‘AHA’ MOMENTS
Play Audio
If you prefer listening to today’s Bible guide reading, play this audio file.
If the audio bar is not appearing, click here to play the audio.
Opening Prayer
Lord, open my mind and my imagination; help me to understand and apply all that you speak to me.
Read MARK 12:1–12
For additional translations of the passage, use this link to Bible Gateway.
The Parable of the Tenants
12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.
6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
11 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]?”
12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.
Footnotes
- Mark 12:11 Psalm 118:22,23
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
When was the last time God surprised you with something about himself? In what ways did his surprise impact your faith walk?
The old stories are the best. Jesus’ audience, both scholars and ordinary people, would recognize his reworking of the well-known ‘Song of the Vineyard’ from Isaiah chapter 5. In the original, there’s no avoiding the criticism of the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The priests and teachers of the Sanhedrin in Jesus’ day would probably acknowledge the mistakes of past generations. But Jesus takes the parable a stage further. Isaiah’s owner friend, who built the vineyard, is a clear symbol for God himself. Rather than reaping a crop of sour grapes and rewilding the land, the owner sends his servants to claim his share of the harvest. Without overtly identifying himself with the son in this parable, Jesus paints a picture of what he knows is about to take place.
How long does it take for the penny to drop with the Jewish leaders? At what point do they realize that they are approaching their last chance? As they turn against him, Jesus delivers the devastating conclusion: if they reject him, they are rejecting the stone described in Psalm 118:22, the most important of all. Layer by layer, Jesus strips off any doubts they may have about him. He is the promised Messiah. The problem is that he is not what they expected.
What are our expectations whenever we turn to Scripture or meet God in prayer? The wonder is that, like in any relationship, there is always a new dimension to discover. How then do we respond, especially if it’s not what we expected?
Apply
Imagine yourself as that vineyard, entrusted to you by the owner. What has the yield been like?
Closing prayer
Father, forgive me for those times when I don’t give you the honor you deserve, when I don’t return thanks for your goodness to me. Thank you that, whenever I do, you lovingly accept what I offer.
Book and Author Intros
Extras
Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.
© 2025 Scripture Union U.S.A. All rights reserved. Reproduction of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.