G RACE R EJECTED Mark 12:1-12 (p ) March 17, 2013

I NTRODUCTION  Last week:  Jesus entered Jerusalem  “Cleansed” a portion of the temple courts  Cursed a fig tree  Metaphor for Israel not producing fruit  Jewish authorities question Jesus: “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you authority to do this?” (Mark 11:28)  Today: Indirect answer using Parable of the Tenants

I NTRODUCTION  Hearing the parable without any background info...  Why was the owner so naïve?  Why are the tenants so bad?  Why did the tenants think they could get away with their crimes?  Conclude: Silly story. The owner shouldn’t have been so nice.  No relevance to my faith and life

I NTRODUCTION  Hearing the parable as Jesus’ audience…  Great knowledge of Old Testament & Jewish thought and culture  Meaning of parable is very different  Important for Christians to study the Bible so we can understand the deeper meanings.  Today:  Hearing as Jesus’ audience did  Implications for our faith & life

1. W HO IS THE O WNER ?  Owner of a vineyard built a watchtower, winepress (Mk 12:1)  Reminiscent of Isaiah’s “Song of the Vineyard:” My loved one had a vineyard… He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. (Isa 5:1-2)  Symbolic language explained in Isa 5:7: The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel.  God is the owner

1. W HO ARE THE T ENANTS ?  Owner rented the land to tenant farmers  Different from Isa 5 vineyard, which had no tenants  But vineyard in Isa 5 and tenants in Mk 12 function in the same way:  The vineyard & the tenants are fruitless  The tenants are fruitless Israel!

1. W HO ARE THE T ENANTS ?  Jesus’ audience were the leaders of Israel, therefore this story is condemning them – and they know it!  Isa 3:14 “The LORD enters into judgment with the elders and princes of his people: It is you who have devoured the vineyard, the spoil of the poor is in your houses”  Jer 12:10 “Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard, they have trampled down my portion, they have made my pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.”

1. W HO ARE THE S ERVANTS ?  Servant sent to collect owner’s share of the fruit, but he is beaten and sent away empty-handed  Second servant – “struck on the head and treated shamefully” v4  Third servant – killed!  Owner continues to act with goodwill towards tenants… “He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed” v5  The servants are God’s prophets!

1. W HO ARE THE S ERVANTS ?  2 Chronicles 36:15-16 “The Lord, the God of their ancestors, sent word to them through his messengers again and again, because he had pity on his people... But they mocked God’s messengers, despised his words and scoffed at his prophets until the wrath of the Lord was aroused against his people...”  Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you!”

1. W HO IS THE B ELOVED S ON ?  The owner has one more to send: his beloved son  Why??  The servants appealed to the integrity of the tenants  The son appeals to the owner’s legal right over the vineyard  The son represents the father’s authority  Given wickedness of the tenants, the son also expresses the owner’s compassion

1. W HO IS THE B ELOVED S ON ?  Tenants could have responded righteously  But they do not; selfishness & greed rule… “They took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.” v8  The beloved son is Jesus!  Jesus is called “beloved” (TNIV: “son whom I love”) at his baptism and at the Transfiguration (Mk 1:11, 9:7)  Death of the son in the parable points to Jesus impending betrayal and death

2. G RACE R EJECTED “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and vie the vineyard to others.” v9  The chief priests, elders, teachers of the law will be unseated from their places of leadership, power & authority  The consequences of rejecting the owner’s final act of compassion & grace  Supported by Psalm 118:22-23 “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this…”

2. G RACE R EJECTED  Psalm 118:22-23  To us: allusion to Jesus’ resurrection  To Jesus’ audience: the tenants evil actions will be overcome by God’s sovereignty They didn’t apply it to their own lives… they “looked for a way to arrest [Jesus] because they knew he had spoken the parable against them” v12

2. G RACE R EJECTED  The Parable of the Tenants indirectly but clearly answered their questions from Mk 11:28 “By what authority are you doing these things?”  The answer: God’s authority! “And who gave you the authority to do this?”  The answer: God did!  Even though Jesus was rejected by the religious establishment, he would ultimately become the cornerstone

3. W HO ARE WE ?  How am I treating Jesus and the grace He offers?  Rejecting grace: when we live without reference to God & when our actions do not bring Him glory  The wicked tenants: Selfish & Greedy  What parts of the vineyard do I want to keep?  Am I greedy? Stingy?  Am I generous? Giving sacrificially?  Example: having kids

4. C ONCLUSION  How do we escape the fate of the tenants and leaders of Israel? BE THANKFUL!  Notice the world around you, be thankful for every small and great thing!