The vineyard owner and the tenants (3)

After reading Jesus’ parable above, think with me about the answer to the question which Jesus asked of the responsible Jerusalem authorities in AD 30: “what will he do to those tenants?”

The Jerusalem authorities, as recorded by Matthew (who was like them an Israelite) themselves gave this reply to Jesus. “These evil ones - he will with evil destroy them; and the vineyard - he will give out to other tenants who will give back to him the fruits in their seasons.”

We know (1) from the records in Israel’s own National Archives, that for centuries before Jesus came, the Israelites (the vineyard tenants in the parable) had failed to walk by faith in their Lord God Almighty. 

We know (2) from first-century eye-witness records, that within days of the above Jesus, Son of God, would be condemned to death by a Jewish court and executed at their request (“this is the heir, let us kill him”) on the orders of the Roman Governor in Jerusalem. 

 

But were those Jerusalem authorities destroyed? Does world history confirm this? Was the “vineyard” given to others? To others who would give back to the God and Father of the LORD Jesus Christ “his fruit”? 

Well, yes. In Info (1) on this subject we recalled that, by and large, Jesus was and continues to be rejected – ever after rising from the dead – by the majority of his own Jewish people. (Jesus was Jewish through his mother Mary.) And that, in AD 70, Jerusalem was totally destroyed. Notwithstanding that, through Jesus’ faithful disciples, multitudes (non-Jewish and Jewish) from all over the world did follow and are following Jesus.  

What is really interesting is that, back there in Jerusalem, Jesus expanded on what would take place following his AD 30 rejection by his people Israel. Jesus’ eye-witness biographer, Matthew, records that, immediately after their own response to the above parable of the vineyard owner and the tenants, Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; this came into being from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?" 

He was reminding them that their own National Archives recorded their rejection of their own Messiah - and foretold that their same Messiah would become the fulcrum of God’s kingdom. He was quoting Psalm 118.

He continued with these words, “Therefore, I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits….” 

“The kingdom of God will be given to a people producing the fruits of the kingdom of God…” There is no way out of this statement. The kingdom of God was thereupon given, is now given and will continue to be given to those who produce the fruits of the kingdom of God. It’s not for anyone else. Not for Jersey people. Not for non-Jersey people. Not for Jews. Not for non-Jews. But for all of those – who produce the fruits.  

 

Jesus then said, “The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.” The determining factor is therefore Jesus. If I fall upon this stone, I’ll break myself to pieces. If I ignore this stone and it falls on me, I’ll be crushed by it. It seems that I must become part and parcel of that stone. I need to be within it and it needs to be within me.

Matthew reports, When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. ….