Audio Download

Matthew 21:23–46 The Parable of the Tenants

[Study Aired September 22, 2025]

Our discussion for today is centered on the authority of Jesus challenged by the chief priests and the elders. The study also highlights the parable of the two sons and that of the tenants. 

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

Mat 21:23  And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? 
Mat 21:24  And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 

It is when Christ comes into His temple or our hearts and minds that as His elect, we come to see the hypocrisy of the leaders of the church system of this world who are represented in verse 23 as the chief priests and the elders of the people. These leaders wrongly think that they are the ones that represent Christ here on earth and therefore think they have the mandate or authority from God. Prior to this question of who gave Jesus authority to do the things He does, they had seen Jesus speaking with authority and using His authority to cast out devils and heal the sick. They therefore became jealous of the way Jesus teaches and performs miracles.

Mat 7:28  And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 
Mat 7:29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 

Luk 4:36  And they were all amazed, and spake among themselves, saying, What a word is this! for with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out. 
Luk 4:37 And the fame of him went out into every place of the country round about. 

We know that Jesus’ authority was given to Him by God, and it is this same authority that Jesus has given to us as He sends us into this world.

Joh 5:26  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
Joh 5:27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

Joh 20:21 Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.    

Although these leaders asked Jesus about who gave Him authority to do the things He does, they were not prepared to hear the truth of the word of the Lord as they were filled with idols of the heart. Being filled with idols of the heart prevents us from knowing the truth. We are therefore deceived according to the idols in our hearts and minds. 

Eze 14:1  Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. 
Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? 
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; 

Mat 21:25  The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
Mat 21:26  But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. 
Mat 21:27  And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 

We can see from these verses that the chief priests and the elders of the people were not sincere in their response to Christ. Our Lord Jesus already knew these leaders were not willing to hear the truth as they were fixated on having something with which to accuse the Lord. What this implies is that the leaders of the church system of this world do not want the truth. Here in these verses, Jesus is showing us that when people are not willing to know the truth, we should not waste our time trying to tell them the truth. As the word of the Lord says, people who refuse the love of truth are sent a powerful delusion to believe lies, leading to their destruction. 

2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 
2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 

This was our situation when we were in the churches of this world or Babylon. We did not love the truth as we turned to fables. 

2Ti 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 

The Lord not telling the chief scribes and the elders about His authority is therefore another way of saying that the leaders of the church system of this world are not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. If the leaders do not know the truth, then you can just imagine the level of ignorance of those who are serving under them! This is all to show us how blind we were, when we were in Babylon.

Isa 42:18  Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.
Isa 42:19  Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD’S servant? 
Isa 42:20  Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not. 
Isa 42:21  The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable. 
Isa 42:22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore. 

The Parable of the Two Sons

Mat 21:28  But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard.
Mat 21:29  He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 

Our understanding of any of the parables of our Lord Jesus Christ is what unlocks our understanding of all the parables of Jesus. Our Lord Jesus told us that if we are able to comprehend the parable of the Sower, then we can understand all parables. 

Mar 4:13  And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? 

To illustrate this principle of understanding the Lord’s parables, let’s use the parable of the prodigal son to help us understand this point. The man having two sons is the same as the man in the parable of the prodigal son who had two sons. The younger son left the father with his portion of the father’s inheritance and went to a far country where he wasted all the resources the father had given him with lawless living. In verse 28, we can see that the father wanted the son to work in the vineyard, but he refused. Working in the father’s vineyard is serving the Lord’s house or His people.

Isa 5:7  For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

The son’s refusal to work in the father’s vineyard is the same as the prodigal son going into a far country to spend His father’s inheritance on lawless living. We, His elect, were the prodigal son or the son who initially refused his father’s request to work in His vineyard. We ended up in riotous living in the churches of this world. As the prodigal son became worse off in a far country, we also became worse off in the churches of this world as we were like pigs that were washed but came wallowing in the mire. 

2Pe 2:18  For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. 
2Pe 2:19  While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
2Pe 2:20  For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 
2Pe 2:21  For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 
2Pe 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. 

In the fullness of time, the Lord came to us and brought us to Himself. The coming of the Lord to us was when we repented and decided to come and work in His vineyard. It is the same as the prodigal son coming to Himself and deciding to go back to his father and work as a servant. 

Luk 15:17  And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 
Luk 15:18  I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 
Luk 15:19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. 

Mat 21:30  And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 

The second son represents our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world who need no repentance because they think they are born again. They assume that they have put no foot wrong as they had said yes to the Lord to do His bidding. However, as the parable says, they had not followed through with their yes to work in the Lord’s vineyard. This second son is the same as the elder brother of the prodigal son who thought that he deserved a better treatment from his father.

Luk 15:25  Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 
Luk 15:26  And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 
Luk 15:27  And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 
Luk 15:28  And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
Luk 15:29  And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 
Luk 15:30 But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 

Mat 21:31  Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 
Mat 21:32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him. 

As indicated in verse 31, it is the first son, who initially refused to serve in his father’s vineyard, who did the will of his father. By implication, Jesus is showing us that the first son was a publican and a harlot, who has been given the right to enter the kingdom of God.  In the Bible, a publican was a tax collector, a figure despised by their fellow Jews for working for the occupying Roman authorities and for their corrupt practices. As shown in the parable of the prodigal son, it was the son who wasted his father’s resources on lawless living and therefore signifies a publican and a harlot. We, His elect, were first like a publican and a harlot before Christ came to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness, to make us His beloved sons who are working in His vineyard. 

Eze 16:13  Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver; and thy raiment was of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil: and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom. 
Eze 16:14  And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty: for it was perfect through my comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.
Eze 16:15  But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and playedst the harlot because of thy renown, and pouredst out thy fornications on every one that passed by; his it was. 
Eze 16:16  And of thy garments thou didst take, and deckedst thy high places with divers colours, and playedst the harlot thereupon: the like things shall not come, neither shall it be so. 
Eze 16:17 Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest to thyself images of men, and didst commit whoredom with them.

We can see from these verses that we were first harlot and publican; A publican in the sense that we took the Lord’s fair jewels of gold and silver and made ourselves images of men, just like the Jewish publicans who used the money (taxes of the Jews) belonging to the Roman emperor for their own corrupt practices.

As shown in verse 32, John came preaching the way of righteousness and the people did not repent. Here John symbolizes the Lord’s elect who come to preach the way of righteousness by faith. However, our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world do not repent. At a certain stage of our walk, we also did not repent when the Lord sent His elect to speak to us. In the Lord’s mercy, we were given a heart to repent and to believe in Him at a later time. The son who said yes to the Lord to work in His vineyard but did not follow up with action represent our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world. In the parable of the prodigal son, this son who did not follow his words with action signifies the elder brother who thought he was doing well and did not need to repent.  

The Parable of the Tenants

Mat 21:33 Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country: 

The householder in this case represents God the Father who worked through His son, Jesus Christ to set up the vineyard, which as indicated earlier is the house of Israel. This house of Israel is the church system of this world. The Lord gave the church all the resources to prosper. 

Isa 5:1  Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: 
Isa 5:2  And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
Isa 5:3  And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
Isa 5:4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? 

Mat 21:34  And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
Mat 21:35  And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 
Mat 21:36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 

The husbandmen here are the vinedressers or gardeners or farmers who took care of the vineyard. The Lord’s people are the husbandmen who are required to work in His vineyard or assembly of His people. The Lord’s servants here represent His prophets who, as husbandmen, had their messages rejected and killed. It is important to note that the servants in these verses signify all the Lord’s messengers up until John the Baptist. 

Luk 11:47  Woe unto you! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.
Luk 11:48  Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres. 
Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 
Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 
Luk 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation. 

Mat 23:37  O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! 

As shown in these verses, as husbandmen, we represent this generation which is guilty of the blood of all the prophets including our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Mat 21:37  But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 
Mat 21:38  But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 
Mat 21:39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. 

The son in these verses signifies Christ and His Christ, that is, His elect. As we are aware, it is we, His elect, who are the sons of God and therefore represent Christ. We are therefore heirs with Christ. To persecute the Lord’s elect means to persecute Jesus Christ. 

Act 9:4  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? 
Act 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. 

Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. 

As He is, so are we. Just as Christ’s message was rejected by the church system of His day, our message of the cross is rejected by the churches of this world or Babylon.

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.  

1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 
1Co 1:19  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 
1Co 1:20  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 
1Co 1:21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 
1Co 1:22  For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: 
1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 
1Co 1:24 But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.  

Mat 21:40  When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 
Mat 21:41 They say unto him, 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. 

Verse 40 asks a question of what the Lord will do with the husbandmen who slew His son, that is, Jesus and His elect. We know from the word of the Lord that the husbandmen, who represent our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world, will be judged for shedding the blood of the Lord’s messengers during the lake of fire age by our Lord Jesus Christ and His elect. 

Luk 11:49  Therefore also said the wisdom of God, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: 
Luk 11:50  That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation; 

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

The Lord will miserably destroy those wicked men means that the old man with his fleshly desires will be destroyed through the Lord’s judgment in the lake of fire age. The Lord letting out His vineyard to other husbandmen is another way of letting us know that the mercy we have received from the Lord is at the expense of our brothers and sisters in Babylon. It is we, His elect, who shall render to the Lord the fruits in their season. 

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 

It is the tree that is planted by the rivers of water that bears forth fruit in its season. The tree planted by the rivers of water is the Lord’s elect who are given to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. Bringing forth fruit in its season means bearing the fruits of the spirit in this age through the Lord’s judgement of our old man or flesh. 

Psa 1:1  Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 
Psa 1:2  But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Psa 1:3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.  

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 
Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

Mat 21:42  Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 
Mat 21:43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 

The stone in verse 42 refers to Jesus Christ who is rejected by the church system of this world or Babylon. The stone becoming the cornerstone means that Jesus Christ is the foundation that holds together the building of every man. This building is our temple, which is our body. What this means is that without Jesus, we can do nothing. 

Joh 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 

As He is, so are we. Rejecting our message as His elect is rejecting Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. We all at a certain stage of our lives, had rejected the Lord, the chief cornerstone and therefore were like the builder, who built his house on sand. When the storm came, our building crumbled. Later, the Lord came to us in His mercy to help us build our lives on the rock which is Christ. 

Mat 7:24  Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 
Mat 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 
Mat 7:26  And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 
Mat 7:27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.  

It is important to note in verse 42 that our rejection of the Lord is the Lord’s doing. In other words, it is Jesus who caused us to reject Him at a certain stage of our walk. If we are privileged to know this, then our eyes are being opened to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, which is what is marvelous in our eyes. 

Isa 63:17  O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. 

It is also insightful to observe in verse 43 that the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ by the church system of this world, is our acceptance into the kingdom of God, to bring forth fruit that abides. 

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. 

Mat 21:44  And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 

Falling on this cornerstone is our attempt to worship Jesus Christ. We get broken in the process. What this means is that certain aspects of sins in our lives are dealt with, but the man of sin or our flesh still reigns in our body. This was what happened to Jacob when he wrestled with the Lord. He left limping. In other words, he could not walk properly. That is to say that our walk with Christ was not fully pleasing to Him. This explains our walk in the churches of this world. However, if Christ comes to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness, we shall be grounded as powder. That is to say that the man of sin or our old man shall completely be destroyed.  

Gen 32:24  So Jacob was left alone. Then a man wrestled with him until dawn. 
Gen 32:25  When the man saw that he could not win against Jacob, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that it was dislocated as they wrestled. 

Gen 32:30  So Jacob named that place Peniel [Face of God], because he said, “I have seen God face to face, but my life was saved.” 
Gen 32:31 The sun rose as he passed Penuel. He was limping because of his hip. (GW)

Mat 21:45  And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 
Mat 21:46  But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet. 

As indicated earlier, the chief priests and the Pharisees represent our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world or Babylon. What verse 45 is suggesting is that the parable of the two sons and the tenants all focused on our lives as His elect, in Babylon, until the Lord came to us with the spirit of His mouth and His brightness. That was when we answered the Lord’s call to work in His vineyard and became welcomed in the kingdom of God at the expense of our brothers and sisters in Babylon. 

Our refusal to hear the voice of Jesus through His messengers at that stage of our walk in Babylon, is the same as trying to kill Jesus and His elect. However, the people fearing to lay hands on Jesus because of the multitude shows us that the Lord knows how to protect His own in this world. We therefore need not fear. This reminds me of this popular hymn: Oh God our help in ages past. The second stanza reminds us of the Lord’s divine protection as follows:

Under the shadow of your throne

Your saints have dwelt secure

Sufficient is your arm alone

And our defense is sure

May His name be praised. Amen!!