June 15, 2010
God's Last Shot
Mark 12:1-12
Roddy Elliott
Central Truth
God sent His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to give us an opportunity to be loved unconditionally, provided for with grace and mercy, and saved for all eternity.
Key Verse | Mark 12:6
"He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'" (Mark 12:6)
Mark 12:1-12
The Parable of the Tenants
1 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. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant 1 12:2 Or bondservant; also verse 4 to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
2
12:10
Greek the head of the corner
11
this was the Lord's doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 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.
Dive Deeper | Mark 12:1-12
Is there a person in your life whom you have been praying for to accept Christ? Do you ever ask yourself how nonbelievers can go day after day, year after year, in good times and bad (especially through trials that would leave you stunned and breathless), and do it without Jesus? The thought of living life without the love, mercy, and grace of my Savior—as several longtime friends do—leaves me baffled! What will it take for them to surrender to the will of God?
In this passage Jesus gives us a glimpse into God's unending pursuit of man. The landowner planted a vineyard, put a wall around it, dug a vat under the wine press, and built a tower. (Mark 12:1) He did all of this before the renters ever set foot on the land! He did the planting, provided protection for the crop, built a storage unit, and erected a tower to watch out for the bad guys. And what happened? When the landowner's reps came to collect, the renters beat some and killed others (Mark 12:5), including killing the owner's own son! (Mark 12:8)
One day, I was trying to talk to a person I dearly love, and that person obviously didn't want to hear what I had to say. I was told to "talk to the hand." Ouch, that hurt! My unsaved friends, whom I pray for day after day, year after year, trial after trial, have told God to "talk to the hand" and pursued their own desires—their entitled definition of happiness.
Not long ago, one of these friends sat at our dinner table. Because our guest knows we pray before meals, he said "OK, do your thing." When he returned home, he wrote me a thank-you note for the meal and added, "And, keep praying for me. Just in case you are right." God still pursues my friend!
God plants a fertile field and calls us to Himself, day after day, year after year, in good times and bad. Will we put "the hand" up or yield to His call? It's our choice.
Discussion Questions
1. What are some examples in your life when you told God to "talk to the hand?"
2. What were the results in your life from doing so? (How did that work out for you?)
3. What did you learn?
4. Do you pray consistently for your unsaved friends?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What is a parable? (It is a story using something familiar to explain a truth Jesus wanted the people to hear. You could describe it as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning!)
2. In this parable the people represented real people. Who do you think the owner represents? Who does the son he sent to check on the farm represent?
3. Did the same thing that happened to the owner’s son also happen to Jesus when He came to earth?
4. How can we take care of the “vineyard” God has allowed us to work?