Rejection Was the Path to Resurrection - Mark 11-12

 Mark 12:1-12(ESV)

The Parable of the Tenants

And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture:

“‘The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord's doing,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.

The timing that this parable was taught is important to adding further meaning to it.  Chapters 11 and 12 are part of Holy Week.   Millions of Israelites have traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover.   There were people from all regions.  Just prior to this parable being told, Jesus has overturned the tables in the Temple.   He is teaching each day in the Temple.  We read in the last verse of the above passage that the religious leaders are plotting a way to arrest Jesus.   They knew that Jesus was teaching these things about them.    They send a number of their own to Him, to try to trap Him.  They needed Him to say something that would allow them to bring Him up on charges.   

In the above text, therefore, they knew this was about them.  Jesus is making a parable about the death He will experience in just a few short days.   Jesus knew their hearts and knew the plan of His Father.   He was the “son.”  He was going to be taken and killed and thrown out of the “vineyard.”   The world is about to reject Jesus, yet, it is for these very sins that Jesus came to die.   Mankind does not want to submit to God and His Son.   They are rejecting Him, yet, He will become the chief cornerstone of the building of the Church.   Jesus knew what was about to happen.  He gives this parable so that the disciples could understand that the rejection of Him as their heavenly King would lead to His resurrection and Him becoming (in time) the earthly king they desired.   But, rejection would be the path of resurrection.