Matthew 21:33-46 Page 835 in Pew Bibles 33. “Listen to another parable: There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug.

Matthew 21:33-46Page 835 in Pew Bibles

33. “Listen to another parable: There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. He leased it to tenant farmers and went away.

34. When the grape harvest drew near, he sent his slaves to the farmers to collect his fruit.

35. But the farmers took his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.

36. Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first group, and they did the same to them.

37. Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

38. “But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance!’

39. So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

40. Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”

41. “He will completely destroy those terrible men,” they told Him, “and lease his vineyard to other farmers who will give him his produce at the harvest.”

42. Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This came from the Lord and is wonderful in our eyes?

43. Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its fruit.

44. Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder!”

45. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they knew He was speaking about them.

46. Although they were looking for a way to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they regarded Him as a prophet.

God Gives Us Every Opportunity

• Vs. 33 “…a landowner, who planted a vineyard , put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower…”

>

Isaiah 5:2 & 4

2. [God] broke up the soil, cleared it of stones, and planted it with the finest vines. He built a tower in the middle of it and even hewed out a winepress there. He expected it to yield good grapes, but it yielded worthless grapes.

4. What more could I have done for My vineyard than I did? Why, when I expected a yield of good grapes, did it yield worthless grapes?. >

Responsibility and Accountability

• Vs. 33 “…He leased it to tenant farmers and went away”

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God Has a Right to Expect Your Fruitfulness

• Vs. 34 “When the grape harvest drew near, he sent his slaves to the farmers to collect his fruit.”

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When in Sin, We Don’t Like Being Called to Account

• Vs. 35-36 “But the farmers took his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first group, and they did the same to them.”

. >

Is this Father Naïve?

• Vs. 37-38 “Finally, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said…”

• The son represents a powerful family

• The sharecroppers know who they’re dealing with

• It would be crazy to be disrespect the son. >

The Insanity ofSinful Reasoning

• Vs. 38 “But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance!’ “

• When the Father is still around to exact justice, is this a good idea?

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The Grace of the Father

• Vs. 37 “Finally, he sent his son to them…”

• Romans 8:32 “He did not even spare His own Son, but offered Him up for us all; how will He not also with Him grant us everything?”

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We Don’t Have a Right to Expect Immunity from

Persecution• Vs. 35-36 “But the farmers

took his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first group, and they did the same to them.”

. >

Jesus May Not Be Our Plan, But He’s the

Father’s Plan• Vs. 42 “Jesus said to them,

‘Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This came from the Lord and is wonderful in our eyes?. >

The Peril ofRejecting Jesus

• Vs. 44 “Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder!”

. >

Religious People Make the Best Christ-Rejecters

• Vs. 45-46 “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they knew He was speaking about them. Although they were looking for a way to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they regarded Him as a prophet.”. >

Why Religious People Reject Christ

• Relying on Christ downplays our best efforts

• Relying on Christ reproves our self-righteousness

• We must rely on Christ because God refuses to accept us on our own terms

• Relying on Christ means we can’t share the credit

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Use it or Lose it

• Vs. 42 “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its fruit.”

. >

We Don’t Have the Right to God’s Grace

Forever

• Vs. 40-41 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?’ ‘He will completely destroy those terrible men,’ they told Him, ‘and lease his vineyard to other farmers who will give him his produce at the harvest.’”. .