GOD'S VINEYARD
"I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13, 14).
"And the Kingdom and dominion, and the
greatness of the Kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people
of the saints of the most High, Whose
Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him."
(Daniel
7:27).
It is God's intention to establish His Kingdom on the
earth, and it is also His will that Jesus, His only begotten Son, should reign
as King of kings over that Kingdom. This
is why Jesus taught His disciples to pray, "Thy
Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10).
God also intends that His saints reign with Jesus in His Kingdom. The Jews understood this, and were looking
for the Messiah to come and destroy all of their enemies, and fulfill the words
that all of the prophets had spoken concerning the Kingdom. They expected a warrior riding on a powerful
steed, but Jesus came to them meek and lowly, and riding on the colt of an
ass. What Israel failed to realize was
that the Kingdom of Heaven would not be won by strength and force of will, but
by the submission and sacrifice of the Lamb of God. His would be a kingdom of light, full of
righteousness and true holiness; and not just another earthly kingdom that
would be subject to pride, corruption, lust, and greed. The Jews had failed miserably in interpreting
what the prophets had foretold.
Jesus spoke a parable in Matthew 21 about a vineyard
that a man planted and then let out to vinedressers. When the time of harvest came, the man sent
servants to receive the fruit of the vineyard.
The vinedressers, however, beat, stoned, and even killed the servants
who were sent, refusing to give up the fruit of the vineyard. Finally, the owner sent his own son, whom
they also killed thinking that the vineyard would then be all theirs. After speaking this parable to the Jewish
chief priests and Pharisees, Jesus asked them what the lord of the vineyard
should do to the vinedressers in the parable.
Without at first realizing it, the Jews pronounced their own judgment
when they said, "He will miserably
destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen,
which shall render him the fruits in their seasons." (Matthew
21:41). Jesus answered, "Therefore say I unto you, The Kingdom
of God shall be taken from you, and
given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." (Matthew
21:43).
God was forced to reject His people Israel because they
chose to reject Him. Instead, He turned
to "…a nation bringing forth the
fruits…" Who was this
nation? "But ye are a chosen
generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that
ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into
His marvellous light: which in time past were not a people,
but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now
have obtained mercy." (1Peter 2:9,10).
It is we who have been redeemed and purchased by the blood of Christ,
and who have believed in this great salvation, who have become God's chosen
people. It is we who have put off the
works of darkness, and put on the righteousness of God in Christ, who are
become God's people. We, who have been
born again out of every nation on the earth, both Jews and Gentiles, who are become a holy nation before our God. The Kingdom (vineyard) that was originally
presumed to be promised to the Jews only, has now been given to those who will
bring forth fruit to God. As we have said
before, this is an invisible Kingdom presently, but ultimately God will
establish His kingdom on earth and it will be very real. It is the meek, however, who will inherit the
Kingdom and rule and reign with Christ.
No sitting on clouds playing harps of gold, my friends! We will inherit the earth! All of the nations who are fighting to carve
out more land for themselves today don't have a clue that, fight as they may,
it all belongs to the Saints of God!
Why did Jesus teach so much about the Kingdom of heaven
and its principles if it would not be set up until the end of time? It is because He is today preparing a people
who will be fit to inhabit that kingdom.
Jesus "...gave Himself for
us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
(Titus 2:14). "To the end he may
stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." (1
Thessalonians 3:13). The Law, given to
Israel to testify to the world of the righteousness of God, could not perfect
those who sought to live by its lofty standards. It could not produce the fruit that God was
seeking in the lives of His people. Only
the death and resurrection of the Lamb without spot could produce a people who
would be changed from the heart and made holy by faith.
Jesus taught another parable about the vineyard in
Matthew 21. In it He spoke of a man who
had two sons. He asked the first son to
go and work in his vineyard, and the son said, "I will not."
Afterward, though, he repented, and went to work. The man then went to his second son and asked
him to go to work. This son said, "I go sir," but did not go at
all. Jesus asked which of the two sons
did the will of his father, to which the Jews responded that the first did the
father's will. Jesus then said to them, "Verily I say unto you, That the
publicans and the harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you."
(Matthew 21: 31). The Jews themselves
were the ones portrayed in the parable who had agreed to do the Father’s will,
but then did not. There were others,
however, including the Gentiles who at first refused, but then repented and
accepted the Father's will. It was they
who had accomplished God's purpose.
In the end, it is not what we say we are, or what we say we believe or will do for God
that really matters to Him. It is
whether or not we are willing to actually do
what He has asked us to do, and to live like He has asked us to live. Even if it requires much repentance on our
part (which it does), it is essential that we hunger and thirst to do what is
pleasing to the Father. Faith without
any works to substantiate it is dead.
Not that we have any power in ourselves to do the will of God - that is
evident. It is not in our own works that we can boast. It is about what God through Christ is
willing and able to do in us. I can do all
things through Christ Who strengthens me!
We who truly believe will desire to be like our Master and Savior in
every way, and will then become God's workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works. We will find ourselves being transformed day
by day into the image of the Son of God by the power of the Holy Spirit working
in us. The principles of the Kingdom of
Heaven will become even more important to us than the laws governing the
earthly nation in which we live. Let us
not be content to love (or live) in word only, but in deed and in truth. God is preparing a glorious Kingdom for His
people to inhabit for eternity. I want
to be worthy to be a citizen, don't you?
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