“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a wine press in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him,“He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet,
master of a house - picturing God
vineyard - picturing the nation of Israel
vineyard - picturing the nation of Israel
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 vat 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? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow up; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting; and he looked for justice, but behold, bloodshed; for righteousness, but behold, an outcry! (Isaiah 5:1-7). (See also Jer 2:21 and Ps 80:8.)
The description of the preparation of the vineyard in verse 33 is, I think, to show that God created Israel, cared for Israel, and gave Israel everything the nation needed to succeed. (But the priests and rulers He appointed to govern treated it like it was their own.)
tenants - "The tenants represent the leaders of the Jews (and often most of the people too) who rejected the servants, the OT prophets, and who would shortly crucify the Son." (Ryrie)
servants - picturing the prophets sent to Israel
son - picturing Christ
"It is probably true that no person would send his son into a situation where servants had previously killed his other representatives but would immediately call the authorities. The contrast is between what men would do and what God had done. God did send His Son, even though Israel had rejected His prophets earlier and killed them and had rejected John the Baptist." (Walvoord)
what will he do? - "He had made them find the verdict (v 31); He now made them pass the sentence. He who compelled them to be the jury, finding the verdict in the case of their own wrong, now compelled them to be the judge, passing sentence upon their own iniquity. And they were quite vehement about it, and their very vehemence is the evidence of the tremendous force with which Jesus spoke the words, that searching intensity that stirred the conscience, and compelled attention, and made the chief priests forget their quarrel with Him and speak out the truth." (Morgan)
The quote in verse 42 is from Psalm 118:22-23. (See also Acts 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:7.)
"The figure of a stone is found often in Scripture, Jesus being referred to both as the foundation stone and the head of the corner (1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20-22; 1 Peter 2:4-5). To Israel, Jesus was a stumbling stone and a rock of offense (Isaiah 8:14-15; Romans 9:32-33; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Peter 2:8). At the time of His second coming, He will be a smiting stone of destruction (Daniel 2:34)." (Walvoord)
A people [nation] - In the original, there is no “a” — it’s just “people,” so it’s not referring to a specific people but to those who bring forth fruit, believing Israel. It can’t be the church, as Ryrie suggests: "I.e., taken from the Jews and given to the church, which is composed largely of Gentiles." (See Gaebelein's quote below.) And it certainly can’t be Gentiles in general because in no way can they be said to be bringing forth fruit. It can only refer to the believing remnant in the Tribulation who will enter the kingdom.
"The nation to whom the Lord promises the kingdom is not the Church. The Church is called the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, the Habitation of God by the Spirit, the Lamb’s Wife, but never a nation. The nation is Israel still, but that believing remnant of the nation, living when the Lord comes." (Gaebelein)
broken - Some commentaries say this is speaking of the brokenness necessary to receive salvation but that doesn't make sense to me. Gaebelein has another take (below).
"The Lord in these few words predicts the coming judgment of the Jews and the Gentiles. The one sentence has been carried out and the other is still to be executed. The Jews have fallen on this stone and they have been broken. How it has become true! The stone is yet to fall and strike the world-powers, the Gentiles, and grind them to powder. [Turn to] Daniel 2 and read Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and the divinely given interpretation. The stone cut out without hands, falling out of heaven, smiting the great image at its feet, is the Lord Jesus Christ in His second coming. The Lord refers to this here. As truly as He broke the Jews who fell on Him, so will He pulverize Gentile world power and dominion, when He is revealed from heaven. The nations are ripe for their judgment." (Gaebelein)
"If your question is about 'broken,' the right cross reference is Isaiah 8:14-15. Those are the verses the Lord is thinking of. He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.And many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken, be snared and taken. Isaiah 8:14 speaks of 'both the houses of Israel' and 'the inhabitants of Jerusalem,' and then says 'many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken…' The Lord is speaking to 'the chief priests and elders' (Matt 21:23), so we know that He is talking about what will happen to them if they 'fall' or 'stumble' on the rock of Christ. Even the chief priests knew He was talking about them (Matt 21:45; Lk 20:18-19). It is always Israel that is said to have 'stumbled at that stumblingstone' (Romans 9:32). The rest of the verse, the part about the stone grinding them to powder, I think concerns the Gentiles (Ps 2:8-9; Dan 2:34-35, 44-45)." (Kurth)
servants - picturing the prophets sent to Israel
son - picturing Christ
"It is probably true that no person would send his son into a situation where servants had previously killed his other representatives but would immediately call the authorities. The contrast is between what men would do and what God had done. God did send His Son, even though Israel had rejected His prophets earlier and killed them and had rejected John the Baptist." (Walvoord)
what will he do? - "He had made them find the verdict (v 31); He now made them pass the sentence. He who compelled them to be the jury, finding the verdict in the case of their own wrong, now compelled them to be the judge, passing sentence upon their own iniquity. And they were quite vehement about it, and their very vehemence is the evidence of the tremendous force with which Jesus spoke the words, that searching intensity that stirred the conscience, and compelled attention, and made the chief priests forget their quarrel with Him and speak out the truth." (Morgan)
The quote in verse 42 is from Psalm 118:22-23. (See also Acts 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:7.)
"The figure of a stone is found often in Scripture, Jesus being referred to both as the foundation stone and the head of the corner (1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:20-22; 1 Peter 2:4-5). To Israel, Jesus was a stumbling stone and a rock of offense (Isaiah 8:14-15; Romans 9:32-33; 1 Corinthians 1:23; 1 Peter 2:8). At the time of His second coming, He will be a smiting stone of destruction (Daniel 2:34)." (Walvoord)
A people [nation] - In the original, there is no “a” — it’s just “people,” so it’s not referring to a specific people but to those who bring forth fruit, believing Israel. It can’t be the church, as Ryrie suggests: "I.e., taken from the Jews and given to the church, which is composed largely of Gentiles." (See Gaebelein's quote below.) And it certainly can’t be Gentiles in general because in no way can they be said to be bringing forth fruit. It can only refer to the believing remnant in the Tribulation who will enter the kingdom.
"The nation to whom the Lord promises the kingdom is not the Church. The Church is called the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, the Habitation of God by the Spirit, the Lamb’s Wife, but never a nation. The nation is Israel still, but that believing remnant of the nation, living when the Lord comes." (Gaebelein)
broken - Some commentaries say this is speaking of the brokenness necessary to receive salvation but that doesn't make sense to me. Gaebelein has another take (below).
"The Lord in these few words predicts the coming judgment of the Jews and the Gentiles. The one sentence has been carried out and the other is still to be executed. The Jews have fallen on this stone and they have been broken. How it has become true! The stone is yet to fall and strike the world-powers, the Gentiles, and grind them to powder. [Turn to] Daniel 2 and read Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and the divinely given interpretation. The stone cut out without hands, falling out of heaven, smiting the great image at its feet, is the Lord Jesus Christ in His second coming. The Lord refers to this here. As truly as He broke the Jews who fell on Him, so will He pulverize Gentile world power and dominion, when He is revealed from heaven. The nations are ripe for their judgment." (Gaebelein)
"If your question is about 'broken,' the right cross reference is Isaiah 8:14-15. Those are the verses the Lord is thinking of. He will be as a sanctuary, but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, as a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.And many among them shall stumble; they shall fall and be broken, be snared and taken. Isaiah 8:14 speaks of 'both the houses of Israel' and 'the inhabitants of Jerusalem,' and then says 'many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken…' The Lord is speaking to 'the chief priests and elders' (Matt 21:23), so we know that He is talking about what will happen to them if they 'fall' or 'stumble' on the rock of Christ. Even the chief priests knew He was talking about them (Matt 21:45; Lk 20:18-19). It is always Israel that is said to have 'stumbled at that stumblingstone' (Romans 9:32). The rest of the verse, the part about the stone grinding them to powder, I think concerns the Gentiles (Ps 2:8-9; Dan 2:34-35, 44-45)." (Kurth)
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