SEPTEMBER 20, 2015
THE PARABLE OF THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN
INTRODUCTION:
1. Having entered Jerusalem, Jesus went directly to the temple. This, in itself, was a powerful indication that His Kingdom was not after the natural order, but was rather after a spiritual order.
2. His initial visit to the temple was for observation purposes. He was doubtless grieved to see how His Father’s house of prayer had been turned into a house of merchandise and a den of thieves, yet He took no immediate action against its corruptors, but instead, retired to Bethany for the night. When He returned the next morning, however, He was not passive, but very active; as He performed two symbolic acts which served to illustrate radical changes that He had His Kingdom would bring to pass.
a) He cursed a fig tree because it was covered with leaves, but bore not fruit. The barren fig tree was an apt emblem of the Jew’s religion, which was all about outward profession, but bore no fruit unto God.
b) He purged the temple, driving from it the money changers, etc., thereby symbolizing the renovation that was coming.
3. Having purged the temple, He then made it a place for teaching. As it was His method to teach by parables, He proceeded to set forth the sin and ruin of the Jewish nation in a parable about a vineyard and some wicked husbandmen to whom the owner had entrusted it.
I . THE JEWISH NATION WHICH WAS SO HIGHLY HONORED AND PRIVILEGED IS HERE REPRESENTED IN PARABOLIC LANGUAGE. (VERSE 1)
A. ISRAEL WAS A NATION OF THE LORD’S PLANTING, AND REFERRED TO IN SCRIPTURE AS HIS “VINEYARD.” (PSA. 80:8; ISA. 5:2; 61:3; JER. 2:21, ETC.)
1. The nation itself was planted when God gave them a law, and put them in possession of the Promised Land. He fenced it with deserts, seas, and rivers.
2. The vineyard here is God’s Kingdom on earth, particularly the Jewish nation. The parable is founded on Isa. 5:1-7.
B. THE VINEYARD OWNER IN THE PARABLE IS THE LORD HIMSELF.
1. In Isa. 5:1-7 it is God Himself Who is seen tending the vineyard. He never literally withdrew Himself, as one having gone “into a far country.”
2. However, once in their own land, the Lord did take the visible signs of His presence away, and put His vineyard under the care of “husbandmen.”
C. THE “HUSBANDMEN” IN THE PARABLE REPRESENT THE SPIRITUAL LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE.
1. Israel had a priesthood of the tribe of Levi, and elders to represent them to the priests.
2. The present leadership was made up of scribes, Pharisees, chief priests, and elders, who were to lead and instruct the people.
3. They were said even to sit in Moses’ seat. (Matt. 23:2)
D. THE LORD HAD “HEDGED” HIS VINEYARD, THAT IS, HE HAD GUARDED AND PROTECTED IT.
1. This He did by His providence. God Himself was their defender.
2. More important than the physical boundaries mentioned above, were the spiritual fences consisting in peculiar laws and minute restrictions which differentiated Judaism from all other religions, and tended to preserve purity and holiness.
3. God’s commands are not to deprive, but to protect us.
E. THE “WINE PRESS” THAT HE DUG WITHIN HIS VINEYARD MAY BE UNDERSTOOD IN A COUPLE OF WAYS.
1. It may simply signify god’s supply of all things necessary for their use and enjoyment.
2. Yet typically, it speaks of the prophetic spirit, the temple services, and all the things that typified the sacrifice and death of Christ.
F. THE “TOWER,” FOR THE PURPOSE OF WATCHING AND GUARDING THE VINEYARD, MAY SPEAK OF THE CIVIL POWER, AS WELL AS TEMPLE AND PRIESTHOOD.
G. THE VINEYARD WAS “LET OUT” (RENTED OUT), AS IT WERE, TO THE “HUSBANDMEN” OR TENANTS.
1. According to the custom of the day, the “rent” to be paid in such cases was simply a previously agreed upon percentage of the harvest.
2. This brings us to the point of the parable. The “renters” returned no fruit to the owner of the vineyard when the payment was due.
3. The point of the parable is the same as that which was symbolized in the cursing of the barren fig tree in Vs. 19.
II. THE PAST TREATMENT OF GOD’S PROPHETS AND THE FUTURE CRUCIFIXION OF HIS SON ARE NEXT PARABOLICALLY DESCRIBED. (VERSES 2-8)
A. GOD HAD REPEATEDLY SENT HIS SERVANTS (HIS PROPHETS) TO COLLECT HIS DUE (TO CALL BOTH PRIESTS AND PEOPLE BACK TO PURITY AND HOLY RELIGION), BUT THE HUSBANDMEN (KINGS, PRIESTS, AND TEACHERS) HAD UNITED IN DOING EVIL TO THEM. (VERSES 2-5; ISA. 66:5; JER. 20:1, 2; 26:11; ACTS 7:52)
1. This is the householder’s last resort. Luke represents him as saying, “What shall I do?”
2. Sending Jesus to Jerusalem was God’s ultimatum. Reject Him, and judgment falls! “They will reverence my son.”
a) How could they not reverence Him?
b) Heaven adores Him; hell trembles at Him. “They will reverence my son.”
3. The tenants knew that the son was the heir, and therefore plotted his death in order to steal his inheritance. (Vs. 7)
a) This tells us the priests and leaders knew that Jesus was the Messiah.
b) But, they had possession of the inheritance, and they thought by killing the heir, they would keep possession.
4. They were hasty in carrying out their wicked plot. (Verse 8; Matt. 21:39)
a) “They caught Him” in the garden of Gethsemane.
b) “They cast Him out,” out of their city.
c) “They slew Him” at Calvary.
III. JESUS REQUIRED THE CHIEF PRIEST AND ELDERS TO ANNOUNCE THEIR OWN VERDICT AND JUDGEMENT OUT OF THEIR OWN MOUTHS. (VERSE 9; MATT. 21:40, 41)
A. IT WAS THEIR CRIMES THAT HE HAD DESCRIBED.
1. As a class, the religious leaders were guilty of the blood of a long line of prophets.
2. They were about to crown their long career of crime by the murder of the Son of God.
B. VIEWING IT OBJECTIVELY, THEY COULD SEE CLEARLY THE HEINOUSNESS OF THE HORRIBLE CRIMES HERE DESCRIBED IN THE PARABLE, AND WELL UNDERSTOOD THE JUST PUNISHMENT THAT THEY DESERVED. (MATT. 21:41)
1. Like David before Nathan. (II Sam. 12:1-6)
2. Why do we judge our sins more severely when we detect them in other people?
3. Later, they will realize that He is speaking about them (Verse 12), but it did not stop them from carrying out the crime.
C. ONCE THEY HAD ANNOUNCED THE VERDICT AND PRESCRIBED THE JUST PUNISHMENT, IT WAS TIME FOR THEM TO OWN THE GUILT.
IV. FINALLY, JESUS CHARGES THESE JEWISH LEADERS WITH THEIR REJECTION OF HIMSELF (THE TRUE MESSIAH), NOT BY PARABLE, BUT WITH PROPHETIC SCRIPTURE. (VERSES 10-12; PSA. 118:22, 23)
A. THEY WERE PROFESSEDLY “THE BUILDERS,” AND THEY HAD REJECTED HIM, “THE CHIEF CORNER-STONE.” (VERSE 10)
1. Against the wills of scribe and priest, the Lord had accomplished this. “This is the Lord’s doing.”
2. The suffering and glory of Christ are the wonders of the universe. “It is marvelous in our eyes.”
B. THE KINGDOM WOULD BE TAKEN FROM THEM AND GIVEN TO ANOTHER NATION. (VSE. 9b)
1. That nation (Israel) that had been so favored of God would come to sacrifice everything that had made them so blessed.
2. The “NATION” to which the Kingdom is to be given shall be a HOLY NATION, made up out of every nation. (I Pet. 2:1-10)
3. There is a true Israel according to the election of grace, made up of every nation, kindred, and tongue.
C. THE STONE THAT THESE “BUILDERS” REFUSED MUST EVENTUALLY DESTROY THEM IN THE JUDGMENT. (SEE MATT. 21:44)
D. NOTE THE SELF-DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR OF THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS. (VERSE 12)
1. They knew He spoke of their judgment.
2. Yet, they would have laid hands on Him right then had they not feared the multitude, who thought He was a prophet.
CONCLUSION:
1. Oh, foolish nation! The Son of God took upon Himself the seed of Abraham. He came to His own, but they received Him not. They cried for His blood until they saw Him slain. The favored and privileged tenants of God’s vineyard killed His only begotten Son.
2. But, though the crime was horrendous beyond words, the wondrous truth is that God’s grace is triumphant. “This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.” “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself.”
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