Sermons

It’s All About The Son!

Posted by Alex on
Sermon on November 3 by Pastor Roland Eskinazi

Scripture: Mark 12:1-12

Amid all the conflicts with Jesus there is a parable with a punchline. It shows God’s heart and the history of His plan.

1. IN THE PARABLE – GOD’S GRACIOUS PATIENCE! (v1-8)

  •  A proud owner, investing the best
    Israel is God’s vineyard, but has given a lousy return
    “…you judge? What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes?” (ISAIAH 5:4)
    We love to see maximum beauty because we bear the image of God. What return and fruit does God see in your life?
  • A patient owner, enduring the worst
    The many servants are God’s prophets, rejected unjustly.
    Jesus is God’s beloved and best. The best you can offer anyone is Jesus – what remains when He is refused?

2. IN THE PUNCHLINE – GOD’S RIGHTEOUS JUDGEMENT! (v9-12)

  • What they have will be taken away
    “…He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others’ (v9b)
    The others are the new Israel, Jews and Gentiles who embrace the Son by faith.
    God’s judgements through history are always just – and contribute to His perfect plan.
  • What we love will show whom we love
    God’s people are ‘sojourners’, marked by their love for Jesus wherever they are.
    The wooings and warnings of God will either soften, or harden the heart. Do you wear the shirt, or have the heart?
  • What builders reject will build the kingdom
    ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this and it is marvelous in our eyes’ (Mark 12:10,11 and Ps 118:22,23)
    Jesus was discarded and rejected. By rising from the dead, no-one can avoid Him. It’s all about the Son

Remember! We don’t know when the Son will come but we all will stand before Him to give account. Or the wisdom of the Son who can give you a righteousness you don’t have, and a heart that loves the Owner?

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION

1. Israel killed the prophets God sent. How might we be guilty in our lives of ‘killing the prophets’ (think of where we find their message) and crucifying Jesus?
2. What is the logic of the father in the parable in sending His only son? What was the motivation for God to send His only Son?
3. What do sinners think they can have and keep if they reject repentance? Why do Christians resist radical obedience? What does each of these obtain and what do they miss out on?
4. How would you answer someone who says that if God exists, He is unfair? What is the proof of His love and mercy? How should this affect the way we live for Jesus and seek to be like Him in this week?

 

Photo credit FreeImages.com/Pavel Jedlicka