Luke 20:1-47
Jesus told the people in Jerusalem the following parable. He began, "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time." The vinedressers were supposed to give the man some of the fruit of the vineyard as payment. The man sent servant after servant to receive the fruit, but instead the vinedressers brutally beat each of the man's servants, sending them away empty-handed. "Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him." But they didn't respect him. In fact the keepers of the vineyard killed the son.
The Lord ended the parable, asking a question and then answering it. "Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others." The people responded immediately, "Certainly not!"
They understood the meaning of the parable. The planter of the vineyard was God. They were the vinedressers. The servants were the Old Testament prophets, whom they had persecuted. The son was Jesus, who they had wanted to kill. John 5:18; 7:1; 11:53. The religious leaders who heard the parable "sought to lay hands on Him...for they knew He had spoken the parable against them." The "others" who would receive the vineyard were the despised Gentiles. The Jews were also acquainted with Isaiah 5:1-7, which may be seen as a parallel passage of Scripture.
Jesus stared them down and said, "What then is this that is written: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'?" This verse may be found in Psalm 118:22, and also 1 Peter 2:8. Jesus, the stone rejected, became the Son killed. "He came to His own (creation), and His own (people) did not receive Him." John 1:11. To them He became "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense." Isaiah 8:14; 1 Peter 2:8. Jesus warned, "Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
Israel still has a promising hope for the future. The apostle Paul wrote, "I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation has come to the Gentiles." Romans 11:11.
The apostle Peter has written that believers, "as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 2:5. And to those of us who believe, He is precious. Jesus is the chief Cornerstone!
Precious Lord, thank you for the great salvation that you freely offer to Jew and Gentile alike. Now produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, as we present ourselves to You. In Jesus' name. Amen!
