WEBVTT 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:18.079 Matthew 21, verse 33 is one of the most incredible and shocking parables of Jesus' ministry. 00:00:18.480 --> 00:00:25.120 To get the full effect of this parable, you have to locate it in his scope of ministry here. 00:00:25.280 --> 00:00:27.679 Jesus is in the last week of his life. 00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:30.000 He's going to be murdered on Friday. 00:00:30.879 --> 00:00:36.880 He arrived into Jerusalem the Sunday beforehand when he cleared out the temple. 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:45.840 Monday, he went back to the temple, turned over the money changer tables, and began holding court there. 00:00:46.000 --> 00:00:53.759 The temple, remember, was a massive place, roughly the size of RFK Stadium back when that was still a thing. 00:00:54.079 --> 00:01:08.159 Jesus comes in there Sunday as things are closing down, comes back in the next day, takes the place over, starts wandering around and holding court, wandering up and down through the bazaars and through the tables that are there. 00:01:10.560 --> 00:01:17.599 And the temple is at its highest occupancy, the week of Passover, the very week Jesus shows up. 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:24.400 This is the week people have traveled from all over the Roman Empire to come minister in the temple. 00:01:24.480 --> 00:01:25.920 This is where the pilgrims come. 00:01:26.079 --> 00:01:27.680 This is this week. 00:01:28.640 --> 00:01:35.280 Jesus arrives with the masses on Sunday, like I said, and takes the place over on Monday. 00:01:36.480 --> 00:01:41.840 On Tuesday, he comes back to the temple and he is met by an angry Sanhedrin. 00:01:42.000 --> 00:01:45.840 The Sanhedrin is the group of 70 that are the religious leaders of Israel. 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:51.680 The temple falls under their authority and they are not stoked about how things have gone the last few days. 00:01:52.400 --> 00:01:57.840 They confront Jesus in the morning and ask him, who exactly told you you could be here? 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:00.400 Show us your papers, kind of speech. 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:09.280 Jesus responds by telling them he will answer their question if they answer his question about John the Baptist. 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:11.840 Who gave John the Baptist the authority to minister? 00:02:12.000 --> 00:02:16.319 Remember, John the Baptist was probably the most popular figure in Israel at the time. 00:02:16.479 --> 00:02:17.120 He's been dead. 00:02:17.199 --> 00:02:19.439 He was murdered about a year ago before this event. 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:21.360 Everybody loved him and esteemed him. 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:24.080 His popularity only grew in his death. 00:02:25.360 --> 00:02:35.680 So as you're reading this exchange, do not picture some docile conversation among academics in a faculty lounge. 00:02:36.000 --> 00:02:42.800 Do not picture some kind of even an American-style argument where two people are pushing each other in Starbucks. 00:02:44.159 --> 00:02:52.719 You need to picture 10,000 people that have traveled around the world to be there at this day, and 10,000 is a conservative number. 00:02:52.960 --> 00:03:01.439 You need to picture Jesus holding court, wandering around while they're following him, pressing in on him and standing on tables to listen to him. 00:03:02.479 --> 00:03:15.199 And then you need to picture 70 people in outlandish black robes, giant hats, ornate, dignified people who are not happy Jesus is there and confront him as the crowd presses in around the whole thing. 00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:21.599 If you have ever been to the Middle East or a Middle Eastern bazaar or flea market kind of place, then you maybe have a grid for this. 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:30.960 This is insane, intense, loud, boisterous, not, excuse me, kind sir, what chapter and verse do you have? 00:03:31.280 --> 00:03:35.680 But thousands of people clamoring for action. 00:03:37.120 --> 00:03:41.599 This is a life and death showdown, and I say that with zero exaggeration. 00:03:41.759 --> 00:03:43.680 This ends with them murdering Jesus. 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:44.800 That's where this goes. 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:47.840 This is Tuesday of that week. 00:03:49.599 --> 00:03:51.759 So everybody is on edge. 00:03:53.360 --> 00:03:58.879 Jesus, for his part, engages with this through a series of three parables. 00:04:00.000 --> 00:04:07.280 On Monday, he does the parable of cursing the fig tree, where he's comparing Israel to a fruitless tree. 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:09.199 They do not bear fruit. 00:04:09.360 --> 00:04:11.439 The implication it should be cut down. 00:04:12.560 --> 00:04:18.000 On Tuesday, he compares Israel to the two sons, the story of the two sons. 00:04:18.079 --> 00:04:20.879 And Israel is the son that says yes but always does no. 00:04:21.600 --> 00:04:27.680 The Gentiles, the implication is say no, but are going to come to faith and eventually say yes. 00:04:28.800 --> 00:04:34.480 And then again, this parable here, the parable often called the parable of the bloody vineyard. 00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:38.800 As I mentioned, this is an insane parable. 00:04:38.959 --> 00:04:50.720 Like many of Jesus' parables, they start off with something normal that everybody can relate to, and then they take a violent or a surprising or a radically unexpected turn at the end. 00:04:52.800 --> 00:04:56.800 He tells stories like this because it draws the listeners in. 00:04:57.839 --> 00:04:59.519 It would be as if I started a story. 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:03.040 You know, I went to Giant last night to buy milk, kind of thing. 00:05:03.279 --> 00:05:04.720 You've all had that experience. 00:05:04.800 --> 00:05:07.920 You're relating to the story, you're engaged in it. 00:05:08.079 --> 00:05:09.680 That's the way Jesus tells stories. 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:15.199 He tells them something they've all experienced, they're all aware of, they've all been here. 00:05:16.240 --> 00:05:21.839 And then he turns everything upside down with a shocking twist that people don't know how to respond to. 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:25.519 The other reason he tells stories like this, it's wonderfully effective. 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:32.639 But the other reason is because the hearts of the religious leaders of Israel do not understand these stories. 00:05:32.800 --> 00:05:35.199 You know, if you grew up in the church, these stories are obvious. 00:05:35.279 --> 00:05:36.720 You've had them explained to you before. 00:05:36.879 --> 00:05:39.680 This is the first time they're hearing it and they don't get it. 00:05:40.720 --> 00:05:49.519 Jesus says that back in Matthew chapter 13, that he tells parables so that the they who don't see would be blinded by them. 00:05:49.759 --> 00:05:52.319 They that don't hear won't be able to understand them. 00:05:52.480 --> 00:05:55.680 In other words, they that don't love Jesus won't be able to love these parables. 00:05:55.839 --> 00:05:57.439 They won't understand them. 00:05:57.600 --> 00:06:05.279 They're a wonderful way of teaching his elect and a wonderful way of blinding those that have not come to faith in him. 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:07.519 That's why he says he does them. 00:06:08.720 --> 00:06:15.519 Because as we read this one, you're gonna read it and think, how in the world do these people not understand what he's talking about? 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:21.199 Because they're just so far gone they cannot see themselves as the villains in any story. 00:06:21.360 --> 00:06:23.680 So we're gonna go through this story two times. 00:06:23.839 --> 00:06:28.079 First, the way they all would have heard it, the way the Sanhedrin would have heard it, verse 33. 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:29.040 Here's another parable. 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:31.199 Like I said, Jesus is often taught parables. 00:06:31.279 --> 00:06:34.639 He does that to hide the truth, not to reveal it. 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:38.240 There was a master of a house. 00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:43.439 This is curios, the word for Lord, somebody who owns a lot of land. 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:52.000 He planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a wine press in it and built a tower and leased it. 00:06:52.319 --> 00:06:59.600 This would be, first of all, the idea of somebody building a vineyard with a wine press, this is very normal. 00:07:00.079 --> 00:07:02.639 Many families have vineyards and wine presses. 00:07:02.800 --> 00:07:07.600 A very typical way for Israelites to earn a living to make money is what you do with your lands. 00:07:08.160 --> 00:07:18.240 This particular story here is describing a massive vineyard, a very wealthy landowner with a massive enterprise. 00:07:18.399 --> 00:07:21.040 So this would not be, you know, that unusual. 00:07:21.199 --> 00:07:27.680 I bet every village might have one place like this, or every region might have one or two vineyards of this scope. 00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:31.199 I mean, it's one thing to say they're building a giant in your neighborhood. 00:07:31.279 --> 00:07:34.160 It's another thing to say they're building a Costco in your neighborhood. 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:36.079 This story here is about the Costco. 00:07:37.519 --> 00:07:46.720 You know, again, it's not, you know, front page of the Washington Post kind of news that there's a new Costco going in, but it would be news in your little neighborhood. 00:07:46.800 --> 00:07:47.920 Like, oh, that's really cool. 00:07:48.000 --> 00:07:48.720 It's a big thing. 00:07:48.879 --> 00:07:50.079 I wonder what traffic will be like. 00:07:50.240 --> 00:07:51.360 That's this kind of vineyard. 00:07:51.519 --> 00:07:53.120 First of all, it's got a fence around it. 00:07:53.279 --> 00:07:55.759 Most vineyards would not have a fence around it. 00:07:56.079 --> 00:07:59.040 A fence is there because the guy has a lot of property. 00:07:59.120 --> 00:08:01.040 It's to keep, it's to mark what is his. 00:08:01.199 --> 00:08:05.360 You know, if your vineyard is just your own little acre or two, you don't need a fence. 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:11.519 But if you're if you're farming here 20 or 40 acres, you're definitely going to mark it off with a fence. 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:14.959 Part of it keeps animals out, but animals can jump fences and climb around. 00:08:15.040 --> 00:08:16.879 It's just you saying, this is mine. 00:08:17.839 --> 00:08:19.279 The wine press. 00:08:19.680 --> 00:08:22.000 That's another thing that a wealthy person would do. 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:28.560 I mean, families might make a wine press, or what was more common is like 10 families all have their own vineyards, and they go in together on a wine press. 00:08:28.639 --> 00:08:30.800 That's a very Jewish thing to do. 00:08:31.199 --> 00:08:34.480 But this guy, this is a farm-to-table kind of operation. 00:08:34.559 --> 00:08:36.559 It's a one-stop shop, so to speak. 00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:41.279 It's a massive vineyard with a fence, and in the middle of it is his own wine press. 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:43.039 They're expensive to build. 00:08:43.360 --> 00:08:47.759 They don't have, you know, backhoes or front loaders here. 00:08:48.159 --> 00:08:50.399 You have slaves with shovels, is what they have. 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:53.360 So to build a wine press is a big operation. 00:08:54.240 --> 00:08:55.840 But he doesn't. 00:08:56.159 --> 00:08:58.960 And then he builds a tower over it. 00:08:59.120 --> 00:09:00.799 Now that's massive. 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:03.600 That would be very unusual. 00:09:03.759 --> 00:09:09.759 The only vineyards that had towers would be these kind of like 30, 40 acre operations. 00:09:09.840 --> 00:09:12.080 It's a big deal if your vineyard has a tower. 00:09:12.399 --> 00:09:16.000 Because again, if you have a couple acres, you don't need a tower. 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:18.639 You need a window in your house, is what you need. 00:09:19.039 --> 00:09:25.759 But if you have a massive property, you might build a tower so you can see if your enemies are coming to attack you. 00:09:26.080 --> 00:09:27.919 That's why you have a tower. 00:09:28.320 --> 00:09:29.919 And so this guy builds a tower. 00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:33.360 All these details are put here, not to brag on the guy. 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:34.240 It's a fictional story. 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:35.440 This guy doesn't actually exist. 00:09:35.519 --> 00:09:36.399 It's a parable. 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:41.759 But remember, the way he tells parables, you're getting drawn in and you've forgotten that it's a parable by the third word, isn't it? 00:09:42.399 --> 00:09:50.879 He puts that detail in there to let you know this is a big-time high dollar, high capital investment. 00:09:51.039 --> 00:09:51.679 That's what this is. 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:53.919 This is not a small business loan. 00:09:54.240 --> 00:10:00.879 This is a massive capital investment on a long-term project from a very wealthy man. 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:02.720 That's what this is. 00:10:02.879 --> 00:10:04.240 And so people relate to it. 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:07.360 They hear the story, they've got a sense of the scope of it. 00:10:07.600 --> 00:10:09.600 This is a big deal. 00:10:10.879 --> 00:10:14.960 And then the guy goes into another country. 00:10:15.840 --> 00:10:17.279 Not surprising. 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:23.919 The kind of guy that would have enough cash to build a vineyard like this, nobody would expect him to actually be doing the work, right? 00:10:24.000 --> 00:10:28.399 If you have one acre, we would expect you to be mowing your own grass and setting the sprinkler and all that. 00:10:28.559 --> 00:10:33.039 If you got 50 acres, nobody expects the farmer with 50 acres to be moving every sprinkler. 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:35.440 He has a staff that does that kind of thing. 00:10:35.679 --> 00:10:38.159 So of course this guy is not going to be the actual farmer. 00:10:38.320 --> 00:10:42.240 If you can afford this vineyard, you're not the one picking the grapes. 00:10:42.559 --> 00:10:43.840 What are you the one doing? 00:10:44.000 --> 00:10:47.679 Well, probably you're the one with a second house. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:50.799 Probably that second house is in Egypt or in Persia. 00:10:50.960 --> 00:10:52.720 Those are the places, maybe Damascus. 00:10:52.799 --> 00:10:56.879 That's the place the wealthy Jews left Israel under Roman occupation. 00:10:57.039 --> 00:10:58.480 Many of them went to Egypt. 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:00.240 That was the most common place for them to go. 00:11:00.559 --> 00:11:06.480 Egypt was also under Roman occupation, but it was, they didn't have Herod, the insane guy, slaughtering everybody. 00:11:06.639 --> 00:11:09.600 So it was a much happier place for the Jews to live in Egypt. 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:11.519 Jesus himself, remember, he fled to Egypt. 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:15.840 And so as Jesus is telling the story here, again, everybody relates to it. 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:17.759 That's not what that would not be unusual. 00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:21.120 The kind of guy who makes this kind of vineyard, of course he lives in Egypt. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:22.720 Of course he lives in Persia. 00:11:22.960 --> 00:11:24.559 Of course he does. 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:27.600 So people are following him. 00:11:27.759 --> 00:11:28.879 Verse 34. 00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:35.360 When the season for fruit drew near, that's about five years away from planting the vineyard. 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:40.720 In fact, Leviticus 19 says you cannot sell the grapes of a new vineyard until the fifth year. 00:11:40.879 --> 00:11:41.679 There's reasons for that. 00:11:41.840 --> 00:11:43.519 One of them is the squatter's law. 00:11:43.600 --> 00:11:49.679 In Israel, if you can occupy land for three years without getting evicted, it's basically yours until the year of Jubilee. 00:11:49.759 --> 00:11:50.879 That's the idea behind it. 00:11:51.039 --> 00:11:59.679 By making it be five years of a vineyard, it's ensuring that whoever's landed actually is has had adequate time to make a claim to it. 00:12:00.320 --> 00:12:02.879 Also, it helps the grapes mature, it's better for the land. 00:12:02.960 --> 00:12:03.919 There's all kinds of reasons. 00:12:04.080 --> 00:12:07.840 So the Torah, Leviticus 19 says, don't sell the grapes until the fifth year. 00:12:08.000 --> 00:12:08.879 This is a parable. 00:12:08.960 --> 00:12:19.120 The point is not if these guys were like rigid Torah keepers, but the point is that when verse 34 says, when the time of fruit drew near, you're dealing with a five-year minimum time period here. 00:12:19.200 --> 00:12:20.639 That's if all goes well. 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:28.879 Five years later, the landowner is expecting the fruit to be sold, the wine to be sold, and he's expecting some money, and so he comes asking for it. 00:12:28.960 --> 00:12:32.159 Now, of course, he doesn't drive his own Mercedes there himself. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:33.679 He sends his slaves. 00:12:33.840 --> 00:12:37.600 It says servants in the SV, but it is the Greek word for slaves. 00:12:37.759 --> 00:12:40.799 He sends his slaves to the tenants to get his fruit. 00:12:41.279 --> 00:12:43.840 Now, this story is told in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 00:12:43.919 --> 00:12:51.840 Obviously, Jesus told it a few different times, but in the other versions, it makes it clear these slaves arrive one at a time. 00:12:52.320 --> 00:12:57.840 He sends slave one, then slave two, then slave three. 00:12:58.559 --> 00:13:01.600 Well, the tenants, verse 35, took his servants. 00:13:01.759 --> 00:13:07.279 They took the slaves, they beat one, they killed another, and they stoned another. 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:09.840 So this is the shocking twist. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:12.960 Everybody has related to this story until this point. 00:13:15.519 --> 00:13:16.720 The guy shows up. 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:18.159 I need the money. 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:19.679 And there was an arrangement earlier. 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:24.399 Maybe it was wine, maybe it was a Vata wine, maybe it was cash, maybe it was grapes. 00:13:24.480 --> 00:13:25.360 It says the fruit. 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:27.200 Maybe he was supposed to take grapes back. 00:13:27.360 --> 00:13:28.240 That's not the point. 00:13:28.399 --> 00:13:34.960 The point is he came asking for what was rightfully his lord's, his master's, and he gets beat up for it. 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:40.320 Let me make this more Burke appropriate. 00:13:41.519 --> 00:13:46.240 Lots of military people come here for f years, and they often buy a house here. 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:53.679 And because it's you know high real estate value, housing prices are above, like if your last post was in North Carolina or in Texas or something. 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:55.919 Obviously, housing is way more expensive here. 00:13:56.000 --> 00:13:59.120 So if you have enough for down payment or whatever, you buy your house here. 00:13:59.200 --> 00:14:05.279 And then from here you go, I don't know, Hawaii or Germany or Bahrain or somewhere where you're not gonna buy a house. 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:06.879 And so what do you do? 00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:11.360 You probably rent out your house that was here, you keep it because it increases in value. 00:14:11.519 --> 00:14:16.240 One day you'll retire and come back here, not for the property value, but because you love Emmanuel Bible Church. 00:14:16.320 --> 00:14:16.960 I know. 00:14:18.320 --> 00:14:26.799 Well, what you know, where you're in Germany or wherever, North Carolina, you have a friend here from church, he's gonna go collect your rent. 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:29.840 The check doesn't come in on time, he's gonna go check up on the place. 00:14:30.080 --> 00:14:32.960 That's a very normal thing to have happen. 00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:36.399 Would not be unusual at all. 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:43.120 But your friend goes and knocks on the door looking for the rent check, and he gets beat up. 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:45.279 That would be unusual. 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:46.639 That would be noteworthy. 00:14:46.720 --> 00:14:47.840 What would you do? 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:51.440 You would probably call the police, is what you would do. 00:14:51.679 --> 00:14:55.519 Maybe you would get on a plane, but probably first you would call the police. 00:14:55.919 --> 00:14:57.519 What does this guy do? 00:14:58.080 --> 00:14:59.919 He sends slave number two. 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:04.399 Slave number two gets murdered. 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:12.080 Not beat up at the front door, but shot and left in the front yard. 00:15:13.200 --> 00:15:14.960 So what does he do next? 00:15:15.360 --> 00:15:17.200 Sends slave number three. 00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:19.519 Imagine being that guy. 00:15:21.600 --> 00:15:24.159 And he comes and he gets stoned. 00:15:24.480 --> 00:15:26.559 The landowner's throwing rocks at him. 00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:29.200 Or sorry, the tenants throwing rocks at him. 00:15:30.320 --> 00:15:34.159 It happens over and over and over again. 00:15:35.279 --> 00:15:40.399 Verse 36, he keeps sending more slaves, more than the first time. 00:15:40.559 --> 00:15:43.840 The first time was three, again, one at a time, but a group of three. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:45.919 Now is a whole lot of them. 00:15:46.240 --> 00:15:48.720 And they did the same to all of them. 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:54.000 Meaning they murdered some of them and stoned some of them and beat up some of them. 00:15:54.399 --> 00:15:56.320 I mean, this is crazy. 00:15:57.279 --> 00:16:02.799 This went from a story that you can all relate to to a story you're thinking, what in the wide world is this? 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:07.200 You can almost imagine the crowd getting angry. 00:16:08.720 --> 00:16:11.279 What's the Sanhedrin thinking during this story? 00:16:11.600 --> 00:16:13.840 I mean, honestly, what are they thinking? 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:19.039 If something like that happened in Israel, the Romans would get involved. 00:16:19.679 --> 00:16:23.360 It's the Sanhedrin's job to keep that from happening. 00:16:23.679 --> 00:16:24.720 It's their job. 00:16:24.879 --> 00:16:31.120 If this really happens, this is an indictment on the Sanhedrin for not protecting the rights of the landowner. 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:38.799 The Sanhedrin, they're not who they are because they're charitable, they're who they are because they are politically powerful and influential. 00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:40.480 They have money. 00:16:51.840 --> 00:16:53.600 And so you can feel them getting antsy. 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:56.399 I can't, as I'm reading the story, I feel the Sanhedrin getting antsy. 00:16:56.639 --> 00:16:58.080 What are they gonna do? 00:16:58.879 --> 00:17:00.480 What are they gonna say? 00:17:01.120 --> 00:17:04.799 Well, verse 37, the whole thing goes off the rails. 00:17:05.039 --> 00:17:09.440 Finally, he sent his son to them, saying, They'll respect my son. 00:17:09.599 --> 00:17:13.759 Well, that's clinically insane, is what that is. 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:17.039 I mean, imagine again the Burke scenario. 00:17:17.200 --> 00:17:26.640 You send the first friend from church and he gets beat up, the second friend of church he gets murdered, the third friend from church and he gets stoned, you send six more friends from church and they get beat up, murdered in the stones. 00:17:27.039 --> 00:17:30.000 At no point would you say, I know what will fix this. 00:17:30.079 --> 00:17:31.839 I'm going to send my son. 00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:36.720 And what do you think is gonna happen to your son if he shows up? 00:17:38.079 --> 00:17:40.960 By the way, Mark's gospel has a really funny word in here. 00:17:41.119 --> 00:17:45.519 It says he sent his son, and there's you know, apposition like a comma. 00:17:45.599 --> 00:17:46.720 It says his beloved son. 00:17:46.799 --> 00:17:50.240 In other words, you would render it, he sent his son the one that he loves. 00:17:50.720 --> 00:17:54.559 He didn't send that son, he would be okay with getting murdered. 00:17:55.680 --> 00:17:58.000 He sent the son he actually likes. 00:18:01.599 --> 00:18:02.799 They'll respect my son. 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:06.559 Well, that's just like I said, that's insane. 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:09.680 Well, verse 38 makes perfect sense. 00:18:09.759 --> 00:18:14.960 When the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, this is the heir, let's kill him and have his inheritance. 00:18:15.039 --> 00:18:19.279 The son shows up with his life insurance policy hanging out of his pocket practically. 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:22.880 We kill him, there's nobody left for him to send. 00:18:22.960 --> 00:18:24.559 We've killed all the slaves. 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:27.039 If we kill the son, it's ours. 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:29.599 Now, this is but this is a murderer's thinking here. 00:18:29.680 --> 00:18:32.960 That's not the way the world actually works, of course. 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:35.920 But that's the way criminals think. 00:18:36.000 --> 00:18:37.359 That's the way the murderer thinks. 00:18:37.519 --> 00:18:39.039 He's killed a bunch of people so far. 00:18:39.200 --> 00:18:40.400 Why not keep going? 00:18:40.640 --> 00:18:43.759 One more, and then we have the property. 00:18:45.759 --> 00:18:47.920 So they took the son, verse 39. 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:51.119 They threw him out of the vineyard and they murdered him. 00:18:53.440 --> 00:18:57.279 So now Jesus turns to the crowd. 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:04.960 What do you think the owner of the vineyard does when he comes? 00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:07.119 What do you think he's gonna do? 00:19:08.720 --> 00:19:11.519 This is masterful storytelling by Jesus, isn't it? 00:19:11.759 --> 00:19:15.279 Because in an economy of words, this is just a few verses. 00:19:15.759 --> 00:19:18.319 And now he directs, it's open mic time. 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:22.720 What do you think this guy's gonna do when he shows up? 00:19:23.759 --> 00:19:29.200 Somebody from the crowd, you know, this from, I think it's Luke's version, says somebody from the crowd answers. 00:19:29.440 --> 00:19:31.440 It's gonna kill him, of course. 00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:35.519 You know, when the owner shows up, he's not gonna show up with one more slave. 00:19:35.680 --> 00:19:37.279 He's not gonna show up with 20 slaves. 00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:45.759 When the owner shows up in the in the this world at this time, when the owner gets there, and this is gonna get him there, of course, they murdered his son, he's coming with the army. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:51.119 He's coming with a hundred Roman soldiers with shields and a centurion leading the charge. 00:19:51.279 --> 00:19:52.559 That's who he's coming with. 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:55.839 He's not coming with an eviction notice from the sheriff's department. 00:19:56.000 --> 00:19:59.200 He's coming with a whole regiment of the army. 00:20:01.519 --> 00:20:03.279 What's he gonna do when he gets there? 00:20:04.880 --> 00:20:07.440 He's gonna slaughter them, verse 41 says. 00:20:07.759 --> 00:20:11.519 He will put those wretches to a miserable death. 00:20:11.680 --> 00:20:14.559 And in Matthew's version, verse 41, is it's plural. 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:18.160 They said to him, so the Sanhedrin is adopting this as their answer. 00:20:18.319 --> 00:20:21.599 Somebody in the crowd said it, and the Sanhedrin is like, that's right. 00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:24.400 Of course they're gonna get slaughtered. 00:20:25.920 --> 00:20:27.359 Of course it will. 00:20:30.640 --> 00:20:34.400 Now, obviously, nothing like this has ever happened in Israel. 00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:40.480 The closest parallel in the Bible is Jezebel murdering Naboth for his vineyard. 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:44.079 But that's I mean, that's so different than this, it's almost not even worth comparing. 00:20:44.240 --> 00:20:49.359 This is so outlandish, nothing like this would have happened before. 00:20:51.279 --> 00:20:57.200 But of course, the Sanhedrin do not see themselves in this story. 00:20:57.599 --> 00:21:04.079 I think a better parable parallel from this from the Old Testament is David and Bathsheba. 00:21:04.480 --> 00:21:16.240 Remember, he commits adultery with Bathsheba, he murders Uriah and hides it, and months go by, probably eight months or nine months, judging by when the child is born, and Nathan comes to David. 00:21:16.400 --> 00:21:17.279 Do you remember this? 00:21:18.079 --> 00:21:19.599 And tells David Hayes' story. 00:21:19.680 --> 00:21:23.599 David, somewhere in Israel, some guy had one sheep that he loved. 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:24.880 Poor dude, just one sheep. 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:28.799 He named a sheep and sang it lullabies at night and it slept with his kids, the whole thing. 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:33.680 His neighbor had a thousand sheep, didn't even name them. 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:45.039 He has a friend coming over for dinner and he doesn't want to kill one of his thousand unnamed sheep, so he sneaks into his neighbor's house and steals the sheep with the name that all the kids love, and the kids are crying and he slaughters the sheep. 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:47.440 And what should happen, David? 00:21:47.519 --> 00:21:48.960 And you remember what David says? 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:52.720 Kill him! I mean, that's an overreaction. 00:21:53.680 --> 00:21:57.599 You know, somebody hits your dog because they're on their phone, they kill your dog. 00:21:57.759 --> 00:21:59.839 You might initially say, put the dude to death. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:07.359 But you recognize the capital punishment for running over a dog is probably an overreaction, no matter how much you love the dog, right? 00:22:08.799 --> 00:22:10.000 Well, okay. 00:22:11.119 --> 00:22:12.240 Some of you are like. 00:22:14.799 --> 00:22:20.400 So Nathan is Nathan, you can picture the arched eyebrow from Nathan, like, really, David, you're gonna kill the guy? 00:22:20.559 --> 00:22:24.799 And that's where David's like, he has to repay fourfold, you know, punish him. 00:22:25.519 --> 00:22:30.400 Remember, Nathan says, in Hebrew, it's a cool phrase, atahaish. 00:22:31.200 --> 00:22:32.400 You're the man. 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:34.880 What a wonderful way to end that parable. 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:35.759 You are the man. 00:22:36.000 --> 00:22:37.440 He picture him poking him in the chest. 00:22:37.599 --> 00:22:38.799 You're the man, David. 00:22:38.960 --> 00:22:40.480 That story is about you. 00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:42.559 This is that kind of story. 00:22:42.720 --> 00:22:45.279 The Sanhedrin don't get that this is about them. 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:50.559 It doesn't cross their radar that Jesus is telling them an atahaish story. 00:22:50.880 --> 00:22:52.160 They don't get it. 00:22:53.200 --> 00:22:57.839 So let's go back in the story and read it again and see what is really happening here. 00:22:58.000 --> 00:23:01.920 In verse, back in verse 33, Jesus tells a parable. 00:23:02.079 --> 00:23:05.039 Remember, he tells these parables to blind them from the truth. 00:23:05.440 --> 00:23:11.279 There was a master who planted a vineyard, fence, wine press, tower, least. 00:23:12.319 --> 00:23:17.359 I want you to hold your finger there, and then I want you to turn in your Bibles to Isaiah chapter 5. 00:23:18.079 --> 00:23:19.519 Isaiah chapter 5. 00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:23.759 Sometimes I put the cross-references on the screen, but this one is worth it. 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:26.160 It's worth the walk all the way to Isaiah. 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:27.200 You're getting your work out. 00:23:30.559 --> 00:23:35.839 Isaiah chapter 5 is a very well-known chapter in the Old Testament, known by the Israelites. 00:23:35.920 --> 00:23:39.440 It kind of gives Israel their national identity as the vineyard of the Lord. 00:23:39.680 --> 00:23:41.680 This is not an obscure passage. 00:23:41.839 --> 00:23:43.039 This is a well-known passage. 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:45.759 One commentator compared this to Americans. 00:23:45.839 --> 00:23:52.640 You know, an American might not know the 13th Amendment or something like that to the Constitution, but most Americans would know the First Amendment. 00:23:52.799 --> 00:23:57.839 Most of you probably know the Second Amendment, a commit amendment. 00:24:00.480 --> 00:24:03.200 But this is that. 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:04.480 Isaiah 5 is that. 00:24:04.559 --> 00:24:07.440 It's the kind of passage that every Israelite knows. 00:24:07.759 --> 00:24:11.599 It begins with a song from my beloved concerning his vineyard. 00:24:12.160 --> 00:24:14.880 My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 00:24:14.960 --> 00:24:20.640 He dug it and cleared it of stones and planted in it vines and built a tower in the middle of it. 00:24:20.960 --> 00:24:22.960 Hewed a wine vat in it. 00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:26.400 Now, what you're reading right now is the English translation from the Hebrew. 00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:30.960 The Jews in Jesus' lifetime were reading the Greek translation from the Hebrew. 00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:42.319 Would it surprise you that in Matthew 21, when Jesus starts his parable, he starts it by quoting the Greek translation of Isaiah. 00:24:42.559 --> 00:24:44.319 He's quoting scripture to them. 00:24:44.559 --> 00:24:45.680 He's not hiding it. 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:50.960 He's just straight up quoting Isaiah 5, verses 1 and 2 to them. 00:24:51.200 --> 00:24:57.680 It looks a little bit different than here because we're reading Hebrew to English instead of Hebrew to Greek to English, but it's Jesus is quoting this. 00:24:58.000 --> 00:24:59.519 But they missed it. 00:24:59.759 --> 00:25:04.799 They missed it because it was a parable and they didn't have their ears tuned into Isaiah. 00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:10.400 And so now, inhabitants of Jerusalem, men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 00:25:10.480 --> 00:25:12.640 This is Isaiah, God speaking through Isaiah. 00:25:12.720 --> 00:25:14.160 I'm going to judge the vineyard. 00:25:14.400 --> 00:25:17.519 What more could I do for it than I did in it? 00:25:18.880 --> 00:25:23.039 That's God asking, what more could I have done for Israel than I did? 00:25:23.279 --> 00:25:32.319 I gave them a fence, I protected them, I gave them a border, I gave them a wine press, I gave them for a way to cultivate their lands and to get money. 00:25:32.480 --> 00:25:33.519 I gave them a watchtower. 00:25:33.680 --> 00:25:34.559 I was protecting them. 00:25:34.720 --> 00:25:36.640 The Lord is their strong tower. 00:25:37.440 --> 00:25:39.039 I did everything. 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:43.200 But God says in verse 4, I looked for grapes and there were no grapes. 00:25:43.279 --> 00:25:44.960 There were only wild grapes. 00:25:45.680 --> 00:25:48.000 I'll tell you what I'll do to my vineyard, God says. 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:50.880 I'm going to remove its fence and it'll be devoured. 00:25:51.200 --> 00:25:54.000 I'm going to break down its wall and it's going to be trampled on. 00:25:54.160 --> 00:25:55.920 I'm going to lay it waste. 00:25:56.559 --> 00:25:58.799 It's not going to be pruned or hoed. 00:25:59.119 --> 00:26:00.880 Briars and thorns are going to grow up. 00:26:01.039 --> 00:26:03.519 I'm going to command the clouds that they don't rain on it. 00:26:03.599 --> 00:26:04.640 So this is getting serious. 00:26:04.799 --> 00:26:06.720 God says, you're going to get trampled on. 00:26:06.880 --> 00:26:09.759 And also I'm telling the clouds, no rain for them. 00:26:11.440 --> 00:26:15.200 The vineyard of Yahweh is the house of Israel. 00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:21.440 God looked for justice and behold, bloodshed for righteousness and an outcry. 00:26:21.599 --> 00:26:23.599 I mean, the whole chapter goes on. 00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:26.160 God says the land is unfruitful. 00:26:26.240 --> 00:26:28.960 Verse 10, 10 acres is not going to grow anything. 00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:33.440 Verse 12, they have all their instruments, the lyre, the harp, the tambourine, the flute. 00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:36.000 They even have wine at their feasts. 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:38.720 But they don't regard Yahweh. 00:26:38.880 --> 00:26:40.000 I mean, think about that. 00:26:40.160 --> 00:26:47.200 These guys who are in the vineyard, Israel, they're gathering the grapes and making wine for them to celebrate as they refuse to give anything to God. 00:26:48.160 --> 00:26:50.880 Therefore, God says, My people are going into exile. 00:26:51.039 --> 00:26:52.880 I'm kicking them out of the land. 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:54.319 They're going to die of hunger. 00:26:54.400 --> 00:26:55.279