“god Has Been Faithful In Presenting The Salvation Plan" Series

THE BOOK OF MARK SERIES

MARK 12:1-12

Grace, Evangelism, Love

“God Has Been Faithful In Presenting the Salvation Plan.”

REVIEW

For the months of February and March we have been preaching from the Gospel According to Mark.

TODAY’S TEXT Mark 12:1-12 (NKJV)

BACKGROUND OF THE TEXT

• Today’s passage takes place on Tuesday of what we call PASSION WEEK.

• On Sunday before Jesus has already made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we will commemorate that day on Sunday the 29th Palm Sunday.

• Jesus went into the temple and threw out the money changers and those that were selling in the temple courts.

• He has caused a fig tree to whither and the fig tree represented the decline of the nation of Israel. From that He teaches a lesson on forgiveness and prayer.

When Jesus gives today’s parable He is in the temple speaking to the Chief Priests, scribes, and elders because they were questioning His authority to do the things He was doing.

Let’s listen in to what Jesus has to say to them.

1 Then He began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.

2 Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers.

3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

4 Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.

5 And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.

6 Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

7 But those vinedressers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'

8 So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.

9 Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.

10 Have you not even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.

11 This was the LORD'S doing, And it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

12 And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.

JESUS USED PARABLES (STORIES WITH MORAL MEANINGS) TO GET THE MESSAGE ACROSS TO HIS LISTENER’S.

IN THIS PARABLE YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHO ALL THE PLAYERS ARE:

• The man who owns the vineyard is no one but God Himself.

• The Vineyard represents the nation of Israel

(Isaiah 5:1-7)

1 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved A song of my Beloved regarding His vineyard: My Well-beloved has a vineyard On a very fruitful hill.

2 He dug it up and cleared out its stones, And planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst, And also made a winepress in it; So He expected it to bring forth good grapes, But it brought forth wild grapes.

3 "And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.

4 What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it? Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, Did it bring forth wild grapes?

5 And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned; And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.

6 I will lay it waste; It shall not be pruned or dug, But there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds That they rain no rain on it."

7 For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.

• The husbandman or vinedresser was the religious leaders in Israel

• The servants in Jesus Parable where all the prophets. That God sent to the religious leaders who is the vinedressers or if you have a KJV the Husbandman of the vineyard. The leaders had rejected those that had come.

• Finally the man who owns the vineyard sends the best one that He has, His only Son. That is Jesus.

Jesus is telling these religious leaders what they are going to do before they do it. He was charging them with murder before they committed murder.