The Strand Study Bible

MATTHEW 21:28

MATTHEW 21:40

1538

Parable #34 - The two sons [A lesson for the unsaved – Learn what it means to repent, not just respond. God would rather you meant, “Yes sir” than said it.]

a 4 vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, 5 and went into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, HE sent 6 his servants to the 7 hus- bandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, 8 and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, HE sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all HE sent unto them his 9 SON , saying, They will reverence my son . The promise of CHRIST’S death (Fulfilled - Mt 27:50 - AD 32) 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the 10 HEIR ; come, let us 11 kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. P 39 And they caught him, 12 and cast him out of the vineyard, 11 and slew him . P 40 When the 13 LORD therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen ?

1. or, “regretted his attitude and decision” 2. Mt 3:1-10 & 9:14 3. or, “God the Father” 4. or, “the Jewish Nation” - Isa 5:1-7 5. Mt 25:14 6. that is, “His prophets” - I Thess 2:14-15 7. or, “Jews” 8. Jere 20:1-2 & 37:15 & 38:6 & I Ki 19:10 & 22:24 & II Chro 24:21 9. Isa 7:14 & 9:6 10. Psa 2:7-8 & Heb 1:2 11. Fulfilled - Mt 27:50 (Christ’s Death) 12. Heb 13:12 13. or, “God the Father” - Mt 18:23,35

28 But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he 1 repented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For 2 John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, 1 repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. Parable #35 - The dishonest tenants [A lesson for the unsaved - Learn to react toward the “proper” authority or face the consequences - vs. 41] (S/A - Mk 12:1-12 & Lk 20:9-19) 33 Hear another parable: There was a certain 3 HOUSEHOLDER , which planted

Matthew 21:28 Subject Head Matthew alone records the following three parables (parables #34-36) Mt 21:28 Christ used a very effective teaching method here ( But what think ye? ), whereby the answerer condemns himself by the obviously implied answer (II Sam 12:1-7). 21:31 The first son said, “I won’t!” but he did; the second son said, “I will!” but he didn’t. The first son proved better than he promised, while the second son promised better than he proved. Whereas the first son, representing the immoral lives of the publicans and harlots, did the will of the Father by “repenting” under John and Jesus’ preaching, the second son, representing the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, only “responded.” Parable #34 is aimed at unbelievers who respond, but fail to repent . The character flaw – assuming one’s talk equals one’s walk . It does not (Mt 7:21-23 and Lk 6:46-49). God’s not interested in your attitude toward authority; He is interested in your obedience to authority (I Sam 15:1-23). God is looking for genuine repentance ( II Cor 7:8-9 ), not a general response. True repentance always requires obedience to authority (Jonah 1:1-3 & 3:1-3). 21:32 Like Noah (II Pet 2:5), John proclaimed the righteousness of Jesus for salvation ( in the way of righteousness – Rom 10:1-4), not his own righteousness (Rom 3:10-18,23). 21:34 The anticipated “fruit” represented the spiritual evidence of true conversion, which was to be the end result of the work of the priests and religious leaders (the husbandmen). Instead, the religion of Israel ( Judaism ) had degenerated into a formal system for the benefit of the priests and religious leaders who were now more concerned about perpetuating their own interests. The chief thing that the priests and religious leaders envied Him, and for which they hated and feared Him, was His interest in the people (Jn 11:47-48). 21:37 This phrase “ last of all ” indicates that Jesus was God’s final emissary to Israel ( Heb 1: 1- 2 ). None has ever appeared since Him and none ever will until the Jews recognize Christ as their final PROPHET and MESSIAH (God in flesh - Jn 5:17-18 & 10:30-33). 21:38 This one statement ( and let us seize on his inheritance ) reveals the motives of His enemies (the priests and religious leaders). They hated Him for one reason and one reason alone –He owned the vineyard (the nation of Israel), which they had taken possession of via their religion ( Judaism ). In their minds, what was God’s was now theirs. Parable #35 is aimed at unbelievers who place religion above CHRIST . The character flaw – assuming religion has authority . It does not (Mt 28:18 and Phil 2:5-11). Christ alone holds all authority (Jn 5:22-27 and Rom 14:9-12/Isa 45:21-23).