What Jesus Did! 'Which Reaction Will Be Mine?' — Luke 20:17-19

Friday, November 17, 2023

Jesus looked at [the people who had heard his story about the tenant farmers who killed the landowner's son, hoping to get the vineyard for themselves,] and said, "Then what does this Scripture mean?
'The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.'

"Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on."

The teachers of religious law and the leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus immediately because they realized he was telling the story against them — they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the people's reaction.

— Luke 20:17-19 NLT

Key Thought

There are at least three ways to respond when Jesus speaks the truth about your sin:
  1. You can pretend it doesn't apply to you and ignore it.
  2. You can do what the religious leaders did here: You can become enraged at the truth and try to get rid of the truth-teller.
  3. You can be convicted in your heart and change your life.

While the events in which we face these three choices are not as significant as what was happening with Jesus in Jerusalem, we do face these choices. So what are we going to do with the truth about our sin? My prayer is that we will all be convicted and change our lives, and I invite you to join in Today's Prayer toward those goals.

Today's Prayer

Father, when I hear the truth, please convict my heart and help me change my life. I don't want to ignore or rationalize my sin away. I don't want to let Satan harden my heart to the truth. Help me be convicted of my sin and commit to living your truth no matter the personal cost to me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

Have thoughts on this devotional? Leave a comment

1 Related Resource by Heartlight

'The Last Straw'
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Disciple, After My triumphal entry, Jerusalem was a tangle of tension and evil plotting. Look at a few excerpts from Luke's descriptions of the...."

Illustration

Illustration of Luke 20:17-19 NLT — "Then what does this Scripture mean? 'The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.' "

Other Devotionals from Heartlight for Friday, November 17, 2023

Daily Wisdom
A daily devotional featuring wise counsel found in Scripture.
Proverbs 12:22
"The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful."
Praying with Paul
Features the apostle Paul's writings turned into daily, powerful prayers.
'Holy and Blameless' (Ep. 1:3-4)
"Dear Father, King of an eternal kingdom, Thank you for giving me the greatest motivation in life. You have called me into your kingdom, the greatest...."
Today's Verse
A daily devotional featuring a Bible verse, thought and prayer.
Psalm 63:1
"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water."
Unstoppable!
A one-year devotional guide through the book of Acts.
'God Works Through His Servants' (Acts 21:18-19)
"The next day [after arriving in Jerusalem,] Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present. After..."

About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

More What Jesus Did!