Parable of the Wicked Vine Growers

Who Self-Destructed

Chapter 1

Here is Matthew chapter 21 from the Holy Bible, Hoehn Version--

___Matthew chapter 21

1 And when they came near Jerusalem, and had come to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

2 Saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you'll find an ass tied, and a colt with her, untie them, and bring them to me.

3 And if any man says anything to you, say the Lord needs them, and immediately he will send them."

4 All this was done, so that what was spoken by the prophet would be fulfilled, who said,

5 "Tell the daughter of Zion, see, your King comes to you meek, and sitting on an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass."

6 And the disciples went, and did what Jesus commanded them,

7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put their clothes on them, and they placed him as the rider.

8 And a very great multitude spread their garments on the path, others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.

9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed called out, "Hosanna to the Son of David, blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest."

10 And when he had come to Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"

11 And the multitude said, "This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee."

12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and threw out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers, and the seats of those who sold doves,

13 And said to them, "It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer, but you've made it a den of thieves."

14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children calling out in the temple, and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were very displeased,

16 And said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes, have you never read, Out of the mouth of babies and sucklings you've perfected praise?"

17 And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany, and he lodged there.

18 Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he was hungry.

19 And when he saw a fig tree on the way, he came to it, and found nothing on it except leaves, and said to it, "Let no fruit grow on you from now on, forever." And soon the fig tree withered away.

20 And when the disciples saw it, they were amazed and said, Look how soon the fig tree has withered away!

21 Jesus answered them, "Truly I say to you, If you have faith, and don't doubt, you'll not only do this that has been done to the fig tree, but also if you'll say to this mountain, Be removed, and be thrown into the sea, it shall be done.

22 And all things, whatever you shall ask in prayer, believing, you'll receive."

23 And when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority?"

24 And Jesus answered them, "I will also ask you one thing, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

25 The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven, or of men?" And they reasoned with themselves, "If we say, From heaven, he'll say to us, Then why didn't you believe him?

26 But if we say, from men, we fear the people, for all count John as a prophet."

27 And they answered Jesus, "We can't tell." And he said to them, "Nor do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

28 But what do you think? A certain man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard.

29 He answered, I won't, but afterward he changed his mind, and went.

30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered, I go, sir, and didn't go.

31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said to him, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you, that the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.

32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn't believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him, and you, when you had seen it, didn't repent afterward, so that you would believe him.

33 Hear another parable, there was a certain house holder, who planted a vineyard, and put a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it to vineyard keepers, and went into a far country.

34 And when the time of fruit came near, he sent his servants to the vineyard keepers, to collect fruit from them.

35 And the vineyard keepers took his servants and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first, and they did to them likewise.

37 But last of all, he sent them his son, saying, They'll respect my son.

38 But when the vineyard keepers saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and let's take his inheritance.

39 And they caught him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

40 Therefore, when the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vineyard keepers?"

41 They said to him, "He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will rent his vineyard to other vineyard keepers, who'll pay him the fruits in their seasons."

42 Jesus said to them, "Didn't you ever read in the scriptures, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?

43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation producing the fruits of it.

44 And whoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken, but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them.

46 But when they wanted to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him to be a prophet.

Chapter 2

In the above chapter, the Parable of the Wicked Vine Growers is from verse 33 through verse 44.

The house holder planted a vineyard, and put a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it to vineyard keepers, and went into a far country.

The house holder represents whom?

God the Father is the house holder.

When a property owner rents out a vineyard, then he is entitled to a share of the produce of the vineyard, depending on whatever the agreement was with the vine growers.

When the time of fruit came, the house holder sent people to collect the house holder's share. But the wicked vine growers wouldn't pay, and mistreated those who were sent by the house holder.

The last one to be sent by the house holder was his Son. The Son, of course, is Jesus.

But the wicked vine growers killed the Son, saying, “Now the vineyard will be ours.”

So then, did the wicked vine growers get the vineyard?

No, the house holder sent and destroyed them.

If we look back at verse 23, Jesus was speaking at that moment to the Chief Priests and elders of the people, and not to the common people.

Jesus said to them, "Didn't you ever read in the scriptures, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?

Jesus is the cornerstone rejected by the builders.

But their rejection of Jesus as cornerstone changes nothing because Jesus is still the cornerstone, and King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, builders notwithstanding.

Then Jesus boldly tells them, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation producing the fruits of it.

Jesus explains to them, you'll get nothing.

They were the wicked vine growers who would get the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, to kill Jesus by crucifixion, and then they would wind up in hell, and Jesus would wind up in the honored position, sitting at the right hand of God the Father.

Another scripture says, “The common people heard him gladly.”

Among the common people, Jesus had a following. But the leaders, the High Priest and the Pharisees, they didn't like Jesus.

Why didn't they like him? Because He didn't acknowledge them. Jesus didn't accept their persons. Jesus wouldn't flatter them. He wouldn't climb their same ladder of success.

In one place Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites.

The Pharisees, even though they were hypocrites, didn't like being called hypocrites.

Jesus had come along and was drawing big crowds. He seemed to be crowding out the wicked vine growers.

So they got him crucified.

The third day, Jesus rose from the dead. He was seen by his disciples (except Judas Iscariot, who had hanged himself).

Jesus was seen by more than 500 Christians after he rose from the dead. Jesus went back to heaven, where he had come from.

But most Jews today reject Jesus, and don't think he's the Messiah that he is.

I expect the reason for this is that the Jews were expecting the Messiah, when he came, to set up an earthly kingdom.

In fact, there's a scripture where it says they wanted to take him by force and make him a king.

But Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world.”

So the Jews are still looking for their Messiah, the Savior, who has already come two thousand years ago.

What will happen is that the Jews will find a counterfeit Messiah, called the Beast in the book of Daniel the Prophet, and elsewhere in the Bible called the Antichrist.

He will rule the world for a period of seven years, called the Great Tribulation.

The Bible says, “He came to his own, and his own didn't receive him.” See John 1:11, below.

___John chapter 1

1 The Word was there in the beginning, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him, and nothing that was made was made without him.

4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.

5 And the light shined in darkness, and the darkness didn't understand it.

6 A man was sent from God whose name was John.

7 He came for a witness, to testify about the Light, so all men through him would believe.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to testify about that Light.

9 That was the true Light, that illuminates every man that comes into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world didn't know him.

11 He came to his own, and his own didn't receive him.

12 But to as many as did receive him, he gave power to become the sons of God, to those who believe on his name,

13 Who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and lived among us, (and we saw his glory, the glory as of God's only child,) full of grace and truth.

15 John testified about him, and shouted, "This is the one about whom I spoke, He that comes after me is preferred before me, for he was before me."

16 And of his fullness, all of us have received, and grace for grace.

17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

18 No man has seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has declared him.

19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"

20 And he confessed, and didn't deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."

21 And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Are you that prophet?" And he answered, "No."

22 Then they said to him, "Who are you? So we can give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?"

23 He said, "I am the voice of someone shouting in the wilderness, Make the way of the Lord straight, like the prophet Isaiah said."

24 And those who were sent were from the Pharisees.

This is John the Baptist, who was sent to prepare the way before Jesus.

God would like his people, the Jews to get saved, but Jesus said, “You must be born again.” (John chapter 3)

If you want salvation, you have to do it God's way.

From John chapter 12--

35 Then Jesus said to them, "For yet a little while, the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, so that darkness doesn't come on you, for he that walks in darkness doesn't know where he's going.

36 While you have light, believe in the light, so that you'll be the children of light." Jesus spoke these things, and departed, and hid himself from them.

37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they didn't believe on him,

38 So that the saying of Isaiah the prophet would be fulfilled, that he spoke, "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

39 Therefore they couldn't believe, because Isaiah said again,

40 "He has blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, so they wouldn't see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I would heal them."

41 Isaiah said these things, when he saw his glory, and spoke about him.

42 However, among the top rulers, also, many believed on him, but because of the Pharisees they didn't confess him, so they wouldn't be put out of the synagogue,

43 For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

44 Jesus shouted and said, "He that believes on me, believes not on me, but on him that sent me.

45 And he that sees me, sees him that sent me.

46 I have come a light into the world, so that whoever believes on me won't remain in darkness.

47 And if any man hears my words, and doesn't believe, I don't judge him, for I didn't come to judge the world, but to save the world.

48 He that rejects me, and doesn't receive my words, has one that judges him, the word that I have spoken shall judge him at the last day.

49 For I haven't spoken of myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.

50 And I know that his commandment is life everlasting. Whatever I speak therefore, just as the Father said to me, so I speak."

___James chapter 1

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes that are dispersed around, greetings.

2 My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into various temptations,

3 Knowing this, that the testing of your faith works patience.

4 But let patience have its perfect work, so you'll be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God for it, who gives to all men liberally, and won't find fault, and it shall be given to him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed.

7 For let that man not think that he'll receive anything from the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted,

10 But the rich, in that he is made low, because as the flower of the grass he'll pass away.

11 For the sun has no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withers the grass, and the flower of it falls, and the grace of the fashion of it perishes, so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

12 Blessed is the man that endures temptation, for after he's been tested, he'll receive the crown of life, that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

13 Let no man say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God," for God can't be tempted with evil, nor does he tempt any man,

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.

15 Then when lust has conceived, it produces sin, and sin when it's finished, produces death.

16 Do not err, my beloved brothers.

17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning.

18 He chose to father us with the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.

19 So, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

20 For the anger of man doesn't accomplish the righteousness of God.

21 So, lay apart all filthiness and the unnecessary naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.

23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like a man seeing his natural face in a mirror,

24 For he sees himself, and goes his way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

25 But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues in it, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

26 If any man among you seems to be religious, and doesn't bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is for nothing.

27 Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

___James chapter 2

1 My brothers, don't have the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.

2 For if a man with a gold ring comes to your assembly in fancy clothes, and a poor man in dirty clothes comes in also,

3 And you have respect to him that wears the fancy clothes, and say to him, "Sit here in a good place," and say to the poor, "Stand there, or sit here under my footstool,"

4 Aren't you then partial in yourselves, and have become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers, hasn't God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

6 But you have despised the poor. Don't rich men oppress you, and bring you before the judgment seats?

7 Don't they blaspheme that worthy name by which you're called?

8 If you fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, "You shall love your neighbor like yourself," you do well,

9 But if you have respect of persons, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as sinners.

10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

11 For he that said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not kill." Now if you don't commit adultery, yet if you kill, you've become a breaker of the law.

12 Speak in such a way, and do, as those who'll be judged by the law of liberty.

13 For he shall have judgment without mercy, that has shown no mercy, and mercy rejoices against judgment.

14 What does it profit, my brothers, though a man says he has faith, and doesn't have works? Can faith save him?

15 If a brother or sister needs clothes, and lacks daily food,

16 And one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you don't give them the things that are needed for the body, what good is that?

17 Even so faith, if it doesn't have works, is dead, being alone.

18 Yes, a man could say, "You have faith, and I have works, show me your faith without your works, and I'll show you my faith by my works."

19 You believe that there is one God, you do well, the devils also believe, and tremble.

20 But don't you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

21 Wasn't Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son on the altar?

22 Do you see how faith worked with his deeds, and by works faith was made perfect?

23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness, and he was called the friend of God."

24 You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

25 Likewise also wasn't Rahab the prostitute justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

26 For like the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

___James chapter 3

1 My brothers, don't be many masters, knowing that we'll receive the greater condemnation.

2 For in many things we offend all. If any man doesn't offend in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.

3 See, we put bits in the horses' mouths, so they'll obey us, and we turn around their whole bodies.

4 Look also at the ships, which though they're so large, and are driven by fierce winds, yet they're turned around by a very small helm, wherever the captain wants.

5 Even so, the tongue is a little member, and boasts great things. See how great a matter a little fire kindles!

6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of sin, so is the tongue among our members that it makes dirty the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire by hell.

7 For every kind of animals, and of birds, and of snakes, and of things in the sea, gets tamed, and has been tamed by mankind,

8 But no man can tame the tongue, it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With it we bless God, the Father, and with it we curse men, who are made after the likeness of God.

10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be.

11 Does a fountain send out at the same place sweet water and bitter?

12 Can the fig tree, my brothers, produce olive berries? Or a vine, figs? So no fountain can yield both salt water and fresh.

13 Who is a wise man, possessing knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good lifestyle his works with meekness of wisdom.

14 But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, don't glory, and don't lie against the truth.

15 This wisdom doesn't descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be reasoned with, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18 And the fruit of righteousness is planted in peace by those who make peace.

___James chapter 4

1 Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don't they come from your lusts that war in your members?

2 You lust, and don't have, you kill, and desire to have, and can't obtain, you fight and war, yet you don't have, because you don't ask.

3 You ask, and don't receive, because you ask wrongly, so you can consume it on your lusts.

4 You adulterers and adulteresses, don't you know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world is an enemy of God.

5 Do you think that the scripture says for nothing, "The spirit that lives in us lusts to envy?"

6 But he gives more grace. So he says, "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he'll run away from you.

8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double minded.

9 Be afflicted, and mourn, and cry, let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.

10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he'll lift you up.

11 Don't speak evil about each other, brothers. He that speaks evil about his brother, and judges his brother, speaks evil about the law, and judges the law, but if you judge the law, you're not a doer of the law, but a judge.

12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy, who are you that judges someone else?

13 Go on now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we'll go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and make a profit,"

14 Actually, you don't know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is a puff of steam, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.

15 For you ought to say, "Lord willing, we'll live, and do this, or that."

16 But now you rejoice in your boastings, all such rejoicing is evil.

17 Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doesn't do it, to him it is sin.

___James chapter 5

1 Go on now, you rich men, cry and howl for your miseries that shall come on you.

2 Your riches are corrupted, and your clothes are moth eaten.

3 Your gold and silver are rusted, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh like fire. You've heaped treasure together for the last days.

4 See, the wages of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which you've kept back by fraud, shouts, and the shouts of those who've reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabbath.

5 You've lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton, you've nourished your hearts, like in a day of slaughter.

6 You've condemned and killed the just, and he doesn't resist you.

7 Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain.

8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is getting near.

9 Don't grudge against each other, brothers, so you won't be condemned, see, the judge stands at the door.

10 Take, my brothers, the prophets, who've spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.

11 See, we count them happy that endure. You've heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

12 But above all things, my brothers, don't swear, not by heaven, nor by the earth, nor by any other oath, but let your yes be yes, and your no, no, so that you don't fall into condemnation.

13 Is anyone among you afflicted? Let him pray. Is anyone merry? Let him sing psalms.

14 Is anyone sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,

15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up, and if he has committed sins, he'll be forgiven.

16 Confess your faults to each other, and pray for each other so you'll be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man is does a lot of good.

17 Elijah was a man subject to the same kind of passions that we are, and he prayed earnestly that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

19 Brothers, if any of you strays from the truth, and someone converts him,

20 Let him know, that he that converts the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.