# 97 The Parable of the Landowner - Matthew 21:33-46

Introduction: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is one of my favorite children’s stories. I think most of us like a good children’s story. A good writer can take deep truths and put them on the bottom shelf where anyone can reach them. Jesus often used parables for this very reason. But unlike children’s stories, His parables cut to the heart—they expose sin, confront unbelief, and call people to decision.

   The parable before us is sometimes called “The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers” or “The Parable of the Landowner.” Jesus told this parable just days before His crucifixion, speaking directly to the religious leaders who were plotting His death.

   One of the best ways for us to understand (grasp) this parable is to identify the main characters:

· The landowner is God – v. 33

· The vineyard is Israel – v. 33 (Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 2:21; Hosea 10:1).

· The vinedressers are the Religious Leaders – v. 33

· The servants are the Old Testament Prophets – v. 34

· The Son is Jesus Christ – v. 37

· The other vinedressers are Gentiles – v. 41

· The stone is also Jesus Christ – v. 42

   Now you should be able to self-interpret this parable by knowing that information. So then, let’s jump into the parable and walk through it together.

1. The Tale of the Vineyard Owner – 21:33

   33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. 34Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

  The first word in verse 33 is the word “Hear” (akouo), and this word carries with it the idea of hearing, coming into the ears. It means to take to heart. Listen up to learn and to grow.

   Next, in verse 33, we are told that a certain landowner planted a vineyard. And as I read the text, he spared no cost. We read that:

· He planted a vineyard (that costs).

· He set a hedge around it (that costs).  He wanted the vineyard protected.

· He dug a winepress in the ground (that costs). This would be the place for stomping grapes and getting the juice out of them.

· He built a tower. The purpose of the tower was to see afar what might be heading toward the vineyard that could bring harm – people, weather, and wild animals.

  Dr. John MacArthur writes, “A tower was for three purposes really: security, shelter, and storage. A tower would allow someone to watch and be sure no one was trying to invade. It would also be a place of shelter in the event of weather problems, and it would be a place for the storage of implements and tools and things necessary for the care of the vineyard.” (From a message: Judgment on Christ’s Rejectors).

   Now, I would encourage you to think of Israel as the vineyard. God did everything for the Jews. They were His people, and He chose them, protected them, and provided for them. They had God’s eyes watching over them! In Deuteronomy 32:10, Israel is called “the apple of His eye.”

   Israel was entrusted to the religious leaders who were supposed to lead the people spiritually, but they failed miserably. As we have seen throughout Matthew’s gospel. They were terrible shepherds.

      Also in verse 33, the landowner (God) goes on a journey to a far country. This is a picture of where God dwells. He dwells in glory. The idea is that God is on a trip to a foreign land. Heaven is foreign to all of us, and it was foreign to Israel as a whole.

   Every vinedresser looks forward to harvest time. And we have in verse 34 that “vintage-time drew near”. So, what does the landowner do? He sends some of his servants to the vinedressers that he might receive their fruit.

   Most people understand that when you lease land that there is a payment that must be made. The payment in our text appears to be a percentage of the fruit from the vineyard. That’s reasonable, right?

   As I have already mentioned, the “servants” in the text (verse 35) are the Old Testament Prophets that God sent to the religious leaders (the vinedressers). As the religious leaders cared for Israel, they should have been producing fruit. But when the prophets show up and present themselves to the vinedressers, we are told they received a horrible reception:

1. They beat one

· Jeremiah – beaten and put in stocks by Pashhur the priest (Jeremiah 20:2).

· Micaiah, son of Imlah – struck on the cheek by Zedekiah (1 Kings 22:24).

2. They killed one

· Uriah, son of Shemaiah – killed by King Jehoiakim with a sword after prophesying against Jerusalem (Jeremiah 26:20–23).

· Jewish tradition also holds that Isaiah was sawn in two under Manasseh (referenced in Hebrews 11:37).

3. They stoned one

· Zechariah, son of Jehoiada – stoned to death in the temple court for rebuking Israel’s sin (2 Chronicles 24:20–21).

   So, the landowner (God) sent other servants, and they did the same to them. All you must do is read the books of the prophets in the Old Testament, and you will discover the reality of this parable.

   In the New Testament, when Stephen preached in Acts 7, he made the following statement,

   “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?” (Acts 7:52).

  Oh, and in case you missed it, the very people Stephen spoke to stoned him to death.

Prophecy of the Messiah

   What is the message found in the Old Testament? It is a prophetic message in that it tells of the coming of the Messiah. Here in our text, starting at verse 37, the landowner decides to send his own son. He was sure that the vinedressers would respect his son.

  But that is not what happened at all. When they saw the son (Jesus), they said among themselves, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.” So, what do they do to Jesus Christ?

   And please don’t miss the words, “they said among themselves” is also what the religious leaders did back in verse 25, when Jesus questioned them about the ministry of John the Baptist. Jesus is connecting this parable to these religious leaders. Don’t miss this.

   So, what will they do to Jesus Christ? They will do to Him what they did to the son in this parable. We read

The Son in the Parable

They took him

They cast him out of the vineyard

They killed him

The Son of God, Jesus Christ

They took Jesus by deceit and force

They cast him out of the vineyard

They killed him (Jesus was taken outside of Jerusalem, which represented the vineyard (Israel)

That’s the parable – the story with a heavenly meaning to it.    

2. The Response of the Vineyard Owner - 21:40-42

   40“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?” 41 They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.” 42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes.?’

  In verse 40, Jesus asked the religious leaders the following question:

   “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

   In verse 41, we have their response,

   They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

   The religious leaders answered Jesus’ question correctly.

   Jesus continues – look at verse 42,

   42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?

   You would expect religious leaders to read the Bible and to know the Scriptures. Right? (The Scriptures here are the Old Testament Scriptures.) Jesus specifically quotes Psalm 118:22-23,

   22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. 23 This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.

   Old Testament Scriptures are prophetic – they pointed to the coming of Jesus Christ, Israel’s Messiah. They also foretell his rejection and crucifixion.

   Here in our text, Jesus speaks of “The stone which the builders rejected…” He is that stone. The builders are the religious leaders who should have known this. Jesus continued to say, “Has become the chief cornerstone.” What is the purpose of the cornerstone? It is the first stone that is placed, and every other stone is built off it. Jesus Christ is the foundation stone on which Christianity is built. He is the stone upon which our lives are to be built.

   There is a note in the Life Application Bible that reads,

   Jesus used this metaphor to show that one stone can affect people differently, depending on how they relate to it (see Isaiah 8:14-15; 28:16; Daniel 2:34, 44–45). Ideally, they will build on it; many, however, will trip over it. At the Last Judgment, God’s enemies will be crushed by it. At that time, Christ, the “building block,” will become the “crushing stone.” He offers mercy and forgiveness now, and he promises judgment later. Some versions do not include this verse because many of the older manuscripts omit it. The verse may have been inserted later, copied from the parallel passage in Luke (Luke 20:18).[1]

   And who makes all this possible? We read in verse 42,

    This is the LORD’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’

3. The Judgment of the Vineyard Owner – 21:43-46

43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” 45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

   In verse 43, the “Therefore” means: considering what we have already studied. Here we read that God is going to judge both religious leaders and the Jews as a whole. Why? They rejected Jesus Christ. Rejection of Jesus Christ leads to future judgment. God is going to take the kingdom of God from them and give it to a nation bearing the fruit of it.

   What does it mean “bearing the fruit of it?” The first fruit that God delights in is the fruit of repentance (see Matthew 3:8). It is recognizing that one is a sinner in need of a savior (Romans 3:23; 10:9-13). The kingdom of God will be given to a nation that is willing to repent. Those who understand their need for a relationship with God.

   The word “nation” in the Greek is ethnos (a people).

   The landowner’s judgment is clear: those who reject His authority and kill His son will lose everything. The kingdom will be taken from them and given to others who will be faithful and fruitful.

   Look at verse 44,

   44 And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

Grace or Judgment

   One guy I was reading stated that if we are willing to fall on this stone (Jesus Christ), we will be broken. In other words, we will be humbled. We will see our need for salvation through Jesus Christ alone. However, on whomever the stone falls, it will grind him to power. There will be judgment that awaits these individuals who say, “No” to Jesus Christ.

   Another author penned, “No matter what, the stone wins.”

   Have you ever heard someone share something, and as they were telling you, you had an “aha” moment? This is what happens to these religious leaders in our text. Look at verse 45.

   45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.

   How perceptive! They finally grasped the meaning behind the parable. They understood that the parable was about them. They were the wicked vinedressers. They were the ones who abused, beat, and killed God’s prophets. They are the ones who abused, beat, and killed God’s Son, Jesus Christ. Thus, they were going to be judged.

   Even after hearing the parable, they still rejected Jesus’ divine authority. We read in verse 46,

   46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

  If you recall, this was the same reason why they did not answer Jesus’ question back in Matthew 21:25-27, about John the Baptist – the people saw John as a prophet. Here, they refused to “lay hands” on Jesus because the people recognized Him as a prophet.

Conclusion: This parable is more than a history lesson about Israel—it is a mirror for our own lives. The religious leaders in Jesus’ day rejected God’s messengers, resisted His call for repentance, and ultimately crucified His Son. But before we point fingers, we need to ask ourselves: What have we done with the Son?

   God is still looking for fruit from His vineyard (see John 15). He isn’t interested in empty religion, head knowledge, or lip service. He is looking for the fruit of repentance—a heart that humbles itself before Him, turns from sin, and produces the evidence of a transformed life – a transformed life (see Galatians 5:22-23).

   How do we apply this parable?

1. Respond to God’s Word with repentance. Don’t harden your heart like the religious leaders. When God’s Word convicts, confess it, turn from it, and let Him produce fruit in you.

2. Receive Jesus as the cornerstone of your life. Build your life on Him. Every decision, every relationship, every dream must be measured against Him. Anything not aligned with Christ will crumble. Build your life on the solid rock.

3. Remember that rejection of Christ leads to judgment. We either fall on the stone and are broken in humility, or the stone falls on us in judgment. The choice is ours. Make a better choice today!

   Dear friend, God has spared no cost for you. Just like the landowner did everything to prepare the vineyard, God has given you everything you need for life and salvation through His Son. The question is: Will you give Him the fruit He is looking for? A changed and holy life.

   Let us be a people who not only profess faith in Christ but also produce the fruit that proves it—repentance, obedience, and lives that bring glory to the Owner of the vineyard.

   Now, go and produce fruit.

[1]Barton, B. B. (1996). Matthew(pp. 425–426). Tyndale House Publishers.