A Vineyard and the Cornerstone for God’s Dwelling
The plant life in the Bible is a symbol of God’s life sown into human hearts to grow and bring forth fruit. This fruit becomes, by the Spirit’s transforming work, precious materials for God’s building, consummating in New Jerusalem.
The Lord’s speaking in Matthew 21:33-46 begins with a man (portraying God) who planted a vineyard (the nation of Israel) and leased it to vinedressers (Jewish leaders). He sent His slaves (the prophets) to receive some fruit from the vineyard but the vinedressers beat some and killed others. Finally He sent His Son (Jesus) whom they cast out
of the vineyard and killed (v. 39).
Verses 40-41 foretell God’s judgement on Israel’s leaders through the Roman army in the year 70 A.D.
God’s intention was that the fruit of the vineyard would become material for building His eternal dwelling, and that the vinedressers would be the builders. This was indicated by the Lord’s quote in verse 42 from Psalm 118:22, “The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner.” This Stone is Christ.
Christ as the cornerstone, in His saving us (Acts 4:11-12), first makes us living stones for the building up of God’s spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:2-6), and then, in the process of His transforming us (Rom. 12:2a; 2 Cor. 3:18), builds us up into a dwelling place of God (Eph. 2:19-22).*
Our need is to receive Christ as our Redeemer and our Life and then to partake of Him as our life supply. He is “the bread of life” (John 6:48). When we eat this bread we live because of Him (6:57). The more we live because of Him, the more we express Him and the more we are built together with others who live Him. This is our path to New Jerusalem.
Graphic courtesy of pixabay.com.
* A portion of footnote 2 on Psalm 118:22 in the Recovery Version Bible, published and © by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim CA, 2003.
Posted by Don on February 9, 2022
