Matthew 11:25-27 ESV
25 At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Mark 12:1-12 ESV
1 And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; 11 this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” 12 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.
Questions to Consider
1. What privileges does as son have?
2. What is the Son of God’s role?
Food For Thought
No son wants to displease his father. In fact, hearing words such as “I am proud of you” can be a turning point in the life of a son. There is virtually no limit to what a son will go through to gain his father’s approval.
When the disciples ask to see the Father, Jesus responds by assuring them they have already seen the Father because Jesus reveals the Father (John 14:9). Jesus uses very similar language in Matthew 11 above. The Son’s role was to reveal the Father because Jesus was uniquely able to do so.
An important text for understanding Jesus as the Son of God is Jesus’ parable about the wicked tenants (Mark 12:1-12 above). In it, the wicked tenants hired to work the land kill or demean the messengers the owner sends. What’s worse, when the owner sends his son, the tenants kill the son in an effort to gain the son’s inheritance (vv. 7-8). (What kind of logical is that anyways?) We can read this parable today and clearly see its implications for the life of Jesus. But what’s really shocking is the fact that the Jewish leadership also had a vague recognition of the same thing (see v. 12)!
Jesus as the Son of God represents God to a lost and broken world. But Jesus was willing to give up his divine privileges and rights as a son, and instead receive the punishment we all deserved.
Moment of Reflection
1. What special privileges to sons sometimes receive?
2. How does a father react when his son is dishonored?
Closing Prayer
Father, help me to honor your Son Jesus in a way which brings you both glory. Amen.
Jesus, we want what you want.
By: Curtis W. Lindsey
