Beyond Fear and Paralysis

Unmasking the Adversaries

(Mark 12:1-12, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, October 13, 2019)

[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 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;

[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.

As Jesus was headed to the cross, he told a story and quoted a passage from the Psalms that unmasked the spiritual leaders who were seeking to kill him. He was not trying to save himself from death, since he came into this world to be the Passover Lamb. Why then did he use a new parable and an ancient song included in the Bible to identify his adversaries? What was their reaction to his convicting words? How do these pivotal events of human history help us to follow the king who willingly died for our salvation?

A Story

A man planted a vineyard (Isaiah 5:1-5)

went into another country

When the season came

sent a servant

they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

Again he sent to them another servant

they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully.

And he sent another, and him they killed.

so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. (Matthew 5:11-12)

He had still one other, a beloved son.

Finally he sent him to them

‘They will respect my son.’

‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

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

What will the owner of the vineyard do?

He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.

A Song

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord's doing,

and it is marvelous in our eyes? (Psalm 118:22-23)

More from Psalm 118

Mark 11:9-10 and Psalm 118:25-26

Also Psalm 118:27-29 – Note that they don't go running to their Bibles to see their error

A Response

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.

Fear and Spiritual paralysis

The enemies of the gospel – understandable...

The Lord's disciples – Can this be right for us who know Revelation 21:1-4?

[1] Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. [2] And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. [4] He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

THE POINT: Jesus, the beloved Son of God, would be rejected and killed by the spiritual leaders of his day, and would thus be established as the cornerstone of a new resurrection temple.

Applying these verses:

1. The church must expect to be shamefully treated. The prophets were abused. The Lord himself was despised. On one hand, we should be shocked and offended by atrocities against us. Death is not normal, and neither is evil. On the other hand, we cannot be unaware of that which the Lord has so clearly revealed to us. He wants us to see the truth, and then to make good use of that which breaks our heart and his. What was God's word to Samuel regarding the desire of people to have a king? “Obey the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.” (1 Samuel 8:7) When we suffer for Christ, it is because of Christ that we suffer.

2. There is an answer coming for persecutors of Christ and his people. “Since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels.” (2 Thessalonians 1:6–7) Nonetheless, “pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:43-48)

3. Enemies are unmasked for our sake, that we might be reassured that the Lord is in charge. Therefore, don't let world events or any personal mistreatment send you into fear and spiritual paralysis. The Lord is near. Turn to the beloved son.

Old Testament Reading—Psalm 119:89-96 – Forever

New Testament Reading—Romans 6:12-23 – Free from sin and slaves of God