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In the O.T. Israel is often spoken of as a vineyard (Isa.v.1-7; Jer.ii.21; Ezek.xv.1-6;
19: 10-14; Hosea 10: 1), so the imagery would be understood. The treatment that the
prophets received is made clear in I Kings 19: 10; 22: 24; II Chron. 24: 21;
Jeremiah 20: 1, 2; 37: 15; 38: 6, etc. The uniform hostility of the kings, priests
and people to the Prophets is one of the remarkable features in the history of Israel. And
now, in the presence of their Messiah and King, they are no better than their fathers. The
climax is reached when they take the Son, throw Him out of the vineyard and kill Him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to these wicked tenants, the parable asks? The
Pharisees are bound to say that they would be destroyed and the vineyard let to others,
and in saying this they uttered their own condemnation. The Lord Jesus reinforces this
by saying:
"Have you never read in the Scriptures: `the stone the builders rejected has become
the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? Therefore I tell
you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will
produce its fruit. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it
falls will be crushed" (21: 42-44, N.I.V.).
The imagery is suddenly changed from the vineyard of Isa. 5: to the builders of
Psalm 118: 22 who rejected the foundation stone. The Lord Jesus is pictured by the
stone in three different ways. (1) To Israel to whom He came, He was a stumbling stone
and rock of offence (Rom. 9: 32, 33). Instead of being the mighty Conqueror Who
would free them from the domination of Rome, He came as a lowly Servant Who was
willing to be crucified (I Cor. 1: 23) and as such was a stumbling-block to the Jew. (2) In
spite of this, He was the foundation stone on which the whole of God's redemptive plan
for His kingdom rests (Acts 4: 11; I Pet. 2: 4, 5) and (3) He is yet to be the great
smiting stone portrayed by Daniel which smashes the Gentile world-power and brings in
His kingdom world-wide (Dan. 2: 34). This occurs at His Second Advent.
But the Lord warns the murderous religious leaders that the kingdom will be taken
from them and given to those who do produce fruit. We must not make the mistake here
that the Lord is teaching that the whole of Israel is now rejected and have lost their place
in the great kingdom purpose. Still less that Gentile nations or the church will now take
Israel's place. The Lord Jesus is still talking to the rejecting Pharisees and telling them
once more that they will not have a place in the kingdom of heaven.
However, a faithful remnant has responded, and grows during the period that follows
which is covered by the Acts. They are definitely given the title of "a remnant according
to the election of grace" (Rom. 11: 5). At the same time we are reminded in Rom. 11: 1, 2
that God had not cast away His people. He had already started to build a new nation
from the faithful remnant of Jewish believers and with the Abrahamic promise in view
Gentile believers were being added. And just as Israel was definitely chosen by God--
they were an elect people--so this faithful remnant is called "the elect" (Rom. 11: 5-7).
Thus God could reject a "wicked and adulterous generation" of Jews, without breaking
His promise to Abraham of an eternal posterity through Isaac (Rom. 9: 6, 7).