Luke 20:9–19
The rejected Son becomes the exalted cornerstone, and those who reject Him face judgment.
9 He began to tell the people this parable. “A man planted a vineyard, and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time.
10 At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty.
11 He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12 He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him, and threw him out.
13 The lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.’
14 “But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’
15 They threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them?
16 He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.” When they heard that, they said, “May that never be!”
17 But he looked at them and said, “Then what is this that is written, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the chief cornerstone?’
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust.”
19 The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people—for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.
The rejected Son becomes the exalted cornerstone, and those who reject Him face judgment.
To expose Israel’s rejection of God’s messengers and predict the murder and exaltation of the Son.
Following the authority confrontation (20:1–8), this parable directly indicts the religious leadership and escalates the tension leading toward the passion narrative.
The Rejected Son, the Questioned Authority, and the Lord Who Silences His Opponents
Jesus stands in the temple as God’s authoritative Son and David’s Lord, exposing corrupt leadership, defending resurrection hope, and warning that rejection of him brings crushing judgment.