Give Me Jesus: Jesus As the Vinedresser: Mark 11:27-12:12

I. Jesus’ Authority Questioned vs. 27-33

A. The religious leaders were trying to trap Jesus, since they hated Him. He didn’t follow their traditions and rules.

B. Jesus stumps them in order to silence them.

C. In doing so, Jesus exposes their desire was the praise of men and not God.

II. Jesus’ Parable Given: 12:1-11

A. A vineyard was often a picture used for Israel, so much so that had one carved in the temple, and Herod had put jewels in it.

B. Jesus is using the phrasing from the parable of the vineyard from Isaiah 5:1-7

Isaiah 5:1–7 NASB95

Let me sing now for my well-beloved A song of my beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it all around, removed its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. And He built a tower in the middle of it And also hewed out a wine vat in it; Then He expected it to produce good grapes, But it produced only worthless ones. “And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge between Me and My vineyard. “What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why, when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones? “So now let Me tell you what I am going to do to My vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be consumed; I will break down its wall and it will become trampled ground. “I will lay it waste; It will not be pruned or hoed, But briars and thorns will come up. I will also charge the clouds to rain no rain on it.” For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel And the men of Judah His delightful plant. Thus He looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.

C. The parable shows clearly Israel’s history with the prophets being messengers, and the religious leaders as the vine-growers. Heb. 11:36-38

Hebrews 11:36–38 NASB95

and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.

D. Then Jesus talks about what they would do in 3 days time. Even the killing Him outside the vineyard (Jerusalem).

E. Jesus concludes with the judgment that they will incur, by quoting Ps. 118:22-23. Peter will quote this in Acts and in I Peter. Remember, Mark is getting his information from Peter.

F. We as Gentiles will get grafted in, like we see in Acts. Rom 11:27-28

Romans 11:27–28 NASB95

“This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers;

III. Jesus’ Rejection by the “Vine-Dressers” vs. 12

A. The religious leaders understood what Jesus was saying, and yet because of the hardness of their hearts, they believed they were right, and God was wrong. I Tim. 4:1-2

1 Timothy 4:1–2 NASB95

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron,

B. Will you too reject Jesus?