Introduction:

In order to really grasp this parable that Jesus spoke, you have to put it into the context in which it was spoken. It was Tuesday of Holy Week, just three days before the Savior's suffering and death on the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus was spending his last few days on earth instructing his followers and preparing them for what they will see and what they are to do when he is gone.

Jesus was teaching them out in public in the Temple Courtyard. As he was teaching, the Jewish leaders who were plotting his death were trying to trap Jesus with their questions. They asked Jesus where he got his authority, if they should pay taxes to Rome, and if there would be marriage in heaven. The Savior responded to each of the questions and silenced his enemies with the answers.

But in the middle of all this, Jesus spoke the parable before us today, the parable of the tenants. This morning we will unravel this earthly story with a heavenly meaning. We will examine why Jesus spoke this to the people in the temple courts and God-willing learn the lesson that Jesus was conveying. As we learn this lesson, may we apply it to our lives. May we never despise God's Word. May we never reject God's love. And may we never be crushed by God's Judgment.

1. That we despise God's Word

Jesus begins the parable by saying that a man had bought a vineyard and was going away for a while. So he rented it out to some tenants to grow the crops. The people of Christ's day would have been very familiar with this idea of vineyard and tenant workers. When the time came for the rent to be due from the farmers, the man sent a servant to collect what they owed him.

This servant was not welcomed by the tenants. Instead they beat him and sent him away empty-handed. So the owner of the vineyard sent another servant, and the farmers treated him worse and sent him away also. Showing great patience with the tenants, the owner sent a third servant and the treatment was the same.

Now allow me to explain the parable thus far. The owner of the land is God the Father. The tenants or farmers are the Jewish leaders who rejected God. The servants, who the owner sent with his message, were the prophets whom God had sent to Israel to proclaim his Word.

So Jesus is saying to people in the courtyard, specifically the Jewish leaders that God sent the prophets with his almighty Word, and the leaders of the Jews treated them shamefully and beat them and despised their message. It would not have been difficult for the hearers of this parable to see where this story and its application were going.

Jesus was looking at the chief priests and teachers of the law and telling them the facts. At this point, these men could have gone one of two ways. They could have either realized their sin and repented, or they could have bristled at the accusation and continued to plot out Jesus' death.

2. That we reject God's love

Jesus knew exactly how they would respond and continued the parable. Jesus told them that the owner of the vineyard then sent His own Son, the one whom he loved, with a message to the tenants in order to collect from them. What great patience and love the owner showed! And what did the farmers do? They rejected this love and killed the Son.

Just as it is easy for us to see that the Son in this parable was Jesus himself, I believe those standing in the temple courts that day understood exactly what Jesus was saying. For Jesus had repeatedly told them that he was the Son of God and this would be the charge the High Priest would ultimately pin on Christ. Jesus knew what was coming for him in the next few days - the arrest in Gethsemane, the trial before Caiaphas, Pilate, and Herod, the beating by the Roman soldiers, the crucifixion and death. He told them what would happen and they rejected God's love anyway.

Jesus was preparing his disciples and giving his enemies a chance to repent. At that very moment, he was living the parable as God had sent him to the Jews. The Jewish leaders wanted no part of this. They were rejecting God's own Son, whom he loved. The people responded to this part of the parable with "May this never be!" But Jesus knew it would be fulfilled.

3. That we are crushed by God's Judgment

And so Jesus spoke of God's judgment on those who would reject the Son. He looked directly at them and asked them to explain the words of Psalm 118, verse 22: "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone." They would have been very familiar with the Psalmist's words. The capstone would be the first stone used to construct a building. If this stone was not perfect, it would be rejected. The capstone would give direction to all the other stones of the building. If it would not meet this high standard the builders would reject it.

The word "reject" here means to discard because it does not meet the test. Jesus, the capstone, had failed to match the standard that the unbelieving teachers of the law and chief priests had set. They would reject Jesus, but at a great price. Jesus said that this stone would crush those who rejected him. Jesus was speaking of God's eternal judgment on them for despising God's Word and rejecting God's love.

Can you imagine how tense that moment had to be? These Jewish leaders were trying to trap Jesus and arrest him for something he said and Jesus spoke this simple parable of Judgment on them. He looked at them told them exactly what they would do. And what was there response to Jesus' words? "The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he has spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people." (Verse 19)

Now as we shake our heads in disgust at Jesus' enemies, let us remember to heed the warnings of Jesus' parable. The devil would like nothing more than for us to follow the example of the teachers of the law and the chief priests so that we may be lost to eternal judgment in hell. Can you see these temptations in your life? Have you been giving into them?

Have you been despising God's Word? The devil does not want you hear the message of the gospel. The devil wants you to treat God's servants shamefully. The devil wants you to hold grudges against pastors and teachers so you will avoid God's Word. The devil wants you to withhold your offerings because you are angry with individuals or their decisions. When you do this you are despising God's Word and hindering the spread of the gospel. Are you guilty of this?

Have you been rejecting God's love in your life? Are you relying on Jesus or are you pushing him out of your life? The devil wants nothing more than for you to rely on yourself instead of the message of salvation found in God's Word. The devil wants you to avoid receiving the body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. When you do this you are rejecting God's love. Have you been guilty of this?

It is not hard for the guilt to pile up upon us when we examine our sinful lives. When our eyes are opened to this sin, we see clearly that we deserve to be crushed by the stone in God's judgment. But as we look at these sins with sorrow, let us beg our merciful God for forgiveness. Let us trust in our Savior who willing lived the perfect life for us and died his innocent death for us so that we might have eternal life in heaven. As we are tempted to reject God's Word and despise God's love, let us turn from our sin and pray with utmost earnestness, "May this never be!"

Conclusion:

Jesus knew full well that Jewish leaders would reject and kill the Son. He spoke this parable of the tenants in judgment of his enemies. But Jesus also spoke it to prepare his disciples for what they would witness on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Through the words of Scripture, we now see clearly what did happen on Good Friday on Easter Sunday. Take comfort. Your sins are forgiven. You have eternal life. Now go and sin no more. AMEN.