Mark 12_1_12

Text: Mark 12:1-12

Title: Rejection in the face of goodness

Intro:

Orientate: As we begin this message, we need to hold this text in light of Jesus cursing the barren fig tree and cleansing the temple. Israel was outwardly fruitless and inwardly filthy.

Jesus is in the temple again, He went on Sunday, Monday, and now Tuesday.

(Starts) Mark 11:27-33 the chief priest, scribes, and elders Challenge Jesus’ authority by asking two questions…

“By what authority are you doing these things?” Cleansing the temple and calling it His house

“Who gave you this authority?”

Jesus answers by asking a question…… if you answer correctly, I will tell you

Was John’s baptism from heaven or of human origin?

After discussing it they chose not to answer because if they said from heaven than Jesus would ask, Why didn’t you believe him?” But, if the answer from human origin they would have to answer to the people because they accepted John as a prophet.

CPS: God is good to mankind and God doesn’t want any human life to perish, but those who reject Him will be rejected by Him.

Jesus tells this parable in regards to the perpetual rejection of God the Father on behalf of the religious leaders of Israel.

Israel had a terrible history of rejecting God and we have a history of doing the same.

God’s gracious dealings. Vs.1

Graciousness of God.

All good things come from God. He gives life, breath, and all things to His people.

He raised Israel up from one man… Abraham, to vast nation that He claimed for own. He brought them out of captivity with a mighty hand.

He led them in the wilderness, protected them, provided for them even as they grumbled at His goodness and was disobedient at many turns.

He planted them in a land that was flowing with milk and honey. A fertile vineyard that they did not plant.

a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive oil and honey; Dt 8:8.

They say that the grapes of Israel in ancient times were the size of small plumbs and on average a cluster of grapes weighed 10 pounds and could weight up to 26 lbs.

In Numbers 13, When the spies returned from spying out the land, they carried a cluster of grapes on a pole between two men!

Obviously… Israel is the vineyard of this parable and the husbandmen (tenant farmers) are the religious leaders.

Tenant farming was very common in ancient Israel. The wealthy would lease out the vineyard and would be paid in fruit of the land. Wages would vary from ¼ of the produce to ½.

This vineyard – Israel… was a turn key operation. It was set up and ready to go…

God was gracious in His dealings with Israel!

Difficulty of the people

To understand this parable, you need to have an understanding of Isaiah 5:1-7

Jesus alludes to this chapter in Vs. 1

(Turn with me to Isaiah 5:1-7)… READ

We see the extent of God’s love and His gracious dealings with Judah…

The soil was good!

God removed obstacles, (threw out the stones)!

He planted it with Choice vines… the best grapes… big bright red grapes, delicious grapes!

He built a watchtower and wall…. God completely protected them.

He dug a winepress… He prepared the people to be fruitful and…

NB) HE EXCPECTED A HARVEST

GOD WAS GRACIOUS TO ISRAEL, what more could HE have done??? NOTHING!

He expected fruit of righteousness from His people but there was no fruit in Isaiah’s day, there was isn’t any fruit in Jesus’ day.

The leaders had rejected God…

What did God expect out of them?

To love Him with the totality of their being and to love others as themselves.

In the place of fruit bearing the love of God… they bore wickedness (greed, dishonesty, violence, and murder).

Illustration: How can you identify a fruit tree? By it’s fruit.

An apple tree has apples, peach tree has peaches, fig tree has figs!

The child of God has… love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: Ga 5:22–23.

Application: What does your fruit look like? Is it in accord to God’s gracious dealings with you?

Big bright red delicious grapes the size of figs or is your tree barren?

God’s loving correctionVs. 2-8

God sent prophets to Israel to gather the harvest, but there wasn’t any fruit to harvest. Only wickedness and ungodliness. Their rebellion… Greed, False Piety, Pride, False teaching.

The Prophets

God’s love is evident. His grace is abounding, His mercy is long lasting.

These attributes are seen in His patience with Israel. He sent prophet after prophet to them in order to correct them.

The prophets preached judgment is coming… repent (turn from your wickedness and return to God) its not too late.

But like the servants in the parable… they were met with wickedness and dealt with harshly

Isaiah – preached judgment was coming but there is hope found in repentance. Tradition says Isaiah was sawn in two at the orders of Manasseh.

Jeremiah – Preached against the wickedness of Judah, he prayed for Judah, he preached that Judah should repent because there is hope found in repentance. Traditions says Jeremiah was stones to death by his people in Egypt.

Ezekiel – the great prophet of the exile – rebuked the people for worshiping idols… Traditions says he was killed for it.

Amos – tradition says was tortured by Amaziah, the priest of Bethel and later died because of his wounds.

God kept sending prophets to Israel but Israel rejected God in the face of His goodness and His correction. They wanted the vineyard as their own they rejected the fact that it belonged to God.

They worshipped the temple of God and yet rejected the God of the temple.

God sent the greatest prophet of all to Judea, Jesus said that there was never a greater man born of women than John.

John preached repentance… making straight the way for the Messiah that the prophets of old had predicted.

They permitted the John the Baptist to be killed.

God is patient with His people, sending messenger after messenger to them, warning them of their worship and conduct. Warning them that judgment was coming if they continued in their wickedness.

The Son

The husbandmen wanted the vineyard as their own. The religious leaders acted as though the vineyard was theirs, they were suppose to teach the law of God but continually rejected God.

Like the landowner who sent His beloved Son… God sent His beloved Son…

And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son with you I am well-pleased. Mark 1:11

In the face of continual rejection and rebellion God sent Jesus, the savior of the world to make all things right.

Jesus the Word of God, taught the truth of God and yet He met opposition at every turn.

He came to save them yet they shouted for His crucifixion.

To reject the Son is to reject the Father, The father and the Son are One…

Application: People still today are rejecting God.

We live in Greed, debauchery, Murder, False Piety….. we worship ourselves, our children, our jobs, and our hobbies.

How has God corrected us? He sent the Law recorded in the sacred Scriptures; the words of the Prophets ring’s true still today!

Repent of your Sin and turn to God.

The Gospel message is preached in pulpits, on the streets, the radio, youtube

You can open up YouTube and watch any Adrian Rodgers sermon you want.

Jesus came to set things right!

What more could God do?

Still rejected….

What is left? Punishment!

God’s Just JudgmentVs. 9-12

Psalm 118:22-23