How does Luke 20:18 connect with Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah? The Setting in Luke 20 • In the temple courts, Jesus has just told the parable of the wicked tenants (Luke 20:9-16). • Quoting Psalm 118:22, He says, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone” (v. 17). • He then adds Luke 20:18 to warn of two distinct outcomes for those who reject Him. Luke 20:18 “Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” Old Testament Stone Imagery: Shared Themes • God provides a chosen Stone. • Some stumble over it in unbelief; others are judged by it. • The Stone ultimately triumphs and establishes God’s eternal kingdom. Psalm 118:22-23—The Rejected Stone Made Cornerstone “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the LORD, and it is marvelous in our eyes.’” • Predicts Messiah’s rejection by Israel’s leaders (“builders”). • Declares His vindication as the chief cornerstone—the essential, load-bearing stone of God’s saving plan. • Jesus applies this verse to Himself in Luke 20:17, setting up v. 18. Isaiah 8:13-15—A Stone of Stumbling and Offense “‘…He will be a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense… Many will stumble; they will fall and be broken…’” • The Lord Himself is called a “stone.” • Unbelieving Israel trips over the Stone and is “broken,” matching the first half of Luke 20:18: “Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces.” Isaiah 28:16—The Tested Cornerstone “‘See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.’” • Confirms that faith in the Stone brings security. • By contrast, rejecting the Stone leads to the shaking and destruction pictured in Luke 20:18. Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45—The Stone That Crushes Kingdoms “‘A stone… struck the statue… and crushed them… The stone… became a great mountain and filled the whole earth…’” “In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed… It will crush all these kingdoms…’” • The Stone, cut without human hands, demolishes the world’s empires and grows into a universal kingdom. • This anticipates the second half of Luke 20:18: “but he on whom it falls will be crushed.” • Jesus identifies Himself as that Kingdom-bringing Stone whose final judgment is inescapable. How Jesus Fuses the Prophecies in Luke 20:18 1. Psalm 118 supplies the cornerstone motif and the builders’ rejection. 2. Isaiah 8 explains the “falling” and being “broken” through unbelief. 3. Daniel 2 supplies the imagery of the Stone falling on others and “crushing” them in final judgment. 4. By combining these passages, Jesus presents a full Messianic portrait: • He is the God-appointed Cornerstone. • Rejection brings immediate spiritual ruin (broken pieces). • Ultimate, irreversible judgment (crushing) awaits at His second coming. Key Takeaways • Scripture presents a unified, literal prophecy: one Stone, two outcomes. • Mercy is offered now—believe in the Cornerstone and be secure (Isaiah 28:16; Romans 10:11). • Persistent rejection ensures eventual crushing when the Stone returns in power (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). Jesus’ words in Luke 20:18 are therefore a deliberate, authoritative synthesis of multiple Old Testament prophecies, all fulfilled—and to be consummated—in Him. |
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