Don Fredenburg
Jim Tucker
H.E. 'Hub' Bowen
Mike Coble
Ron Bowen6/22/2018
This parable appears in (Matthew
21:33-45; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19) Jesus had pointed out that John the Baptist and He
received their authority from heaven, or God. This answer angered the religious leaders and intensified their
opposition to Jesus. To follow up the
challenge of the Jewish leaders to Jesus regarding His authority, Jesus told
the parable about the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32) and The Wicked Husbandmen. From the beginning the followers of Jesus
believed that He was a prophet like the prophets of the Old Testament (John 6:14; 9:17). However, Jesus was much more than one of the
many prophets; He is the Son of God and is presented as such in this parable
that is so very powerful.
The imagery used in this parable is similar to the parable inIsaiah chapter 5 where Israel is represented as the vineyard of God. God had selected the descendants of Abraham and separated them from other nations and had blessed them beyond any other people as long as they served Him. However, the Lord had clearly stated what He expected of them and when they failed to produce what God required He sent His prophets among them pleading for them to repent. These prophets are the servants in the parable. From our text we find that when the landowner (God) sent his servants to the tenants Israel and her religious leaders to collect his part of the harvest they were cruelly rejected and were beaten, stoned and some were even killed. This actually happened to many of the Old Testament prophets. As a last resort the landowner sent his own son believing they would reverence him because he had the authority the servants did not have. When the husbandmen or tenants saw him they killed him. Jesus then asked the question, "What will he do to those husbandmen?" They answered, "He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons." They were forced to declare their own doom. The landowner will now be justified in destroying these rebellious tenants, religious leaders and the Jewish nation, and giving their positions to others--the Gentiles (Mathew 21:43).
Jesus was telling the religious leaders that He was not one of the servants or prophets but that He was the Son of God and this was the basis of His authority and that He had been sent by the Father to possess what was His. This was actually prophetic because Jesus was telling them that they would kill Him, like the son in the parable. The death of Jesus had been predicted in the Old Testament.
"Jesus said unto them, 'have you never read in the scriptures, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes (Matthew 21:42). Jesus was sent by God to be the foundation or cornerstone of the Kingdom/Church but He was rejected by the Jews. (Psalms 118:22) However, He was chosen by God and was made the foundation of His kingdom and this was marvelous in the eyes of those who have believed in Him. One of the consequences of the rejection and killing of the Lord was the utter destruction of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel (Matthew 21:43-46).
God has given us wonderful blessings; He made us worthy to be "partakers of the inheritance of the saints". (Colossians 1:12)
He "has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us into the kingdom of the Son of His love" -- "Colossians 1:13"
In Christ we have "redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins" -- (Colossians 1:14)
He sent us apostles and prophets of His Son, whose words are in the New Testament; Let us be careful how we receive them (John 13:20), for the next time the Beloved Son is sent, He is coming in judgment! (2Thessalonians1:7-10) Indeed, as Jesus said, "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more." (Luke 12:48)
The judgment of God is not to be taken lightly.
"Daily Devotions by Guy Roberson"
