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About-Him.Com Devotional 08-13-2005
Http://About-Him.Com/ My Thoughts on the Life of Christ, from His Baptism to His Ascension. 189: Parable of the Wicked Husbandman Mt. 21:33-46; MK 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19 Matthew 21:33 ¶ Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: The details of this parable are very similar to Isaiah 5:1-7, where Israel is described as the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts and the men of Judah as His pleasant plant. He had tilled the soil, built a tower for protection, placed a winepress in the midst in anticipation of an expected harvest. However, instead of a good harvest, all He found was bitter rotten grapes. The Lord at that time promised that He would tear down the walls of the vineyard and that it would be overrun. 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. God had established Israel by a miraculous delivery from Egypt, He had led then through the Red Sea and had given them the law at Sinai. Israel had continually shown their tendency to wander into idolatry and debauchery. Many prophets had been sent to warn them, but they were not heeded, rather they were beaten and killed. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. This is obviously speaking of Christ. He came calling His own. His own didn’t receive Him but all who did experienced the new birth and were given the promise of becoming sons of God (Mark 1:15; Galatians 4:4; John 1:11-13) 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. This is very similar language to Psalms 2. Psalms 2:2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying,The opposition that these men displayed is just a continuation of the resistance to the rule of God that was first demonstrated in the garden of Eden. When Jesus came, satan tried to seize His inheritance on the mount of temptation. He promised to give the kingdoms of the world to Christ, if only He would bow down and worship him. Of course satan failed and because he failed we share the inheritance of God with the Lord Jesus (Romans 8:17). This opposition continues today among all who will not repent and believe the gospel (Mark 1:15; Acts 3:19), but the promise of inheritance is to all who overcome the evil one (Revelation 21:7). 39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. Jesus predicted His own death on Calvary which was just a couple of days away (vs. 39). These men had already plotted how that they might kill Jesus and yet when Jesus asked what the Lord of the vineyard would do to these wicked men, they prophesied their own doom. 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? Jesus asked if they had never read, Psalms 118:22 about the stone which the builders rejected being raised by God to be the cornerstone of His building? Years ago I worked as a mason. I learned that if the first stone was not laid correctly the whole building would be off, because everything is plumbed squared and leveled from the corner stone. If the foundation of the building is wrong, sooner or later the building will shift and fall, regardless of how beautiful it may appear (Matthew 7:24-27). The apostle Paul gave us a good admonition about building on the proper foundation, which he identified as Christ. Eph 2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. Jerusalem was destroyed in A.D. 70, the kingdom was taken from them as a nation and given to all who would believe on Jesus, accept His rule and produce fruit. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. Jesus is the cornerstone of God’s building. If we come to Him and obey Him we will have eternal salvation. If we resist we will be damned (Mark 16:15). It’s as simple and absolute as that! 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet. These scribes, pharisees and rulers finally grasped the fact that Jesus was talking to them. They would have killed Him there, but they feared the large number of people who had gathered around that considered Jesus a prophet. Of course none of them would be present later in the week at Calvary. In About-Him
Online Sermons http://about-him.com/sermonlink.htmlOur Bible Studies http://about-him.com/bslinkpage.html Our Music: http://about-him.com/audio.html Flash Theater http://about-him.com/player.html Scripture list on 30 subjects http://about-him.com/wordarc.html Humor
The aspiring psychiatrists were attending their first class on emotional extremes.
"Just to establish some parameters," said the professor to the student from Arkansas,
"What is the opposite of joy?" "Sadness," said the student. "And the opposite of
depression?" he asked of the young lady from Oklahoma."Elation," said she.
"And you sir," he said to the young man from Texas, "How about the opposite of woe?" The Texan replied, "Sir, I believe that would be giddy-up." Somebody Has Said
"Whole days and WEEKS have I spent prostrate on the ground in silent or vocal
prayer." - George Whitfield
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