The Vineyard Parable and the Vineyard Prophecy

“A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower." (Mark 12:1)

At that, Jesus had the religious leaders’ attention. For Jesus’ vineyard parable¹ against Israel’s leaders paralleled Isaiah’s earlier prophecy² against them, and surely they knew it. Let’s look.

Israel was the vineyard. “The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel,” said Isaiah, “and the men of Judah are the garden of his delight” (Isaiah 5:7a). What did God rightfully expect from His vineyard? Fruit, of course! “At harvest time [the vineyard owner] sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard” (Mark 12:2). But what did He find? “He looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit. . . . He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress” (Isaiah 5:2b, 7b).

Moreover, when God sent servants to reap fruit, “some of them [the tenants] beat, others they killed” (Mark 12:5). Isaiah was one such servant who paid the price of obedience with his life; Jesus, the Son, would soon do the same. It is difficult to imagine God’s grief: “What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it?” (Isaiah 5:4a), he lamented.

God’s true vineyard will bear good fruit; He sees to it. Jesus, the vine, will produce through his people—the vineyard branches—justice and righteousness. He will find these things in us, the people of His redemption, “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16).

“You did not choose me,” Jesus said, “but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last” (John 15:16).

Father, you have purchased me for yourself, and I am yours. Fill me with your Spirit today, so that I am not content merely to be part of your vineyard; flow through me to bear fruit for your Kingdom, good fruit that lasts forever. I ask in the name of Him who gave His life for me, only to rise again and be my life. Amen.

¹ See Jesus’ vineyard parable—today’s text—in Mark 12:1-12.
² See Isaiah’s vineyard prophecy in Isaiah 5:1-7.