Just prior to the time that Jesus spoke these words.
You remember that? He had just made his triumphal
entry into Jerusalem. Now, as we picture as it were,
the Son of God, the Messiah, the King of Kings, and the Lord of
lords, and the greatest one that ever lived.
The one that was destined from his very birth to be the Lamb of
God and be sacrificed for the sins of the world.
The one who would be king would come riding in Jerusalem.
On the back of a Colt of a donkey.
You could just imagine how incense they were when Jesus
would overturn the tables of the money changers and say that my
house, he says for it is written.
He quoted the word of God. He said for it is written.
My house shall be a House of Prayer, but you have made it a
den of Thieves. And you remember as they came to
Jesus, no doubt. They wanted the, I know that
they didn't. They didn't really think that or
they were actually not looking to Jesus as giving the the
proof. In other words, give us the
proof by which you say the things you do.
So we can follow you. I don't think that's exactly
what they were saying. I think what they were saying is
go ahead and speak the very Blasphemous words that you're
from God and give us a reason that we might kill you.
And so, they came to Jesus and they said, tell us by what
Authority, thou, doest, these things, and who gave you that
Authority, but Jesus responded again, as he did in so many
times in parabolic drapery, he begins by giving the parabola,
just a moment of the two sons. But prior to that, he said this,
he says this to them. He says, I'll answer your
question. That's not a problem.
Just answer one of mine. The baptism of John was the
baptism? ISM of John from heaven, or was
the baptism of John of man? And the Bible says that they
discussed the matter. You know, I don't know if they,
if they separated themselves from those that were standing
there, those Chief priests and elders and scribes and Pharisees
and all that would be in attendance.
I don't know how many were pulled aside at that point in
time because the Bible doesn't say, all we know is they
discussed the matter, and they came to the conclusion.
This is a lose-lose Proposition. Because if we say that, the
baptism of John was from Heaven, they knew that Jesus Christ,
right? Then, and there would have
looked him dead straight in the eye and convicted them by
saying, if you knew it was from Heaven, why didn't you listen to
him? Why didn't you obey his teaching
the voice of one crying in the wilderness?
But then they knew if we said it was from man, they feared, the
people, you know, that phrase, they feared, the people when I
think about that. I think about two choices that
it could be number one, they feared, the people that might do
something to them bodily or harm them because the Bible says in
Matthew's account, that all considered John to be a prophet.
So as we look at that, maybe they were saying that they
feared the people because of the fact, That they might inflict
bodily harm upon them. But I think really if you
examine their hearts, I think there's something else that
makes more sense. I think they feared their
standing, they didn't want to lose their Elite status among
the people. They didn't want to lose that
because they knew that so many people considered John to be a
prophet that if they would say, oh no, it's not from Heaven, it
is man-made, it is wrong. It is something that some man
dreamed up one day. I think they feared the people
with the standing that they may have in society You know, when
you're respected. If you're respected in life
because of things that you've accomplished or things that you
have done or whatever status that you have it causes you also
to realize that you need to be careful that you're not puffed
up with pride. If we ever feel like we can
never accept that, we make a mistake or if we ever get to the
point that we fear our status or are standing that we don't make
changes when we know we need to make them because we don't want
to lose our status or are standing among the people.
Be careful. Because we are then, puffed, up
with pride. And the Bible says that Pride
goeth Before Destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
You know, I'll tell you something.
Folks, pride is To get more. Get most of the people, I think
pride is going to be the source of getting most of the
Christians that fall and don't make it to Heaven.
One day, it's going to be Pride. God hates pride.
In fact Jesus, you remember would give that very idea.
He said, if you're going to lift yourself up, you're going to be
brought down, but if you will humble yourself and
incidentally, that doesn't mean I hate myself and go in the
corner and just wither away. That's not what that's talking
about. I'm going to tell you something.
Hating yourself is not A Biblical principle and that's
not what's being said, it means this.
I'm going to take myself and move it aside because someone
else or something else, is more important than I am.
It doesn't make me a rotten person to go migrate in the
corner. Somewhere Pride, got the devil.
The Bible says Pride got the devil and got him in the third
of host of Heaven, cast out of Heaven A long time ago.
So Jesus then. Gives the parable of the two
sons. It's very important because he's
giving the parable of the two sons to correct or to condemn
the fact that they didn't listen to John the Baptist.
That's number one. He gave this one for another
reason but just a moment on that.
But first of all that little short Parable, he gives the
parable of the two sons. He says, there's a man and this
man owns a Vineyard and he's got two sons, you know, parents can
almost see this happening. And you tell them both to go out
into the vineyard and go to work.
The first one says I'm not going but later he repents and he goes
Jesus said then there's a second son and that son, he says I'll
go but then he doesn't Jesus asks him the question which one
of these two did the will of the father.
And what could they say? They said, well, the first the
first did the will of the Father.
And Jesus responded by saying verily, I say unto you that the
tax collectors and the prostitutes or harlots go into
the kingdom of God before you. Why Jesus, why is that?
Look at the next verse for John came to you in the way of
righteousness and you believed him, not, but the public ends
tax Actors harlots, prostitutes believed him and Yi.
When you had seen it repented, not afterward that, you might
believe him. And so he condemned them in that
short little Parable. And isn't it interesting?
That Jesus lays it out to them so that they have to actually
answer the question themself he's going to do this with this
Parable to I love the sermons that Jesus preached don't.
You just love the sermons? You know, when we're learning
how to teach When We're Young. Sometimes we choose The Parables
because they seem simple. But then, when you get older and
you keep studying, you realize, oh wait a minute, there's a ton
of meat in those passages. The thing is, the reason that
it's like that is because Jesus and if you want to know, if you
want to know the picture of a good speaker, here it is.
If you want to know the criteria or an example of the greatest
teacher that ever lived, it's Jesus take something that may be
difficult and make it sound as simple as he did.
And this is what he said. He basically as he did so many
times in essence is saying this come here.
I want to tell you a story. He said there was a householder,
this was a landlord and he said this householder, he has a
Vineyard. I don't know if he bought the
piece of ground with the vineyard in it, but he prepared
The Vineyard perfectly, it's got every single characteristic and
every single thing that is needful to be successful in
being in the grape industry or the vineyard business notice in
verse 33. Either says, hear another
Parable. There was a certain householder
or landlord or landowner, which planted a Vineyard and hedged it
round about and digged a winepress in it and built a
tower and let it out to the husbandmen and went into a far
Country. Now, notice This man's got a
Vineyard. And he prepares it perfectly.
Its first class all the way. He builds a hedge around it for
protection against animals. He builds a tower in the middle
of it, so somebody could be in that Tower and make sure that
man doesn't come at the time of harvest and steal.
What is in the vineyard There's a wine.
Press a winepress. Very interesting.
You want a wine? Press is a two-layered.
You know, I've tried to picture in my mind.
I wish I could see a picture but I know it's two layered and
Scholars say it was either dug out of the ground and lined with
stone or it was actually dug in the stone but it was two layers
and the two layers one on top of the other.
It was connected by an orifice that basically allowed the
things of the top to go through. But it was small enough that
only The juice, from the grape could go down through the
orifice and be taken in that vat.
You know, every time, I think about stepping on grapes, I
can't help but think about that episode of, I Love Lucy when
they were stomping around in the, in the, in the, in the
grapes. You know, I just can't imagine
that people putting their feet on grapes.
But what they did is they laid the grapes in the tray of the
upper part of this vat and when they would walk on it, it would
crush the grape and the juice would run down.
It was perfect, it's satisfied. Their every need and Jesus says
that he gave it a he rented it out or he let it out to someone
called husband men. And the husbandmen basically
were the laborers and these were these were those that would
actually go and do the work. That's Found in the vineyard.
Now, here's the deal. The landowner goes away.
In fact, Luke's account says he goes away and it's the only
account you can find this in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but
Luke's the only one that recognizes any particular
timeframe. And Luke says that the
householder goes away for a long time.
But, here's the deal. These husband men were allowed
to work in the vineyard, they were allowed to reap all the
benefits. And privileges of the They were
allowed to be right in it just as if it was their very own.
But they owed the householder something.
And the householder needed to get his share of the rent.
Rent was paid by way of product. Are you getting the picture
here? Those that were working the
husbandman or the vinedressers, they needed to pay their rent by
giving fruit or giving the things that came from their crop
to the landowner simple, isn't it?
That's a simple thing. Got a tower.
Nobody's going to steal from you.
Got a hedge animals, won't destroy.
Got a perfect Vineyard, everything is fine, landowners,
leaving you alone, landowner departs for a long time.
All that's required is pay the rent.
Pay your rent. That's it.
What are these things represent though?
The householder represents obviously God the vineyard
represents, you know, sometimes Vineyard is described in, is
used in describing Israel, but not necessarily Israel.
Per se in this text In this passage, The Vineyard here
represents the special privileges that were given to
Israel. Thirdly, the husbandman, those
were the ones that were the physical leaders of Israel.
The priests the, scribes, the elders, and all that would
follow in other. The husband man was the physical
nation of Israel. But then there was the servants.
And the servants. Were the ones that came to get
the rent? They represent the prophets more
on that later and finally, the sun represents Jesus.
This is God. This is the special privileges
given to Israel. This is the physical nation of
Israel. The people all included there in
the servants. Are the prophets of God and the
son is Jesus Christ. Now, our little story, this is
what Jesus says. After a time went by the house
holder sent servants back to collect their share to collect
their portion or their part of the fruit that was rightful to
the landowner. And the Bible says that when
they got there, they didn't pay, they not only didn't give what
was rightful to the householder and keep their agreement.
But they brutally mistreated those servants.
They killed one, they beat one, and they stoned another.
And in verse 36 again, he sent other servants more than the
first, and they did unto him like wives.
I want you to picture this. Some of you own homes.
Some of you wrecked places. I want to draw the analogy, if
you're renting. A house, apartment, whatever it
is. Can you imagine if a person that
worked for the landlord came to you and says it's time to give
your share of the rent. How would it be if you beat that
person? Physically Or killed yet another
or stoned a third. Do you think for one minute now?
Get this. Do you think for one minute that
the landlord is going to say? Well, maybe they're just having
a bad day. I'm going to give them another
chance. If it was in the flesh, if it
was you or I, you know, what? You'd be doing the very first
time that they did something like that, you would call the
police the authorities and because that is a crime, they
were committing a crime. You think you're going to have
mercy for them? You're going to protect
yourself. If you have other servants,
you're going to protect them and not want them to go and spend
any time there. Jesus says, that the husbandman
set even more or the householder sent even more And the same
thing happened to them. Luke's account says, they were
shamefully entreated. These were Wicked.
People, not only did they beat them and kill them, but they
shamed them. You can only imagine the
landlord or what it would be today and I'm going to tell you
what this landowner did. He got to thank him. and he
said, you know, surely these people surely, these people have
something inside for me, still Certainly these people
certainly, if they think about me at all, if they honor me at
all, if they respect me at all, even the in the least, they're
going to respect my son and they're going to reverence my
son. And so he sends his son to go
and collect. I'ma tell you something that
takes that takes somebody that is capable of doing things that
you and I are not That's the picture of God.
That's the picture of God's love for man.
Man has messed up over and over and over and over and over
again. They were Wicked.
They beat those prophets of God. They killed them.
They stoned them. Time will not permit us to go
into that. But what you can do is and your
own time, you can look at 2nd Chronicles 36 and it also
Matthew 23 and verse 37 about the very idea of what we're
talking about, the Servants of God, or the prophets were
persecuted beaten and killed and mistreated and shamed.
By the workers in the vineyard. By the people.
Surely, if all I got one more idea, I'll send my son.
And if there's any bit of respect left inside for me at
all, they're going to respect my son.
You know, if I own a business, And I have a son and he works in
the business. You know, the other people that
work in there too. They may not like it, but at
least they're going to act like they respect the sun.
They're got at least go through the motions, like they're going
to respect the sun. Why?
Because their father owns the business, the father writes
their paycheck You would think that's exactly what these people
would do, but that's not what they did.
And the Bible says, when the sun got there, they looked upon the
Sun. And you know what they said?
They didn't say, oh, here he comes.
Let's respect him. They said this.
There he is. There's the air.
That's killing why? So we can own the vineyard.
Do you see the progression there?
Look at the progression of their crime.
It all started by not giving the fruit or the rent that was
rightful to the landowner, their landlord, then it began by
persecuting and even physically attacking the Servants of the
landlord Because they didn't want to pay.
Then when the sun came, they said will kill the Sun so we can
have it all. We'll kill the son, so we can
own the vineyard and no longer will.
We be just plodding along as tenants when the Lord therefore
the Vineyard comes this. What Jesus asked, what will he
do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, he will
miserably get this. Now this is their response.
He turns it back on them like he did with the parable of the two.
Sons he asks him a question. A question where there's only
one, answer and Jesus. As well, when the landowner
comes back, what you going to do to those people that did, so to
the Servants of that landowner, and even his son response was,
he will miserably destroy, those wicked men, you know what else
he's going to do, he's going to take this what they said.
He's going to take the vineyard away from these husband men, and
he's going to give it to somebody else, who's going to
appreciate it and give it to someone else that is going to
give the house. Householder his rent, his fruit.
God has always demanded payment and fruit.
Now, when we talk about payment regarding salvation, there's
nothing that I can do in my life that's going to be worthy of
what Jesus did for me. There's nothing that I can do in
my life, that's going to be good in terms of earning my way to
Salvation. We are saved by grace, that's
true. But we fall from grace when we
don't work and the works that we must do is when we bear fruit
for his name and his cause obedient works.
The Lord has always demanded obedience and he still does
today. Jesus says, what's going to
happen to these people. He said the Lord is going to
come back. He's going to destroy those
Wicked people. He's going to give the vineyard
to somebody else. You know, it was said that they
were looking at this Parable like, well, that really couldn't
happen, that's really not going to happen.
But notice what Jesus says, in the next verse verse 42.
He says, did you never read the read 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. You know what Jesus was saying?
Jesus says, oh yes, this makes sense.
Yes, this is true. And didn't you read the
scriptures? Haven't you read the prophecy?
Haven't you looked at these things before?
He said this. Jesus said look to the
scriptures. The the stone that the builders
rejected is made The Headstone or the chief of the corner.
Who is the head stone? Or the chief stone, or the
Cornerstone? It's the sun, it's Jesus.
And Jesus was going to do something great.
He was as God used Jesus as the Cornerstone, he was going to
build something else. Now the builders the builders,
the religious Elite of yesterday under the law of Moses.
They rejected the stone. They rejected Christ.
Picture it like this. If you build something, build a
block wall, You have bricks any kind of anything, you're
building a structure, you have building materials.
What do you do? What you do is when you want it
to look really nice and pretty. You start sorting through the
materials you want. Oh, this is a good one.
This is a really good. I like the color.
This one, this one over here, all this one will go.
Oh, this one is unsightly. It doesn't belong in the
structure at all. So, what happens, you take that
one, and you scrap it, you throw it aside and you don't plan on
using it. Jesus said, God has chosen.
Chosen the one that the builders rejected and threw off to the
side, not only to be part of the structure, not only to be part
of the building. But he'll be the very Foundation
of it. All will be built from him and
without him, the structure will not be built at all.
Ladies and gentlemen, obviously, he's talking about the church.
He's going to build the church and he's going to join Jew and
Gentile together alike. If they'll come in obedience and
First Peter chapter 2, beginning in Reading in verse 4, let me
hurriedly read this to whom coming as unto a Lively Stone
disallowed, indeed of men but chosen of God and precious, ye
also as Lively stones are built up a spiritual house.
A holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also, it is contained.
In the scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a chief Stone, Jesus,
elect precious. And he that believeth on him
shall not be confounded unto you, therefore, which believeth
he's precious, but under them, that are disobedient, the stone,
which the builders disallowed, the same as made the head of the
corner and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.
Even to them, which stumble, at the word being disobedient.
We're into also they were appointed, but ye are a chosen,
a chosen generation, ye are Royal priesthood a holy nation,
A peculiar people that ye should show forth, the Praises of him
who hath called you out of Darkness, Into His Marvelous
Light. Which in time past were not a
people get this But are now the people of God.
The Gentiles that first at one time were not a people but now
that the people of God which had not obtained Mercy but now have
obtained Mercy. Why?
because of the Sun, that the builders rejected, The son that
the builders rejected. Jesus, the Lamb of God because
of him. We have hope today because of
him. We have privileges today.
Therefore, verse 43. Now say I unto you the kingdom
of God shall be taken from you and given to the nation which
brings forth fruits thereof and whosoever shall fall.
On this Stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever, it shall
fall. It will grind him into powder.
You know, I'll tell you this is a amazing parable.
Because when we look at it, when we look at this Parable that
Jesus gave a long time ago, it seems so easy for us to
understand. But what about them that day?
The Bible does declare. And describe that day, there
were those that did understand. Fact, they're going to really be
angered by that. And they want to lay their hands
on Jesus, but they don't because the fear of the people, there's
that phrase again, whatever. That means, either physically or
their status or standing or whatever, You and I look at that
today, we're so glad and grateful.
Isn't that the greatest privilege of all that we have
the word of God? Isn't that the greatest
privilege of all we can go to the word of God?
We can prove and test everything by the word of God.
What a great blessing that is quickly now.
And then I'll be through. I'm going to apply this Parable.
Now. God, often bestows wonderful
privileges to his people. This was done with the nation of
Israel, like a precious Vineyard planted Israel in Canaan Bless
The Nation with laws. God blessed them with priests
and Prophets and other spiritual privileges.
Eventually he sent his only begotten son to be the Messiah
and save them from their sin. And what they had to do is all
they would have had to do was live Faithfully under what God
would have to say, and be faithful unto death.
And even though Jesus hadn't come yet, when Jesus goes to the
Cross, his blood would run back and cover their sins to if they
were righteous by their obedience to God. oh, privileges
All that God has done. But what about us today?
What about us today? Has God not given us privileges.
God gives us privileges as we live in this life.
He's given us the privilege of forgiveness of sins.
He's given us the privilege of the word of God, he's given us
all the blessings that we share in Christ.
He gives us the privilege of being able to assemble with
those of like Precious faith and be built up in the Most Holy
Faith and hear the word of God. You know what's wonderful about
that. You know, what's great about
that? Do you realize that today?
Not because it's me. But do you realize that today
when we've assembled here at this place?
To study this word. that we get to come in contact with
something that the prophets would have loved to know about,
but couldn't Don't you feel special?
You get to come and hear things that the people of old would
have loved to hear. And no, but we're not able,
We've been given the blessings of being able to worship and
honor God. Is there anything in your life?
It's more important than honoring.
God. I want you to picture this.
They were Wicked. They were horrible.
But don't forget the first thing they did wrong.
Is they didn't bear fruit to the master.
God expects fruit. Could it be said as it was taken
away from them? Could it be said that of us?
At the Privileges and the blessings are taken from us.
Because we didn't bear fruit. Because we didn't know bank.
One of the things that comes up and bible study.
A lot is what does God expect from me?
Have you ever thought that what does God really expect?
For me comes up an awful lot. God expects from you. the same
thing, he expects from me, He expects everything you got.
That's a growth process. Because guess what?
If you obeyed the gospel today, the things that you can do that
are your very best today. They'll be nothing compared to
what you'll be able to do in a year if you grow.
The things that you'll do in a year, don't even compare to what
you'll be able to do in 10 years if you continue to grow.
God wants fruit. God wants results.
Meaning our obedient life. And he wants us to do our very
very best we can do that, can't we?
Look what God has done for us. Look what he did for Israel.
They shirked him, they slept him off.
They didn't obey. They rejected his son and killed
him on a cross. What About Us?
When the doors are open midweek,
do we come and hear the word of God?
We get a chance to hear something.
That the those of old would have loved to know about.
I'll tell you this, if you don't do that, you're missing out,
Studying the word of God in the context that it's written.
I just wonder this. Remember what happened when the
servants came one phrase? Luke talks about this three
times Luke's account, he sent them away or the house, those
husband has sent them away empty-handed.
When the Lord comes for fruit, are we constantly sending him
away empty-handed? When Jesus wrote to the seven
churches of Asia and Book of Revelation, he talked about the
identity of those, that would be the children of God.
He said on a number of occasions.
I know your works. I know your works.
I know all about. But then he's tells them to do
something else. Go back to your first love.
He said, if you don't do that, I'm going to take away your
Candlestick. I'm going to take away your
identity. That's a Christian principle to
not just in days of old. Wouldn't it be awful to have our
identity taken away? One more thing, and I'll be
through. You've been a wonderful
audience, just one more thing. You know why?
I think sometimes we try to get away with things I'm talking
about in life and Society. You know, why do we do that?
Because we think that there's going to be some do-over.
We think there's going to be a in a golf terminology, you're
going to get a mulligan. You're going to get to hit
another ball. You're going to get to do over
again, you're going to be able to get like Society has dream
teams of lawyers to get people that are guilty off.
The reason that crime is as rampant as it is in this country
is because there's always a loophole, there's always
something that wants to give all of this, all of these rights to
the person that commits the crime so much so that even if
they're dead to rights and wrong, if the people
investigating make one mistake and it didn't change whether
they were right or wrong, it just their mistake.
The person goes free. So in their mind, there's a
loophole. Remember that illustration I
gave you years ago about Singapore but the drug laws in
Singapore. If you're if you're caught with
drugs and sing for you know what they do they kill you.
Guess what? No drug problems in Singapore.
There is another place. I don't remember the place.
Wish I did. That I read about that if a man
goes out and drinks and gets in a car and drives that car with
alcohol in his body and he gets a driving under the influence of
alcohol. A DUI.
He gets life in prison but it gets better.
Guess who gets to go with him? His wife?
Guess what? No drinking problems.
And that place because crime is not deterred by the severity of
the punishment crime. Is deterred by The Surety of it.
If we think that we can live our life, any way that we can and
that maybe God will change his mind one day and forget about
all the fruit that he's demanded of me and forget about all the,
The Obedience. He's demanded of me and God's
going to just maybe down the road change his mind.
Think again, folks, I'm not answering for God.
My dad used to say, you know, God can do whatever he wants to.
He's got all the votes. That's true.
God, should do whatever he wants to.
I just know what he said. I know what he's done.
Question is, will I obey him or will I live in such a way that
it will be taken from me and given to someone else that will
bear the fruit thereof? We thank you for listening to
our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
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