Turn with me in your scriptures to the book of Mark. We have before us this morning, Mark chapter 12, verses one through 12. If you are able, I invite you to stand in honor of God's word, and I'll read this portion in your hearing. Mark 12, at verse one. Then he began to speak to them in parables. A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat, and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country. Now at vintage time, he sent a servant to the vinedressers that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. And they took him. and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. And again he sent another, and him they killed, and many others, beating some and killing some, therefore still having one son, his beloved, He also sent him to them last, saying, they will respect my son. But those vine dressers said among themselves, this is the heir. Come, let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours. So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers and give the vineyard to others. Have you not even read this scripture? The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. And they sought to lay hands on him, but feared the multitude, for they knew he had spoken the parable against them. So they left him and went away. That says the reading of God's holy word. Let's ask his blessing on the preaching of it. Let's pray. Most holy father, we pray that we may have ears to hear and to hear fruitfully, eyes to see, and may we see what is set before us by our savior. Bless then the preaching of the word for the growth in grace of your people. We ask this in our savior's name. Amen. You may be seated. At the close of the previous chapter, Christ and his disciples had returned to the temple complex. There, Christ had cleansed the temple courtyard with kingly authority. The disciples had witnessed a prophetic parable miraculously portrayed by Christ in the death of the fruitless fig tree. This pictured to them the judgment that was coming on fruitless Old Covenant Israel, and that judgment would center upon the temple and Jerusalem. Upon their return to the temple, the authorities confronted Jesus, demanding an accounting of his presumed authority. Who did he think he was in disrupting things the way that he had? But Christ countered in rabbinical fashion with a question for them. They must answer him first, and then he will answer them. The question was concerning the ministry of John the baptizer. Was his ministry of divine origin or merely a human invention? In their self-centered and prideful hypocrisy, they lied and refused to answer. And so Christ refused to answer them. This humiliated them in their pride and hypocrisy. And this also demonstrated Christ's rejection of their claim to authority, setting them up for what would come next. Christ continues speaking to these representatives of the Sanhedrin, these proud religious authorities, taking up a parable against them. And we'll consider what is set before us here in Mark's account in four points. First, preparing the vineyard. Second, progressive violence. Third, promised vindication. And finally, prideful vice. First, preparing the vineyard, then progressive violence. Third, promised vindication, and finally, prideful vice. In preparing the vineyard, Verse one, consider, then he began to speak to them in parables. A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower, and he leased it to vine dressers and went into a far country. The details by which Christ sets the scene for the parable would have been very familiar to everyone in that region. In the setting up of the vineyard, these steps taken were well known. They were common for what would be done to prepare land for the fruit of the vine. And so as he sets the stage, he invites them to enter into the scenario as he describes it, very familiar to all of them. The land thereabout was full of vineyards, large expanses of property that These expansive sections of property were owned by wealthy people who leased them out to a variety of those who attend those vineyards. Leased out, in some cases, to groups of people that were like businesses, taking care of large sections of many pieces of property under lease. with agreement to provide profit to the owners, but of course, making good money on the produce of those leased lands. So there was every variety of this going on. This would have been a familiar scenario in that day. And as these representatives of the Sanhedrin hear the beginning of this parable from the lips of our Lord, These would have been quick to recognize a familiar Old Testament parable, as it were. Christ clearly intends to remind them and to use as a resource a familiar section from Isaiah, Isaiah chapter five, called the Song of the Vineyard. You can turn there if you would like. It needs to be in our, mind as well in order to make the most of the parable as Christ reworks the details of this, the Song of the Vineyard from Isaiah 5. It's in the first seven verses. Now let me sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved regarding his vineyard. My well-beloved has a vineyard on a very fruitful hill. He dug it up and cleared out its stones and planted it with the choicest vine. He built a tower in its midst and also made a wine press in it. So he expected it to bring forth good grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, please, between me and my vineyard. What more could have been done to my vineyard that I have not done in it. Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? And now, please, let me tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned, and break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will lay it waste. It shall not be pruned or dug. but there shall come up briars and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah are his pleasant plant. He looked for justice, but behold, oppression for righteousness, but behold a cry for help. Surely These words would have been brought quickly to mind as he sets the scene in the parable he puts before these religious rulers. This passage would have come quickly to mind. Jesus skillfully reworks the details to move the application from the people of Judah as it was set in the Song of the Vineyard, now to the religious leaders as vine dressers. These religious leaders would have been very familiar thinking of those details, expecting, as they had learned this portion from Isaiah, that they know the direction this goes. See, that Song of the Vineyard came before the exile. Judah had been so wicked, so disobedient, so fruitless, despite all of God's provisions, that they ended up coming under judgment, as described there. But now, they're after the time of the restoration. Now, the temple has been rebuilt. Now, surely, it's very obvious, we're very fruitful. Everything's been restored with regard to the temple and the central things that are demanded of God have begun, and they would be thinking, we're the ones who have credit for that. We're the religious leaders. Look at our work. Look what we've got going on here in the temple, and indeed, if there's any problem, It's you, this upstart rabbi, here messing up the good stuff that we're doing that has brought already a fruitfulness that had been missing. Surely this would be their train of thought when they remember the song of the vineyard. The judgment is passed and we're pursuing the very thing that should bring blessing so they would assure themselves. In reality, though, Israel is unfruitful, and these religious leaders bear the greater responsibility for that unfruitfulness. In Christ's reworking of these familiar ideas in his parable, the time comes for the owner to check on the produce of the vineyard. Verse two, now at vintage time, he sent a servant to the vinedressers that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. This would have been several years after the owner prepared the land, planted the land, and then leased it out and went to a far country. It'd take roughly four years for a good produce to be provided so that wine could be made. That would be the premium crop sought. And the lease agreement would give that owner, as well as the vine dressers to whom it was leased, a great abundance. If they'd done well, if the rains were good, if the soil was good, if the crop was good, And so the owner from a distance would want to know. He'd like to have a sample that would give him some idea of the good hoped for. So he sends a servant and expects to receive some portion so that he knows what to expect of the bounty of the produce of his vineyard. There would have been eager anticipation on the part of everyone. Surely these religious authorities are thinking in relation to the way the vineyard works and the song of the vineyard, we're in the opposite position of what the people of old were. Now the owner has got to be thrilled. Just look at the abundance of what we're producing. here in the temple. The temple under our leadership is burgeoning with business. Again, except for this upstart rabbi. But their pursuit of their own agenda put them in violent opposition to God's agenda. So ignorant in their hypocrisy and pride where they did not see it. They didn't see themselves as they really were. They were in a long line of rebellious leadership that had persistently opposed God in his purposes for his vineyard. Christ begins now to unmask their hypocrisy and pride as the parable continues now to our next point, progressive violence. Verses three through five, and they took him, this servant, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again, he sent them another servant, and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. And again, he sent another, and him they killed, and many others, beating some and killing some, This was a tragic story, but it was the story of Israel's own history, the record of Israel's leaders over the centuries. Christ's parable is revealing the wicked hearts of those religious leaders as they are guilty, those hearing him, as they are guilty of the same violence against God's messengers as those who have gone before, those that they've assured themselves were far worse than they. Those who messed up while they've done well, Jesus is showing them no, no. In this long line, you stand as successors and continue in that rebellion. And as Christ unfolds this in describing the repeated abuses as servant after servant is sent, A hearer would naturally ask, with regard to the details, why would the owner continue? Isn't it absurd? I mean, once you've got a servant who's dead and the word finally gets back, why would you just send another one? And then when some of them escape with concussions, bloodied, shamefully treated, and still empty-handed, why would you send some more? And what were you thinking as an owner when the more you send end up dead and just as badly treated? What are you thinking? How absurd. And of course, isn't that the point? No owner would do that. He would move with justice against them immediately, right? Yeah, but not so God. Isn't this exactly what God did? And when you look at it, Is it not amazing? How could he tolerate this grave wickedness and injustice? Isn't this his vineyard? Isn't it right that he should expect its fruitfulness in the time of visitation? would it not be completely appropriate? And if it were not so, would they not quickly make reparation? When reproved, when the messenger comes and they don't have the fruitfulness expected, wouldn't they know their place and say, we're so sorry. Thank you for sending the messenger to remind us. We'll make up for it now. We'll double down on our diligence. We'll provide. Now, that's not what happened, though, is it? Everything that you would expect reasonably has been turned on its head. And of course, that's the point. We're reminded, as they should have been, of Isaiah's question from God in the Song of the Vineyard. What more could I have done? What more could be expected? What should I do now with these? The persistence of God in keeping covenant with his people and extending every opportunity in reproof and correction goes far beyond all that anyone could imagine to be reasonable. So vast, the measureless pursuit of God in keeping his covenant towards his people. But Christ isn't done yet, it gets worse. Here he brings it home to where we stand at this point. verses six through eight, therefore, still having one son. His beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, they will respect my son. But those vine dressers said among themselves, this is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. So they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. It's not hard to see where Christ has taken the parable. So certainly he is the beloved son. We're reminded of the heavenly declaration at his baptism. You are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. The one that the father loves, the one who is the heart of the father, in the flesh, so declared, so sent. Mark 1, verse 11 was that declaration. We might wonder if Peter, James, and John remembered what they heard as they heard these words in the parable. Did they remember what they heard at the time of the transfiguration? Chapter 9, verse 7. That heavenly voice, this is my beloved son. Hear him. After all the rebellion that had gone before, God didn't stop. He continued in his purpose to proceed with redemption, and he sends his beloved son. in the details of the parable. Absurdity is added to absurdity. How could these rebels think that the owner would let it go if he killed the beloved son, the heir? Some commentators have pointed out that in some occasions where there was lost contact with the owner, and you had possession of that land without paying lease or providing the produce to an owner for a long enough period of time, you took possession. So there's the possibility that in adding absurdity to absurdity, they might be thinking, well, if we eliminate the heir and the owner's not showing up, surely we can have it for ourselves as we've already made it our own. What wickedness, what bloodthirsty rebellion. Again, the picture of where they are now as he speaks in the parable form of what he has mentioned about these leaders resisting him even unto betrayal and death. That's spoken of in the form of the parable here of these wicked vine dressers. But woe to those in the face of this absurd kindness, this repeated, persistent covenant faithfulness. Woe to those who have refused the message, who continue with a hard heart, unmoved towards repentance, continuing in rebellion. These have a word of judgment to close out the parable. Verse nine. Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine dressers and give the vineyard to others. These religious leaders would be destroyed and the vineyard would be given to others. Christ speaks here in the form of the parable the transition to the new covenant, the passing away of the old, and the establishment of the new. What Christ says by way of parable, you may recall Stephen, one of the first deacons, says by way of explicit declaration when he was standing again before religious leaders in Acts chapter seven, verses 51 through 53, He declares, you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. You always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the just one, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it. They proceeded in wrath to kill Stephen. Surely this reminds us of the persistence and power of the word of God. Isaiah 55, 11, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it, the message is unchanging, and it is powerful to do what God appoints it to do. Even if they kill the messengers, they can't kill the powerful word of God. They keep trying to kill, but that word will do its work. Now Christ powerfully lands the final blow. And that moves us to our third point, the promised vindication. Verses 10 and 11, have you not even read this scripture? The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes. Christ is citing that portion from the Hallel, Psalm 118, that has already received a great deal of work at this time. Remember that the crowds were shouting portions of this psalm at the triumphal entry. Here, Christ cites this portion, 118 verses 22 and 23, as a prophecy of Christ, a prophecy of himself fulfilled in his passion And these murderous rebels would destroy themselves even as instruments of accomplishing the glorious atoning work of Christ and his building of his new covenant temple, held forth in these prophetic words of Psalm 118. Christ, rejected, would not remain cast out, but would rather become the chief cornerstone the most important upon which the whole building would be built. The apostles came to understand exactly what this meant and how Christ fulfilled it in the new covenant, particularly in the new covenant temple. It's cited by Peter, it's cited by Paul. Let's hear just particularly from Ephesians, Paul's reference to this. Ephesians 2, 19. and following. Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom the whole building being fitted together grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. Here, standing in the old covenant temple, speaking to these rebels, Jesus says that what they're doing to him is prophesied here their rejection would not be final for him. Rather, he rejected by them, even under death would become the chief cornerstone upon which the foundation and building would arise for a new temple, a new temple, as he prophesies here that sweeps them out of the way. And now, even as we mentioned before, incorporates his aim in expanding redemption, not only to the Jews, but also to the Gentiles. Paul says to the Ephesians, and through them to us, see what you are, see what's happened in the rejection of that stone, which now is the fit cornerstone. Even Jesus, the Messiah, in whom you are built up as the temple of the dwelling place of God. And note the exclamation in the end of that prophecy in verse 23 of Psalm 118. This is the Lord's doing. The Lord would act not only to destroy, not only to remove, but to remake. And it is marvelous in our eyes. They think that they're the makers. They're the builders. They're the profiteers. They will be swept out of the way. Even as they reject the one who would become the chief cornerstone and build the temple, this would be the Lord's doing. They think they're doing the Lord's work. No, they're the means by which the Lord will judge them as they bring it on themselves. Great irony, they'll bring to pass this sweeping and marvelous work of God in redemption. And they now hear in a way that they understand. This brings us to our last point, prideful vice. Their response is recorded, and they are angry and offended. They know Christ is speaking against them. And as before, they're constrained by no fear of God, but a fear of the people. For them, this is a turf war. Who do you think you are is still burning in their hearts, and as Christ has plainly said who he is. He is the beloved son, and he's plainly said who they are, the rejecters, the wicked vinedressers who will be destroyed so that a new work would be done by the Lord that is marvelous. They hear it with the cold, dead heart and the stiff neck that can only burn with anger and vice. They're not concerned with the plain message of reproof and godliness that's put before them. They stand in that long line. Here, surely, as the threat comes, they should say, whoa, whoa, whoa, we don't wanna be swept away. Surely we're in the wrong. Teach us what we should do. We need to repent. There's no place in them for that. They are concerned, rather, to remove the threat to their personal dominion. And this man is the threat, the one who has spoken this parable against them. They're moved, but to anger. So is their response. And notice, there's a reversal here. Remember the purpose of parables, as Christ taught? back in Mark 4, when the disciples asked, he said, well, I am speaking in this way so that those who are on the outside won't understand. He was preserving the messianic secret. Now the messianic secret is being revealed. Now they knew what he was talking about before the parables clouded what he was saying to those not intended to understand, but as the messianic secret is being revealed, now they understand, but it's with that darkened heart of rebellion. They do not understand unto life. They understand unto greater damnation. Their response is the angry rejection of unbelief and a desire to do just as the parable described. This is a pattern of unbelief and a demonstration of the need for a new heart in order to believe. You can see this pattern consistently all around in our day. The clearer the truth is put forth, it doesn't matter how plainly it's obvious for what it is as truth and judgment, it is met by the unbelieving with offense and anger. the darkened and spiritually dead heart will not repent and believe. No matter how terrible the judgment, no matter how plain the truth, the ordinary response will be as we find here, offense and anger. And it is particularly so in these religious leaders. Here, great offense. Here, great anger, deadly anger. What do they do? They walk away. Because they can't take action on their offense and anger yet. But that's what they intend to do. Anger, offense, and plotting. As we hear this powerful message from our Savior, we should consider all that's held out to us with the opportunity for a believing reception. The lesson of required fruitfulness has been repeatedly put before us by this record of our Savior's parable made visible in the fig tree and the parable revealed here on the grounds of the temple complex, surely we should be mindful of the right, the expected response. Are we fruitful? We have the messengers put before us. We have the living word of God poured out to us, saturating us week by week. It's in our hearts. It's not far from us. It's readily available to us. And the owner of the vineyard, The Lord, who is building his temple, expects in the midst of his vineyard great fruitfulness. Do we, with gladness, seek that fruit, the fruit of the Spirit? Do we cultivate with diligence everything that the Lord would expect as his word comes to us? Is it in abundance? Surely, there's a challenge to us here. to increase our desire for just that fruitfulness that our beautiful Lord expects from His vineyard. And surely we must be warned as we see what they've done, those particularly targeted by this parable, how did they receive the word? With the utmost resistance and rebellion And yet, how constant and persistent is the kindness of a covenant-keeping God? What's our response as we see that? Are we not amazed? And are we not recipients of that persistence? How often have we failed in the trials set before us? Have we diligently been doers of the word and not hearers only? Have we put into practice the things that we've been taught or have we instead continued dawdling in unfruitfulness? And yet the Lord isn't done. Here we are. We hear his word again. He is marvelously persistent. Should that not move us to amazement and to thankfulness? and to a faithful clinging to Christ for mercy and fruitfulness. And so let us glory in Christ's kingdom, the work prophesied here, his holy nation, as Paul and Peter describe us in the New Covenant, his church. He is our foundation. We are his building. Do we delight in his work. The prophecy gives that closing, and certainly Peter delights in it and encourages his hearers in his epistles. I encourage you to go read and see where he takes up this prophecy and fulfillment as he looks to Christ. And we read where Paul mentions it in Ephesians 2. for great encouragement. Are we so encouraged? This is the work of our Savior who was rejected and has become the chief cornerstone. You are His building in great love. He has sacrificed everything that in His vindication, He may have His beloved made beautiful after His image. And here is the place of that beautiful work. Do we delight in what Christ loves to do? Do we yield to him as he builds his temple? Surely we should be empowered by these words to that end. Finally, Who can not tremble? Who can't help but tremble, I should say, at the response of these? Those who had the truth put plainly before them that should have caused them to tremble, instead it hardened them all the more in wicked, murderous rebellion. And such are we if God does not have mercy. but has he not demonstrated an absurd measure of mercy? This is our God. This is the Lord's doing. We are the Lord's doing in his mercy. Is it not marvelous in our sight? Oh, let us plead with him that there should be no trace of that natural native rebellion in us. Every time his word comes, Oh, may it do its nurturing work, building us up after the Lord's design as a beautiful temple, a fruitful vineyard. That's not natural to us. It's supernatural. This is the Lord's doing. Surely it's marvelous in our sight. Let us pray. Most Holy Father, banish from us every sinful response when the mercy that is manifest in your dwelling place is wrought week by week and we are washed in the word, immersed in it, and we hear it in its commands, in its assurances of the gospel, in its instruction and in its preaching. Father, give us hearts that are supernaturally prepared for its every work, for your word cannot fail. It will either make us alive, nourish and nurture us as your vineyard, that we may be fruitful, build us up as your beautiful dwelling place, or it will harden us in rebellion Forbid, we pray, that there should be any citizen of the kingdom here, anyone marked out by that ordinance of baptism that should heap upon himself or herself greater judgment and rebellion. For we are each one hopeless and helpless, from your transforming work, that we may hear, that we may experience your doing of these marvelous things in salvation, and that we may rejoice and marvel at it. Save us according to these beautiful gospel things held forth by our Savior, who wrought that atonement and was vindicated in his resurrection. We ask these things in his name and for his glory. Amen.