The Lord’s Doing - Mark 12:1-12

Introduc)on: The Lord’s Doing Mark 12:1-12 20200301 Seek the abundant grace of God and find sweet rescue for your soul! Jesus, who is the very picture of grace, God incarnate, is standing before the elders, the scribes, and the chief priests. As we saw together last week, they refused to acknowledge that he had come to the temple as the long-foretold Messiah. The evidence, when looked at, is undeniable. His authority is the very authority of God. However, if they were to say so they would have to change, admit that they had been wrong. This proves to be a step too large for the majority of them. A step too large for the establishment. If they would only recognize Jesus as Lord, he would extend grace upon grace to them. They refuse and the parable tells the story of what repeatedly denying the grace of God will do – it leads to a final judgement and a perilous end. I want you to see everything was set up for a beneficial relaQonship – but honoring the covenant, the lease agreement, became a stumbling block over Qme. It fell apart because of a deceiRul concept, a concept that says the rules can be rewriSen for self-serving purposes. This ulQmately is a rejecQon of the terms, a rejecQon of the one who established the vineyard, and a rejecQon of his grace. RejecQon reinforces further rejecQon eventually bringing about the destrucQon of the deceived tenants. and although the tenants are destroyed for their wickedness - God is exalted. His judgement is righteous – nothing is taken away from him and the observer is leU marveling at his perfect plan. The idea of seeking one’s own glory is not foreign to us. This happens through the working of sin in our lives, given Qme and distance from the glory of God and inevitably that combinaQon becomes decepQve and corrupQve morsels that we feast upon. Our new found diet shiUs our understanding of where glory and honor rightly belong and shiUs that glory and honor to ourselves. We cheat on the terms that were established in the beginning subtly affirming the superiority of our own way of thinking. This only further corrupts and distorts the relaQonship. At this point when God makes subsequent aSempts to penetrate the self-decepQon that shrouds our hardened heart, we rebuff him. We turn away his messengers we scorn the Holy Spirt and we deny the truth of God’s word. In the end all of these are only obstacles to obtaining our selfish desires and like the tenants in the parable we are willing to kill any who get in the way. Have you witnessed this paSern before? Is it descripQve of your life currently? The only way to turn away from this destrucQve path is to receive the grace of God. Seek the abundant grace of God and find sweet rescue for your soul! Grace Offered in the Establishment – But Refused ABer a Time (vv1-3) 1. v1 “And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it...” a. The parable is plainly describing God’s work and describing it in terms of this man. What is it he does? In short, he does everything! He is the one who establishes the property and makes is profitable through his investment. i. He plants the vineyard. He protects the vineyard with a barrier He construcQons a winepress. The man does all of this and he does even more. ii. He is said in the parable to have built a tower. 1. This isn’t just a guard tower but most Biblical scholars menQon how this structure would have been the place of habitaQon, the villa in the middle of the vineyard where the tenants would reside. 2. Where the harvest could be stored, a place of great significance in the lives of those involved in the culQvaQon of grapes. iii. In addiQon to all that the man did to establish the enterprise he also chose tenants who he could partner with to work the vineyard and produce fruit. He would have carefully explained the terms of the lease agreement making sure it was favorable to both parQes. It was agreed to and he entrusted the care of his property to the tenants. b. Do you see the grace offered in the establishment? How would the tenants have any part in this relaQonship if it were not for the grace offered in the establishment? Have you considered how God has lavished his grace upon you by making it possible to be a partaker in what he has made? i. You are a creature that enjoys inhabiQng God’s creaQon. Everything from the water that you drink which brings refreshment to your parched lips to the relaQonships that warm your heart; your children, your spouse, your friends. ii. All part of God’s grace in the establishment and viewing these beauQful giUs in the light of grace will draw you nearer to God and grow your love for others. 2. v2 “When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.” a. This would have been a very normal part of such an agreement and it would have come about over Qme. i. In the Qme of Jesus, as in our day, when dealing with perennial crops it takes Qme to get to a point were commercial producQon is possible. ii. Add in the possible restricQons of God’s law (Lev 19:23-25) and it was very likely that the hearers of this parable are picturing a Qmespan of five years elapsing from when this servant was sent by the landowner and the lease had been enacted. 1. What happens aUer you are doing something for five years without any conQnuing involvement from your business partner? Wives what would happen aUer five years if you had no interacQon with your husband or husbands if you had no ongoing interacQon with your wife? iii. Five years is a long Qme. Time coupled with distance can work in interesQng ways. Have you considered this combinaQon of forces at work before? What thoughts begin to consume you during these Qmes? What acQons are taken that might not be approved of by the owner? What liberQes are taken? How is the established covenant to be held in high esteem when a great deal of Qme has elapsed coupled with the knowledge of distance between parQes? 1. It would be wise for us to see what takes place next and recognize that sin’s seducQve allure is enhanced with the separaQon of Qme or distance. We ought to be vigilant in such situaQons and seek ways to connect with those we are in relaQonship with either business or personal. 2. Vanessa and I are talking frequently about this in preparaQon for my entry into the airline industry. I have asked the elders to check on us as we start this new season as well as keeping it regularly before our community group. 3. What about the situaQon you are finding yourself in? a. Time alone in the house for a teenager might be one that warrants discussion. b. A business deal that doesn’t have much in the way of oversight might be another. c. Maybe it is the temptaQon to cheat on your school work for those of you who are younger and you know exactly where the answer keys are kept? 4. Wherever you find a liSle separaQon made up of either Qme or distance from the one you are supposed to be accountable to – at that place you might find temptaQon is lurking. 3. v3 “And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.” a. Isn’t that a shocking verse? The tenants would have no livelihood apart from what the man established. i. He invested so much in making the vineyard viable. ProtecQng it with a fence, preparing it for the eventual harvest by making a winepress, making a place of habitaQon. Even choosing them as his business partners and working out a deal that was acceptable to both parQes. b. But what of the Qme? Four or five years of living at a place can have a corrupQng effect. c. The only way to stay true to the terms you have agreed upon is to have regular and close reminders of your agreement. With athleQcs being a large part of our lives as we transiQon from wrestling season to baseball season from winter sports to spring sports. i. Keep in mind you are making a commitment to your coaches and your teammates. ii. Talk with your parents about how you can develop a proper view of your commitment at the start of this season, knowing it will become more difficult with Qme. iii. As a ChrisQan, if you have made a commitment guard yourself against changing the arrangement in a manner that benefits you to the detriment of others, remember you are aSempQng to be a picture of grace where God has placed you. d. Jesus is using this parable to speak to the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders to say this is what you have done over the generaQons. My Father chose Abraham to be the father of his people. Abraham was granted the promise of the land and over Qme the covenant was affirmed over and over again. God sustained his people even though they mistreated his servants and went aUer other gods. Grace Offered to the Hos)le – But Rejected Through False Belief (vv4-8) 1. v4 “Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully.” a. So, the first servant was sent to check on the landowner’s property and to get from the tenant some of the agreed upon fruit from the vineyard. This was denied in the most brutal of ways. b. The landowner, the man, in the parable who is represenQng God would have been jusQfied to bring about a swiU end to the tenants for their wickedness. But here in v4 we see an extension of grace offered in the face of hosQlity he does so by sending another servant. i. Be careful not to think lowly and unimportant because the servant of a landowner was carrying with him the authority of the master. He was a direct representaQve of the landowner and to mistreat him was to mistreat the owner. c. This parable is painQng a picture of Israel’s past. As you read the Bible you come across account aUer account of God sending his prophets to his people to warn them to turn from their wicked ways. To repent and follow him as their God – but they ulQmately reject the prophets and they reject God. 2. v5a “And he sent another, and him they killed.” a. This horrendous paSern is being called out by Jesus as he speaks to them in this parable. Even describing the unthinkable act of killing one of the servants. 3. v5b “And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed.” a. Grace is conQnually offered in the face of hosQlity. However, once the path had been trodden by God’s chosen people and separate from true repentance it became the well-known way. It became reinforced as right because they were right in their own eyes and they got away with it yet again. This was a direct result of holding onto a false belief. b. Amazingly God sQll offers his grace – repeated opportuniQes to change – to repent and return to him. But they don’t. i. Let me ask you if this is happening in your heart? Are you repeatedly turning down God’s call to change your behavior? To give up on the destrucQve paSern that you have slipped into? - How are you to even know if this is happening? 1. If you are paying aSenQon to this parable you will see that hardness tends to beget more hardness. One rejecQon of God’s grace leads to another rejecQon of God’s grace. c. God is showing his repeated grace – he sent to them another – he sent to them another – he sent to them another – and so with many others! These are the prophets (Zech 1:6, Amos 3:7, Jer 7:25), Men like Moses, described as the servant of the Lord (Josh 14:7), and the LORD’s anointed servant David (2 Sam 3:18). i. Friend, have you had more than one person lovingly approach you about an area of your life that you are tenaciously protecQng? Have you found Scripture that speaks against a behavior but instead of humbling yourself before God you have instead excused it – even jusQfied your case? ii. PaSerns that crop up in such instances are inevitably devoid of love, lacking in respect, and typically have some form of cheaQng on agreements that you have previously made. Here dear friend would be the place that you need to humbly repent before our gracious God and seek his forgiveness and that of others that you have hurt along the way. 4. v6 “He had s@ll one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’” a. Grace offered in the face of hosQlity – over and over again – and now this willingness to send his son. They will most surely respect the beloved son (Mark 1:11,9:7) of the landowner? b. The chief priests, the elders, and the scribes are standing there listening to this parable being told to them by the Son of God. They are listening to Jesus the Messiah whom they will not affirm due to the hardness of their hearts. i. Do you hear the refrain? “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You witness against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets!” (MaS 23:29,31) ii. Not here in the parable emphaQcally but the message is clear enough. 5. vv7-8 “But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be...” a. The tenants, with grace being offered yet again – here now the son is sent to them. All they have to do is repent, to accept the son and to provide what has been agreed upon. And in this parable, we get the sense that all would be okay. Their many and grievous trespasses would all be forgiven. b. They need to seek the abundant grace of God and find sweet rescue for their souls. c. Sadly, what do they do with the grace, grace offered in spite of their repeated hosQlity? They uSerly reject the grace that is offered to them. They reject the grace because they hold to a false belief in their hard hearts. d. In no universe would a landowner roll over and just give away the land because evildoers killed his son. That however is exactly what the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders are planning on doing to the Son of God. It is incomprehensible and that is exactly what sin does. It exchanges the truth for a lie and ulQmately leads to destrucQon. Grace Offered to Others – And What are We doing with it? (vv9-12) 1. v9 “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.” a. This man who planted a vineyard, this man who represents God and his son whom he sent, the son whom represents Jesus have put their character on display through this parable. i. The character demonstrated is unmistakably grace giving way to more grace. AUer repeatedly sending servants and messengers seeking a turning of heart from the tenants. The man finally sends his beloved son. Once again, the tenants despise the giU of grace that is being offered to them and they kill the son. b. So, what is the owner of the vineyard leU to do? Jesus takes the listeners to this point in the parable and the answer is obvious. The listeners are hearing through this parable their own condemnaQon when Jesus says “He will come and destroy the tenants.” i. But even in the midst of destrucQon God’s grace conQnues, he is right in bringing judgment upon the wicked tenants, but his judgement also results in the revelaQon that the vineyard is not going to be abandoned. It is not going to turn into a deserted, desolate, and useless place – no here we see Jesus saying the owner of the vineyard is going to extend his grace to others! ii. All that was stated previously about the establishment of grace in this relaQonship – what was there from the beginning is going to remain and the labor that has been put in, the maturing process of the vineyard that has been taking place, and all of it is going to be entrusted to others. 2. vv10-11 “Have you not read this Scripture: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone...” a. In a far cry from diminishing God’s glory Jesus adds this quotaQon from Psalm 118 saying this was part of God’s plan all along! i. To understand that he was working in spite of those who were working against him demonstrates his majesty all the more. ii. That is why this passage fits so perfectly brothers and sisters. Don’t you see how marvelous the Lord’s doing is? b. Jesus, who we know was rejected by men has been exalted by the Father. Jesus, aUer laying down his life for the sins of you and me and of those who wrongly condemned him and aided in his death, was raised back to glorious life. i. Because of all of this He has been exalted to the head of the church. The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone! The most important part of the whole structure. c. The “others” that are menQoned in v9 are rightly understood to be the church which is made up of believing Jews and GenQles. i. Romans 11:5–11 d. Church, we have been offered this grace by God and we must ask what are we doing with it? i. Throughout the passage we have seen how grace has been extended by God and repeatedly rejected by the tenants. This was due to their hardness of heart. The human condiQon, that is our fallenness, makes us just as prone to hardness of heart. e. How do we combat against this? Recognize the dangers of distance and Qme. Distance and Qme have a way of skewing our thinking and our response to God. We must Press into the Lord and allow our hearts to be daily examined by the truth of his word. This has a soUening effect much like working a piece of thick leather by a master craUsman. He can turn that sQff and recalcitrant leather into a supple usable product. Just as the Lord can keep us working for kingdom purposes, sustaining us by his grace while bringing glory to himself. i. Ephesians 2:19–22 3. v12 “And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the...” a. They have every opportunity to consider that they might be wrong. In our discussion at CG this past week we talked about some that did likely repent from their stance against Jesus. Here though, they want to get rid of Jesus but conQnue to fear the reacQon of the people so they go away for the Qme being. Further hardening their hearts as they conQnue to deny acknowledging Jesus as the Son of God. Conclusion: God gives his own Son to redeem those who are lost. Though Christ is rejected by those who are hard of heart, even killed by them, he is exalted as head of the church and seated at the right hand of the Father. As part of God’s plan – the Lord’s doing Christ came as a suffering servant. The early church stood upon this truth. Peter proclaimed boldly and full of the Holy Spirit saying before his accusers: ““This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salva@on in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”” (Acts 4:11–12) And Jesus our Savior is seated at the right hand of the Father preparing for the hour when judgement will come. UnQl that final day comes, as Qme passes by, do not succumb to the hard heartedness that leads to the rejecQon of Jesus but rather seek the abundant grace of God and find sweet rescue for your soul. y l i m Fa Table Talk March 1, 2020 GOD’S TRUTH Seek the abundant grace of God and find sweet rescue for your soul! Key Verse Family Discussion ?s 1. Open up your Bible to Isaiah 5 and read verses 1-7. Who is the vineyard? How did the vineyard do in these verses? Now read Mark 12:1-12. What are the similarities and what are the differences between these two accounts? 2. Grace is a quality of God’s character that shows through in his compassion towards sinful humans which protects them from his wrath by providing forgiveness for sins. As you consider the parable in Mark 12:1-12 how is God’s grace demonstrated? How do you understand even the establishment of the vineyard or the repeated attempts to reach the tenants? 3. Jesus rightly expects a turning away from sin and a following after him. The tenants in the parable continued in their corruption. What could have broken their patten of sin? What do you need to do to break any similar patterns in your life? God wants to draw you near to himself! Seek his abundant grace and find rescue for your soul! “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—” (Ephesians 2:4-5 ESV) ING AD TABLE RE d’s into Go r e h t r u f r kid s Lead yo u Word... 12:1-12 :1-7, Mark :4 1. , Romans 2 odus 34:6 x E , 7 -1 16 ohn 1: 2. Ref: J -22 esians 2:13 6:1-11, Eph s an m o R 3. Ref: h5 Ref: Isaia Scripture Memory: Philippians 2:10 “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” - Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (ESV) www.pillarhoodriver.org