Day 20- The Tenants
Read it: Luke 20:9-19
Live it:
The characters in this parable are easily identified; even the Pharisees understood the parable, which is why they got so upset after Jesus spoke it.
Characters:
- Vineyard Owner: God
- Vineyard: Israel
- Tenants/Evil Farmers: Religious Leaders
- Servants: Old Testament Prophets
- Son: Jesus the Messiah
- Others: Gentiles
Throughout Israel’s history, we see disobedience, and we also see prophets being sent by God to warn Israel to turn from their wicked ways. Many of those prophets were laughed at, persecuted, and/or killed for their messages from God. Then, at the perfect time, God the Father sends his Son to be born of a woman into this world. Jesus came to be the Messiah that the Old Testament prophets prophesied about, but many did not believe that He was the Messiah. Jesus came to be the Savior whom Israel needed, but not the one they wanted. The Jewish people wanted the Messiah to rise up, gather an army, and fight Rome for their freedom, but Jesus came as the Messiah to save them from their sins. Jesus was rejected by many, especially the religious leaders. Jesus knew of the plot to kill him, and after this parable, the religious leaders knew that Jesus knew they wanted him dead.
Jesus came through the Jews, for the Jews and then to the Gentiles, but because many of the Jews, especially the religious leaders, had rejected him. His kingdom and power were now going to be given to “others” who believed and obeyed his words. The religious leaders had done a horrible job leading the Jewish people in the ways of the Lord. The religious leaders were going to lose their authority and leadership roles because of their unfaithfulness to the truth.
As followers of Christ, we have to handle the Gospel–the Word of God–with care. We have to make sure we are sharing the Bible-based Gospel and not our own. We have to obey what the Bible says about not adding or taking away from the Word of God. We have to know what the Bible says and share it correctly; anything less is disobedience to God.
Becca