Jesus Speaks to the Heart

Well, we turn back to our reading in Mark's Gospel, chapter 12, and this parable that we have in verse 1 to verse 12.

The parable of the tenants, as it is called.

It's not just a parable as we see here, Jesus teaching it against the Jewish leaders of the time,

but it's a reminder to us of how we have God's Word to this very day.

At the heart of it is that the Son was sent to them and the Son was rejected.

So this is looking at the Jews of that day.

But then at the end of verse 9, it says,

He will come and destroy the tenants and those who have rejected him and give the vineyard to others.

So that the Gospel is going to go out.

And as with many parts of Scripture, what we find here is a response to Jesus' teaching.

A response to the authority of God's Word.

As a question for ourselves as we begin the service this evening,

what do you do when you hear God's Word speaking to you?

We all hear it.

We all hear God's Word speaking to us.

We heard it this morning.

We hear it this evening.

We hear it so often.

But what do we do with the Word of God?

And what you find as you go through the Scriptures,

you find there are those who delight to hear the Word of God.

You think of the two on the road to Emmaus who met with Jesus there on the way.

And it says that their heart burned within them.

Not with anger.

As we can often think of a burning heart with anger.

It wasn't with anger.

But it was with this amazement, this wonder that Jesus was there opening up the Scriptures to them.

So there is one response to the Word of God.

But as we see again and again throughout God's Word,

there's another response, another burning within the heart.

But it's a burning with anger.

It's a burning with a ferocious anger as we see here as we look at the authority that Jesus was challenging.

As you read through chapter 11 and chapter 12 here in Mark's Gospel,

Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem and he's just a matter of days away from the crucifixion,

from going to the cross.

Why was he going to be crucified?

Well, we could say because it was God's plan.

That God had planned and purposed this from the very beginning.

As we see going through the Old Testament, as we saw this morning,

we thought about Isaiah 53, just touched on that,

how this reminder of Isaiah there speaking about the suffering servant,

the one who was going to give his life.

We could say that's the reason.

But we see it too in another way as well here.

He was going to be crucified because he was at the mercy of people's hands,

those who he caused offense to, those who he upset.

He angered these leaders.

And it was they who were seeking to crucify him as well.

In chapter 11 there in verse 18,

Jesus had come in and seen what they were doing in the temple in Jerusalem.

And he's saying there in verse 17,

that my house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations,

but you have made it a den of robber.

So he's speaking to their hearts there.

And what they say is that they sought a way to destroy him in verse 18.

They sought a way to destroy him.

In verse 27 to 33, as we read here,

again, they were challenging his authority,

questioning his authority.

Who is he to say any of these things to us?

And even after this parable at the end in verse 12,

they were seeking to arrest him.

So it still wasn't changing.

Their reaction to God's word was one of,

you will not tell us what to do.

Why was he going to be crucified?

Well, because of what we see here,

not just in their hearts,

but in all the hearts of the people,

in ourselves today as well.

We see that he was going to be crucified

because the world is a sinful world

that needs a saviour, a redeemer.

And he came as that saviour who would give his life.

The son that we read of in this parable,

the son that the master loved.

So the question we face is,

as we were thinking this morning,

whose voice or what voice are we listening to?

Do we trust Jesus as the son of God

or are we looking somewhere else?

Are we looking to do away with him?

Are our hearts burning with desire for him

or burning with anger against him?

So as you go into chapter 12,

Jesus here challenges these religious leaders

with this parable that speaks to them.

He's speaking right into their hearts.

He's getting right into their very soul and being

as to what are they going to do with him.

The parable is something that the people

would have been familiar with.

In those days, very often this kind of situation

would happen.

We sometimes call it today absentee landlords

where somebody owns a vineyard,

in this case in the scriptures,

but they're at a distance.

But they have other workers

who will come and work it for them.

But the landlord ultimately owns it

and will get his share of the profits from it.

And that's what we see here.

This is the parable that Jesus uses.

Verse 1 describes for us a man who planted a vineyard.

And put everything up that was required,

a fence around it.

He dug a wine pit where the wine,

the juice of the grapes,

would be collected in the right season.

He built a tower for a watchman to guard it.

And he had his workers, his servants,

to work it for them.

And he left it in their care.

But when the season came,

when the wine was going to be flowing,

the master would want his share.

And so he would send his servants to them

to gather what he was due.

But then you see the response of those

who were the workers in the vineyard.

In this parable,

the lord of the vineyard,

the master is God.

We see that so clearly.

The vineyard is God's people

that he's caring for.

And the farmers are the Jewish religious leaders

and how they are dealing with God's people.

The servants that the master sends

are the prophets that God sent to his people.

And as we know,

the well-beloved only son

is the Lord Jesus Christ.

These things are so clear to us here.

And it's reminding us of God's grace

and his love towards us.

And that's what we want to take

from this parable as well.

But we see the response

of the farmers.

We see the response

of those who are working the vineyard

for the master.

And we see the response

in how the servants are sent

and what they do with them.

And how it speaks to us

of how we respond

to the word of God.

So we're going to go through it

and look at three different things

in this passage.

First of all,

we see the goodness of God.

The goodness of God.

I want to think about this.

Is it received

or is it rejected?

Received or rejected?

The goodness of God.

The parable,

as Jesus is speaking it to them here,

is very heavy

with Old Testament imagery.

And so the leaders

who he is speaking it to,

they would have known exactly

what he was talking about.

They are questioning Jesus' authority

as we see in chapter 11.

And so he's using this parable

to show them,

well, what are you going to do

with my authority?

Whose authority do you think it is?

And he is showing them

that this authority

foremost is with God.

And they should have been able

to see it immediately

as he speaks this parable to them.

Immediately as God's word

is speaking to them,

they should have been

under conviction of sin here.

The word of God speaking

so clearly to them

that they would have been feeling

just as shying away from Jesus.

Coming to that point

where you would hope

they would just see their sin

and say,

forgive us.

Have mercy on me, a sinner.

That is the response you would want,

but it's not the response

that you see.

Instead, it's their own pride

and self-importance

that comes to the fore.

But when you look at it

in the Old Testament,

you see just why

they should have realized

what Jesus was saying.

For example,

going back to Isaiah again

as we were this morning,

in chapter 5,

verse 1 to 4,

you see just how familiar

this is to what we're reading

here this evening.

Isaiah 5, verse 1,

Isaiah 5:1

let me sing for my beloved

my love song

concerning his vineyard.

My beloved had a vineyard

on a very fertile hill.

He dug it and cleared it

of stones

and planted it

with choice vines.

He built a watchtower

in the midst of it

and hewed out a wine fat in it

and he looked for it

to yield grapes,

but it yielded wild grapes.

And now,

O inhabitants of Jerusalem

and men of Judah,

judge between me

and my vineyard,

what more was there to do

for my vineyard

that I have not done in it?

When I looked for it

to yield grapes,

why did it yield

wild grapes?

You see how similar

that is to this parable

that Jesus is telling here.

The similarities are there

just so clearly.

And so they should have recognized

what Jesus was speaking about.

They should have recognized

the importance of this.

And as we are hearing

God's word as well,

surely we too recognize

the importance of it

because it's always speaking to us.

Here it is speaking

into the hearts

of these Jewish leaders

into their sin.

And that is what God's word

does for us as well.

It speaks into our hearts

of our sinfulness,

of how far short we fall

of God's glory,

of how much we've done wrong

against him.

And when you look at

what God has done

for his people

in the Old Testament,

how God had tenderly cared

for them.

When you go back to Egypt,

they were in slavery,

they were in bondage,

and yet the Lord

took them out.

He had taken them

through the wilderness,

cared for them there,

given them everything

that they needed.

He took them

into the promised land,

a land flowing

with milk and honey.

There they took root

and they flourished

and God blessed them

in so many ways.

God had given

his vine as they were,

his people,

all of his goodness

in which to grow.

He had blessed them

in so many ways.

He had given them

his word.

He had given them

his protection.

And he had done

all of these things

for them.

God had been good

to them.

As Isaiah 5,

Isaiah 5:4

verse 4 said,

what could have been

done more to my vineyard

that I have not done

in it?

He had done everything

for them.

Time and time again

the Lord has been

good to them.

But what did they do?

They rejected him.

And what of us today?

When we think of

what God has done

for us,

can we not say today,

God has been good

to us?

God has been good

to me.

Can you say that

this evening?

As God's word

is speaking to you,

reminding you

in your heart

of your sin.

And yet we read

of a saviour.

Can you not say,

well, God has been

good to me.

God has showed

his favour

towards me.

There is no

question that

everyone here

who has come

to trust

in the Lord

Jesus Christ

cannot confess

that God

has been good.

we are not

the Israel

that he is

speaking about

here.

We are not

those who are

in bondage

in Egypt.

But we are

in bondage

in sin.

We are lost

in our sin.

But God

by his mercy

takes us

out of that sin.

As Psalm 40

speaks about

waiting on the Lord

and has been

brought up

out of that pit

the mighty

clean,

our feet

set on the rock.

that is what

the goodness

of God

does for us.

Takes us

from darkness

to light.

Has God

been good

to you?

If you are

a believer

you can say it.

God has been

good.

But maybe

you are seeking

after God.

Can you not

say that God

has been good

to you as well?

God has given

you an opportunity.

God has given

you this time.

God has given

you his work.

God has heard

our prayers

in so many ways.

God has given

us his grace

in so many

different ways

day by day.

God has been

good.

The psalmist

in Psalm 116

in the Sing

Psalms version

it puts it like

this,

rest oh my soul

God has been

good to you.

That is where

we find rest.

God was good

to these leaders

but what did

they do?

They rejected

him.

They questioned

his authority.

They sought

to arrest

him.

They sought

to crucify

him.

But what

about us?

What do we do

with this

goodness

of God?

Do we give

thanks to him?

Do we rejoice

in it or do we

just push it

back in his face

and say not

for us?

God has been

good.

But so many

reject God

today.

Let us not

be found

as those

who reject

or shun

God

or turn

away from

him

but give

thanks to

him

and receive

his goodness

and praise

him for all

his grace

and love

towards us.

the goodness

of God.

We see it

here among

them,

rejected by

them.

Let us

receive

that goodness.

The second

thing we see

here is just

that grace

of God.

He's giving

them something

that they

don't deserve

and they just

throw it back

in his face.

And we see

that in how

the master

has given

them this

vineyard.

He's done

everything for

them,

prepared it

for them.

And then

in verse 2

it says,

when the

season came

he sent

a servant

to the

tenants

to get

from them

some of

the fruit

of the

vineyard.

Some

of the

fruit

of the

vineyard.

The owner

would send

his servants

to gather

what was

due to

him.

some

of the

fruit

of the

vineyard

as it

says in

verse 2.

The owner

normally would

take about

a third

or a half

for himself.

Everything

else

would go

to those

who attended

it.

To the

farmers,

to the

tenants

who had

been leased

it.

They would

get the

rest.

they paid

nothing

for it.

They

tended it

for a

time and

they bore

the fruit.

You would

think,

well,

they would

be delighted

with that.

They would

be made

up with

that.

They would

receive

their

reward.

But yet

what we

see is

when the

servants

arrive,

the tenants,

what do

they do?

They turn

against them

time and

time

again.

So the

first servant

arrives in

verse 3

and they

took him

and beat

him and

sent him

away empty

handed.

Verse 4,

again he

sent them

another servant

and they

struck him

on the

head and

treated him

shamefully.

And again

and again we

see it going

on here.

They killed

some,

they beat

others,

sent them

all away

empty

handed.

God is

showing

his grace

here towards

them,

giving them

opportunity

after opportunity

and yet

they still

cannot see

the goodness

of God

or the

grace

of God.

And what

is he saying

to the

leaders here?

Well all

of these

servants

that are

sent back

to the

tenants,

he is

saying,

these are

the prophets.

These are

the ones

who have

spoken

down

through

all the

generations

and what

did you

do with

them?

The ones

who brought

you my

word,

you beat

them,

you killed

them,

you sent

them away.

You see

this when

you go to

the book

of Hebrews

in chapter

one.

Long ago

at many

times and

in many

ways,

God spoke

to our

fathers by

the prophets.

So right

through the

generations,

God was

speaking.

And yet

they rejected,

rejected,

rejected.

And then

finally,

the landowner

sees one

more option.

In verse

six,

he had

still one

other,

a beloved

son.

Finally,

he sent

him to

them saying,

they will

respect my

son.

Surely,

this will be

the answer.

I will send

my son.

And again,

you go back

to Hebrews

chapter one.

God spoke

to our

fathers through

the prophets,

but in

these last

days,

he has

spoken to

us by

his son,

whom he

appointed

heir of

all things.

So we're

seeing here,

this is the

master sending

his son.

This is God

sending Jesus

Christ into

the world.

Surely,

they will

receive him.

But what

do they

do?

What do

they do

with him?

Well,

they see

an opportunity

for themselves.

In verse

seven,

but those

tenants said

to one

another,

this is

the heir,

come,

let us

kill him

and the

inheritance

will be

ours.

And they

took him

and killed

him and

threw him

out of

the vineyard.

This is

what they

did with

him.

they

thought that

by killing

the son,

they could

have

everything

for

themselves.

They

could not

stand

the thought

of this

Jesus

having

authority

over them.

So they

are looking

for ways

to kill

him.

And yet

what grace

God

shows.

Grace

that they

don't

deserve.

The

blessings

that they

have received

again

and

again.

But there

is a

warning.

What will

the owner

do?

What will

the owner

of the

vineyard

do?

In verse

9,

he will

come

and destroy

the tenants.

What a

warning

that is

there.

What will

we do

with this

grace

of God

ourselves?

God

has shown

us grace.

He

has given

us

his

word

through

the

prophets

as we

have

them.

He

has

spoken

to

us

through

his

son,

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ.

But how

do we

receive

that

word?

Do we

receive it

with gladness

or do we

reject it?

Do we

shun it

and turn

away from

it?

Do we

have that

attitude

where if

we can

just get

rid

of this

son,

we will

have

everything

for

ourselves?

As one

commentator

put it,

this is

the way

that humanity

sees it.

If humanity

can dispense

with God

or even

kill God,

then humanity

can become

God.

It's not a

reminder of

the kind of

hearts which

we have.

The hearts

that are

apart from

the grace

of God

want to

be God

ourselves.

If we

can dispense

with God

or even

kill God,

we can

become

God.

But we

cannot.

What they

failed to

understand

was the

grace that

was on

offer here,

that they

could have

everything if

they would

just receive

the son.

But they

failed to

understand.

Receive

the son,

the vineyard

and it's

all there

for you.

Receive

the son

as God

goes on

to speak

to us

through the

word and

you will

become a

child of

God.

Receive

the son

and you

become an

heir alongside

him.

Receive

the son

and you

have all

the blessings

that heaven

has to

offer.

But they

killed him.

What about

you?

What do you

do with

the son

who was

sent?

Do you

receive him

and all

the blessings

that are

offered

through him

or do

you kill

him?

God's

grace and

love is

immense

towards us

through his

son Jesus

Christ but

yet we

live in a

world that

says no

again and

again and

again.

Will you

receive this

word with

joy or

will you

burn in

anger

against it?

That's the

choices that

are so

often put

before us.

But we

are warned

again and

again and

that's what we

see finally

here because

there's an

ultimate

warning.

You go

on rejecting

the grace

of God

and there

are consequences.

Verse 9

What will

the owner

of the

vineyard

do?

He will

come and

destroy the

tenants and

give the

vineyard to

others.

Jesus was

God's final

messenger and

if they

rejected him

they were

saying no to

God for the

very last

time.

It's a

frightening

thought that

for us that

we could say

no to

God one

last time

but yet

God still

speaks.

The religious

leaders killed

the Son of

God on

the cross

at Calvary.

They thought

that they

would get

rid of

him and

get everything

all authority

and everything

else for

themselves

but they

would end

up with

nothing.

The

Master would

come and

destroy the

tenants.

They will

be cast

out and

others will

receive.

That is

the same

for us.

You

reject the

Son.

You throw

him away

but others

will receive.

Reject the

authority of

Jesus.

Reject the

salvation that

is offered

through him

and there is

only judgment

and destruction

for you.

But how

shall we

respond to

the word

of God?

Again you

go back to

Hebrews

Hebrews 2 · chapter mention

chapter 2.

It's there

the warnings

are there for

us how God

has spoken

through his

Son.

But the

beginning of

chapter 2

therefore we

must pay much

closer attention

to what we

have heard

lest we

drift away

from it.

For since

the message

was declared

by angels

proved to be

reliable and

every transgression

and disobedience

received a

just retribution

how shall

we escape

if we

neglect such

a great

salvation?

Isn't that a

stark warning

for us?

Pay closer

attention to

what we have

heard lest we

drift away

from it.

How shall

we escape

if we

neglect such

a great

salvation?

We

won't.

We can't.

But the

salvation is

there on

offer to

us and

that's what's

summed up

by verse

10.

Have you

not read

this scripture?

The stone

that the

builders

rejected

has become

the corner

stone.

The Lord

this was the

Lord's doing

and it is

marvelous

in our

eyes.

Quoting

from Psalm

118.

The one

who was

rejected

has become

the

corner

stone.

Is it

your

corner

stone?

It was

the Lord's

doing.

Is it

marvelous

in your

eyes?

Do you

rejoice

in that?

That God

sent his

beloved

son.

That whoever

believes in

him will

not perish

but have

everlasting

life.

The word

of God

speaks to

our hearts.

The response

of these

religious leaders

of the day

was to have

him arrested

to cast

him away.

But what

is yours?

How do

you respond

to the

word of

God?

How will

you escape

if you

reject such

a great

salvation?

It was

Martin

Luther who

once put it

like this,

the life

of

Christianity

consists

of

possessive

nouns.

It is

one thing

to say

Christ

is our

Savior.

It is

quite another

thing to

say he

is my

Savior

and my

Lord.

The devil

can say

the first

he said.

The true

Christian

alone

can say

the second.

So who

is this

Christ?

Is he

just

our

Savior?

Or can

you say

he is

my

Savior?

If we

are able

to say

he is

my

Savior,

then we

can face

up to

that

judgment

when the

master,

the owner

returns.

And we

will not

be cast

away.

Because when

we come

to trust

in the

Lord Jesus

Christ,

to know

his love

and his

grace,

then we

are saved

through

him.

And as

Jesus

says in

Matthew's

gospel,

on that

day of

judgment,

there will

be those

who will

be cast

away,

who he

says,

I knew

you not.

That is

the outcome

for those

who reject

his son.

But for

those who

receive,

for those

who believe

in him,

Jesus says,

then the

king will

say to

those on

his right,

come,

you who

are blessed

by my

father,

take your

inheritance,

the kingdom

prepared for

you since

the creation

of the

world.

The king

has won.

He is on

his throne

and he

will come

again.

But what

we receive

depends on

what we do

with him

now.

Do we

receive him

with gladness

or do

our hearts

burn in

anger

against him?

He has

shown us

love.

He has

shown us

his goodness.

He has

shown us

his grace.

There is

nothing more

that he

could have

done for

his vineyard.

It's

what we

do with

him.

Do we

receive him

or do we

reject him?

May God

help us

to find

a refuge

in him

so that

when he

returns

he will

call us

by saying

come

you who

are blessed

by my

father.

Let us

pray.

Lord our

gracious God

we do

thank you

that your

word is

complete,

that your

word stands

firm and

sure,

that it

has all

authority

for us

and reminds

us of

our sin

and yet

your grace.

And we

thank you

Lord that

your word

speaks into

our hearts.

And we

pray today for

that word

to be received

in our hearts,

not with a

burning anger

that shuns

you and

turns away

from you,

but recognizing

our need

of you.

And thankful

for your

goodness to

us and

your grace

towards us.

Lord,

continue to

speak,

guiding us

and helping

us and

forgiving our

sins in

Jesus' name.

Amen.

We're going

to conclude

by singing

to God's

praise these

words in

Psalm 118,

the Sing

Psalms version,

page 156,

Psalm 118,

Psalms 118:21

verse 21

to verse 26.

You answered

me, I'll

give you

thanks.

Salvation

comes from

you alone.

The stone

the builders

had refused

has now

become the

cornerstone.

The Lord

himself has

done all

this.

It is a

marvel in

our sight.

This is

the day

the Lord

has made

in it.

Let us

take great

delight.

We'll sing

from verse

21 to

26.

The tune

is Old

100th and

we stand

to sing.

You

answered

me,

I will

give

thanks.

Salvation

as now

stone.

The

Lord himself

has done

all this.

It is

a marvel

in

our sight.

This

is the day

the Lord

has made.

And

let us

take great

delight.

Save

us, O Lord,

we humbly

pray.

O

Lord, we

pray, grant

us success.

His

blessing

is blessed

who comes

in God's

great name.

You

from the

Lord's

house

we

will

bless.

Amen.

After the

benediction,

I'll go to the

door to my

right.

We'll close

with a

benediction.

May grace,

mercy, and

peace from

God,

Father,

Son, and

Holy Spirit

rest upon

and abide

with you

all now

and forever

more.

Amen.

God

Thank you.