INTRODUCTION (SECURE ATTENTION) & BACKGROUND OF THE PASSAGE:
PRAY before starting the sermon.
Second Samuel 12 records the prophet Nathan’s visit to King David.
This visit occurred after David’s terrible sins of committing adultery with Bathsheba and getting her husband, Uriah killed.
Nathan tells David a parable in which David himself is part of the story.
After listening to the story, David burned with anger and says that the rich man who took the poor man’s little ewe lamb must die.
Then Nathan replies, “You are the man!”
In our text, Jesus does something similar.
He tells a parable to the religious leaders and they eventually realize that they are the key actors in the story.
Would you take God’s Word and turn your Bibles with me to MARK 12:1-12 (READ)?
I have entitled today’s sermon as: “WILL YOU RESPECT OR REJECT CHRIST?”
CENTRAL PROPOSITION OF THE TEXT: In this passage, Jesus tells a parable about the coming judgment on the Jewish religious leaders.
FALLEN CONDITION FOCUS: {Many non-Christians keep rejecting the claims of Christ.
They keep rejecting His love.
Many Christians too reject Christ in several areas of their lives.
We don’t really give Christ the place He deserves in our lives.}
THE PURPOSE BRIDGE: To encourage the members of EAGC to respect and submit to Christ.
CENTRAL PROPOSITION OF THE SERMON: I have used inductive proposition for this sermon.
I. GOD IS GRACIOUS.
Refer verses 1-8.
This passage is a continuation of the response that Jesus gave to the religious authorities, the representatives of the Sanhedrin who questioned his authority (refer 11:27-33).
Read verse 1.
During Jesus’ time, several landlords would rent out their land to tenants on a crop-sharing basis.
Jesus’ listeners would have understood this scenario well because several landlords did this in their time.
Read verse 1a.
While some parables concealed the truth from the hard-hearted people, Jesus reveals the truth of the impending judgment in this particular parable.
Read verse 1b.
After planting a vineyard, the man put a fence around it to protect it from wild animals.
He dug a pit for the winepress.
People would trample the grapes under the feet on a winepress and the juice would flow into the pit or vat.
He even built a tower which served as a watchtower to watch over robbers and intruders.
This tower probably even housed workers during harvest time.
Here, the man represents God, the Father.
The vineyard is a symbol for Israel (refer Ps. 80:8; read Isa. 5:1).
The tenants/vinedressers represent the Jewish religious leaders.
The servants are the prophets and priests sent by God (cf. Jer. 7:25 f.; 25:4; Amos 3:7; Zech. 1:6).
The mention about planting the vineyard, putting the fence, digging the pit, and building a tower reveals the kindness and generosity of God (read Isa. 5:2).
These tenants didn’t own the vineyard.
They were only stewards of the vineyard.
They were graciously given the privilege of working in the vineyard.
The Lord trusted the tenants by entrusting the vineyard to them.
Even today, as leaders and followers of Christ, we have the Word and the Spirit with us.
We have the presence of the risen Savior with us.
God expects even His Church to bear fruit and to be faithful.
We must bear the fruit of the Spirit (character) and do good works which will glorify the Father.
Read verse 2.
When the harvest season came, he sent one of his servants to get his share of the crops.
We are not sure that the Jews followed the Law strictly during Jesus’ time, but if they followed the Law, the owner could have collected the crop only five years after he had planted a vineyard (refer Lev. 19:23-25).
Read verse 3.
The tenants refused to give the share of crops that was supposed to be given to the owner.
To the servant’s surprise and eventually to the owner’s surprise, the tenants beat him and send him away empty-handed.
Read verse 4.
The owner sent another servant to get the share of crops.
But the tenants struck him on the head and treated him shamefully.
We see the increasing wickedness of the tenants in dealing with the man’s servants.
Read verse 5.
When another servant was sent, they killed him.
How sinful and ungrateful these servants were!
The owner sent several other servants and some were beaten and some others were killed.
That’s how Israel dealt with her prophets.
For instance, Elijah was driven into the wilderness by Ahab and Jezebel (refer 1 Kings 19:1-5).
According to tradition, Isaiah was sawn into two.
Zechariah was stoned to death (refer 2 Chron. 24:21).
In the New Testament, we read that John the Baptist was beheaded (refer to Mk 6:27).
The writer of Hebrews tells us that: 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— 38 of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. (read Hebrews 11:37-38)
We see the amazing patience of God in this story.
He relentlessly kept sending one prophet after the other to His people.
Read verse 6.
Finally, the owner decides to send his “beloved son.”
The religious leaders might have remembered how Abraham was willing to sacrifice his “beloved son” in Genesis 22:2 (refer).
However, Mark’s readers would have recalled the way Jesus was addressed in 1:11 and 9:7 (refer).
He thought that the tenants would respect his son.
Read verse 7.
The phrase, “Come, let us kill him” recalls the words of Joseph’s brothers in Gen. 37:20 (refer).
The tenants wrongly assume that the owner had died.
They reason that since the owner is dead, they can kill the son and take over the vineyard.
They thought that they can take possession of the ownerless property once the son is murdered.
The religious leaders didn’t fear God.
They wanted to be gods over people.
Read verse 8.
They mercilessly killed the son and threw him out of the vineyard.
These religious leaders would kill Jesus outside the city during the same week (refer to Heb. 13:12).
The tenants didn’t even give the owner’s son a decent burial.
Like this owner, God has been so gracious towards Israel and her religious leaders.
He sent several messengers.
But instead of producing spiritual fruit and listening to these prophets, they insulted them and even killed some of them.
Finally, God sent His “beloved Son.”
But the religious leaders even killed His Son.
Jesus knew that He was going to die.
He predicted this in Mark 10:33-34 (refer).
God’s patience and grace are demonstrated in sending one prophet after the another and in eventually sending His own “beloved Son.”
QUOTE: Charles Spurgeon said, “If you reject him, he answers you with tears; if you wound him, he bleeds out cleansing; if you kill him, he dies to redeem; if you bury him, he rises again to bring resurrection. Jesus is love made manifest.”
Open your eyes and see how gracious God is.
II. GOD IS JUST.
Refer verses 9-11.
Read verse 9.
Jesus asks a question and then immediately answers his own question.
Again, the language is similar to Isaiah 5:5-7 (read).
The owner will destroy the tenants because they rejected his son.
The Son, Jesus Christ is the final messenger of God.
QUOTE: Spurgeon said, “If you do not hear the well-beloved Son of God, you have refused your last hope. He is God’s ultimatum. Nothing remains when Christ is refused. No one else can be sent; heaven itself contains no further messenger. If Christ be rejected, hope is rejected.”
There is no hope for people who reject Christ.
The owner will destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.
Not only did the religious leaders face the wrath of God, the temple and Israel as a nation would face God’s judgment in 70 AD, where the Romans, led by Titus massacred thousands of Jews.
Ungodly living on the part of the leaders results in people suffering as well.
The vineyard would be given to the disciples of Christ and later to the Gentiles.
If we are not faithful, God will raise up someone else to do His will.
Read verses 10-11.
These verses are cited from Psalm 118:22-23 (refer).
Jesus quotes from the same psalm which the pilgrims from Galilee sang as Jesus rode on the donkey into Jerusalem.
In the original context, probably Israel is the rejected stone which later became the cornerstone.
Similarly, Jesus was rejected by the religious leaders, but through His resurrection, He became the cornerstone.
Jesus knew that He would die, but He also knew that He would triumph one day (cf. Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7).
Even the Gentiles who were rejected by the Jews will become “living stones” in God’s plan (refer 1 Pet. 2:5).
All this is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in the eyes of God’s people, including Mark’s Gentile audience.
God often uses the despised and the rejected (refer 1 Cor. 1:26-29).
His ways are marvelous!
This parable teaches that not only is God gracious but that He will also judge sinners one day.
He will not be silent forever.
Don’t mistake God’s patience for His approval or ignorance.
Read 2 Cor. 5:11a.
Along with the message of God’s love, we must preach the message of God’s judgment.
III. WILL YOU RESPECT OR REJECT CHRIST?
Read verse 12.
The religious leaders now plan to do what Jesus told them in this parable.
These people were afraid to arrest Jesus in the temple area as he was popular among the crowds.
Even in 11:32 (refer), we are told that these religious leaders feared people more than God.
When the Spirit convicted these religious leaders, instead of respecting Christ, they rejected Him.
What about you?
Will you respect Christ or reject Him?
If you still haven’t received Christ into your life, this is the day to repent of your sins and to follow Him.
Even after being saved, some of you are rejecting Christ’s Lordship over few areas of your lives.
When the Spirit convicts you about something, don’t reject His prompting.
Humbly repent before God and submit to Him.
CONCLUSION (INCLUDING THE PROPOSITION, REVIEWING THE MAIN POINTS [OPTIONAL], AND ACTION STATEMENTS):
CENTRAL PROPOSITION OF THE SERMON: Respect Christ and submit to Him.
God is extremely gracious.
He’s given each one of us countless opportunities.
But let’s not take His patience for granted.
For He is just as well.
He will execute His righteous judgment if we don’t repent.
Respect Christ.
Revere Christ.
Receive Christ.
IF YOU ARE STILL NOT SAVED, REPENT AND GIVE YOUR LIFE TO JESUS RIGHT TODAY!
