Bible Study - Mk. 12:1-12 The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

Mark 12:1-12 : 

Mark 12:1-12 The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

Mark Chapter 12 : 

Mark Chapter 12

Slide 3: 

1 And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. 2 When the time 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 wounded him in 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.’

Slide 4: 

8 And they took him and killed him, and cast 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 very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; 11 this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” 12 And they tried to arrest him, but feared the multitude, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them; so they left him and went away.

Parables : 

Parables Jesus’ stories, also called parables, are illustrations that used something familiar to help us to understand something new. This method of teaching forces the listeners to think about the lesson and uncover the truth for themselves. The clarity of the message gets through only to those who are willing to listen, to think, and to learn.

12:1-12 Parable of the Tenants : 

12:1-12 Parable of the Tenants The parables Jesus told on this occasion have the theme of acceptance and rejection while allowing Him to continue the previous theme of “fruitful worship and the righteousness of God” . Jesus confronted the religious leaders with their heartedness of heart. The servants are the prophets. In this parable, Jesus used a strong image of judgment from the Old Testament (Isa. 5:17). Watchtowers were placed in vineyards to guard the crop from thieves.

The Vineyard : 

The Vineyard Israel is pictured as the vineyard, which God had cultivated with the purpose of bringing salvation to the world. The religious leaders not only prevented their national purpose but also killed those, the prophets, who were trying to fulfill it. They were so jealous and possessive that they ignored the welfare of the very people they were supposed to be bringing to God.

The Parables Meaning : 

The Parables Meaning In this parable, the man who planted the vineyard is God The tenant farmers are Israel’s religious leaders The servants are the prophets and priests who remained faithful to God The son sent by God is Jesus The others who will take over the vineyard are the Gentiles By telling this story, Jesus exposed the religious leaders’ plot to kill him and warned them that their sins would be punished.

12:10-11 The Cornerstone : 

12:10-11 The Cornerstone Jesus referred to himself as the stone rejected by the builders. Although he would be rejected by most of the Jewish leaders, he would become the cornerstone of a new “building,” the church (Acts 4:11, 12). The cornerstone was used as a base to make sure the other stones of the building were straight and level. Likewise, Jesus’ life and teachings would be the church’s foundation.