INTRODUCTION

Repentance, a major theme in the Bible, has become almost a missing note or a lost chord in modern preaching. When it is mentioned, it is generally with such false notions of its meaning that sinners are still left as much confused on the subject as if they had never heard the word.

Gospel repentance is simply a complete change of mind, religiously speaking. The sinner who repents comes to have a completely different mental attitude. toward God, toward self, and toward sin. He learns to think in agreement with the Bible instead Of opposition to it. He changes from an unbeliever to a believer.

Whole books have been written by well-meaning theologians to confuse the issue. Most Protestant writers (including the illustrious Calvin) are more or less influenced by false Romish ideas of penance, and too many Baptists allow themselves to be swept along in the Scriptural confusion. We need to get back to Biblical basics. The unrighteous man must forsake his thoughts [Isaiah 55:7] before he can have the mind of Christ [I Corinthians 2:16].

Lesson outline follows:

1. Repentance, Matthew 21:28-32. 
a. Analogy of repentance, 28-30. 
b. Application, 31-32. 

2. Rebellion, Matthew 21:33-36. 
a. property and rental, 33-34. 
b. Possession and robbery, 35-36. 

3. Revulsion, Matthew 21:37-41. 
a. Murderous violence, 37-39 
b. Merited vengeance, 40-41. 

4. Rejection, Matthew 21:42-44. 
a. Jehovah's jurisdiction, 42. 
b. Jehovah's judgments, 43-44. 

NOTES ON THE TEXT:

REPENTANCE, Matthew 21:28-32.

Two different Greek verbs are translated in the KJ version by the English verb "repent." The one used in this passage (Metamelomai) means to have a change of care or concern, or could be translated "regret." It may or may not be followed by the change of mind or of mental attitude expressed by the word more often used, metanoeo.

Analogy of Repentance, 28-30.

Quite often when the truth condemns us we willfully refuge to face it in our own case, but easily recognize it in an analogy before we realize how well the shoe fits us. So Jesus sometimes used parables, as here, to His religiously wicked enemies to condemn themselves.

Of the two sons in this parable, one hastily refused to obey his fathers command, "but afterward he repented and went." The other son hypocritically promised to obey, and went not." The illustration is simple and clear enough.

Application to Religion, 31-32.

Even the chief priests and elders had to admit that repentant obedience in deed is superior to mere lip service, though they were not prepared for Jesus' application oŁ the fact to their own religion. Imagine their rage at being told that publicans and harlots were going before them into the kingdom of God by believing the preaching of John the Baptist! And then to be rebuked because they refused to repent and follow the believing example of these same publicans and harlots!

REBELLION, Matthew 21:33-36.

By means of another parable Jesus illustrated the principle of stewardship and the wickedness of all who rebel against the righteous claims of God, the Creator and righteous Owner of all things.

Property and Rental, 33-34.

Vineyards were a common form of wealth in the land of Israel, as they still are in many parts of the world. This householder owned not only the land but also the improvements on it. The vineyard was his property, but he "let it out," or rented it to farmers or "husbandmen" while he "went into a far country."

Perhaps the rent was to be paid by a share of the fruit, at any rate, as vintage time approached, he sent servants to collect the rent.

Possession and Robbery, 35-36.

However, the farmers in possession of the vineyards greedily and forcibly robbed the owner of his due share, beating, killing, and stoning his servants. Nor did these ancient expropriators of another's property stop with one round of rebellion; when the owner "sent other servants more than the first," they treated them the same way.

REVULSION, Matthew 21:37-41.

Crime leads to crime, as one sin leads to another and worse sin, limited only by the restraining hand of God. If the more hideous and enormous crimes excite revulsion in more descent citizens, we need to remember that crimes unchecked, criminals unpunished, naturally tend to become worse and worse.

Murderous Violence, 37-39.

Too optimistic in his estimate of the character of the farmers who had mistreated and killed many of his servants, the owner finally sent his son to collect the rent, saying, "They will reverence my son." Not so. The owner was in "a far country," and no doubt the renters hoped that he would never return.

So "they said among themselves" This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And so they did.

Merited Vengeance, 40-41.

Ignorant or forgetful of the old Scriptures which use a vineyard as a figure for God's people, the chief priests and elders missed for the moment the obvious application to their own case, and rashly prescribed well merited vengeance upon "those wicked men" of the parable. A little later [verse 45] "they perceived that he spake of them," but by that time they had already unwittingly prophesied of their own doom.

REJECTION, Matthew 21:42-44.

"Them that honor me 1 will honor, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed" [1 Samuel 2:30]. Rejection can be a two-way street. Let the despisers of God and of His Word be warned, whether they be religious or irreligious: God will reject those who reject Him.

Jehovah's Jurisdiction, 42.

No part of creation is outside the jurisdiction of the Creator, but He is especially pleased to exercise His dominion among His chosen people. They richly deserve His rebuke when they fail to read, study, and keep in mind His holy writings: "Did ye never read in the scriptures?"

But the Scriptures must be fulfilled whether anybody reads them or not. God retains His jurisdiction and performs His will whether His people like it or not. The rejected "stone" here is Christ, and the rebellious builders are unbelieving Israel; but no matter: by God's own doing Christ is the head cornerstone of His house. Marvelous truth indeed.

Jehovah's Judgments, 43-44.

"From everlasting to everlasting" [Psalm 90:2] -- before He created anything and after His eternal judgment upon all creation -- God is God, the only self-existent One, Jehovah, the final judge of all. Errant and deceitful people, whether Jews or Gentiles, may show themselves unfit for His kingdom and lose their earthly privileges "to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof"; but human failure and folly can never defeat the purposes of God.

"Despised and rejected of men" [Isaiah 53:3], the rejected Stone is by divine appointment, a stone of stumbling for unbelievers in this life and a stone of utter destruction in eternal woe under the judgment to come.

Interpreting the figure in plain words, the breaking of unbelievers refers to the temporal judgments of God; the grinding to powder refers to eternal judgment, otherwise described in Revelation 14:9-11; 20:10-15; and many other Scriptures.

CONCLUSION [Mark 1-15]

Fulfillment of time refers to the time prophesied for the earthly ministry of the Messiah. The kingdom of God was "at hand" or present because the King was present. Jesus took up the preaching of the same message that H1S forerunner John the Baptist had been preaching: "'Repent ye, and believe the gospel." That is, so change your minds that your are no longer unbelievers, but believe the good news of salvation in Christ.

The Bible message, the Baptist message, is still the same. There can be no better message for needy sinners than "the everlasting gospel" [Revelation 14:6], the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" [Mark 1:1], the gospel of the grace of God" [Acts 20:24], the gospel "preached before" to Abraham [Galatians 3:8], "the glorious gospel of the blessed God" [I Timothy 1:11].
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[From Ashland Avenue Baptist paper, March 12, 1976, pp. 2-3. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]

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