Matthew 21:33 Commentary and Bible Study

Matthew 21:43-45 includes material not covered by Mark’s account of this parable. ‘Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.’ This is Christ’s application of the parable which the people were unwilling to make for themselves, because it was so unwelcome. He has already asked them what should be done to the wicked husbandmen by the lord of the vineyard, and they have answered that the lord of the vineyard should ‘destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons’ (Matthew 21:41). But that answer has been given without understanding of the implications for their own nation, which is represented by these wicked men in the parable. Christ confirms that this is what the owner will do, and at some point after that it dawns on them that this means God’s vineyard will be taken away from Israel, and they immediately cry out, ‘Certainly not’ (Luke 20:16). He then proves that this is indeed what is going to happen by quoting another prophecy from Psalm 118:22-23: ‘The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes’, and he assures them that this is going to happen. The parable has explained how reasonable is this action on the part of the owner, and they have agreed that it is so, but when they understand it better, they want to backtrack on their conclusion. But Christ will not allow them to do that, and tells them that the vineyard of the Lord will indeed be taken from them and given to other, to the Gentile nations whom they despise. They will do what Israel failed to do, and bring forth fruit to God. The New Testament church will be a regenerate church composed of those who are born again and who truly know the Lord and love him. They will offer the fruit of their lips as praise acceptable to God, in spirit and in truth. By this means Israel will be stirred to jealousy, a jealousy which was evident even in their response to Christ’s words – ‘Certainly not.’ We must study Romans 11 to discover the final outcome of this situation. The whole of the Gentile believers is represented as a nation, a holy nation, in contrast to the prevailing nominal response of Israel.