Articles
Wicked Tenants - Mark 12
Making One New Man From Two - Mark 12
"And he began to speak to them" is the opening of this chapter and shows that the chapter break is a rather unfortunate one. "Them" is NOT the Jewish nation as a whole [as this parable has been understood by some]. "Them" refers back to 11:27 where it states that the "chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him." It was these leaders of the people (along with some of the Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees) that rejected Jesus and devised the plot to have Him put to death.
This parable of the vineyard and the wicked tenants is also recorded in Matt. 21:33-44. Matthew then adds: "When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet" (Matthew 21:45–46).
Those Jewish people that rejected Jesus would be 'broken off for their unbelief' (Cp. Romans 11). Those that were unbelievers in Jesus would die 'in their sins' (John 8:24). Those who refused to believe were to be condemned (Mark 16:16).
Those Jewish people that believed and followed Jesus' teaching would be defined as the faithful remnant. The believing Gentiles were 'grafted on' and made a partaker of the root and shared in the promised blessings (Rom. 11). The church was made up entirely of Jewish believers [and proselytes ] until Cornelius was baptized in chapter 10. The message then began to be spread – to the Jews FIRST and also to the Gentiles.
What happened then was that the TWO (Jew and Gentile) were made into ONE NEW MAN. Now in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile as far as their acceptance unto God is concerned. They may retain their ethnic heritage and even their cultural heritage, but religiously they are a new creation, a Christian. If they are in Christ, they are Abraham's seed [spiritually] (cp. Gal. 3:26-29). Together they make up a holy nation unto God (1Pet. 2:5, 9). Together they comprise the 'commonwealth' of the LORD (Eph. 2:12, 19).
The promises to the fathers was not abrogated and annulled, but fulfilled in Jesus and His followers. Before Jesus, the Gentiles were "alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise" (Eph. 2:12) – but NOW they are IN CHRIST and 'brought near by the blood of Christ, reconciled unto God, and have access in one Spirit unto the Father (Eph. 2:13, 16, 18).
Together, the believing Jews and the believing Gentiles, make up the 'household of God' and the 'temple where God dwells' (Eph. 2:19-22). To make this new relationship, the law of commandments expressed in ordinances was fulfilled and thus abolished (Eph. 2:15; Matt. 5:17). The removal of that barrier allows for the unity of peace among these diverse believers.
Hence now for the believing Jews and believing Gentiles "there is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. (Ephesians 4:4–6). Let us then strive to maintain this unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:1-3). Hugh DeLong
