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Kingdom Taken From You - Mark 12:12
Kingdom Taken From You - Mark 12:12
We have watched as the leaders of Israel have constantly opposed Jesus, plotting to ‘get rid of Him’. Now, at the end of Jesus years of teaching and rebuking them, He tells the story of the vineyard, ending with the owner “will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others” (12:9). The leaders “understood that He spoke the parable against them” (vs. 12). Them? ALL of Israel? Or the leaders of Israel?
In Matthew’s telling of this event, Jesus is confronted by the chief priests and the elders of the people (21:22).. He questions them about their refusing the baptism of John, tells them the story of the two sons (28-32). He ends the parable of the two sons:
"Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. "For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him” (Matthew 21:31-32).
THEN He tells the parable of the Landowner and ends with the statement about the kingdom being taken from YOU. Matthew concludes: “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. When they sought to seize Him, they feared the people, because they considered Him to be a prophet” (Matthew 21:45-46).
We realize that not all of Israel was rejected, for all of the apostles and all of the first converts were in fact ‘of Israel’. The gentiles were added to this group of true Israel, and together now make the Israel of God.
Having part of the Kingdom of God demands that one be a follower of the King. When one believes and is baptized into Christ, he is ‘translated into the kingdom of God’s dear son’ (Col. 1:12-13). In this kingdom, there is neither Jew nor Greek, but all believers are considered the promised sons of Abraham (Gal. 3:26-29). Whether Jew or Gentiles, believers are built together into a kingdom (Rev. 1:6, 9).
The kingdom was not taken from the Jewish people as a whole and given to the Gentile people. One is not rejected because he is Jewish, nor accepted because he is Gentile. It is messier than that! Even today, if an Israelite turns to Jesus, he will be ‘translated into the kingdom’ (Col. 1:12-13, Rom. 11:23). Likewise, any gentile who does NOT believe will be condemned (Mk. 16:16, John 8:24).
Even so with people today, being part of the Kingdom of God’s dear son entails being a godly follower of Jesus.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Even today, if we reject the chosen Corner Stone, we will be rejected – whether Gentile or Jew. Are you a devoted follower of the King?
Hugh DeLong
