Mark 12:1

And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. For the exposition, see the notes at Matthew 21:33. The time of this section appears to be still the third day of Christ's last week-Tuesday. Matthew introduces the subject by saying (), "Then went the Pharisees and took counsel how they might entangle Him in His talk....

1-12 Christ showed in parables, that he would lay aside the Jewish church. It is sad to think what base usage God's faithful ministers have met with in all ages, from those who have enjoyed the privileges of the church, but have not brought forth fruit answerable. God at length sent his Son, his Well-beloved; and it might be expected that he whom their Master loved, they also should respect and love; but instead of honouring him because he was the Son and Heir, they therefore hated him. But the exaltation of Christ was the Lord's doing; and it is his doing to exalt him in our hearts, and to set up his throne there; and if this be done, it cannot but be marvellous in our eyes. The Scriptures, and faithful preachers, and the coming of Christ in the flesh, call on us to render due praise to God in our lives. Let sinners beware of a proud, carnal spirit; if they revile or despise the preache...

CHAPTER XII. _The parable of the vineyard let out to wicked husbandmen_, 1-12. _The Pharisees and Herodians question him about paying tribute_ _to Caesar_, 13-17. _The Sadducees question him about the resurrection_, 18-27. _A scribe questions him concerning the chief commandment of the_ _law_, 28-34. _Christ asks the scribes why the Messiah is called David's son_, 35-37. _He warns his disciples against the scribes_, 38-40. _Of the widow that cast two mites into the treasury_, 41-44. NOTES ON CHAP. XII.

See this parable explained in the notes at Matthew 21:33. See this parable explained in the notes at Matthew 21:33....

EXPOSITION MARK 12:1 AND HE BEGAN TO SPEAK UNTO THEM IN PARABLES. This particular parable which follows was specially directed against the scribes and Pharisees; but it was uttered in the presence of a multitude of the people. "He _began _to speak … in parables." He had not used this form of instruction till now in Jerusalem. A MAN PLANTED A VINEYARD. The imagery of the parable would be familiar to them from Isaiah (Isaiah 5:1). But Palestine was eminently a land of "vineyards," as well as of "oil olives." The man who planted the vineyard is no other than God himself. "Thou hast brought a vine" out of Egypt; thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it." The imagery is specially appropriate. No property was considered to yield so rich a r

AND HE BEGAN TO SPEAK UNTO THEM BY PARABLES,.... As of the two sons the father bid go to work in the vineyard; and of the planting of a vineyard, and letting it out to husbandmen, as here; though the latter is only related by this evangelist, yet both are by Matthew. This was not the first time of his speaking by parables to the people, though it might be the first time he spake in this way to the chief priests and elders, and who are particularly designed in them. A CERTAIN MAN PLANTED A VINEYARD. The Persic version adds, "with many trees": that is, with vines, though sometimes other trees, as fig trees, were planted in vineyards; see Luke 13:6. This man is, by the Evangelist Matthew, called an "householder": by whom is meant God the Father, as distinguished from his Son, he is afterward said to send: and by the "vineyard", planted by him, is meant the vineyard of the Lord of h

VINEYARD ISRAEL. (Isaiah 5:1). Israel was not fruitless, but brought forth only wild grapes. Compare (John 3:6); (Hosea 10:1). Contrast (Hosea 14:8)....

CHAPTER 12 _ 1. The Parable of the Vineyard. (Mark 12:1 .Matthew 21:33; Luke 20:9)_ 2. The Question concerning the Tribute Money. (Mark 12:13. Matthew 22:15; Luke 20:20) 3. The Sadducees Questioning concerning Resurrection. (Mark 12:18. Matthew 22:23;...

THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD. The genuineness of this parable is disputed (1) because it is allegorical in character; (2) because it reflects a later situation and assumes Christ's death; (3) because it embodies an open claim to Messiahship which is in consistent with the prudent and guarded answers of Jesus to questions about authority. That this parable, unlike most others, is an allegory, does not render it suspect as an utterance of Jesus (Mark 4:1 *). That such a parable is out of place before the death of Christ involves the dubious assumption that Jesus could not have viewed His death as marking the end of God's mercy to Israel. While the Messianic claim is more boldly asserted here than elsewhere, yet throughout this section of the gospel, there is less reticence about the Messiahship, and the moral of the parable is not explicitly drawn which does harmonise with the prudence of t...

Jesus began to speak to them in parables. A man planted a vineyard. He put a hedge round about it, and dug a wine vat, and built a tower. He let it out to cultivators and went abroad. At the right time he sent a servant to the cultivators that he might receive from the cultivators his share of the fruits of the vineyard. They took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent another servant to them. They wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. He sent yet another. They killed him. So they treated many others, beating some and killing others. He had still one person left to send, his beloved son. Last of all he sent him to them. "They will respect my son," he said. But these cultivators said to each other, "This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours." So they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. What, then...