By Pastor Dave Farmer
Jesus continues to warn the Sanhedrin that if they do not repent and trust in Him, then great harm would befall them and the nation.
Text for this study: Matthew 21:33-46.
Jesus INTRODUCES a story
Matthew 21:33-39
33] “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey.
34] “When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his produce
35] “The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third.
36] “Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first, and they did the same thing to them.
37] “But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38] “But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’
39] “They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
This is a story about a great landowner who worked diligently to prepare his property for the planting of a vineyard. He protected it by putting a hedge around it and even erected a high tower to act as a watchtower. He then rented it out to sharecroppers on a percentage basis. They were to bring in the harvest for him and share in the blessing of that harvest.
Now, the landowner went away. When harvest time came, he sent his servant to collect his portion of the sale of the goods, but they killed him. He thought, "well maybe they would yield to strength." So he sent more servants. This time a greater number of servants went. They killed them. Finally, he sent his son. He said to himself, "surely the prestige of my son would make a difference," but they murdered his son.
Secondly, He INTERROGATES them
His question
Matthew 21:40
“Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?[what judgment would he exact]”
Their answer
Matthew 21:41
They said to Him [the Sanhedrin], “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”
The temple authorities are convinced that the sharecroppers should be severely punished. In their judgment, they are guilty, so guilty that they should receive the maximum penalty, “bring those wretches to a wretched end.” They are gung-ho about righting the wrong done to the landowner. Now with their own lips, they have condemned themselves for they are the wretches of this parable and according to verse 45 they understood its meaning:
Matthew 21:45
When the chief priests and the Pharisees [members of the Sanhedrin] heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.
Summary of the Parable
The landowner represents our Heavenly Father who sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ to gather from the religious leaders a harvest [the people who they were to lead to Christ–John 4:35], but instead, they reject the Son and will kill Him [in two days they will have Him crucified]. The landowner will deal severely with the sharecroppers [the Sanhedrin]. Their judgment will be twofold. Their “wretched end” will occur in 70 AD when the nation of Israel is destroyed by the Roman’s and their mission will be given to the Church, the other vine growers. Jesus now reveals the truth of the parable.
Jesus INTERPRETS the story
Matthew 21:42
Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This [one] became the chief corner stone; This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?
The Scripture is Psalm 118
Jesus interprets the parable by quoting a very familiar Psalm. In fact, portions of this psalm were sung by the crowd as Jesus entered the city [see the study on the Triumphant Entry]. 1 For over 900 years these words have been heard during the times of assembled worship, but it is not until this day in the temple that it is fully understood.
The Rejected Stone
I want to point out this very important fact. Jesus regarded this Psalm as referring to Himself. In other words, the sharecropper’s rejection and subsequent murdering of the landowner's son are equivalent to the builders, who are the Sanhedrin, rejecting the Stone. Jesus is the Stone, a prophetic symbol of His Messianic work.
The Chief Cornerstone
The message in this prophetic passage indicates that their plan will backfire, "This one [the Lord Jesus Christ] became the chief cornerstone." They planned to destroy "the stone" but our Heavenly Father resurrected His Son from death's domain and gave Him the preeminent title "Lord of Lord's and King of Kings."
The Double Blessing
Our Lord Jesus in His humanity is the King of the Jews. He is a member of the royal family of David. The Sanhedrin rejected Him and arranged for His arrest, trials, and death. This is man's plan. However, God's word says, "This came about from the Lord." This is the plan of God. It cannot be broken. Nothing that man does or does not do can impede the progress of the plan of God. The Father permitted their plan to unfold and then overruled it by resurrecting our Lord Jesus Christ from the death's grip. "This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes."
So the resurrection gave the Lord's humanity eternal life. Earthly kings rule for a short time and then their monarchy's stop when they die. God, on the other hand, overruled and said, "His rule over Israel will be eternal." This is in fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant, 2 Samuel 7:16. In addition to this, Jesus Christ becomes the Head of the Church. The idea behind the symbol of the Chief Cornerstone now becomes apparent. A cornerstone is used to connect two walls. The first wall represents the fact that Jesus is King of the Jews and the second wall is the Church. Our Lord would now be Head of two spiritual families, the ruler over all believing Jews and the prince-ruler of the Church.
"And He is the head of the body, the Church. . ." Ephesians 1:22
Jesus IMPARTS the application
Matthew 21:43
Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it [Day of Pentecost when the church age began].
Their Mission is Removed and Passed on to the Church
Jesus, through this second parable, is warning them about their future. He just told them about His future; now it is their turn. The nation will be taken away from the Jews in 70 AD. The religious system that they had raised up will be brought down. On the Day of Pentecost, about 52 days after this message, the mission of Israel, to serve and glorify God, will be given to the Church, see Acts chapter two.
Matthew 21:44
“And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces [the Judgment of 70 AD]; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust. [The Second Advent of Christ]”
The religious system of the Jews will be destroyed until the Lord Jesus Christ returns to rebuild the temple and institute His Millennial Kingdom. Now in the second part of this verse, the Stone falls on those who have rejected Him. They will reap the whirlwind of divine judgment and be pulverized. This will occur at the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. The picture of the pulverizing stone is also found in the prophecy of Daniel, Daniel 2:34.
God planned to reveal to the world through Israel a wonderful salvation through Jesus Christ their Messiah. Israel rejected Him, so God gave that mission to another group. Now it is our privilege to share with the world our wonderful Savior. Israel put Him in a grave, God took Him out of the grave and seated Him above all principalities and authorities and dominions and gave him the preeminent position - Lord of Lords and King of Kings, Revelation 19:16.
"This is the Lord doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes."
Endnotes
1 To study the article on the Triumphant Entry see Topic 101.
2 An expanded version of the parable with the main points interpreted.
Matthew 21:33-45
33] “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner [God the Father] who planted a vineyard [The Nation of Israel] and put a wall around it and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers and went on a journey.
34] “When the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves [the prophets] to the vine-growers [the Chief Priest and Scribes] to receive his produce.
35] “The vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, and killed another, and stoned a third.
36] “Again he sent another group of slaves larger than the first, and they did the same thing to them.
37] “But afterward he sent his son [The Lord Jesus Christ] to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38] “But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’
39] “They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard [crucified outside the city] and killed [on the cross] him.
40] “Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers? [What judgment would he exact?]”
41] They said to Him [the Sanhedrin], “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers [the Church] who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons.”
42] Jesus said to them [Sanhedrin], “Did you never read in the Scriptures [Psalm 118:22, 23], ‘The stone [The Lord Jesus Christ] which the builders [the Sanhedrin] rejected, This one [the Lord Jesus Christ] became the chief corner stone; This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43] “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you [the Fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD] and given to a people [the Church], producing the fruit of it.
44] “And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces [judgment of the 5th cycle of discipline], but on whomever, it falls [at the Second Advent] it will scatter him like dust.”
45] When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.