PARABLES OF JESUS - THE WICKED TENANTS

Here in Matthew 21 – we begin the Passion Week – Jesus comes in on a donkey and the palm branches are waving and coats and branches are being laid down as Jesus enters Jerusalem

The next day on returning to Jerusalem He curses the fig tree and it withers and dies and then verse 23 is what is important here –

Matthew 21:23-27 – And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority? Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

And then He tells them the parable to the 2 sons – like in the same breath or next breath – v 28 is a continuation of v25 and then His response in v27.

He tells about the 2 sons – the first says no but then does, the second just provided lip service, said yes and then went off and did his own thing.

When we concluded we needed to ask ourselves, are we ok just being a Christian or should we desire to be a Christian worker because our daily choices dictate our destiny.

Jesus’ statement in verses 31-32 were “For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.” He then says verse 31, “Here is another parable,” carrying on that same line of thought.

So as we begin, let us pray!

THE WICKED TENANTS

Matthew 21:33–46 – “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.

So again, Jesus is speaking directly to the Pharisees and the Scribes – so first let’s look at the story. Here is another story -

I. The Story—vv. 33–41

A. Parable—v. 33. A vineyard was planted and all preparations were provided for its harvesting, including caretakers.

The vineyard owner went on a trip expecting everything to be taken care of

God had placed Pharisees, Scribes and Priests to care for Israel

God – owner

Vineyard – Israel

Harvest – God’s Blessings

Tenants – P, S, P

They missed the purpose of their work – John the Baptist had to do it –

They were to be looking for and preparing for the Messiah to come

The Pharisees, Priests and Scribes instead of seeing their place as workers and preparers put themselves in the seat of the vineyard owner – God

The crowd probably knew Jesus was referring to Isaiah 5 especially verse 7

Isaiah 5:7 – For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry!

B. Preparation—v. 34. The owner sent his servants to collect the fruit of the vineyard.

Vineyard workers, tenants were able to keep a portion of the crops as a reward for working the vineyard but greed took hold of their heart

P, P, S – were given food and portions for their work and power to rule but they wanted more.

C. Persecution—vv. 35–39. The servants were killed. The owner (householder) finally sent his son, thinking they would respect him. They killed him!

Like the tenants in the story beat one, stoned one and killed another servant of the owner – so did the rulers of Israel to all the prophets

Not once – multiple times

The would accept my Son – the would accept the Son of God – whom the prophets spoke of

Notice they took the son out of the vineyard and killed him

Jesus was taken outside the walls of Jerusalem to be crucified.

Look at the unreasonableness of their thinking –

If we kill the son – we will get his inheritance

What father would give the murderers of his son – the inheritance of his only son?

But greed and power can corrupt our thinking that we think illogical thoughts and think it will really happen

D. Plan—vv. 40–41. The householder will destroy wicked men and place responsible husbandmen in control of the vineyard.

Even the P, P, and S know that the owner will put them to death – look at their words –

“put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

II. The Savior—vv. 42–44

A. Saviour—v. 42. This is a prophecy of Psalm 118:22. Christ is the cornerstone; we are the small stones making up the building.

Have you P, P, and S never read in the Scriptures – This is the 4th time in Matthew that Jesus is recorded as questioning them – if anyone should know what the Word of God says it is you!

Psalm 118:22-23 – The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

This is happening right before your eyes – if anyone should know this it is you!

He can say the same thing to us – what do choose over Him? Why do we reject Him?

B. Sharing—v. 43. Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

If you do not do what God as tasked you with doing – it will be taken away from you and given to people who are willing to be obedient – who are willing to follow God’s call on their life – willing to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and direct them.

John 15:6 – If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

Abide in Him – He has to be our everything – more important than cattle, careers, and crops – more important than

C. Salvation—v. 44. Those who acknowledge Christ, bowing before Him, will be saved. Those who reject the Son of God will be lost.

Philippians 2:9–11 – Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Christ is either the foundation that you build your entire life on or He is the block that causes you to stumble – crushing you when it falls on you – He is either Lord or Nothing

He is either the foundation or you have nothing to stand on

Matthew 7:24-27 – “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”

He is the rock – if we do not build on His foundation everything falls apart

1 Peter 2:4-9 – As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

When we build on Him we build our spiritual house

To be a holy priesthood

It is an honor or believe and make Him the Foundation

III. The Showing—vv. 45–46

A. Comparison—v. 45. The chief priests and Pharisees knew Jesus was speaking to them. God’s Word speaks to man today. Note the message version of Hebrews 4:12 – “For whatever God says to us is full of living power: it is sharper than the sharpest dagger, cutting swift and deep into our innermost thoughts and desires with all their parts, exposing us for what we really are”—

Hebrews 4:12-13 – For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Remember we must give an account!

Romans 1:16-17 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

People are either drawn to Christ or they are repulsed by Him –

Christ convicts and reminds us to not live for ourself but to –

Love God – Love Others as yourself

The P, P, S were repulsed because He threatened their control and power so they sought to arrest Him and put Him to death

But for those that realized they needed God in their life – they loved Jesus – they didn’t mind Him convicting them of sin – it drew them close to God

This parable speaks of the rejection of Christ. As the people in the vineyard rejected the servants and the son of the owner, so people reject God’s Son and His ministers.

Jesus came to His own people, and they rejected Him—John 1:11. But those who accepted Him became sons of God—John 1:12. Whether or not a person believes in God, we will all someday be accountable to God.

Revelation 20:11–15 – White throne judgement – everyone great and small standing there before God

This judgment will be for those who have rejected Christ.

v13b –and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.

Reject God’s Son as the workers in the vineyard rejected the son of the owner and God’s judgment will fall on you. Accept Him and you will escape this judgment—John 5:24 – Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.