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Matthew 21:33-46

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33“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.

34When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

35“The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.

36Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.

37Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

38“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’

39So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

40“Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

41“He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.”

42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?

43“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.

44Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them.

46They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

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1)       Whom does the owner of the vineyard represent?

o   He represents God.

 

2)       Whom do the tenants that rented the vineyard represent?

o   They represent the Jews.

 

3)       What does the vineyard represent?

o   It represents all the blessings.

o   That

o   God gives to the Jews.

 

4)       Whom do the servants of the owner represent?

o   They represent prophets.

o   That

o   God sent to the Jews.

 

5)       According to what Jesus said in verses 34 and 35 how did the tenants treat the servants the owner sent to them to collect his fruit when the harvest time approached?

o   They

§  Seized his servants.

§  Beat one.

§  Killed another.

§  And stoned a third.

 

6)       According to what Jesus said in verse 36 how did the tenants treat other servants that were sent to them and that were more than the first time?

o   They treated those servants the same way.

 

7)       How did the Jews consistently treat prophets God sent to them, given that the tenants consistently mistreated servants the owner sent to them?

o   They consistently mistreated the prophets.

o   That

o   God sent to them.

 

8)       According to what Jesus said in verse 37 whom did the owner send to the tenants last of all?

o   Last of all, he sent his son.

 

9)       Whom does the son of the owner represent?

o   He represents Jesus.

 

10)   What was on the mind of the owner when he said that the tenants would respect his son, given that respecting his son began with respecting him?

o   The owner thought that he held sway over the tenants.

o   Such that

o   They would change their attitude.

o   When

o   They saw his son.

 

11)   What risk did the owner put his son at when he sent his son to the tenants, given what had happened to the servants?

o   The owner put his son at the risk of getting killed.

 

12)   To what extent did the owner desire to broker a peaceful resolution of the conflict between him and the tenants?

o   The owner desired a peaceful resolution so much.

o   So that

o   He was willing to put the son whom he loved at the risk of getting killed.

 

13)   According to what Jesus said in verse 38 what did the tenants decide to do to the owner’s son after they talked the matter over?

o   They decided to

§  Kill him.

§  And take his inheritance.

 

14)   According to what Jesus said in verse 39 what did the tenants do to the owner’s son?

o   They

§  Took him.

§  Threw him out of the vineyard.

§  And killed him.

 

15)   According to what Jesus said in verses 38 and 39 what did the tenants do to the owner’s son when they saw him?

o   They said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’

o   So

o   They

§  Took him.

§  Threw him out of the vineyard.

§  And killed him.

 

16)   According to verses 40 and 41 what did Jesus’ audience say the owner of the vineyard would do to those tenants when he comes?

o   He will

§  Bring those wretches to a wretched end.

§  And rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.

 

17)   Why had the tenants not considered the consequence that if they killed the son of the owner, the owner would come and reckon with them, given that the owner had been so lenient with them that they had formed an opinion of him?

o   They

§  Despised the owner.

§  And thought nothing of him.

 

18)   What is a cornerstone?

o   A cornerstone is the first stone set in the construction of a building.

o   Such that

o   All other stones would be set in reference to the cornerstone.

 

19)   What does the cornerstone represent?

o   It represents the Christ.

 

20)   Whom do the builders that rejected the stone in the Scriptures in verse 42 represent?

o   They represent the Jewish religious leaders.

 

21)   In accordance with what the Scriptures say in verse 42 who is the stone that is rejected by the builders and that has become the cornerstone?

o   Jesus is the stone

§  That is rejected by the builders, i.e., the Jewish religious leaders.

§  And that has become the cornerstone, i.e., the Christ.

 

22)   Why is it marvelous in the eyes of the Jews that God made Jesus the Christ, given that the Jews expected the Christ to be a figure of military might?

o   God actually made Jesus the Christ who was

§  Rejected.

§  And killed.

o   By the Jewish religious leaders.

 

23)   According to what Jesus said in verse 43 how will the kingdom of God change hands?

o   The kingdom of God will be

§  Taken away from the Jews.

§  And given to a people who will produce its fruit.

 

24)   According to what Jesus said in verse 44 what will happen to anyone who falls on the stone and to anyone on whom it falls?

o   Anyone who falls on the stone will be broken to pieces.

o   Anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.

 

25)   According to verse 45 whom did the chief priests and the Pharisees think that Jesus was talking about when they heard his parables?

o   They knew that Jesus was talking about them.

 

26)   According to verse 46 why did the chief priests and the Pharisees hesitate to arrest Jesus?

o   They were afraid of the crowd.

o   Because

o   The people held that he was a prophet.

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Matthew 21:33-46

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