Mk 12:1 Then Jesus spoke to them in parables: "Once there was a man who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to tenants and left home on a trip. 2 When the time came to gather the grapes, he sent a slave to the tenants to receive from them his share of the harvest. 3 The tenants grabbed the slave, beat him, and sent him back without a thing. 4 Then the owner sent another slave; the tenants beat him over the head and treated him shamefully. 5 The owner sent another slave, and they killed him; and they treated many others the same way, beating some and killing others. 6 The only one left to send was the man's own dear son. Last of all, then, he sent his son to the tenants. "I am sure they will respect my son,' he said. 7 But those tenants said to one another, "This is the owner's son. Come on, let's kill him, and his property will be ours!' 8 So they grabbed the son and killed him and threw his body out of the vineyard. 9 "What, then, will the owner of the vineyard do?" asked Jesus. "He will come and kill those tenants and turn the vineyard over to others. 10 Surely you have read this scripture? "The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all. 11 This was done by the Lord; what a wonderful sight it is!'" 12 The Jewish leaders tried to arrest Jesus, because they knew that he had told this parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away. (TEV)

Matthew Henry Commentary:

Christ had formerly in parables showed how he designed to set up the gospel church; now he

begins in parables to show how he would lay aside the Jewish church, which it might have been

grafted into the stock of, but was built upon the ruins of. This parable we had just as we have it here,

# Mt 21:33

We may observe here,

I. They that enjoy the privileges of the visible church, have a vineyard let out to them, which is

capable of great improvement, and from the occupiers of which rent is justly expected. When

God showed his word unto Jacob, his statutes and judgments unto Israel

# Ps 147:19

when he set up his temple among them, his priesthood, and his ordinances, then he let out to

them the vineyard he had planted; which he hedged, and in which he built a tower,

# 1

Members of the church are God's tenants, and they have both a good Landlord and a good

bargain, and may live well upon it, if it be not their own fault.

II. Those whom God lets out his vineyard to, he sends his servants to, to put them in mind of his

just expectations from them,

# 2

He was not hasty in his demands, nor high, for he did not send for the rent till they could make

it, at the season; nor did he put them to the trouble of making money of it, but was willing to

take it in specie.

III. It is sad to think what base usage God's faithful ministers have met with, in all ages, from

those that have enjoyed the privileges of the church, and have not brought forth fruit answerable.

The Old-Testament prophets were persecuted even by those that went under the name of the

Old-Testament church. They beat them, and sent them empty away

# 3

that was bad: they wounded them, and sent them away shamefully entreated

# 4

that was worse: nay, at length, they came to such a pitch of wickedness, that they killed them,

# 5

IV. It was no wonder if those who abused the prophets, abused Christ himself. God did at length

send them his Son, his well-beloved; it was therefore so much the greater kindness in him to

send him; as in Jacob to send Joseph to visit his brethren,

# Ge 37:14

And it might be expected that he whom their Master loved, they also should respect and love

# 6

"They will reverence my son, and, in reverence to him, will pay their rent." But, instead of

reverencing him because he was the son and heir, they therefore hated him,

# 7

Because Christ, in calling to repentance and reformation, made his demands with more authority

than the prophets had done, they were the more enraged against him, and determined to put him

to death, that they might engross all church power to themselves, and that all the respect and

obedience of the people might be paid to them only; "The inheritance shall be ours, we will be

lords paramount, and bear all the sway." There is an inheritance, which, if they had duly

reverenced the Son, might have been theirs, a heavenly inheritance; but they slighted that, and

would have their inheritance in the wealth, and pomp, and powers, of this world. So they took

him, and killed him; they had not done it yet, but they would do it in a little time; and they cast

him out of the vineyard, they refused to admit his gospel when he was gone; it would by no

means agree with their scheme, and so they threw it out with disdain and detestation.

V. For such sinful and shameful doings nothing can be expected but a fearful doom

# 9

What shall therefore the Lord of the vineyard do? It is easy to say what, for nothing could be

done more provoking.

1. He will come, and destroy the husbandmen, whom he would have saved. When they only

denied the fruit, he did not distrain upon them for rent, nor disseize them and dispossess them

for non-payment; but when they killed his servants, and his Son, he determined to destroy them;

and this was fulfilled when Jerusalem was laid waste, and the Jewish nation extirpated and

made a desolation.

2. He will give the vineyards to others. If he have not the rent from them, he will have it from

another people, for God will be no loser by any. This was fulfilled in the taking in of the

Gentiles, and the abundance of fruit which the gospel brought forth in all the world,

# Col 1:6

If some from whom we expected well, prove bad, it doth not follow but that others will be

better. Christ encouraged himself with this in his undertaking; Though Israel be not gathered,

not gathered to him, but gathered against him, yet shall I be glorious

# Isa 49:5, 6

as a Light to lighten the Gentiles.

3. Their opposition to Christ's exaltation shall be no obstruction to it

# 10, 11

The stone which the builders rejected, notwithstanding that, is become the Head of the corner,

is highly advanced as the Head-stone, and of necessary use and influence as the Corner-stone.

God will set Christ as his King, upon his holy hill of Zion, in spite of their project, who would

break his bands asunder. And all the world shall see and own this to be the Lord's doing, in

justice to the Jews, and in compassion to the Gentiles. The exaltation of Christ was the

Lord's doing, and it is his doing to exalt him in our hearts, and to set up his throne there; and if it

be done, it cannot but be marvellous in our eyes.

Now what effect had this parable upon the chief priests and scribes, whose conviction was

designed by it? They knew he spoke this parable against them,

# 12

They could not but see their own faces in the glass of it; and one would think it showed them

their sin so very heinous, and their ruin so certain and great, that it should have frightened them

into a compliance with Christ and his gospel, should have prevailed to bring them to repentance,

at least to make them desist from their malicious purpose against him: but, instead of that, (1.)

They sought to lay hold on him, and make him their prisoner immediately, and so to fulfil what

he had just now said they would do to him,

# 8

(2.) Nothing restrained them from it but the awe they stood in of the people; they did not

reverence Christ, nor had an fear of God before their eyes, but were afraid, if they should

publicly lay hold on Christ, the mob would rise, and lay hold on them, and rescue them. (3.)

They left him, and went their way; if they could not do hurt to him, they resolved he should not

do good to them, and therefore they got out of the hearing of his powerful preaching, lest

they should be converted and healed. Note, If men's prejudices be not conquered by the

evidence of truth, they are but confirmed; and if the corruptions of the heart be not subdued by

faithful reproofs, they are but enraged and exasperated. If the gospel be not a savour of life

unto life, it will be a savour of death unto death.

We are the church – the bride of Christ.

We are required to honor Him:

1. Worship.
2. Tithe:

1. Financial.
2. Time.

1. Obey His commands.

1. The law standing on one foot.
2. The ten commandments.

4) keep the doings of the Church Godly and not worldly.

If we don’t honor God with the church – He will stamp it out – and give it to someone else.

Let’s not be modern day Pharisees, Saducees and Scribes.