Luke 20:13

“And the lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that they will reverence him.' ”

Finally the owner of the vineyard decided that He would give them one last chance. He would send to them his beloved son. This was with the twofold hope, firstly that they would acknowledge the potential owner as having the right to collect payment, and secondly in the hope that their consciences might be moved at the thought of the special and precious beloved son, with the result that that they would repent and respond to Him. They would recognise that while they might get away with illtreating servants, it would be a very different matter with the only son. In Isaiah 5:1 the Beloved was God Himself. Here the Beloved is His Son. Compare also Luke 3:22, ‘You are My beloved Son'. The implication was clear for all who had eyes to see. It is as clear a declaration of Jesus' uniqueness, and of His Sonship as it is possible to have. Only the spiritually and obstinately blind could fail to see it.

And yet, as was necessary at this time of such bitterness, His claim was couched in such a way that it could not be used as an instrument against Him. All knew, however, that if they questioned Him about it He would come back with one of His devastating questions, such as, ‘Why do you think that this applies to Me?' All would know that it did, and they would simply be left looking foolish. But it would equally appear foolish to charge Him with blasphemy on account of it unless they were willing to admit His claim.

The sending of the Son is seen as God's final act towards men. If they will not respond to Him, and to those who go out in His Name, they will not respond to anyone. Hebrews 1:1 may well have partly resulted as a consequence of this parable.

Some may argue that no father in his right senses would do such a thing, and they would, of course, be right. But this is not speaking of any father. It is speaking of God. And this is precisely what God amazingly did do. It is meant to sound remarkable. It was remarkable (John 3:16; 1 John 4:9; Romans 5:8; Galatians 4:4; Hebrews 1:1).