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Book: Matthew
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Matthew 21:1-46 The Rejected Stone
Intro. On Sunday Jesus made His triumphant entry into Jerusalem as He
presented Himself to the nation as their Messiah. He now
returned on Monday, and again cast out those who were buying
and selling, He overturned the tables of the money changers.
The little children were saying to Him, "Hosanna to the Son
of David." which greatly upset the chief priests and scribes.
Jesus reminded them of the scriptures which said, "Out of the
mouth of babes and sucklings you have perfected praise."
As He returned to the Temple on the next day He was met
by the chief priests and rulers of the people who demanded
Him to tell them who authorized Him to do the things He did.
Jesus refused to tell them, but gave to them two parables
concerning vineyards, which were a type of Israel.
I. The parable of the householder who planted a vineyard.
A. This parable begins so closely to the parable of the vineyard
in Isaiah 5, that they could not help but make the connection.
1. The nation of Israel was God's vineyard.
2. God's only desire was to gather good fruit from His
vineyard.
a. In Isaiah 5 the vineyard after all the careful
preparation and care only brought forth wild
grapes.
b. In the parable that Jesus gives, the men who
were responsible to watch over the vineyard for
the master took the fruit of the vineyard for
themselves.
c. The concessions that were set up in the Temple
to sell certified sacrifices, and the booths of
the money changers were owned by the family of
the high priest. They were price gouging.
B. At the time that the vineyard should be bringing forth fruit
the master sent his servants to the husbandmen that he might
receive the fruit from his vineyard.
1. The servants were the prophets that the Lord had sent
to the nation of Israel.
2. But the prophets were stoned, imprisoned, beaten and
killed. Stephen in Acts 7 in his defense before the
counsel of the elders asked, "Which of the prophets
were not persecuted?"
C. The master last of all sent his son, saying that they would
surely respect his son.
1. The husbandmen said, "Here comes his son, let us kill
him then the vineyard will be all ours."
2. So they caught him, cast him out of the vineyard and
killed him.
D. Jesus then asked what shall the lord of the vineyard do to
those husbandmen when he comes?
1. They answered, "He will miserably destroy those wicked
men, and put other men in charge that will render him
the fruit."
2. In this they were judging their own selves without even
knowing it.
3. Jesus said have you never read in the scriptures, the
stone which was rejected by the builders became the
head stone of the corner?
II. The rejected stone. When Jesus asked them if they had never read in
the scriptures concerning the stone rejected by the builders, He of
course was referring to Psalm 118:22.
A. There are many references to God as a Rock or Stone in the Old
Testament.
1. Exodus there was the rock that was smitten by Moses
that brought forth water of life to the people. Paul
tells us that Rock was Christ.
2. In Deut. 32
DEU 32:4 [He is] the Rock, his work [is] perfect: for all his ways
[are] judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and
right [is] he.
DEU 32:13 He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he
might eat the increase of the fields; and he made him to suck
honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;
DEU 32:15 But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou
art grown thick, thou art covered [with fatness]; then
he forsook God [which] made him, and lightly esteemed the
Rock of his salvation.
DEU 32:18 Of the Rock [that] begat thee thou art unmindful, and hast
forgotten God that formed thee.
DEU 32:30 How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to
flight, except their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut
them up?
DEU 32:31 For their rock [is] not as our Rock, even our enemies
themselves [being] judges.
DEU 32:37 And he shall say, Where [are] their gods, [their] rock in whom
they trusted,
2SA 22:2 And he said, The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my
deliverer;
2SA 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: [he is] my shield,
and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my
saviour; thou savest me from violence.
2SA 22:32 For who [is] God, save the LORD? and who [is] a rock, save our
God?
2SA 22:47 The LORD liveth; and blessed [be] my rock; and exalted be the
God of the rock of my salvation.
2SA 23:3 The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He
that ruleth over men [must be] just, ruling in the fear of
God.
PSA 18:2 The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my
God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the
horn of my salvation, [and] my high tower.
PSA 18:31 For who [is] God save the LORD? or who [is] a rock save our
God?
PSA 18:46 The LORD liveth; and blessed [be] my rock; and let the God of
my salvation be exalted.
3. If you just stop to think for a moment you can think
of many others, "When my heart is overwhelmed, lead me
to the Rock that is higher than I." "He lifted me out
of the miry clay and set my feet upon a Rock."
4. Daniel speaks of the stone that is not cut with hands
that smites the great image that represents the
governments of man, and sets up His everlasting
kingdom.
B. Jesus is pointing out to them that the prophecy of David
concerning the stone that was rejected by the builders, was
being fulfilled
by them in their rejection of Him as their Messiah.
C. They are the wicked husbandmen who have failed to bring forth
the fruit, who have plotted to aster's Son in order
to take the fruit for themselves.
D. They will be cast out, and the job of bringing forth fruit will
be given to others, namely the church.
1. We exist to bring forth for our Lord.
2. The scripture speaks of us offering the sacrifice of
praise, even the fruit of our lips.
3. Paul declared, "Now the fruit of the Spirit is love."
4. We exist to love and praise our glorious God and
Savior, if we fail to bring forth the fruit He is
seeking He will then choose others.
5. A couple of days earlier, when Jesus was making His
entry into Jerusalem amid the shouts of praise from His
disciples, these same elders and priests were saying to
Him to stop the blasphemies of His disciples, Jesus
responded, "If they should hold their peace, the very
stones would cry out."
6. God will be praised by His creation, if not animate,
then by inanimate.
7. As the Lord has come to His vineyard this morning, may
He find the fruit He is seeking. May He find us loving
Him and expressing that love in our praises.
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