What Are You Doing With The Cornerstone? (AM Sermon Notes)
GIST: Don’t reject Him; follow Him.
SCRIPTURE: Mark 12:1-17
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.
Happy Easter! I want to try something a little different this morning. In Belarus, people greet each other on Easter by saying, “Christ is Risen!” Whoever is being greeted responds with, “He is risen indeed!” Because of this, in Belarusian churches on Easter, pastors, or whoever is standing up in front of the congregation, starts the greeting, and the congregation gives the response together.
I wanted to try that this morning because...well that’s what today is all about. I think sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the business of this holiday and miss its significance. Without the resurrection of Christ, we would have no reason to come and celebrate together. We would be without hope. Like Paul wrote in Ephesians 2, we need to remember that we were“12...separated from Christ... having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Praise the Lord!
For the past few weeks, the bulletin has advertised that we would worship today with a Cantata followed by a few brief words from the pastor☺, so I’ll try to stay true to that. Today, we’re going to look at the first part of Mark 12. We’re actually backtracking a bit from last week. That’s intentional. As I studied these passages, I was struck by how relevant this opening parable is to us today and especially to us as we celebrate Easter. Just a quick recap: We’re in the last week of Jesus’ life here on earth, and He’s been making quite the scene. First, He parades into town on a donkey as the Messiah King. Then, He goes into the temple and runs off those making His house a place of sin and preventing people from actually worshiping there. Immediately following that, the religious elite come and challenge Him on His authority to do such things. He knows what they’re up to, and answers their question with a question--which they refuse to answer...because answering it honestly would require admitting either their own sinfulness or His divinity!
This passage comes right after that. In case anyone missed His implied answer before, He clarifies it with this parable (a story with a point or a message). And His point is not missed on them. Look at verse 12, “12 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them…” They knew this was told against them. They knew what He was saying.
So, what’s the gist for us this morning? This parable condemns the religious elite for rejecting Jesus as the Messiah who had the only true claim on their lives. This has direct implications for us as well. So, the gist is simple: Don’t reject Jesus; follow Him.
I. THE CONTEXT: REFUSING TO ACCEPT JESUS (1-8)
Mercifully this morning, I have just two points and two takeaways☺. Let’s look at the context first, which is the religious elite refusing to accept Jesus as the Messiah.
Not A Picture They Would Have Missed. There is a reason the religious leaders, after hearing the parable, knew Jesus was talking about them. Jesus was using very familiar Old Testament language here. Specifically, a vineyard was commonly used as a symbol for Israel/God’s people. There are several references, but Isaiah 5:1-5 might be the clearest parallel to this passage...and it is strikingly similar.
1 Let me sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. 2 He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; and he looked for it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. 4 What more was there to do for my vineyard, that I have not done in it? When I looked for it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? 5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
In both passages, God provides everything for the vineyard. And, in both passages, the vineyard does not produce fruit. Remember the fig tree? Fig trees are supposed to have figs. It’s what they were made for. Vineyards are supposed to produce good grapes. This wasn’t happening in either. However, in the Isaiah passage, God condemns Israel for its lack of fruit, while the Mark parable is directly condemning the religious leaders who had been charged with caring for His people.
Not Just Neglect, Abuse. Now, they didn't just leave them alone. They sought selfish gain at the expense of God’s purpose. They wanted the prestige of being the owners of the vineyard, not taking into account that they, like the rest of the vineyard, worked for the true owner. In fact, they were supposed to be part of the vineyard itself! It’s like a grape trying to take charge of the other grapes. While that might work in Veggie Tales, in reality, it’s absurd! And...it progressively got worse. See how the owner kept sending representatives to get the fruit? Some they beat, and some they killed. In the parable, this is alluding to how Israel has treated the prophets throughout time--rejecting not only their message, but also physically attacking some of them.
AND it’s not like they were taking good care of the vineyard either. There is no reference to abundant fruit growth. They were supposed to be spreading the truth of God. Instead, they had built a fruitless monument to themselves. How, then, did they react when Jesus came to claim what was rightfully His? Well, that’s the next point.
This Accelerated To The Point Of Killing The Beloved Son. I just want to make three quick points here. 1) This term has been used in Mark’s gospel twice before (at Jesus’ baptism and the transfiguration). It’s hard to believe this wasn’t discussed! Jesus is clearly talking about Himself, and it’s not a stretch to say they connected those dots, as well. He was claiming to be the Son of God--God-in-flesh--who came to bring the true kingdom of God: SALVATION! That’s been His message all along. 2) Let’s not miss the compassion of God demonstrated here. Yes, He will ultimately bring judgment. However, before He does, He sends His Son. These tenants had been beating and killing everyone He sent, so what does He do? Sends His beloved Son, the one telling the story, who knew full well that before He would receive the respect He was due, He would be killed. Would you have been willing to do the same? That’s love. And that love was demonstrated for you. 3) To further emphasize this, it’s important to note where the parable said the son would be killed. Symbolically, “outside the city” meant disgraceful. The Son wasn’t to die a hero’s death, but a shameful one. How did Jesus die? On a cross beside criminals...outside the city.
II. THE CONTENT: REFUSAL RESULTS IN JUDGMENT (9-12)
So, that’s the context that lead to the parable. Jesus then ends the parable with a message of condemnation. The result of their refusal is judgment. There are implications for both the immediate audience and us here. Let’s break them down real quickly.
Immediate Implication For The Jewish Leaders. I have three observations here, as well. 1) Jesus uses the Old Testament to hammer home a point to the Old Testament experts. First, He references the vineyard imagery and what seems to be a pretty clear parallel to Isaiah 5. Then, He quotes Psalm 118 about the cornerstone. He actually says, “have you not read this passage?” Ironically, they had not only read it, but also just recently heard it being sang. Remember when Jesus was being paraded into Jerusalem on the donkey? The people were singing Hosannas and quoting from...Psalm 118. In fact, there is only one verse between the cornerstone verses and the Hosannas (Verses 22-23 & 25-26), and that one is also pretty familiar: “24 This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” He’s making this clear: ‘I am the Messiah who came to bring true and lasting peace, the true Kingdom of God, and though you are rejecting me, I’m the foundation of everything.’ These statements would almost seem brash...if they weren’t 100% true!
2) Both references bring the same message. Just like with the judgment of the fig tree, He is saying that His people are no longer tied to worship in the Jewish temple. ‘You have been unfaithful in your stewardship, so I’m giving it to someone else. You missed the whole point, so you’re not living as My people. Your life should be about Me--built on Me.’ That’s their judgment. They knew the truth yet still rejected it. And maybe what struck me most was this third point. 3) They got this...and still planned to fulfill it! They knew He was talking about them, but still made plans to do exactly what His parable said they would do!
Implications For All Who Reject The Cornerstone? Same. Just being religious isn’t enough. Knowing you’re a sinner isn’t enough. Going to church pretty often isn’t enough. You still have to turn from that sin and give Jesus control of your life! Otherwise, the same judgment awaits you.
TAKEAWAYS: The Call: Come to Him.
(If we’re keeping with the “C” thing.)
1. Don’t reject the Cornerstone.
We probably don’t like to think about it in these terms. Chances are, this example seems too extreme for most of us today. You likely have not killed anyone. You might not feel like you’re actively rejecting Jesus. You’re just living your life--trying your best. You don’t feel any hostility towards Him. I mean, you’re here, right? Not becoming “fanatical” about it isn’t the same as killing Him. So, let’s not make this a black and white issue. You live in the gray, and there is nothing wrong with that, right? Wrong.
See, here’s the deal. It’s easy for us to paint these Pharisees as men in black hats with evil villain mustaches (like my little brother☺). However, that’s not the setting here. These were well respected, religious men. People in the community looked at them, well much like many of you look at people like me (unwarranted though that is). Or, better yet, like many of us would look at a man like Billy Graham, or Martin Luther King Jr. These were good people who appeared to have a special walk with God--but they were completely rejecting Him in their pursuit of self. Are you? What are you living for? It doesn’t matter how good things look on the outside. Matthew 6:24b tells us “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other…” Jesus died to save you. What are you doing with that? Don’t reject Him.
2. Follow Him.
You can’t stand without Him. I love that Jesus not only uses the vineyard example here, which I’ll come back to in a second, but also throws in this cornerstone illustration. The idea of a cornerstone carries “necessity”. You can’t just not have a cornerstone. Jesus isn’t just a nice additive or supplement to your life. He’s the foundation. I always think of the parable of the two men building their houses, and the children’s song that burned it into my memory as a child. The foolish man built his house upon the sand, and the rains came tumbling down...and so did his house. But the wise man built his house upon this rock, and the same rains came tumbling down...but his house stood firm. Christianity does not take you away from trials. Life will still be hard. In fact, Jesus promises there will be much tribulation and persecution for His people. BUT, we’re standing on the rock! If I’m in a storm, I’d rather being holding on to an immovable object than a pool noodle. Follow Him. You can’t stand without Him.
Your life is His! Really quickly, I want to read the passage that immediately follows this parable. The religious elite knew He was talking about them, and still wanted to kill Him. Look at what they did right after hearing this.
13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.” 17 Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him.
I know coming to the end of a message and hearing the pastor quote an entirely new passage of Scripture can be disheartening, but fear not ☺. Though there are plenty on implications in this passage about how Christians should live as responsible members of society, the deeper message hits on a more fundamental truth. After hearing this parable, the religious leaders are upset and try to trip Jesus up with a series of controversial questions. We looked at two of these last week. In this first one, they go straight for the “politics” taboo. Should we pay taxes or not? The popular answer would be, “no”, but that would get Him in trouble with the Roman officials. Saying, “yes”, would potentially put Him out of favor with the people. How does He answer? ‘Throw me a coin. Whose image is on this? Caesars? Ok, then give it to him.’ Think about the language here for a second. In Genesis 1:26, when God is creating man, what does He say? “26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image…” This coin had an image of Caesar on it, so it was his. Whose image is on you?
As I was studying this week, I came across a pretty great quote from Hugh Peterson in an old commentary I found up in the church’s library. He summarized the parable at the beginning of chapter 12 like this: “God is still owner of the vineyard regardless of what the tenants may do the His son!” Regardless of how you choose to react to Him today, He is still your God. He is still the one who came and died to make your salvation possible. He is still returning! Will you come to Him today? The alternative is Hell. I could spend more time elaborating on that, but I think the point is clear.
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