A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP

INTRODUCTION:

In April of 1980, Liberia experienced a violent change in leadership. We went to bed with one government and woke up with another. The president was killed at his residence in the capital city. The military took over. And within days, most of the cabinet ministers were publicly executed.

Every 4 years, we all gather around our television sets t in November to see whether there will be a change in leadership or party. The election tells us whether the country wants to go in the same direction or it wants to switch direction. In our story today, we will seeing a change in direction.

Every 4 years, we all gather around our television sets to watch the returns from our national election. We watch to see whether there will be a change in leadership or will the nation continue in the same direction.

It is fascinating to watch the returns on election night. The question that is usually asked is this, “Will the ruling party retain power or will it be changed?” As the results come in, people are glue to the television and radio to see whether the country will be changing leadership or going in the same direction.

Do you know that God changed leadership in Israel? We will see the future laid out and a pronouncement of a change in leadership.

In our text today, Jesus is engaged with the religious leaders in the temple. The chief priests, scribes and elders were questioning His authority. They wanted to know who gave Him the right to do what He had done in the temple, when He drove out people involved in commerce. He decided to respond to the interlocutors with a parable.

A. The Introduction: The planting and renting of the vineyard (V. 1).

A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it. He dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower. He then leased it to tenants and went into another country.

B. The Sending of the Servants (VV. 2-5).

At harvest time, the landlord of the vineyard sent a servant to the tenants to receive some fruit from the tenants. They took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again, he sent another, “and they struck Him on the head and treated him shamefully.” And he sent another, and they killed Him. One commentator points out that “the tenants paid their dues in blows.”

C. He sent His beloved Son (VV. 6-8).

The owner sent His beloved son to the tenants. He said to Himself that “They will respect my Son.” But the tenants said to one another, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill Him and the inheritance will be ours.” And they took Him and killed him and threw Him outside of the vineyard.

D. He changed the leadership (VV. 9-11).

And at the end of the parable, Jesus pointed out that there will be a change in leadership in the future.

Why would God change leadership?

Why was God changing leadership?

The Leadership Persecuted His Servants ().

The religious leaders who were entrusted to lead the nation of Israel would not listen to God when He sent His prophets to confront them about their sins. These religious leaders persecuted the servants of God who served as God’s messengers to the nation of Israel. We see this in the parable. The owner sent one servant or messenger after another, and each was persecuted. Jeremiah writes in , “From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt to this day, I persistently sent all my servants the prophets to them, day after day. yet they did not listen to me or incline their ear but stiffened. They did worse than their fathers.” The nation of Israel refused to listen to God and His prophets. John the Baptist was the last of the prophets. But the nation rejected Him too.

Someone rightly said that as God sent more messengers, the resistance got harder.

In Jesus’ parable, when the servants confronted the tenants about paying their master or honoring their commitment to Him, the “tenants paid with blows.”

A. The wickedness was progressive:

A. The wickedness was progressive:

When you look into the parable, you will notice that the wickedness of the tenants was progressive. They started with the beating of the servants and gradually went to killing. Similarly, the Old Testament’s prophets were persecuted and killed because they were guilty of calling the nation back to holiness.

It is reported that Isaiah the prophet was sawn in half. Jeremiah was stoned to death. Amos fled for his life. The prophets of God were rejected. By rejecting God’s prophets and their message, the leadership of Israel was rejecting God.

Society does not persecute those who have embraced the morality of the dominant culture. They persecute those who go against the culture’s accepted mores. Society will make life difficult for you. The gospel of Jesus causes us to go against the culture’s morality. The gospel reminds us of our redemption and demands that we live the redeemed life. The gospel-centered life comes with persecution. Paul writes in , “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” The apostle is pointing out that if we strongly wish or intend on living for God, we must be ready for persecution from the world. The apostle is pointing out that if you live and work for God in a world controlled by the devil, You will experience persecution. If you want the world to love you, act like the world. But when you go against the world, you will feel the pressure coming from the world.

The prophets of old were persecuted because of their god-centered lifestyle.

B. The patience of the Father on Display:

We see the patience of God on display. In the parable, the Father kept sending one servant after another. In the face of the persecution and death, He continued to send His servants to call on the tenants to honor Him. This demonstrates the patience of God. Peter writes in , “The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” In the context of 2 Peter, there were people who were mocking believers and asking when is the Lord coming? And Peter was pointing out that the Day of the Lord hasn’t come yet because of God’s patience.

The Leadership Persecuted His Son (VV. 6-8).

Listen to Jesus in verse 6. “He still had another, a beloved Son.” We are hearing the echo of , “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son or beloved Son...” He sent His only Son, hoping that the tenants were going to respect His son. There is no doubt that the Son in this story is Jesus.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark The Sending of the Son (12:1–12)

The word recalls Abraham’s love for Isaac (Gen 22:2), Jacob’s love for Joseph (Gen 37:3), God’s love for Israel (Isa 5:1), and especially the Father’s love for “the beloved Son” at the baptism (1:11). The reference to the “beloved son” (Gk. huion agapēton) in the parable recalls only one other relationship in the Gospel, that of Jesus and the Father (1:11; 9:7). In the story of the sending of the son Jesus is speaking of his own unprecedented role in the history of Israel.

This is no doubt that the Son in this story is Jesus.

The tenants consulted with one another and came up with a plan. They were going to kill the “beloved Son” and take over the property.

R. C. Sproul points out that from the time that God the Son walked on earth, there was never a time that His life was not in danger. Our fallen nature is such that we are not simply indifferent to God, we hate God. God is our mortal enemy, and we will do all we can to throw off the sovereignty of God.

The tenants consulted with one another and came up with a plan. They were going to kill the “beloved Son” and take over the property.

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark The Sending of the Son (12:1–12)

What is the sum total of human history if not the attempt to rid the universe of God?

Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 359). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.

A. They plotted against the Son:

Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark (p. 359). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.

A. They plotted against the Son:

When the tenants saw the Son coming, they consulted with one another what they were going to do. Their action was planned. They were going to kill the Son and take over the land. By killing Him, they were now going to be the new owners of the vineyard. “If the farmers kill the heir, they reason, then they will become the heirs. If humanity can dispense with God, or even kill God, then man can become god.”

This reminds me of . “Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against His anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.”

The apostle Peter quoted this verse in referring to those who rejected and crucified Christ. Peter considered the Jews who opposed Jesus to be in the same category as the surrounding nations that raged against God. They wanted to break free from God.

Humanity has always been trying to break free from God. Their rationale is, if God exists, than I must follow His commands. If I can kill Him, than I can live my life for myself.

C. They killed the Only Son:

Then they killed the only Son and threw His body out of the vineyard. “The nation of Israel rejected the Only Son of God and threw Him out of the nation by turning Him over to the Romans.” RC Sproul wrote in the Holiness of God, “The world could tolerate Jesus, they could love Him only at a distance. But a present Christ could not survive in a world of hostile men. It was the judgment of Caiaphas that for the good of the nation, Jesus must die. Sometimes, ya just got to.”

The sin of rejecting the Son was outright foolishness. The rejection of the Son was an outright rejection of the Father.

The Response of the Father to the Son’s crucifixion (vv. 9-11).

Jesus asked the crowd, “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill the tenants and give the vineyard to others.” We see that the judgment of God will come raining down on those who treated His Son with disdain.

It is interesting that today many do not preach about the judgment of God or wrath of God. Rather, the focus is on the grace of God. In this context, we see God’s wrath coming down on those who executed His Son.

A. A change in leadership:

Jesus points out to the high priests, teachers of the law and the scribes that there will be a change in leadership. “He will come and kill the tenants and give the vineyard to others.” So in place of the Old leadership would arise a New leadership team. They would be replaced by the apostles. These 12 men from Galilee would become new leaders for the work of God on earth along with others who affirm their loyalty to God by embracing His beloved Son, the One He has sent. They will become the recipients and dispensers of God’s word. Their message will be backed by the power of Christ. So when the early church met, they studied the doctrine taught by the apostles.

B. The Elevation of the Son:

B. The Elevation of the Son:

“The Stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” Jesus surprised His listeners by quoting . In its context, prominent men rejected the nation of Israel. Israel in a true sense became a cornerstone-the head of the nations. The Jews had understood the prophecy to refer to their nation which was rejected by other nations. Believers realized that the rejected stone was a reference to Jesus. This wonderful ascension of Jesus was accomplished by God. It was the work of God.

But we understand from the New Testament that this rejected stone though representing Israel, finds its identity in Jesus. The religious leaders rejected Christ and the whole nation rejected Him at Calvary. states, “He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him.” They crucified Him. But He would rise triumphantly.

Paul quotes this verse in “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus being the chief cornerstone.” He is saying that the church stands on the teachings of the apostles with Christ being the chief cornerstone. The cornerstone which is the most important stone within a stone building. “It sets the foundation and correct angles for all aspects of the construction.”

Though the builders would reject Him, He would be the cornerstone. And this was going to be the work of God.

The apostle Peter would also use this verse when speaking to the religious leaders in . “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Despite the rejection by the religious leaders, God plan would be carried out. It will be the work of God, elevating the Son.

Sometimes people feel that theology is causes confusion. Can we just fellowship together without arguing about our theological positions? We had the reformation because the reformers were fighting to build the church on the apostles’ teachings and not the traditions of men.

This year will mark the 500th anniversary of the synod at Dort. At the Synod at Dort, two branches of the church met to discuss theology. One group held to the doctrines of grace and the other group resisted it.

Theology is important. So, if we are not standing on the teachings of Christ and His apostles, we will be wasting our time.

C. The religious leaders response:

They were seeking to arrest Jesus but they were afraid of the people. Since Jesus entered Jerusalem, Mark mentions 3 times that the religious leaders were afraid to arrest Jesus because of the crowd (, , ). Instead of accepting God’s Son, the religious leaders refused to change their path. They were going to reject the Son of God. The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart. The religious leaders refused to love God and His Son.

Conclusion:

In Liberia, the leadership was changed because the people felt exploited. Only few enjoyed the wealth of the country. You had the “haves” and “the have nots.” So certain men decided to change the trajectory of the country. And they changed the leadership.

God changed the leadership in Israel because they refused to listen to God and rejected His Son.

The vineyard in this parable represents the nation of Israel. We see this in the book of . In that text, God referred to the nation of Israel as His vineyard.

The tenants represented the religious leaders of Israel. These religious leaders would not listen to God when He sent His servants to confront the nation because of their sinfulness. The leadership of Israel persecuted the servants who were the prophets of God. It is reported that the prophet Isaiah was sawn in two, Jeremiah was stoned to death, and Amos fled for His life. The prophets of God were rejected and persecuted just as we saw in the parable told by Jesus. By rejecting the prophets and their message, the religious leaders were rejecting God.