The response of the owner of the vineyard to those who killed His Son has to be strong (v15-16).

When the people said, “May this never be!” are they talking about never killing Jesus, or never being punished for it?

The reality is that despite them saying it would never happen, both the killing of the Son and the judgement of Jerusalem in AD 70 would take place. People can live with their heads in the sand when evil and its judgment can both be very real in their own lives.

Jesus now quotes from Psalm 118 v22 and shows that while He has come to be the Saviour of many, He will also be the means of judgment on many others (v17-18).

How ironic and how sad that people will be cast into hell by the most loving and gracious Saviour who they rejected!

Sadly for the teachers of the law, they are restrained by a fear of the people and not by a fear of God (v19). John Bunyan said, “Fear God ye saints, and ye will have nothing else to fear.” Do you fear God?