19th Sunday After Pentecost (A) Framework
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The readings form a strong unified theme around God's vineyard, human unfaithfulness, Christ the rejected cornerstone, and the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. The LCMS describes the lectionary as intentionally arranging readings so that the Old Testament reading relates closely to the Holy Gospel.
Isaiah presents the Lord's people as a carefully planted vineyard. The owner has done everything necessary for the vineyard to produce good grapes, yet it produces only wild grapes. The Lord therefore removes its protection and allows it to become desolate.
The interpretation is explicit: "the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his pleasant planting." God expected justice and righteousness, but instead found bloodshed and oppression.
Law: God's people cannot excuse their unfaithfulness by pointing to God's generosity. Israel had received God's Word, covenant, protection, and care, yet produced the fruit of rebellion and injustice.
Gospel: The passage ultimately prepares us to see the necessity of God's gracious work in Christ. The failure of God's vineyard exposes humanity's need for a righteousness that does not originate in sinful man.
The vineyard imagery establishes the biblical background for Jesus' parable of the wicked tenants in Matthew 21. Isaiah identifies Israel as God's vineyard; Jesus takes up the same imagery and identifies Himself as the Son whom the tenants reject.
God's gracious cultivation - God gives His people everything necessary for faithful living and bears patiently with them.
Human sin and unfaithfulness - Sin is not merely failure to perform isolated good deeds but rebellion against the God who has graciously claimed and cared for His people.
Divine judgment - God's patience does not eliminate His judgment against persistent unbelief and rejection of His Word.
The psalm continues the vineyard imagery, remembering how God brought Israel out of Egypt and planted the nation in the Promised Land. Yet the vineyard has been ravaged and its walls broken down.
The psalm repeatedly asks God to "Restore us" and concludes with an appeal that God would look upon His people and save them.
Law: God's people have experienced the consequences of their rebellion and cannot restore themselves.
Gospel: The repeated prayer, "Restore us," expresses dependence upon God's mercy. Salvation comes from God's gracious action rather than human achievement.
The prayer for God's "right hand" to restore His people points forward to the ultimate restoration accomplished through God's Son. The vineyard imagery connects directly with Isaiah 5 and Matthew 21.
Christ is the true Son through whom God restores His people. In Him, the prayer for God's face to shine upon His people finds its ultimate fulfillment.
Restoration by grace - God's people depend upon Him to restore what sin has destroyed.
The Shepherd of Israel - God remains the Shepherd of His covenant people even when they experience judgment and distress.
Christ at God's right hand - The salvation anticipated in the psalm finds its fulfillment in the crucified and risen Christ.
Paul lists the impressive religious credentials that could have given him confidence in his flesh: circumcision, Israelite descent, tribal identity, Hebrew heritage, Pharisaic commitment, zeal, and outward righteousness according to the Law.
Yet Paul considers these former grounds for confidence to be loss because of Christ. He desires to be found in Christ, possessing not a righteousness of his own derived from the Law, but the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ.
Paul then describes the Christian life as pressing forward toward the goal: knowing Christ, sharing in His sufferings, being conformed to His death, and ultimately attaining the resurrection.
Law: Human religious accomplishments cannot establish righteousness before God. Even Paul's extraordinary religious credentials were incapable of giving him true righteousness.
Gospel: The believer is justified by the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. The Christian's confidence is not "what I have accomplished for God" but Christ and His righteousness for me.
The central confession is:
"I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord."
Paul does not merely replace bad works with better works. He abandons confidence in his own righteousness and rests in Christ.
Christian sanctification follows justification. Because Paul belongs to Christ, he presses forward in faith toward the resurrection. His striving is therefore not an attempt to earn salvation but the life of one who has already been grasped by Christ.
Justification by faith - Righteousness before God comes through faith in Christ rather than through works of the Law.
Christ as our righteousness - The believer's confidence rests entirely in Christ rather than personal religious achievement.
Christian perseverance - Those who belong to Christ continue toward the goal, trusting God's gracious work and looking forward to the resurrection.
Jesus tells the parable of a landowner who plants a vineyard, equips it carefully, and leases it to tenants. When the owner sends servants to collect the fruit, the tenants beat, stone, and kill them. Finally, the owner sends his son, saying, "They will respect my son." Instead, the tenants kill him.
Jesus asks what the owner will do to those tenants. The answer is judgment and replacement of the wicked tenants. Jesus then quotes Psalm 118:
"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."
The chief priests and Pharisees recognize that Jesus is speaking about them and seek to arrest Him.
Law: The parable exposes the rebellion of those entrusted with God's vineyard. Religious position, privilege, and stewardship do not protect anyone who rejects God's Son.
Gospel: The rejected Son becomes the cornerstone. Jesus' rejection and death do not defeat God's purposes. Through the very death by which the tenants reject Him, Christ becomes the foundation of God's saving work.
Jesus identifies Himself as the Son sent by the Father. The parable therefore points directly toward His passion.
The connection with Isaiah 5 is especially significant:
The rejected Son is not merely another servant. He is the beloved Son, and His rejection leads to His death and ultimately to His exaltation as the cornerstone.
Christ the rejected Son - Jesus is the Father's Son whom sinful humanity rejects, yet God uses His rejection and death to accomplish salvation.
Christ the cornerstone - The One rejected by men becomes the foundation of God's Church.
Judgment upon unbelief - God's gracious patience must not be mistaken for approval of persistent rejection of His Son.
Fruit of the kingdom - God's people are called to bear the fruits of faith rather than merely possess outward religious privileges.
All four readings emphasize that God's people belong to Him. The vineyard is planted, protected, cultivated, and entrusted by God. The fundamental problem is therefore not God's failure to provide but man's failure to respond faithfully.
Isaiah describes wild grapes. Psalm 80 describes a vineyard devastated by judgment. Matthew describes tenants who abuse God's servants and murder His Son. Philippians exposes the futility of trusting in human religious credentials.
The common diagnosis is sinful humanity's rebellion against God.
Matthew provides the clearest center of the day's readings. The vineyard owner sends his son. The tenants reject him. Yet the rejected stone becomes the cornerstone.
Christ is simultaneously the Son rejected by sinners and the Cornerstone established by God.
Philippians supplies the doctrinal answer to the problem exposed by the other readings. Paul rejects confidence in his own righteousness and desires to be found in Christ.
The Christian's hope is therefore not:
"I have produced enough good fruit."
It is:
"I belong to Christ, and my righteousness is found in Him."
The Gospel does not eliminate the call to bear fruit. Rather, good fruit follows from belonging to Christ. The Christian life is one of repentance, faith, sanctification, perseverance, and hope in the resurrection.
Law: God has lovingly planted, cultivated, protected, and entrusted His vineyard, yet sinners reject His Word, produce sinful fruit, trust in their own righteousness, and ultimately reject God's Son.
Gospel: God sends His Son, Jesus Christ. Though rejected and crucified by sinners, He becomes the cornerstone. Through faith in Him, sinners receive the righteousness of Christ and are restored to God.
Christian response: Abandon confidence in the flesh, cling to Christ by faith, receive His righteousness, and press forward in faith toward the resurrection.
The Vineyard of God - God's people belong to Him and are recipients of His gracious cultivation and care.
Human Unfaithfulness - Sin manifests itself in rejection of God's Word, unbelief, self-righteousness, and failure to bear the fruit God desires.
Christ the Son - Jesus is the beloved Son sent by the Father and rejected by sinful humanity.
Christ the Cornerstone - The rejected Christ becomes the foundation of God's saving work and His Church.
Justification by Faith - Righteousness before God comes through faith in Christ rather than confidence in human works or religious credentials.
Sanctification and Fruit - Those who belong to Christ are called to live in repentance and faith, bearing fruit consistent with their new life in Christ.
Resurrection Hope - The Christian presses forward toward the goal of resurrection and eternal life with Christ.
Vineyard Imagery - The biblical development of the vineyard as an image for God's covenant people.
Rejected Son - The Old Testament background and New Testament fulfillment of the rejected Son.
Cornerstone - The biblical theology of Christ as the rejected stone who becomes the cornerstone.
Justification - Paul's contrast between righteousness based on the Law and righteousness through faith in Christ.
Fruit of Faith - The relationship between justification, sanctification, and Christian good works.
Kingdom of God - Matthew's teaching concerning the kingdom being entrusted to those who produce its fruits.
Augsburg Confession IV - Justification is received through faith in Christ and not earned by human works.
Augsburg Confession VI - Faith necessarily produces good fruits, although those fruits do not merit justification.
Apology of the Augsburg Confession IV - Christ's righteousness is received through faith rather than through human works or merits.
Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration III - The righteousness by which sinners stand before God is Christ's righteousness received through faith.
Small Catechism, Apostles' Creed, Second Article - Christ's person and saving work are the foundation of Christian faith.
The LCMS formally confesses the Lutheran Symbols as a true and binding exposition of Holy Scripture.
LSB 430 - "My Song Is Love Unknown" - Particularly appropriate for Christ's rejection, suffering, and death.
LSB 544 - "The Church's One Foundation" - Emphasizes Christ as the foundation and cornerstone of the Church.
LSB 555 - "Salvation unto Us Has Come" - Strongly expresses justification by faith and the rejection of reliance upon works.
LSB 556 - "Dear Christians, One and All, Rejoice" - Centers on Christ's saving work and the Gospel of justification.
LSB 566 - "By Grace I'm Saved, Grace Free and Boundless" - Particularly fitting for Philippians 3 and Paul's rejection of confidence in the flesh.
Title: "The Rejected Son, the True Righteousness, and the Vineyard"
Central Gospel: The righteousness God requires is found not in the fruit we produce for Him, but in Christ, the rejected Son who became the cornerstone and gives His righteousness to us through faith.
The Concordia Commentary series explicitly emphasizes reading Scripture as a unified proclamation centered on Christ, making Andrew Bartelt's Isaiah 1-12 and Jeffrey Gibbs' Matthew 21:1-28:20 particularly appropriate resources for these readings.
- The Lord's vineyard and its failure to produce good fruit. - Israel as God's vine and the prayer for restoration. - Righteousness through faith in Christ and pressing toward the goal. - The parable of the wicked tenants and Christ the rejected cornerstone. - The rejected stone becoming the cornerstone.
- Detailed theological and exegetical treatment of Isaiah 5 and the vineyard imagery. - Christ-centered exposition of Matthew's Passion narrative and the parable of the wicked tenants. 
- Justification. - New obedience and the fruits of faith. - Justification by faith in Christ. - The righteousness of faith. - Christ's person and work.Generated using ChatGPT chatbot
Isaiah begins with a song about a beloved who carefully planted a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He cleared it, planted choice vines, built a watchtower, and prepared a winepress. Everything necessary for a fruitful vineyard had been provided. The language portrays God's gracious care for His covenant people, Israel. 1
The beloved reasonably expected good grapes, yet the vineyard produced worthless grapes. The contrast is deliberate: God's gracious provision is abundant, but His people respond with unfaithfulness. The passage therefore moves from God's covenant love to His righteous judgment.
Verse 7 explicitly identifies the vineyard: "the house of Israel," and the planting of the LORD of hosts: "the men of Judah." God had established Israel as His own people and had given them His Word, worship, covenant promises, and abundant blessings.
The problem was not a deficiency in God's care. The vineyard had been planted and cultivated properly. The failure was in the vineyard itself. Isaiah therefore exposes the sin of God's people rather than permitting them to blame their circumstances.
The "wild grapes" represent the fruits of Israel's rebellion and covenant unfaithfulness. Instead of justice, God found bloodshed; instead of righteousness, He heard cries of oppression. 2
In verses 5-6, the beloved announces that the vineyard will be exposed to destruction. The protective hedge and wall will be removed, and the vineyard will become desolate.
This is a powerful presentation of Law. God does not overlook persistent rebellion. His judgment is not arbitrary or unjust. The very vineyard that received His gracious care has become the object of His righteous judgment.
The passage therefore warns against presuming upon God's grace. God's people are called to receive His gifts in faith and to live according to His Word.
Isaiah 5 provides an important background for Jesus' parable of the wicked tenants in Matthew 21:33-46. Jesus deliberately uses the imagery of Isaiah's vineyard to describe God's dealings with His people and their rejection of God's messengers and ultimately His Son.
The connection becomes especially significant because Jesus identifies Himself as the beloved Son who is rejected and killed by the tenants. The vineyard imagery therefore points beyond Israel's historical unfaithfulness toward Christ, the rejected Son and true heir. 3
The LCMS Lutheran understanding reads the Old Testament in light of its fulfillment in Christ. Concordia Publishing House's Concordia Commentary on Isaiah 1-12 emphasizes the theological unity of Isaiah's proclamation and its culmination in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
The vineyard imagery also finds fulfillment in Jesus' declaration, "I am the true vine" (John 15:1). Israel failed to produce the fruit God desired, but Christ is the faithful and fruitful Son.
Those who belong to Christ bear fruit not as a means of earning God's favor, but because they have been joined to Christ by faith. The fruit of the Christian life proceeds from Christ's life-giving work in His people.
Human beings repeatedly fail to give God the fruit that His Law requires. Isaiah exposes sin, unfaithfulness, injustice, and rebellion against God's gracious covenant gifts.
The passage leaves no room for self-righteousness. God has given abundantly, yet sinful humanity produces "wild grapes."
The Gospel is seen in God's persistent purpose to preserve and redeem His people. The failure of the vineyard does not mean the failure of God's saving purpose. The rejected Son whom the tenants kill becomes the cornerstone.
Christ fulfills what sinful Israel could not. He is the faithful Son, the true Vine, and the source of righteousness and life for His people. 4
God's Grace
God's relationship with His people begins with His gracious provision. The vineyard owner does everything necessary for the vineyard.
Human Sin
The bad fruit demonstrates that sinful humanity cannot produce the righteousness God requires by its own strength.
Divine Judgment
God's patience does not eliminate His judgment. Persistent rejection of His Word brings righteous consequences.
Christ the Son
The vineyard imagery anticipates the rejection of God's Son and therefore points directly toward Christ's passion.
Fruit of Faith
God desires the fruits of righteousness that flow from faith. Christian fruitfulness is the result of God's gracious work rather than a means of earning salvation.
The passage strongly supports the Lutheran distinction between God's gracious gift and human righteousness. Fallen humanity cannot establish righteousness before God through its own works; righteousness before God comes through faith in Christ. 301
At the same time, saving faith is not barren. The Christian life bears good fruit as the Holy Spirit works through the Gospel. Good works are the necessary fruit of faith, though they do not merit justification before God. 302
Vineyard Imagery Study the vineyard as a recurring biblical image for God's covenant people.
Wild Grapes Examine the Hebrew imagery and its significance for Israel's unfaithfulness.
Isaiah 5 Context Study Isaiah 1-5 as a developing indictment of Judah's sin.
Matthew 21 Connection Compare Isaiah 5:1-7 with Jesus' parable of the wicked tenants.
True Vine Examine the relationship between Isaiah's vineyard and Jesus' teaching in John 15.
Isaiah 5:1-7 presents Israel as God's carefully cultivated vineyard. God has provided everything necessary, yet His people have produced the fruit of sin rather than the fruit of righteousness. The passage therefore proclaims God's Law against human unfaithfulness and warns of divine judgment.
At the same time, the vineyard imagery prepares the way for Christ. Israel's failure is answered by the faithfulness of God's beloved Son. Jesus is the rejected Son, the true Vine, and ultimately the cornerstone. In Him, sinners receive the righteousness they cannot produce for themselves and are enabled by God's grace to bear fruit pleasing to Him. 303
- The song of the vineyard and God's indictment of Israel. - Israel as God's vineyard and a prayer for restoration. - Jesus' parable of the wicked tenants and the rejected Son. - Christ as the true Vine and His disciples as branches. - Concordia Commentary. Concordia Publishing House, 2024. Theological and exegetical treatment of Isaiah 1-12, including its literary and Christological context. - Justification by faith in Christ. - The relationship between faith and good works. - The righteousness of faith and Christ's saving work.Generated using ChatGPT chatbot
Psalm 80:7-19 is a communal prayer asking God to restore His covenant people: "Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved." The repeated petition for restoration forms the central plea of the passage. 1
The psalm assumes that Israel's condition cannot be remedied by human strength. Salvation and restoration must come from God. The people therefore appeal to the LORD to turn toward them again in mercy.
The psalm continues the vineyard imagery found in Isaiah 5. Israel is described as a vine that God brought out of Egypt, planted in the land, and caused to flourish. 2
God's initiative is emphasized throughout the imagery. He planted the vine, prepared the land, and caused it to grow. The prosperity of Israel was therefore dependent upon God's gracious action.
Yet the protective boundaries have been broken down, leaving the vineyard vulnerable. The psalm asks why God has permitted His vineyard to be ravaged and pleads for Him to return and restore it.
Verse 17 asks God to place His hand upon "the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself."
This language is particularly significant in the light of the New Testament. Jesus frequently uses the title Son of Man for Himself, and He is seated at God's right hand after His resurrection and ascension. 3
Thus, while the immediate psalm concerns God's covenant people, its prayer for restoration reaches its fulfillment in Christ. God restores His people through the One whom He has appointed and strengthened.
The psalm's reference to the "son of man" points forward to Christ, the true representative of God's people. Jesus perfectly fulfills the calling that sinful Israel failed to fulfill.
Christ is both true God and true man, the One who comes from the Father and accomplishes salvation for His people. Through His incarnation, obedient life, suffering, death, resurrection, and exaltation, He becomes the means through whom God restores His people.
The repeated prayer, "Restore us," finds its ultimate answer in Christ's saving work. Sin separates humanity from God, but Christ reconciles sinners to the Father through His atoning death. 4
The psalm therefore moves from vineyard devastation to restoration, anticipating the greater restoration accomplished through Jesus Christ.
The ruined vineyard exposes the consequences of sin. God's people experience devastation because of their rebellion and unfaithfulness.
The passage reminds us that God's people cannot preserve themselves through their own strength. Sin brings separation, judgment, and destruction.
The Gospel is expressed in the repeated appeal for God's gracious restoration. The people do not ask God to restore them because they have earned it. They appeal to His mercy.
The ultimate answer is Christ. God causes His face to shine upon sinners through Christ, and in Him the guilty receive forgiveness, reconciliation, and salvation.
God's Covenant Grace
God Himself planted and cultivated His people. Their existence and preservation depend upon His gracious action.
Restoration
The central prayer is that God would restore His people. Salvation is fundamentally God's work rather than humanity's achievement.
Christ the Son
The "son of man" points toward Christ, who stands at God's right hand and accomplishes salvation for His people.
God's Face
The petition that God's face would shine upon His people recalls the Aaronic blessing and God's gracious presence with His people. 5
Prayer and Faith
The psalm teaches God's people to bring their need before Him confidently, trusting His mercy even amid judgment and suffering.
The psalm's repeated appeal for God to restore His people reflects the Lutheran understanding that salvation is God's gracious work. Fallen humanity cannot restore itself to fellowship with God. Justification is received through faith in Christ rather than achieved through human works. 301
The prayer also accords with the Lutheran understanding of prayer. Christians pray because God has commanded prayer and promised to hear His children for Christ's sake. 302
The psalm's emphasis on God's gracious presence finds its fullest expression in Christ, through whom God reconciles sinners to Himself and grants them His favor. 303
Vineyard Imagery Study the biblical use of the vine and vineyard to describe God's covenant people.
Son of Man Examine the Old Testament background and New Testament fulfillment of this title in Christ.
God's Face Study the connection between Psalm 80:7,19 and the Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6:24-26.
Restoration Prayer Examine how Scripture teaches God's people to pray for restoration and mercy.
Right Hand Study the biblical significance of God's right hand and its fulfillment in Christ's exaltation.
Psalm 80:7-19 is a prayer for God to restore His devastated vineyard. Israel's history demonstrates God's gracious planting and cultivation of His people, but sin has brought devastation. The appropriate response is not self-reliance but a plea for God's mercy: "Restore us."
The prayer ultimately points to Christ. The "son of man" at God's right hand finds its fullest fulfillment in Jesus, the true Son who accomplishes salvation for His people. In Christ, God's face shines upon sinners, and His people receive the restoration, forgiveness, and salvation for which the psalm prays.
- Prayer for God's restoration and salvation. - Israel portrayed as God's transplanted and flourishing vine. - The Son of Man and Christ's exaltation at God's right hand. - Reconciliation with God through Christ. - The Aaronic blessing and God's gracious shining face., Commentary on the Old Testament: Psalms. Discussion of Psalm 80's vineyard imagery, covenant context, and petition for restoration. - Justification before God through faith in Christ. - Prayer as the gracious command and promise of God. - Christ's righteousness and God's gracious forgiveness received through faith.Generated using ChatGPT chatbot
Paul begins by identifying the religious credentials in which he once could have placed confidence. He was circumcised according to the covenant, an Israelite, a member of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews, and a Pharisee. He had zealously pursued righteousness according to the Law and had regarded himself as blameless according to its outward demands. 1
These credentials were not inherently evil. The problem was trusting them as grounds for righteousness before God. Paul demonstrates that even the most impressive religious pedigree cannot establish the sinner as righteous before God.
Paul now considers everything that once appeared to be an advantage to be loss because of Christ. He goes further and regards all things as loss compared with the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord. 2
Paul's contrast is between human righteousness and the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. His former confidence rested upon his own religious achievements. His present confidence rests entirely upon Christ.
The Christian therefore does not approach God saying, "Look at what I have accomplished." Instead, faith says, "Christ is my righteousness."
Paul desires to be found in Christ, "not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ." 3
This is a central Lutheran teaching concerning justification. The righteousness by which the sinner stands before God is not earned through works. It is received through faith in Christ.
Paul is not teaching that obedience to God's Law is unimportant. Rather, he distinguishes between works as the basis of justification and good works as the fruit of faith. Before God, Christ alone is the ground of the believer's righteousness.
Paul's goal is not merely to possess correct doctrine about Christ but to know Christ personally through faith - the power of His resurrection, participation in His sufferings, and conformity to His death. 4
Union with Christ includes both suffering and resurrection hope. The Christian life is shaped by Christ's death and resurrection. Christians share in Christ's sufferings while looking forward to sharing in the resurrection.
Paul does not claim that he has already reached perfection. Instead, he says that he presses on to make Christ's own purpose for him his own pursuit. 5
The Christian life is therefore one of ongoing sanctification. Having been justified by faith, the Christian continues in repentance and faith, continually receiving Christ's grace and pressing toward the goal.
Paul's language does not contradict justification by faith. His striving is not an attempt to earn salvation. It is the life of one who has already been claimed by Christ.
The Law exposes the inadequacy of human righteousness. Even Paul's remarkable religious credentials could not justify him before God.
The passage therefore destroys confidence in ancestry, religious accomplishments, moral achievement, and outward obedience as grounds for salvation.
The Gospel is that righteousness comes through faith in Christ. The sinner is found "in Christ" rather than depending upon a righteousness of his own. 6
Christ has accomplished what sinners cannot accomplish. His righteousness is received by faith, and His resurrection establishes the Christian's hope of eternal life.
Justification by Faith
Paul explicitly rejects his own righteousness as the basis for standing before God and trusts instead in the righteousness received through faith in Christ.
Christ as Gain
Everything that once gave Paul confidence becomes insignificant compared with knowing Christ. Christ Himself is the Christian's supreme treasure.
Union with Christ
To be "found in Christ" means that the believer's relationship with God is established through Christ rather than through personal merit.
Sanctification
The justified Christian continues to pursue holiness. Paul presses forward in faith rather than treating salvation as permission for spiritual complacency.
Resurrection Hope
The Christian's ultimate goal is resurrection from the dead. Christ's resurrection guarantees the believer's future resurrection.
Philippians 3:4b-14 closely expresses the Lutheran doctrine of justification. The righteousness that avails before God is not a righteousness produced by the sinner's works but the righteousness of Christ received through faith. 301
Paul's rejection of confidence in his own works also corresponds to the Augsburg Confession's teaching that sinners cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works. 302
At the same time, Paul's pressing toward the goal illustrates the Christian life after justification. Good works necessarily follow faith, but they do not become the basis upon which the sinner is accepted by God. 303
Human Righteousness Study Paul's rejection of confidence in religious credentials and works.
Righteousness of Faith Examine the biblical and Lutheran doctrine of justification by faith.
Knowing Christ Explore Paul's understanding of knowing Christ through faith, suffering, and resurrection.
Christian Perfection Study why Paul can reject perfectionism while continuing to pursue holiness.
Resurrection Hope Examine the connection between Christ's resurrection and the believer's future resurrection.
Philippians 3:4b-14 contrasts confidence in human righteousness with confidence in Christ. Paul possessed an impressive religious pedigree and had pursued outward righteousness with extraordinary zeal, yet he came to regard all of it as loss compared with knowing Christ.
His confidence is now entirely in Christ and in the righteousness that comes through faith. The Christian therefore stands before God not on the basis of personal achievement but clothed in Christ's righteousness.
At the same time, justification does not produce spiritual passivity. Paul presses forward toward the goal, seeking to know Christ more deeply, share in His sufferings, and attain the resurrection. Christ is both the righteousness of the believer and the goal toward which the Christian life moves.
- Paul's former religious credentials and confidence in the flesh. - Counting former gains as loss because of Christ. - Righteousness through faith in Christ rather than righteousness from the Law. - Knowing Christ, His resurrection, His sufferings, and resurrection hope. - Pressing toward the goal and the prize of God's heavenly calling. - Righteousness from God through faith in Jesus Christ., The Epistle to the Philippians: A Commentary on the Greek Text. Eerdmans, 1991. Exegetical treatment of Paul's contrast between confidence in the flesh and righteousness through faith in Christ. - Christ's righteousness received through faith. - Justification by faith in Christ apart from works. - Good works as the necessary fruit of faith, not the basis of justification.Generated using ChatGPT chatbot
Text: Matthew 21:33-46 Reading: Gospel Genre: Parable and prophetic teaching Primary Theme: The rejected Son becomes the cornerstone of God's kingdom
Matthew 21:33-46 contains Jesus' Parable of the Wicked Tenants. A landowner plants a vineyard, equips it carefully, leases it to tenants, and sends servants to receive the fruit. The tenants repeatedly abuse and kill the servants. Finally, the owner sends his son, whom the tenants also kill.
Jesus then asks what the owner will do to the tenants. The religious leaders answer that the wicked tenants deserve judgment and that the vineyard should be given to others. Jesus applies their answer to themselves and quotes Psalm 118: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." 1
The parable therefore contains both Law and Gospel. It exposes human rebellion against God and announces judgment, but it also reveals the Father's purpose in the death and resurrection of His Son.
Jesus tells this parable during His final week in Jerusalem. He has entered Jerusalem as the promised King, cleansed the temple, and confronted the religious authorities concerning His authority. 2
The immediate context is therefore crucial. Jesus is not telling an isolated agricultural story. He is addressing leaders who have rejected God's messengers and are now rejecting Jesus Himself.
The imagery of a vineyard has deep Old Testament significance. Isaiah 5 portrays Israel as the Lord's vineyard, planted and cared for by God but producing the fruit of rebellion rather than righteousness. 3
Matthew's account thus presents Jesus as the Son sent by the Father to His people. The parable anticipates His rejection, crucifixion, resurrection, and the expansion of God's kingdom through the apostolic Gospel.
The landowner carefully prepares the vineyard. He plants it, places a fence around it, digs a winepress, and builds a tower.
The careful preparation emphasizes the owner's generosity and rightful ownership. The vineyard does not belong to the tenants. They are stewards of what belongs to another.
The imagery recalls God's gracious care for Israel. God had given His covenant people His Word, promises, worship, and prophetic messengers.
The tenants therefore have no legitimate claim to ownership. Their responsibility is to serve faithfully within what has been entrusted to them.
When the owner sends servants to collect the fruit, the tenants beat one, kill another, and stone another.
The repeated sending of servants demonstrates the owner's patience. Rather than immediately destroying the tenants, he continues sending messengers.
The servants represent God's prophets and messengers whom Israel's leaders repeatedly rejected and persecuted. 4
The pattern reveals both human rebellion and divine patience.
God's judgment is therefore not arbitrary. The tenants have repeatedly rejected the gracious messengers whom God sent to call His people to repentance.
"Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'"
This is the decisive moment in the parable.
The son is not merely another servant. He occupies a unique relationship to the owner. Jesus is identifying Himself as the Son sent by the Father.
The Father's sending of the Son demonstrates the extraordinary depth of divine patience and mercy. Even after the rejection of His servants, God sends His beloved Son.
The parable therefore points directly toward the incarnation and Christ's approaching Passion.
The tenants recognize the son and say, "This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance."
Their sin is deliberate. They do not merely misunderstand the son. They reject his authority and seek to seize what belongs to him.
They take him, throw him out of the vineyard, and kill him.
Jesus is predicting His own rejection and crucifixion. His death will occur outside Jerusalem, just as the son is cast outside the vineyard. 5
Yet the tenants' murderous intention does not defeat God's plan.
Jesus asks what the owner will do.
The religious leaders correctly answer that the owner will bring the wicked tenants to a miserable end and lease the vineyard to others who will give him the fruits in their seasons.
They pronounce judgment upon themselves without recognizing that they are the tenants in the story.
This illustrates the condemning function of the Law. God's Word exposes sin even when sinners initially think they are judging someone else.
Jesus quotes Psalm 118:
"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone."
The rejected Son is also the rejected stone.
Human beings reject Christ, but God makes Him the cornerstone. The crucifixion appears to be Christ's defeat, but the resurrection reveals God's victory.
The cornerstone imagery emphasizes that Christ becomes the foundation of God's saving work. LCMS resources explicitly connect this rejected stone with Christ and His resurrection.
Jesus declares that the kingdom of God will be taken away from those who reject Him and given to a people producing its fruits.
This does not mean that God has abandoned His promises or that salvation is earned through producing sufficient works.
Rather, God's kingdom is received through faith in Christ, and genuine faith produces fruits of repentance and righteousness.
The Gospel moves beyond ethnic and national boundaries. The risen Christ will send His disciples to make disciples of all nations. 6
The stone becomes an image of judgment.
Christ is the cornerstone for those who trust in Him, but the same Christ is the Judge before whom those who reject Him will ultimately stand.
The verse therefore presents both comfort and warning. Christ cannot be treated as irrelevant. Every person ultimately encounters the question of what he will do with God's Son.
The chief priests and Pharisees realize that Jesus is speaking about them.
They want to arrest Him, but they fear the crowds because the people regard Jesus as a prophet.
Their response demonstrates the hardness of unbelief. Even after recognizing that Jesus' parable exposes them, they do not repent.
The confrontation points directly toward the Passion. The Son whom the tenants rejected will soon be crucified.
Law: The parable exposes humanity's rebellion against God. We want God's gifts without acknowledging God's ownership. We resist His authority, reject His messengers, refuse His Word, and attempt to make ourselves masters of what belongs to Him.
The religious leaders' rejection of Jesus demonstrates the seriousness of unbelief. The Law ultimately reveals that sinners do not merely need better behavior. They need repentance and reconciliation with God.
Gospel: The Son is sent by the Father and gives Himself into the hands of sinners. The very Son whom humanity rejects becomes the cornerstone of salvation.
Christ's rejection and death are not the defeat of God's plan. Through His death and resurrection, God establishes Christ as the foundation of His kingdom.
The Gospel is therefore found precisely where the parable reaches its darkest point: the rejected Son becomes the cornerstone.
Christ the Son: Jesus is the unique Son sent by the Father. He is not merely another prophet or servant.
Christ the Rejected One: Jesus knowingly enters Jerusalem and accepts the rejection that leads to His crucifixion.
Christ the Crucified One: The killing of the son points toward the cross. Christ is delivered into death for sinners.
Christ the Cornerstone: The rejected Christ becomes the foundation of God's saving work. 1
Christ the Risen Lord: The cornerstone imagery ultimately points beyond Good Friday to God's vindication of Christ in His resurrection.
Christ and the Kingdom: God's kingdom is centered on Christ. Those who receive Him through faith belong to His kingdom and bear its fruits.
The parable thus reveals a profound Gospel reversal: what appears to be the rejection and defeat of Jesus becomes the means by which God accomplishes salvation.
Christ's Sonship - Jesus is the unique Son sent by the Father, distinct from the servants who preceded Him.
Christ's Rejection - The Passion was not an accident but the fulfillment of God's saving purpose in the face of human rejection.
Christ the Cornerstone - Jesus is the foundation of the Church and God's saving kingdom.
Divine Patience - God's repeated sending of His servants demonstrates His patience and gracious call to repentance.
Judgment - Persistent rejection of God's Son brings judgment. Christ is both Savior and Judge.
Kingdom of God - God's kingdom is centered in Christ and is received through faith, producing fruits of repentance and love.
Stewardship - God's people are stewards rather than owners of the gifts, responsibilities, and vocations entrusted to them.
Justification and Sanctification - The "fruits" of verse 43 must not be understood as the basis upon which sinners earn salvation. Faith receives Christ and His righteousness; good works follow as the fruit of that faith. 7
Law and Gospel - The parable's judgment exposes sin, while the rejected Son reveals the Gospel of salvation accomplished through Christ's death and resurrection.
Faith and Works - The kingdom is not earned by producing sufficient fruit. Rather, those who receive Christ by faith are brought into a new life that produces good works.
Means of Grace - God continues to send His Word through which the Gospel of Christ is proclaimed and faith is created and sustained. 8
Church and Kingdom - The Church does not own God's kingdom. Christ is its Lord, and the Church receives and proclaims the Gospel that comes from Him.
Grace and Judgment - God's patience should never be interpreted as indifference toward sin. His patience calls sinners to repentance, while persistent unbelief remains under judgment.
Receive the Son: The central question is not whether we admire Jesus but whether we receive Him as the Son sent by the Father.
Repent of Rebellion: Examine the ways sinful pride seeks God's gifts while resisting God's authority.
Trust the Cornerstone: When circumstances appear unstable, Christ remains the foundation of the Church and the Christian's salvation.
Bear Fruit: Good works are the fruit of faith. Christians are called to live faithfully in their vocations and serve their neighbors.
Practice Stewardship: Everything Christians possess ultimately belongs to God. Christian stewardship therefore involves faithful use of God's gifts rather than treating them as personal possessions without accountability.
Hear God's Word: God's patience is demonstrated through His continuing proclamation of the Gospel. Christians should receive His Word with gratitude rather than resisting it.
Proclaim Christ: The vineyard belongs to God, and the Church's task is to proclaim the Son who was rejected and raised as the cornerstone.
Vineyard Imagery - Study the Old Testament use of the vineyard as an image for God's people.
Rejected Messiah - Examine the biblical theme of the Messiah being rejected and suffering.
Christ Cornerstone - Study the New Testament's use of the cornerstone imagery for Christ.
Kingdom Fruits - Explore the relationship between faith and the good works that follow faith.
Divine Patience - Examine Scripture's teaching concerning God's patience and His call to repentance.
LSB 531 - "Hail, Thou Once Despised Jesus" - Particularly appropriate because it confesses the rejected Jesus as the exalted Savior. LCMS School Ministry specifically recommends this hymn alongside Matthew 21:33-46.
LSB 576 - "My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less" - Confesses Christ as the solid foundation of Christian hope.
LSB 578 - "Thy Strong Word" - Proclaims God's powerful Word and its saving work.
LSB 644 - "The Church's One Foundation" - Directly connects the Church to Christ as its foundation.
LSB 912 - "Christ Is Our Cornerstone" - Especially appropriate for the cornerstone imagery of verse 42. LCMS School Ministry also identifies this hymn with Matthew 21:33-46.
LSB 953 - "We Give Thee But Thine Own" - Reflects the stewardship theme of recognizing God's ownership of what He entrusts to us.
- The rejected stone becomes the cornerstone by the Lord's doing. - The preceding confrontation concerning Jesus' authority. - The Lord's vineyard as an image for Israel and God's judgment upon its unfaithfulness. - The suffering and rejection endured by God's faithful servants. - Christ suffers outside the gate, corresponding to the imagery of the rejected son. - The risen Christ sends His disciples to make disciples of all nations. - Detailed exegetical treatment of Matthew 21:33-46, including the parable of the wicked tenant farmers and Matthew's presentation of Jesus' Passion and kingship. CPH identifies this volume as part of its Concordia Commentary series covering Matthew 21:1-28:20. - Applies Matthew 21:33-46 to Christ as the Son sent by the Father and emphasizes His death for the sins of the world. - Confesses Jesus Christ as true God and true man who suffered, died, and rose for humanity's salvation. - Confesses justification through faith in Christ for His sake. - Confesses that the Holy Spirit works faith through the Gospel. - Confesses the one Church gathered around the Gospel and the Sacraments. - Teaches that good works follow faith but do not merit justification.