermon Quotes: "The Most Important Week In History"

“Every schoolboy is supposed to know Julius Caesar’s famous words before he crossed the River Rubicon, ‘The die is cast.’ It means that a point of no return has been reached. This was true now for Jesus. There was no turning back. Now his last days had arrived; the climactic activity of his life was about to begin.” -Sinclair Ferguson
 
“At this time it is apparent only Jesus knew the messianic significance of his action." William Lane
 
“What happens the next morning will not be a spontaneous act of outrage but a planned demonstration. Planned for prime time and maximum exposure, it was a ‘demonstration’ calculated to interrupt business as usual and bring the nearness of God’s reign abruptly, forcefully, to the attention of all.” -R.T. France
 
“The purpose of parables is here reversed. Wheras prior to this they concealed truth from those with hard hearts (4:11-12), this one reveals the truth and so provokes the climax of the story. The messianic secret is being unveiled and with it, a rising tide of opposition.” -Mark Strauss
 
“These men recognize the parable speaks to them, and so, perhaps ironically, they are all the more eager to kill him.” -Peter Bolt
 
“What farmer in his right mind would surrender his son to such tenants? It is a question worth asking, for it suggests the indefatigable love of God.” -James Edwards
 
“This story is much more than a parable; it is really a prophetic autobiography. The storyteller is telling the story of himself. Jesus knew that in sending the Son, the Father was sending him to die. Jesus knew exactly what would happen to him at the hands of evil men. Having persecuted the prophets, they would slaughter the Beloved Son. It was a brutal, horrible crime. It was the worst thing that anyone has ever done: the murder of God’s infinitely perfect Son. Nevertheless, this was all part of God’s plan.” -Phil Ryken