1. The owner and the tenants (9-12)

In this parable, Jesus puts himself and his church in historical perspective. The owner of the vineyard is God. He planted his vineyard to have fruit. God wanted Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Ex 19:4-6). He wanted to bless all the nations of the world through his chosen people. The tenants were selfish. They wanted to enjoy the blessings, but they didn't want to give anything to anyone.

2. The Rejected Stone (13-19)

Just as the owner sent servants to get some of the harvest, so God sent his prophets to his people. Just as the tenants rejected and mistreated the servants, so Israel rejected the prophets. When the owner sent his Son, he thought they would surely respect him--but they didn't. They killed him and claimed ownership of the vineyard. When Israel rejected Jesus, they rejected the privilege of being God's people. God took the Rejected Stone, Jesus, and through him built a new Israel to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (1Pe 2:9).

Application: Lord, make me a good tenant in your vineyard, and a good steward of your blessings.
One Word: Give fruit to God