Well, we turn back to our reading in Mark's Gospel, chapter 12, and this parable that we have in verse 1 to verse 12.
The parable of the tenants, as it is called.
It's not just a parable as we see here, Jesus teaching it against the Jewish leaders of the time,
but it's a reminder to us of how we have God's Word to this very day.
At the heart of it is that the Son was sent to them and the Son was rejected.
So this is looking at the Jews of that day.
But then at the end of verse 9, it says,
He will come and destroy the tenants and those who have rejected him and give the vineyard to others.
So that the Gospel is going to go out.
And as with many parts of Scripture, what we find here is a response to Jesus' teaching.
A response to the authority of God's Word.
As a question for ourselves as we begin the service this evening,
what do you do when you hear God's Word speaking to you?
We all hear it.
We all hear God's Word speaking to us.
We heard it this morning.
We hear it this evening.
We hear it so often.
But what do we do with the Word of God?
And what you find as you go through the Scriptures,
you find there are those who delight to hear the Word of God.
You think of the two on the road to Emmaus who met with Jesus there on the way.
And it says that their heart burned within them.
Not with anger.
As we can often think of a burning heart with anger.
It wasn't with anger.
But it was with this amazement, this wonder that Jesus was there opening up the Scriptures to them.
So there is one response to the Word of God.
But as we see again and again throughout God's Word,
there's another response, another burning within the heart.
But it's a burning with anger.
It's a burning with a ferocious anger as we see here as we look at the authority that Jesus was challenging.
As you read through chapter 11 and chapter 12 here in Mark's Gospel,
Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem and he's just a matter of days away from the crucifixion,
from going to the cross.
Why was he going to be crucified?
Well, we could say because it was God's plan.
That God had planned and purposed this from the very beginning.
As we see going through the Old Testament, as we saw this morning,
we thought about Isaiah 53, just touched on that,
how this reminder of Isaiah there speaking about the suffering servant,
the one who was going to give his life.
We could say that's the reason.
But we see it too in another way as well here.
He was going to be crucified because he was at the mercy of people's hands,
those who he caused offense to, those who he upset.
He angered these leaders.
And it was they who were seeking to crucify him as well.
In chapter 11 there in verse 18,
Jesus had come in and seen what they were doing in the temple in Jerusalem.
And he's saying there in verse 17,
that my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations,
but you have made it a den of robber.
So he's speaking to their hearts there.
And what they say is that they sought a way to destroy him in verse 18.
They sought a way to destroy him.
In verse 27 to 33, as we read here,
again, they were challenging his authority,
questioning his authority.
Who is he to say any of these things to us?
And even after this parable at the end in verse 12,
they were seeking to arrest him.
So it still wasn't changing.
Their reaction to God's word was one of,
you will not tell us what to do.
Why was he going to be crucified?
Well, because of what we see here,
not just in their hearts,
but in all the hearts of the people,
in ourselves today as well.
We see that he was going to be crucified
because the world is a sinful world
that needs a saviour, a redeemer.
And he came as that saviour who would give his life.
The son that we read of in this parable,
the son that the master loved.
So the question we face is,
as we were thinking this morning,
whose voice or what voice are we listening to?
Do we trust Jesus as the son of God
or are we looking somewhere else?
Are we looking to do away with him?
Are our hearts burning with desire for him
or burning with anger against him?
So as you go into chapter 12,
Jesus here challenges these religious leaders
with this parable that speaks to them.
He's speaking right into their hearts.
He's getting right into their very soul and being
as to what are they going to do with him.
The parable is something that the people
would have been familiar with.
In those days, very often this kind of situation
would happen.
We sometimes call it today absentee landlords
where somebody owns a vineyard,
in this case in the scriptures,
but they're at a distance.
But they have other workers
who will come and work it for them.
But the landlord ultimately owns it
and will get his share of the profits from it.
And that's what we see here.
This is the parable that Jesus uses.
Verse 1 describes for us a man who planted a vineyard.
And put everything up that was required,
a fence around it.
He dug a wine pit where the wine,
the juice of the grapes,
would be collected in the right season.
He built a tower for a watchman to guard it.
And he had his workers, his servants,
to work it for them.
And he left it in their care.
But when the season came,
when the wine was going to be flowing,
the master would want his share.
And so he would send his servants to them
to gather what he was due.
But then you see the response of those
who were the workers in the vineyard.
In this parable,
the lord of the vineyard,
the master is God.
We see that so clearly.
The vineyard is God's people
that he's caring for.
And the farmers are the Jewish religious leaders
and how they are dealing with God's people.
The servants that the master sends
are the prophets that God sent to his people.
And as we know,
the well-beloved only son
is the Lord Jesus Christ.
These things are so clear to us here.
And it's reminding us of God's grace
and his love towards us.
And that's what we want to take
from this parable as well.
But we see the response
of the farmers.
We see the response
of those who are working the vineyard
for the master.
And we see the response
in how the servants are sent
and what they do with them.
And how it speaks to us
of how we respond
to the word of God.
So we're going to go through it
and look at three different things
in this passage.
First of all,
we see the goodness of God.
The goodness of God.
I want to think about this.
Is it received
or is it rejected?
Received or rejected?
The goodness of God.
The parable,
as Jesus is speaking it to them here,
is very heavy
with Old Testament imagery.
And so the leaders
who he is speaking it to,
they would have known exactly
what he was talking about.
They are questioning Jesus' authority
as we see in chapter 11.
And so he's using this parable
to show them,
well, what are you going to do
with my authority?
Whose authority do you think it is?
And he is showing them
that this authority
foremost is with God.
And they should have been able
to see it immediately
as he speaks this parable to them.
Immediately as God's word
is speaking to them,
they should have been
under conviction of sin here.
The word of God speaking
so clearly to them
that they would have been feeling
just as shying away from Jesus.
Coming to that point
where you would hope
they would just see their sin
and say,
forgive us.
Have mercy on me, a sinner.
That is the response you would want,
but it's not the response
that you see.
Instead, it's their own pride
and self-importance
that comes to the fore.
But when you look at it
in the Old Testament,
you see just why
they should have realized
what Jesus was saying.
For example,
going back to Isaiah again
as we were this morning,
in chapter 5,
verse 1 to 4,
you see just how familiar
this is to what we're reading
here this evening.
Isaiah 5, verse 1,
let me sing for my beloved
my love song
concerning his vineyard.
My beloved had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
He dug it and cleared it
of stones
and planted it
with choice vines.
He built a watchtower
in the midst of it
and hewed out a wine fat in it
and he looked for it
to yield grapes,
but it yielded wild grapes.
And now,
O inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
judge between me
and my vineyard,
what more was there to do
for my vineyard
that I have not done in it?
When I looked for it
to yield grapes,
why did it yield
wild grapes?
You see how similar
that is to this parable
that Jesus is telling here.
The similarities are there
just so clearly.
And so they should have recognized
what Jesus was speaking about.
They should have recognized
the importance of this.
And as we are hearing
God's word as well,
surely we too recognize
the importance of it
because it's always speaking to us.
Here it is speaking
into the hearts
of these Jewish leaders
into their sin.
And that is what God's word
does for us as well.
It speaks into our hearts
of our sinfulness,
of how far short we fall
of God's glory,
of how much we've done wrong
against him.
And when you look at
what God has done
for his people
in the Old Testament,
how God had tenderly cared
for them.
When you go back to Egypt,
they were in slavery,
they were in bondage,
and yet the Lord
took them out.
He had taken them
through the wilderness,
cared for them there,
given them everything
that they needed.
He took them
into the promised land,
a land flowing
with milk and honey.
There they took root
and they flourished
and God blessed them
in so many ways.
God had given
his vine as they were,
his people,
all of his goodness
in which to grow.
He had blessed them
in so many ways.
He had given them
his word.
He had given them
his protection.
And he had done
all of these things
for them.
God had been good
to them.
As Isaiah 5,
verse 4 said,
what could have been
done more to my vineyard
that I have not done
in it?
He had done everything
for them.
Time and time again
the Lord has been
good to them.
But what did they do?
They rejected him.
And what of us today?
When we think of
what God has done
for us,
can we not say today,
God has been good
to us?
God has been good
to me.
Can you say that
this evening?
As God's word
is speaking to you,
reminding you
in your heart
of your sin.
And yet we read
of a saviour.
Can you not say,
well, God has been
good to me.
God has showed
his favour
towards me.
There is no
question that
everyone here
who has come
to trust
in the Lord
Jesus Christ
cannot confess
that God
has been good.
we are not
the Israel
that he is
speaking about
here.
We are not
those who are
in bondage
in Egypt.
But we are
in bondage
in sin.
We are lost
in our sin.
But God
by his mercy
takes us
out of that sin.
As Psalm 40
speaks about
waiting on the Lord
and has been
brought up
out of that pit
the mighty
clean,
our feet
set on the rock.
that is what
the goodness
of God
does for us.
Takes us
from darkness
to light.
Has God
been good
to you?
If you are
a believer
you can say it.
God has been
good.
But maybe
you are seeking
after God.
Can you not
say that God
has been good
to you as well?
God has given
you an opportunity.
God has given
you this time.
God has given
you his work.
God has heard
our prayers
in so many ways.
God has given
us his grace
in so many
different ways
day by day.
God has been
good.
The psalmist
in Psalm 116
in the Sing
Psalms version
it puts it like
this,
rest oh my soul
God has been
good to you.
That is where
we find rest.
God was good
to these leaders
but what did
they do?
They rejected
him.
They questioned
his authority.
They sought
to arrest
him.
They sought
to crucify
him.
But what
about us?
What do we do
with this
goodness
of God?
Do we give
thanks to him?
Do we rejoice
in it or do we
just push it
back in his face
and say not
for us?
God has been
good.
But so many
reject God
today.
Let us not
be found
as those
who reject
or shun
God
or turn
away from
him
but give
thanks to
him
and receive
his goodness
and praise
him for all
his grace
and love
towards us.
the goodness
of God.
We see it
here among
them,
rejected by
them.
Let us
receive
that goodness.
The second
thing we see
here is just
that grace
of God.
He's giving
them something
that they
don't deserve
and they just
throw it back
in his face.
And we see
that in how
the master
has given
them this
vineyard.
He's done
everything for
them,
prepared it
for them.
And then
in verse 2
it says,
when the
season came
he sent
a servant
to the
tenants
to get
from them
some of
the fruit
of the
vineyard.
Some
of the
fruit
of the
vineyard.
The owner
would send
his servants
to gather
what was
due to
him.
some
of the
fruit
of the
vineyard
as it
says in
verse 2.
The owner
normally would
take about
a third
or a half
for himself.
Everything
else
would go
to those
who attended
it.
To the
farmers,
to the
tenants
who had
been leased
it.
They would
get the
rest.
they paid
nothing
for it.
They
tended it
for a
time and
they bore
the fruit.
You would
think,
well,
they would
be delighted
with that.
They would
be made
up with
that.
They would
receive
their
reward.
But yet
what we
see is
when the
servants
arrive,
the tenants,
what do
they do?
They turn
against them
time and
time
again.
So the
first servant
arrives in
verse 3
and they
took him
and beat
him and
sent him
away empty
handed.
Verse 4,
again he
sent them
another servant
and they
struck him
on the
head and
treated him
shamefully.
And again
and again we
see it going
on here.
They killed
some,
they beat
others,
sent them
all away
empty
handed.
God is
showing
his grace
here towards
them,
giving them
opportunity
after opportunity
and yet
they still
cannot see
the goodness
of God
or the
grace
of God.
And what
is he saying
to the
leaders here?
Well all
of these
servants
that are
sent back
to the
tenants,
he is
saying,
these are
the prophets.
These are
the ones
who have
spoken
down
through
all the
generations
and what
did you
do with
them?
The ones
who brought
you my
word,
you beat
them,
you killed
them,
you sent
them away.
You see
this when
you go to
the book
of Hebrews
in chapter
one.
Long ago
at many
times and
in many
ways,
God spoke
to our
fathers by
the prophets.
So right
through the
generations,
God was
speaking.
And yet
they rejected,
rejected,
rejected.
And then
finally,
the landowner
sees one
more option.
In verse
six,
he had
still one
other,
a beloved
son.
Finally,
he sent
him to
them saying,
they will
respect my
son.
Surely,
this will be
the answer.
I will send
my son.
And again,
you go back
to Hebrews
chapter one.
God spoke
to our
fathers through
the prophets,
but in
these last
days,
he has
spoken to
us by
his son,
whom he
appointed
heir of
all things.
So we're
seeing here,
this is the
master sending
his son.
This is God
sending Jesus
Christ into
the world.
Surely,
they will
receive him.
But what
do they
do?
What do
they do
with him?
Well,
they see
an opportunity
for themselves.
In verse
seven,
but those
tenants said
to one
another,
this is
the heir,
come,
let us
kill him
and the
inheritance
will be
ours.
And they
took him
and killed
him and
threw him
out of
the vineyard.
This is
what they
did with
him.
they
thought that
by killing
the son,
they could
have
everything
for
themselves.
They
could not
stand
the thought
of this
Jesus
having
authority
over them.
So they
are looking
for ways
to kill
him.
And yet
what grace
God
shows.
Grace
that they
don't
deserve.
The
blessings
that they
have received
again
and
again.
But there
is a
warning.
What will
the owner
do?
What will
the owner
of the
vineyard
do?
In verse
9,
he will
come
and destroy
the tenants.
What a
warning
that is
there.
What will
we do
with this
grace
of God
ourselves?
God
has shown
us grace.
He
has given
us
his
word
through
the
prophets
as we
have
them.
He
has
spoken
to
us
through
his
son,
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ.
But how
do we
receive
that
word?
Do we
receive it
with gladness
or do we
reject it?
Do we
shun it
and turn
away from
it?
Do we
have that
attitude
where if
we can
just get
rid
of this
son,
we will
have
everything
for
ourselves?
As one
commentator
put it,
this is
the way
that humanity
sees it.
If humanity
can dispense
with God
or even
kill God,
then humanity
can become
God.
It's not a
reminder of
the kind of
hearts which
we have.
The hearts
that are
apart from
the grace
of God
want to
be God
ourselves.
If we
can dispense
with God
or even
kill God,
we can
become
God.
But we
cannot.
What they
failed to
understand
was the
grace that
was on
offer here,
that they
could have
everything if
they would
just receive
the son.
But they
failed to
understand.
Receive
the son,
the vineyard
and it's
all there
for you.
Receive
the son
as God
goes on
to speak
to us
through the
word and
you will
become a
child of
God.
Receive
the son
and you
become an
heir alongside
him.
Receive
the son
and you
have all
the blessings
that heaven
has to
offer.
But they
killed him.
What about
you?
What do you
do with
the son
who was
sent?
Do you
receive him
and all
the blessings
that are
offered
through him
or do
you kill
him?
God's
grace and
love is
immense
towards us
through his
son Jesus
Christ but
yet we
live in a
world that
says no
again and
again.
Will you
receive this
word with
joy or
will you
burn in
anger
against it?
That's the
choices that
are so
often put
before us.
But we
are warned
again and
that's what we
see finally
here because
there's an
ultimate
warning.
You go
on rejecting
the grace
of God
and there
are consequences.
Verse 9
What will
the owner
of the
vineyard
do?
He will
come and
destroy the
tenants and
give the
vineyard to
others.
Jesus was
God's final
messenger and
if they
rejected him
they were
saying no to
God for the
very last
time.
It's a
frightening
thought that
for us that
we could say
no to
God one
last time
but yet
God still
speaks.
The religious
leaders killed
the Son of
God on
the cross
at Calvary.
They thought
that they
would get
rid of
him and
get everything
all authority
and everything
else for
themselves
but they
would end
up with
nothing.
The
Master would
come and
destroy the
tenants.
They will
be cast
out and
others will
receive.
That is
the same
for us.
You
reject the
Son.
You throw
him away
but others
will receive.
Reject the
authority of
Jesus.
Reject the
salvation that
is offered
through him
and there is
only judgment
and destruction
for you.
But how
shall we
respond to
the word
of God?
Again you
go back to
Hebrews
chapter 2.
It's there
the warnings
are there for
us how God
has spoken
through his
Son.
But the
beginning of
chapter 2
therefore we
must pay much
closer attention
to what we
have heard
lest we
drift away
from it.
For since
the message
was declared
by angels
proved to be
reliable and
every transgression
and disobedience
received a
just retribution
how shall
we escape
if we
neglect such
a great
salvation?
Isn't that a
stark warning
for us?
Pay closer
attention to
what we have
heard lest we
drift away
from it.
How shall
we escape
if we
neglect such
a great
salvation?
We
won't.
We can't.
But the
salvation is
there on
offer to
us and
that's what's
summed up
by verse
10.
Have you
not read
this scripture?
The stone
that the
builders
rejected
has become
the corner
stone.
The Lord
this was the
Lord's doing
and it is
marvelous
in our
eyes.
Quoting
from Psalm
118.
The one
who was
rejected
has become
the
corner
stone.
Is it
your
corner
stone?
It was
the Lord's
doing.
Is it
marvelous
in your
eyes?
Do you
rejoice
in that?
That God
sent his
beloved
son.
That whoever
believes in
him will
not perish
but have
everlasting
life.
The word
of God
speaks to
our hearts.
The response
of these
religious leaders
of the day
was to have
him arrested
to cast
him away.
But what
is yours?
How do
you respond
to the
word of
God?
How will
you escape
if you
reject such
a great
salvation?
It was
Martin
Luther who
once put it
like this,
the life
of
Christianity
consists
of
possessive
nouns.
It is
one thing
to say
Christ
is our
Savior.
It is
quite another
thing to
say he
is my
Savior
and my
Lord.
The devil
can say
the first
he said.
The true
Christian
alone
can say
the second.
So who
is this
Christ?
Is he
just
our
Savior?
Or can
you say
he is
my
Savior?
If we
are able
to say
he is
my
Savior,
then we
can face
up to
that
judgment
when the
master,
the owner
returns.
And we
will not
be cast
away.
Because when
we come
to trust
in the
Lord Jesus
Christ,
to know
his love
and his
grace,
then we
are saved
through
him.
And as
Jesus
says in
Matthew's
gospel,
on that
day of
judgment,
there will
be those
who will
be cast
away,
who he
says,
I knew
you not.
That is
the outcome
for those
who reject
his son.
But for
those who
receive,
for those
who believe
in him,
Jesus says,
then the
king will
say to
those on
his right,
come,
you who
are blessed
by my
father,
take your
inheritance,
the kingdom
prepared for
you since
the creation
of the
world.
The king
has won.
He is on
his throne
and he
will come
again.
But what
we receive
depends on
what we do
with him
now.
Do we
receive him
with gladness
or do
our hearts
burn in
anger
against him?
He has
shown us
love.
He has
shown us
his goodness.
He has
shown us
his grace.
There is
nothing more
that he
could have
done for
his vineyard.
It's
what we
do with
him.
Do we
receive him
or do we
reject him?
May God
help us
to find
a refuge
in him
so that
when he
returns
he will
call us
by saying
come
you who
are blessed
by my
father.
Let us
pray.
Lord our
gracious God
we do
thank you
that your
word is
complete,
that your
word stands
firm and
sure,
that it
has all
authority
for us
and reminds
us of
our sin
and yet
your grace.
And we
thank you
Lord that
your word
speaks into
our hearts.
And we
pray today for
that word
to be received
in our hearts,
not with a
burning anger
that shuns
you and
turns away
from you,
but recognizing
our need
of you.
And thankful
for your
goodness to
us and
your grace
towards us.
Lord,
continue to
speak,
guiding us
and helping
us and
forgiving our
sins in
Jesus' name.
Amen.
We're going
to conclude
by singing
to God's
praise these
words in
Psalm 118,
the Sing
Psalms version,
page 156,
Psalm 118,
verse 21
to verse 26.
You answered
me, I'll
give you
thanks.
Salvation
comes from
you alone.
The stone
the builders
had refused
has now
become the
cornerstone.
The Lord
himself has
done all
this.
It is a
marvel in
our sight.
This is
the day
the Lord
has made
in it.
Let us
take great
delight.
We'll sing
from verse
21 to
26.
The tune
is Old
100th and
we stand
to sing.
You
answered
me,
I will
give
thanks.
Salvation
as now
stone.
The
Lord himself
has done
all this.
It is
a marvel
in
our sight.
This
is the day
the Lord
has made.
And
let us
take great
delight.
Save
us, O Lord,
we humbly
pray.
O
Lord, we
pray, grant
us success.
His
blessing
is blessed
who comes
in God's
great name.
You
from the
Lord's
house
we
will
bless.
Amen.
After the
benediction,
I'll go to the
door to my
right.
We'll close
with a
benediction.
May grace,
mercy, and
peace from
God,
Father,
Son, and
Holy Spirit
rest upon
and abide
with you
all now
and forever
more.
Amen.
God
Thank you.