40 Days of Easter 2011

40 Days of Easter - March 20, 2011

Written by: FBC Member

Read: Matthew 21:33-46


The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers


If you are like me, you read the title and said, ?Wicked vinedressers? I don?t remember that one.? I suppose that is because Jesus didn?t really make us sit and ponder over what this could possibly mean. At the end of the parable, Jesus looked at the church leaders and said, "Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it." (Verse 43) Of course, this made the chief priests and Pharisees very upset, and they sought to kill our precious Lord.



So, if Jesus said it was the church leaders He was talking to, what message could it possibly have for us? Look back at the previous verses. Verse 33 says that the landowner built a perfect vineyard and allowed the vinedressers to use it for a time. When the landowner sent workers to gather his portion, the workers were killed as well as the second group after them by the evil vinedressers. He then sent his son who was likewise killed. The son we know was the Son of God whose time had not quite come, but Jesus was foretelling the future.



We, like the vinedressers, were sent prophets before Jesus. Their instructions and guidance are written in the Old Testament; we are to learn from those teachings. Hebrews 1:1-4 tells us this as well. These passages are written to give us hope and to help us understand that Jesus fulfilled all prophesy, and He truly IS the Son of God. He truly is the sacrificial lamb promised since the beginning. They tell us how to ensure fruits for the Kingdom of God. Then, He blessed us by sending His Son, knowing the Son of Man would die so that we can have eternal life.



How about you? Do you spend time reading your Bible, Old and New Testaments, to try to learn about the One who came to save us, what His plans are for us, and what the prophets who came before Him had to say about what our futures hold? Do you consider the entire Bible as a letter from God to You with nuggets of truth leading to truth, or do you consider portions of it unnecessary? Once the Lord is in your life, do you fully accept what He came to do, believing everything He says to us through His Word including we are His and are forgiven?



Prayer: Glorious Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son to this place of evildoers. You knew what He would have to endure for our sake yet sent Him anyway. What amazing love! Please help us to accept His wonderful gift. Help us to believe the tremendous promises He has given us that are sprinkled throughout the scriptures if we only take time to look for them. In Jesus' most Holy name, Amen.