Parents and kids,

Here are a couple of videos for you and your kids to watch either before or after Pastor Adam’s message on Sunday and a short devotional for discussion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_Z7Xv2WbRs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MqbjfhEHF0

Also remember to print off the Kid’s Sermon Note page and activities for your kids to do that are related to the parable of the vineyard owner and tenants.

Devotional: Parable of the Tenants … taken from AllAboutJesusChrist.org

QUESTION: What does the parable of the tenants mean?

The Parable of the Tenants (Matthew 21:28-46; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-19) may not be as commonly known as other parables Jesus

told, but it is one of the most eye-opening. It was told to the religious elders who disputed Jesus’ teachings and resented Him entering

the temple. This parable denotes God, who Jesus is, His purpose, and what He could foresee.

The landowner – represents God

The vineyard – His Kingdom

The tenants – specifically Israel’s religious leaders and all who reject Him

The servants – God’s prophets and faithful believers

The beloved son – Jesus Christ

Jesus tells them of a landowner who places his vineyards in the hands of tenant workers. Just as in many regions today, tenant farmers lease the land, care for the crops and reap reward from the harvest with a set amount going to the landowner. The allegory tells us that the landowner sent his servants to collect his share. The servants were beaten, driven away, and some were killed. Finally, the owner sent his beloved only son. The tenants, rejecting the son, killed him as well. Then Jesus asked in Mark 12:9, “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” Jesus sees the temple ruler’s rejection of truth and doing the same as their ancestors -- killing the prophets (servants) who were sent to correct them and turn their hearts to God. The characters were easy to identify. Even the chief priests and Pharisees (temple tenants) recognized who Jesus meant. These religious leaders functioned strictly out of tradition and rigid law, with hardened hearts. They had no true love for God. Therefore, they rejected Jesus when He came speaking of grace, love, and forgiveness. They were angered at His non-traditional teachings. They wanted Him silenced so they didn’t have to consider their errors and face correction. In the final verses of this parable, Jesus asked, “Didn’t you ever read in the Scriptures? ‘The stone rejected by the builders has now be-come the Cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous to see.’” Ephesians 2:20 tells us that Jesus is the chief corner stone in the structure of God’s house (see Psalm 118:22, Isaiah 28:16). In this ‘tenants’ parable, Jesus is revealing that though the religious lead-ers reject Him, He is the foundation of the Father’s temple/church of believers. Many of the world’s inhabitants or tenants have rejected God’s Son and have failed to work His vineyard. The population of the world (or size of vineyard) has grown and the number of souls to be saved has greatly increased. Ask yourself if you are working the vineyard as God desires. Ask if you are shamefully treating His servants and rejecting His son. “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do?”

What do you think?

We have all sinned and deserve God’s judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him. Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punish-ment that we deserve, was buried, and rose from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, re-ceiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, "Jesus is Lord," you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.

The Parable of the Vineyard Owner and Tenants… Matthew 21:33-46

The chief priests and teachers of the law didn’t like Jesus. Jesus was always talking about the Good News that God had for his

people. They did not want other people hearing about God from Him. They did not believe that Jesus was God’s Son. They

demanded to know what authority he had. So Jesus told them this parable.

One day a man planted a vineyard. A vineyard is a place where they grow grapes so they can make wine. The owner put a big wall around it. Then he dug a big hole, called a winepress, in the ground so he could crush and squeeze all the juice out of the fruit.

The owner needed to go on a trip, so he found some farmers to stay at the vineyard to work while he was away.

Then the time finally came when the fruit was ready to be eaten and used to make wine. So the owner sent someone back to the vineyard to collect some of the fruit.

The farmers saw this person coming. What do you think they did? They grabbed him, beat him up, and sent him back with nothing.

The owner found out what happened. He sent another person to try and collect some grapes. Do you know what happened? They also beat him and treated him shamefully and sent him back empty handed.

So the owner sent still another person. Do you know what they did this time? The farmers wounded the man and threw him out!

The owner then decided to send his own son. He loved his son very much. He thought to himself, “The farmers will respect my son.”

The farmers recognized who the man’s son was. They said to themselves, “This is his son. When the owner dies, his son will get the vineyard. But if we kill his son, then the only ones left to get the vineyard will be us.” So they killed him too, and threw him out of the vineyard.

After Jesus shared this story, he asked the leaders a question. “What will the owner of the vineyard do now? He will come and kill all those farmers and then give the vineyard to other people.” Then Jesus quoted from Psalm 118. “Haven’t you read what Scripture says, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the most important stone of all.”

Who were the people in this story?

The vineyard owner represented God

The vineyard was God’s people

The farmers were the religious leaders and teachers of the law

The people sent by the owner were the prophets

God had sent these prophets to tell Israel about the coming Messiah

The Jews, their religious leaders and teachers of the law had always opposed these prophets and killed them.

Who do you think the vineyard son was? Jesus.

God was going to save his people. And even though his prophets were rejected, He still continued His plan of salvation.

Jesus knew that He would be put to death. And through this parable, He was telling the religious leaders about His death.

Because it was through His death that all man could live through Him.

Jesus was the stone that the builders rejected

He was a stumbling block to the religious leaders (1 Cor. 1:22; Isaiah 8:14). A stumbling block is a stone that is in your way and you fall/trip over it. For the Jews, Jesus was a stumbling block. They couldn’t accept Him — instead they fell/tripped all over Him.

The Jews could not accept that there could be salvation apart from all that they were doing — adhering to the Law and their religious traditions.

They wanted to be righteous before God, but they wanted to do it their way — by their own works in trying to fully obey the Lord.

The problem is that they could never fulfill it fully. Because God’s way was perfect. And only God could meet that standard.

Jesus was saying that those who fell on that stone, who tripped over Jesus and His free gift of righteousness, who rejected it, would be broken to pieces and crushed. They would never be able to be righteous on their own.

Despite all that opposition, Jesus has become the cornerstone — the most important stone of all!

Even though He was killed, Jesus resurrected after 3 days and became the stone that holds everything together, the rock upon which God built His church (Matt 16:18, 1 Cor 3:11).

If we trust in Him alone and accept His gift of righteousness, Jesus becomes our refuge, our shelter, our salvation.

As Peter said in Act 4:11-12, Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

Who is Jesus to you? A stumbling block? Or the cornerstone?

Let’s not be like the Jews and religious leaders who refuse to accept God’s free gift of salvation and righteousness through Jesus.

Let’s trust in Jesus, our cornerstone, our rock of refuge, and enjoy the life He gives to us!

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the

builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is what the Lord has done and

it is wonderful in our eyes?’” Matthew 21: 42

Who is the “cornerstone”? ______________________________________________

What does this verse mean? _____________________________________________

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Workers in the vineyard

Workers in

the vineyard

Workers in

the vineyard