After Jesus’ encounter with the scribes and Pharisees in Mark 11:27-33, He gives them the parable of the vineyard owner. A man (represents God) plants a vineyard (represents Israel) and leased it to vine dressers (represents Jewish leadership). When the grapes were ready for harvest, the man sent his servant (represents Old Testament prophets) to gather some fruit of the vineyard (12:2). The servant was beaten and sent away with nothing (12:3). So the vineyard owner sent another servant and they stoned him and sent him away also (12:4). The man sent many more servants but each one was rejected (12:5). After all the servants had been turned away, the vineyard owner decided to send his only son (represents Jesus Christ) thinking they would respect his authority (12:6). However, the vine dressers killed the man’s son also (12:7-8). Jesus then asks the scribes and Pharisees, “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do?” Quickly answering His own question Jesus says, “He will come and destroy the vine dressers, and give the vineyard to others” (12:9). In essence, Jesus was explaining that God had entrusted His message to the nation of Israel using prophets to proclaim it; however, over and over the nation of Israel rejected His message spoken through the prophets. Finally God sent His Son, Jesus, to be the ultimate manifestation of His message of faith and repentance but the Jewish leaders were about to kill Him also.
Referencing Psalm 118:22-23, Jesus details that the Jewish religious leaders had rejected Him as the chosen One sent from God. Jesus’ parable angered the Jewish religious leaders because they knew He was referring to them. “And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude…. So they left Him and went away” (12:12). Instead of recognizing Jesus as the Messiah and repenting of their sinful ways, they rejected the Son of God and from this time forward looked for a way to destroy Him. Jesus dealings with the Jewish leaders should cause us to think about who Jesus really is? If we believe He is not the Son of God, then we are siding with the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day. But if Jesus is truly the promised One of God sent to deliver us from sin, we must repent and follow His ways. Every person must make a choice regarding the identity of Jesus Christ – was He a liar or was He the Son of God?
Dear God, help those reading to see Jesus Christ as the true Son of God. May we all chose to worship Him not only with our lips, but with our lives.
