Introduction It was the custom of the Jews to inspect the Passover Lamb before it was offered as a sacrifice. The Lamb must be perfect (1 Peter 1:18-19). The religious leaders will continue to embrace their religious traditions rather than embrace God s Messiah. Jesus will ask and answer questions; and in the process a revelation unfolds--jesus is God s Messiah and the hearts of men are desperately wicked. In this chapter Jesus reveals the religious leaders desire to destroy Him in order to preserve their own selfishness (vv.1-12); hypocrisy (vv.13-17); ignorance (vv.18-27); superficiality (vv.28-40). The chapter opens with an illustration--a parable and will continue with a series of confrontations; about paying tribute (vv.13-17); about marriage in the resurrection (vv.18-27); and the greatest command (vv.28-34); and then about the identity of the Son of David (vv.35-37). A parable is an earthly story that illustrates a heavenly truth. Within this parable are many layers of rich truth. The parable is told from the perspective of the Eternal God. We are given a minimovie--of God s dealing with the nation and people of Israel. The Owner of the Vineyard is God. The Vineyard itself is the nation Israel (Read Isaiah 5:1-7) Focus: The Lord s Expectation His Hope...Fruit The Vinedressers: The Religious Leaders In The Past As Well As The Present The Servants or Slaves Are The Prophets That God Has Sent Through The Ages: Remember John the Baptist is the last servant or slave of the Old Testament Prophets The Beloved Son: The Beloved Son is Jesus. He is God s Last Word--God s Final Communication; God s Ultimatum To Sinful Man. The Parable is both historical and predictive. Historical because it relates to how God has dealt with the nation Israel. Predictive because it reveals exactly what will happen to Israel; they will for the most part reject God s Son (v.6); and because of their rejection and cruelty; God is going to reject them by giving their Kingdom to others (v.9). The Owner Of The Vineyard (v.1) Mark 12:1 (NKJV) 1Then He began to speak to them in parables: A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. A man plants a vineyard, builds a wall around it, digs a winepress and constructs a watchtower. In the parable we learn several things about the nature and character of God. We learn that God is generous. He provides everything we need. 1
We learn that God is trusting. The vinedressers are given a stewardship and the freedom to govern that stewardship. In the ancient world a hedge or wall was built around the vineyard to keep out animals, pests, varmints; away from the grapes. The purpose of the wall was to protect and assure growth and fruitfulness. The Lord dug a winepress. This was the trough or vat into which the wine was pressed. The trough was sometimes dug in a rock or built from wood; with an upper and lower vat. This way the juice could trickle down into the lower vat and be gathered into wine-skins. The trough becomes a type and a picture of the equipment that God uses to crush the grapes in order to make the wine. In one sense we might think of it as the equipment God employs to process--the believer. The Lord built a tower. The watchtower was used to guard and protect the vineyard from vandals and thieves. The tower was usually about 15-20 feet high and could be used for shelter, storage, and even protection. A man with a sling from that vantage point could protect himself and the vineyard. The watchtower becomes a type and picture of the assurance and security of God s care to which he provides the cultivators a safe place from which to operate. Everyone listening would have been deeply aware that the vineyard was Israel. They were familiar with the passage in the book of Isaiah. We must not ignore the application for ourselves. God has given us great blessings. Forgiveness of sin; Jesus in our hearts; the Holy Spirit within us and of course The Fruit of the Spirit. In our text we are told the owner went into a far country. In Luke s gospel we are told this certain man went into a far country for a very long time. God entrusted them with the oversight of the people. This should be a warning to all who are entrusted with the stewardship of God s vineyard. I am thinking about the foolish servants who imply that the Lord delays His coming. The Lord gave the vinedressers a great deal of trust, freedom, stewardship, responsibility; and the Lord gives that to us as well. The Wicked Vinedressers (vv.2-8) 2Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. We also learn that God is exacting: He expects payment. In the parable the payment is fruit from the vineyard from the vinedressers. Now it is harvest time. The owner sends a servant to collect payment on the crop. 2
We might think of this as both the expectation of God and the hope of God. The Lord expected fruit. 3And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. We are also given a peek into the patience and kindness of the Lord. He allows his servants to be abused, mistreated. 5And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. Think of the history of Israel. Noah, Abraham, Joseph and Moses. Think of the impassioned plea in Deuteronomy 4:30-37. John MacArthur writes: God had prepared a place of great beauty and blessing and then graciously given stewardship of it to his people Israel. It was a place of promise, hope, deliverance, salvation, and security. But Israel misappropriated all those blessings for herself, robbing God the gratitude, glory, and honor due Him. She persecuted the prophets he patiently and lovingly sent to call her to repentance and forgiveness. Jewish tradition held that Isaiah had been sawed in two with a wooden saw (cf.heb. 11:37). From Scripture we that Jeremiah was thrown into a pit of slime, and tradition held that he was eventually stoned to death. Ezekiel was rejected, Elijah and Amos had to run for their lives, Micah was smashed in the face by those who refused to hear his message (I Kings 22:24) and Zechariah was actually murdered in God s own Temple (2 Chron. 24:20-22; cf. Matt.23:35). Old Testament history bore witness to their murderous hearts, whose wickedness would culminate in killing the Son of God. The patience and love of God must be contrasted with the evil hearts of men. Each representative of God is dealt with in an abusive and murderous fashion. Martin Luther had said, If I were God and the world treated me as it treated Him, I would kick the wretched thing to pieces! Rebuffs, insults, beatings did not stop him. This is not normal. 6Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, They will respect my son. 3
God is generous. He give everything we need (v.1). God is trusting. He gives responsibility and freedom to govern life (v.1). God is exacting: He expects payment (v.2). God is patient; he sends messengers to receive payment (vv.2-5). God is love: He sends His own Son to the World (vv.6-8). Surely the people will listen to His voice and respect His rights. Jesus claimed to be God s Son. Different from the servants who went before Him. 7But those vinedressers said among themselves, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. 8So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. The murderers did not mistake him for just another servant. They knew it was the Owner s Son. They planned his murder to seize the inheritance. Now we must contrast the love of the owner with the brutality of the vinedressers: Everything in the past pointed to the cross...everything in the future depended on it. God s love keeps coming...persistent. Man s opposition, his hatred, his selfishness does not stop Him. Spurgeon said; If you reject Him, he answers with tears; if you would him, he bleeds out cleansing; if you kill him, he dies to redeem you, if you bury him, he rises again to bring resurrection. Jesus is love made manifest. Jesus persists in his love. He continues until we draw our last breath...and then it is too late. Then we must face the wrath of God. Then we must face the severity of God. The Judgment And Triumph Of God (vv.9-12) 9 Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. 10Have you not even read this Scripture: The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. 4
11This was the Lord s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes? Jesus quotes from the Hallel Psalms. Earlier the crowds sang these words; Psalm 118:22-23. The song and the picture are beautiful. The chief stone is to be used in the construction of the Temple. The Cornerstone was to be the measuring stone. The stone that was to be used to guide in the selection of all the other stones that would be used in the construction process. Keep in mind Jesus is saying these words as he stands by the remains of Solomon s Temple. For many years, Israel had been the stone that the Empire Builders of the world had rejected. Lowly Israel would be the architecture that the Heavenly Architect would use to construct a building of living stones; the Church of Jesus Christ. The world rejected Israel; and now Israel had rejected the Chief Cornerstone. The stone rejected, the crucified Christ, and the restored Chief Cornerstone is the Christ resurrected. A few weeks later Peter would use these words to serve as the basis for a sermon He will deliver at Pentecost: Acts 4:10-12 12And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away. The religious leaders--the Sanhedrin--the Scribes--the Pharisees all seek to lay hands on Jesus. They have heard an outline of their sacred history--past--present--and future. They had heard about the expectation of God, the hope of God, the love of God, the patience of God, and finally the wrath of God. They are blinded by their own lust and ambition and will reject even this last loving plea for their soul. We must never forget that when we reject the truth--we must of necessity embrace the lie. When unbelief investigates spiritual truth--it is predisposed to reject it. I want you to understand the full force of the parable. The religious leaders know the parable is a parable about them. Knowing that--they still plot how they might kill the owner of the Vineyard s son. The Jewish leaders did not take the parable to heart. They heard--but they did not heed. 5
Jesus spoke of their wickedness, their ungodliness, their condemnation; but they didn t even take a moment to reflect that the charges might be true. The religious leaders are not convinced--and therefore they are not convicted. They would not repent--and therefore cannot be forgiven. They knew the truth about Jesus and would not follow Him. They knew the horrible truth about their own sin and duplicity and would not learn from it. Their minds raged with only thoughts of self-justification and revenge--and so their reaction was to seize Jesus and put Him to death. The leaders had contempt for the people---and feared them. Conclusion In the passage we are reminded of God s amazing patience; God s loving kindness; God s terrible judgment; God s coming triumph. 6