God’s Disappointing Vineyard

Jesus’ Authority Questioned^(A)

²⁷ Then they came again to Jerusalem. ^(B)And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. ²⁸ And they said to Him, “By what ^(C)authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

²⁹ But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: ³⁰ The ^(D)baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

³¹ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ³² But if we say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for ^(E)all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. ³³ So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.”

And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers^(F)

12 Then ^(G)He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to ^[a]vinedressers and went into a far country. ² Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. ³ And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ Again he sent them another servant, ^[b]and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. ⁵ And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, ^(H)beating some and killing some. ⁶ Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ⁷ But those ^[c]vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸ So they took him and ^(I)killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.

⁹ “Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Have you not even read this Scripture:

^12 (K)And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away.

^41 (A)They said to Him, ^(B)“He will destroy those wicked men miserably, ^(C)and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will ^[a]render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

⁴³ “Therefore I say to you, ^(A)the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

³ For we are ^(A)the circumcision, ^(B)who worship ^[a]God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,

⁷ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who ^[a]are disobedient,

⁸ and

^(C)They stumble, being disobedient to the word, ^(D)to which they also were appointed.

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of ^(E)darkness into His marvelous light; ^10 (F)who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.