But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.
The husbandmen are the Jewish nation, its leaders and people entrusted with God's vineyard, church and work, and the heir is Christ, the Son whom God sent at last after His servants the prophets and teachers were refused and rejected with their warnings and mercy to save Israel from ruin. The tenants recognized the son as the owner's heir sent by God, yet deliberately plotted among themselves to kill him so the inheritance would be theirs, which was fulfilled when they rejected Christ, the Lord of life and glory, and killed and crucified Him rather than return to God what belonged to Him. In rejecting the only one who could save them from ruin they showed rebellion and ignorance of Scripture and of God's power, brought guilt upon the nation and became responsible for the national sin, deciding their own destiny. Their treatment of God's messengers and of Christ brought judgment that the vineyard would be taken from them and given to other husbandmen, working present and eternal ruin that divorced them as a nation from God and left them to terrible retribution under Satan, the leader they chose, who working through disobedient people determined to destroy the heir in defiance of the Father to cut off light and communication from God's throne reaching the world. The parable applies not only to the Jewish nation but to the church in every generation, which has received great privileges and blessings from God and is expected to return corresponding fruit, while the murderous tenants illustrate religious leaders who reject God's authority, withhold the fruit He requires, and turn the people away from Christ and from God's commandments to reject His messengers.
Husbandmen, Heir, and Plot
The husbandmen are the Jewish nation, its leaders and people, entrusted with God's vineyard, church and work, and the heir is Christ, the Son sent by God. God first sent His servants, the prophets and teachers, with warnings, reproofs and mercy to save Israel from ruin, and after they were refused and rejected He at last sent His Son.
The tenants recognized the son as the owner's heir sent by God, yet deliberately plotted among themselves to kill him so the inheritance would be theirs. The chosen people and Israel's leaders saw that Jesus was God's Son and the heir, but chose to kill Him in hope of taking for themselves what belonged to Him. By rejecting Him they decided their own destiny.
Their plot was fulfilled in their treatment of Christ, the Lord of life and glory: they rejected Him and killed and crucified Him rather than return to God what belonged to Him. In rejecting the only one who could save them from ruin, they showed rebellion and ignorance of Scripture and of God's power.
Judgment and Continuing Application
By rejecting the heir they brought guilt upon the nation, became responsible for the national sin, and decided their own destiny. The tenants recognized the owner's son as heir and decided to kill him so they could seize the inheritance for themselves, and that rejection of Christ followed their refusal of God's prophets and message.
Their treatment of God's messengers and of Christ brought judgment, so that the vineyard would be taken from them and given to other husbandmen, and they would be punished. That refusal of warnings, reproofs and mercy sent through God's delegated servants to save them from ruin, and that deliberate resolve to kill the Son to take the inheritance, worked their own present and eternal ruin. It divorced them as a nation from God and left them to terrible retribution under Satan, the leader they chose. The leaders recognized that the parable exposed their purpose and that its sentence applied to them.
Behind the plot, Satan working through disobedient people determined to destroy the heir in defiance of the Father. They recognized Christ as the Son and heir, sought to destroy Him, and crucified Him as the Lord of life and glory, hoping to cut off the light and communication from God's throne reaching the world. Christ's approaching death was the glory of His work, because the salvation of all nations depended on His sacrifice.
The parable of the vineyard applies not only to the Jewish nation but also to the church in every generation. The church has received great privileges and blessings from God and is expected to return corresponding fruit. The murderous tenants illustrate religious leaders who reject God's authority and withhold from Him the fruit He requires. The Jewish leaders' rejection of Christ's authority, turning the people away from Him and seeking His destruction, illustrates the tenants' plot, and religious teachers who turn people from God's commandments and lead them to reject His messengers follow the same pattern.
The verse's setting teaches that those entrusted with God's gifts and work, as Israel was entrusted with God's vineyard with its caretakers responsible for returning its fruit to Him, must serve faithfully and unselfishly. They must not hoard the vineyard's resources for the part under their own care, but provide for every part to bear fruit. The parable represents the world as a vineyard and is given to be studied. Its meaning calls schools to have students faithfully cultivate the land and care for the buildings disinterestedly. That practical training fits those who go forth to mission work to take hold of any line of work in the fields to which they are called and to instruct others as they have been instructed, and it cures the love of sports and amusements that causes perplexity in school work.
The husbandmen are the Jewish nation, its leaders and people entrusted with God's vineyard, church and work, and the heir is Christ, the Son whom God sent at last after His servants the prophets and teachers were refused and rejected with their warnings and mercy to save Israel from ruin. The tenants recognized the son as the owner's heir sent by God, yet deliberately plotted among themselves to kill him so the inheritance would be theirs, which was fulfilled when they rejected Christ, the Lord of life and glory, and killed and crucified Him rather than return to God what belonged to Him. In rejecting the only one who could save them from ruin they showed rebellion and ignorance of Scripture and of God's power, brought guilt upon the nation and became responsible for the national sin, deciding their own destiny. Their treatment of God's messengers and of Christ brought judgment that the vineyard would be taken from them and given to other husbandmen, working present and eternal ruin that divorced them as a nation from God and left them to terrible retribution under Satan, the leader they chose, who working through disobedient people determined to destroy the heir in defiance of the Father to cut off light and communication from God's throne reaching the world. The parable applies not only to the Jewish nation but to the church in every generation, which has received great privileges and blessings from God and is expected to return corresponding fruit, while the murderous tenants illustrate religious leaders who reject God's authority, withhold the fruit He requires, and turn the people away from Christ and from God's commandments to reject His messengers.
Husbandmen, Heir, and Plot
The husbandmen are the Jewish nation, its leaders and people, entrusted with God's vineyard, church and work, and the heir is Christ, the Son sent by God. God first sent His servants, the prophets and teachers, with warnings, reproofs and mercy to save Israel from ruin, and after they were refused and rejected He at last sent His Son.
The tenants recognized the son as the owner's heir sent by God, yet deliberately plotted among themselves to kill him so the inheritance would be theirs. The chosen people and Israel's leaders saw that Jesus was God's Son and the heir, but chose to kill Him in hope of taking for themselves what belonged to Him. By rejecting Him they decided their own destiny.
Their plot was fulfilled in their treatment of Christ, the Lord of life and glory: they rejected Him and killed and crucified Him rather than return to God what belonged to Him. In rejecting the only one who could save them from ruin, they showed rebellion and ignorance of Scripture and of God's power.
Judgment and Continuing Application
By rejecting the heir they brought guilt upon the nation, became responsible for the national sin, and decided their own destiny. The tenants recognized the owner's son as heir and decided to kill him so they could seize the inheritance for themselves, and that rejection of Christ followed their refusal of God's prophets and message.
Their treatment of God's messengers and of Christ brought judgment, so that the vineyard would be taken from them and given to other husbandmen, and they would be punished. That refusal of warnings, reproofs and mercy sent through God's delegated servants to save them from ruin, and that deliberate resolve to kill the Son to take the inheritance, worked their own present and eternal ruin. It divorced them as a nation from God and left them to terrible retribution under Satan, the leader they chose. The leaders recognized that the parable exposed their purpose and that its sentence applied to them.
Behind the plot, Satan working through disobedient people determined to destroy the heir in defiance of the Father. They recognized Christ as the Son and heir, sought to destroy Him, and crucified Him as the Lord of life and glory, hoping to cut off the light and communication from God's throne reaching the world. Christ's approaching death was the glory of His work, because the salvation of all nations depended on His sacrifice.
The parable of the vineyard applies not only to the Jewish nation but also to the church in every generation. The church has received great privileges and blessings from God and is expected to return corresponding fruit. The murderous tenants illustrate religious leaders who reject God's authority and withhold from Him the fruit He requires. The Jewish leaders' rejection of Christ's authority, turning the people away from Him and seeking His destruction, illustrates the tenants' plot, and religious teachers who turn people from God's commandments and lead them to reject His messengers follow the same pattern.
The verse's setting teaches that those entrusted with God's gifts and work, as Israel was entrusted with God's vineyard with its caretakers responsible for returning its fruit to Him, must serve faithfully and unselfishly. They must not hoard the vineyard's resources for the part under their own care, but provide for every part to bear fruit. The parable represents the world as a vineyard and is given to be studied. Its meaning calls schools to have students faithfully cultivate the land and care for the buildings disinterestedly. That practical training fits those who go forth to mission work to take hold of any line of work in the fields to which they are called and to instruct others as they have been instructed, and it cures the love of sports and amusements that causes perplexity in school work.