Outline:

1. The Context of the Parable (vv. 9-10a)
2. The Tenant’s Heart Attitude (vv. 10b-15a)
3. The Owner’s Response (vv. 15b-16a)
4. The Lesson of the Parable (vv. 16b-19)

After the Jewish leaders challlenged Jesus about the source of His authority, He tells a parable about some wicked tenants of a vineyard, who had wrongfully assumed ownership of that which was not their own.

The parable answers the question that the leaders had just asked Jesus: “By what authority are you doing these things?” If God owns the vineyard and Jesus is the Son and rightful heir to it, then He is acting under God’s authority. The Jewish leaders have wrongfully usurped the authority of God, the rightful owner.

Since God owns the vineyard, we must live accountably to Him.

Jesus told this parable for two main reasons. He wanted to encourage His faithful servants who get beat up and thrown out of the vineyard to keep on being faithful. He owns the vineyard and the main thing is for His servants to bear fruit for Him. Second, He told it to warn those who wrongly think that they own the vineyard that they do not. A day of reckoning is coming!

Discussion Questions

1. Do Christians need to fear God’s judgment? Back your answer with Scripture.
2. What are some “messengers” God uses to get our attention?
3. What is “fruit”? How can we become more fruitful Christians?
4. If God has sovereignly ordained all things, how can He hold us accountable for sin?