L e a d e r ’s G u i d e

A Bible Study in 6 Sessions on the Kingdom Parables

Father

Master

BridegrooM

King

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Table Of COnTenTs

Introduction ........................................................................ 4

Tips For Using This Study Guide ........................................ 5

Session 1—A Father and His Sons ..................................6-11

Session 2—A Master and His Tenants ..........................12-17

Session 3—A King and His Guests ...............................18-23

Session 4—The Bridegroom’s Arrival ...........................24-27

Session 5—A Master and His Servants .........................28-31

Session 6—The Return of the King ..............................32-34

By Carol Geisler. Images: Carlos E. Santa Maria/Shutterstock © 2015 by Creative Communications for the Parish, 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. 800-325-9414. www.creativecommunications.com. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.

faTherMasTer bridegrOOMKing

A Bible Study in 6 Sessions on the Kingdom Parables

“When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:8

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inTrOduCTiOn

The prophet said, “Your king is coming to you” (Zechariah 9:9), and now he is here! In the days after his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, and before the dark hours of his enemies’ triumph, Jesus the King presents lessons about the king-dom. His enemies will kill him, but that will not be the end of his story. He will rise from death and ascend into heaven to rule his people as they live and serve their King and wait for his return. When the time is right, he will come again. The King will return to claim his kingdom, “and ev-ery eye will see him” (Revelation 1:7).

In the first five sessions of the study, you will read five parables about the kingdom of God. In these parables, God has different roles—father, master, bridegroom and king. God’s people play different parts, too, as sons, servants, stewards and sheep (and virgin bridesmaids!) in lessons about belief and unbelief and about living and serving and waiting for the King. The last session is a description of the day when Jesus of Naza-reth, the King of kings, will return and summon the nations to stand before him. As events unfold on that great day of terror and joy, we learn the answer to the question the King asked during his ministry on earth, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8).

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Tips fOr using This sTudy guide

1. Always begin each session with a prayer. One is included for each session. You are encouraged to expand each of them with prayer concerns from the group.

2. Feel free to follow the format of each session as pre-sented here or rearrange and adapt the material to meet the needs of your group.

3. You will need Bibles to look up the verses listed in each session.

4. As you work through the material in this study guide, be sure to write down in the margins any questions that come to mind or any thoughts that arise in the course of the discussion and your con-templation of each session’s Scripture verses.

5. Throughout each session, think about specific ways you can apply the themes of the study to your life. Think about these themes during your personal de-votional time.

6. If you are using this guide in a group setting, consid-er assigning printed Bible verses to various people in the class to read aloud at the appropriate time. This will move the session along more efficiently.

Note that some of the questions ask for facts. Typically, the answers to these questions will come from the Scrip-ture verses just read. Other questions are more subjective, asking for your opinion or an example from your own experience. Since your life experiences are different from anyone else’s, answers to these questions are neither right nor wrong. A Leader’s Guide that accompanies this mate-rial is available from Creative Communications for the Parish (Code FML).

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sessiOn 2

The MasTer and his TenanTs

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Matthew 21:42

Opening prayer

Lord Jesus, for the sake of our salvation you were rejected and crucified. Teach us to cling by faith to you, the true Vine, so that we might bear the fruit of love and service in your name. Amen.

Leader’s guide For session 2

BEFORE CLASS: Read through this session yourself. Exam-ine the Bible readings listed and become acquainted with them.

READ: Have someone read the Opening Prayer or read the prayer in unison.

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iCebreaKer disCussiOn

Have you ever planted a vegetable garden or a larger plot of land? What kind of work was involved? Was the plant-ing successful? Were you able to enjoy the “fruit” of your work?

inTrOduCTiOn

“The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel” (Isaiah 5:7). In this parable we find ourselves once again in the vineyard of God. In this parable, Jesus foretells what lies ahead for him in the days to come. The Master of the vineyard of Israel has sent his Son to collect the fruit of faith that is owed to him.

parT 1• ReadMatthew21:33-41.

1. What similarities do you find between the vineyard that Jesus describes here and the vineyard described in Isaiah 5:1-7? What differences do you find?

2. The master of the vineyard sends his servants to get the fruit that is due him. How are the servants treated? Read Matthew 23:29-36. How did the people of Israel treat God’s servants, the Old Testa-ment prophets? Jesus tells the scribes and Pharisees, “Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers” (Matthew 23:32). According to this parable of the vineyard, how will the religious leaders finish what their ances-tors began?

3. What will the master of the vineyard do to the un-faithful tenants? What will faithful tenants do for the master?

DISCUSS: Discuss successful or un-successful gardening.

REVIEW: Review the “For next time” question from the previous session:

Israel is a vine brought out of Egypt and planted by the Lord in a new land. The vine prospered and grew, stretching from the sea to the [Euphrates] River. Yet the Lord broke down the walls around his rebellious vine and passing people plucked its fruit. Wild animals ravaged the vine. Enemies repeat-edly conquered Israel and enslaved its people. The people of Israel ask God to have mercy on his vine, to rebuke those who have hurt them, and to strengthen “the man of your right hand, the son of man,” a reference to Israel and its Messiah. They pray to be saved and restored. The vineyard is destroyed because it grew wild grapes instead of yield-ing good grapes. Rejecting justice, God’s people shed blood; rejecting righteousness, they cried out in rebellion.

READ: Read aloud or have someone read aloud the Introduction.

Part 1

READ: Read aloud or have someone read aloud the Scripture reading.

1. The master plants a vine, or vineyard. Both vineyards have a watchtower and a wine press or wine vat. The vines are ex-pected to yield good fruit. The Isaiah passage does not speak of leasing the vineyard to tenants or of the tenants’ disobedience, although, like the tenants in the parable, “the house of Israel” and “the men of Judah” produce bloodshed and rebellion instead of the fruit of righteousness (Isaiah 5:7).

2. The servants, the prophets, are beaten, killed and stoned. Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve, was the first murder victim. The story of Zechariah’s death is told in 2 Chronicles 24:20-22. This is an “A to Z” summary of the righteous and the prophets who were murdered. The scribes and Pharisees built tombs for the prophets and claimed that they would not have treated them as their forefathers did. Their claim was a witness against them, identifying them as the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. The religious leaders will finally murder the Master’s Son.

3. The master will put the unfaithful tenants to death and lease his vineyard to faithful tenants who will give him the fruit that is due him as the owner.

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parT 2• ReadMatthew21:42-46.

1. The religious leaders of Israel, who should have wel-comed the Messiah, instead plot to throw the Mas-ter’s Son out of the vineyard and kill him. Read Acts 2:22-24. Why did this all take place?

2. How does the Son describe himself in verse 42? Jesus is quoting Psalm 118:22-23, verses about his resurrec-tion. Read 1 Peter 2:7-8 and 1 Corinthians 1:22-24. How is Christ crucified a stumbling block to people today?

3. Read the words of Paul and Barnabas to the Jews of Antioch in Acts 13:43-49. How does this incident illustrate the fulfillment of Jesus’ words in Matthew 21:43? With whom will the good news of the king-dom be shared?

4. The chief priests and Pharisees know Jesus is talk-ing about them. What prevents them from arresting him?

5. Read Romans 11:17-24. Here the apostle Paul de-scribes Israel, not as a vineyard, but as an olive tree. Gentiles (the wild olive shoots), through faith in Je-sus the Messiah, have been grafted into the “nourish-ing root” of Israel. Why were some branches broken off? What warning does Paul give to the Gentiles?

6. The tenants said of the Son, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance” (Matthew 21:38). Read Galatians 3:29. Who are Abraham’s off-spring and heirs? The Jewish religious leaders rejected Jesus as their Messiah and condemned him to death. Yet it was our sins, too, that sent the Son to the cross. For our sake he was killed and raised up. Read 1 Peter 1:3-5. What inheritance do we receive through faith in the Son?

Part 2

READ: Read or have someone read aloud the Scripture reading.

1. Jesus was delivered up and killed “according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.”

2. Jesus the Son is the stone that the builders rejected. He is the cornerstone. He is the stone that will break those who fall on it and crush all upon whom it falls. People are broken in repentance or crushed as they disobey the Word. The stone is an offense to those who do not believe, a stumbling block. The teaching of Christ crucified caused the Jews to stumble. They expected the Messiah to destroy their enemies. Instead the Romans crucified him. The idea of a crucified Savior is foolishness to Gentiles. They may wonder how a crucified Jewish rabbi could be the Son of God. People today may expect Jesus to be merely a prophet or wise teacher, not God in human flesh. Others may think the teaching of the cross is too “bloody” or “violent.”

3. Some of the Jews in Antioch were jealous and contradicted the teachings of Paul, so Paul turned away from them to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. The unfaithful Jews would not in-herit the kingdom. The kingdom is given to Jews and Gentiles who offer back to the Master the fruit of faith in his Son.

4. The priests and Pharisees feared the crowds, who honored Jesus as a prophet of God.

5. Branches were broken off because of their unbelief. Those who remain on the tree are there through faith. The Gentiles must not become proud because if God broke off the “natural branch-es,” that is, the Jews who did not believe, he will not spare the grafted branches if they fall from faith.

6. Through faith in Christ we are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to God’s promise. Our in-heritance of eternal life is based on the promise of God in Christ, not on physical descent through Abraham. We have the hope of salvation, the hope of eternal life in Christ, an inheritance kept safe in heaven for us.

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7. Read Ephesians 2:18-22 and 1 Peter 2:4-10. Jesus is the Son thrown out of the vineyard. He is the Stone rejected by the builders. But through his death and resurrection, the rejected Stone has become the cor-nerstone of the household of God, where both Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus are built into a temple in the Lord. What is your task now as “living stones,” as God’s holy nation?

suMMary

“Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2). As the par-able foretells, the Son will be rejected and killed. But Jesus will be raised to life, and Jews and Gentiles who trust in him become by faith “the planting of the Lord” (Isaiah 61:3), branches of “the true vine” (John 15:1): “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

7. Through faith in Christ, we are God’s chosen race, his royal priesthood and holy nation. It is our task now to proclaim his excellence because he called us out of darkness.

READ: Read or have someone read the Summary.

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hyMn

(Tune: Old Hundredth LM)

Almighty Father, bless the Word Which through your grace we now have heard.

Oh, may the precious seed take root, Spring up and bear abundant fruit!

SING: Sing or speak aloud the Hymn in unison.

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ClOsing prayer

Heavenly Father and Master of the vineyard, you have called us out of darkness into your marvelous light. Help us to be bold witnesses in our words and action to the in-heritance of forgiveness and hope we have through Jesus our Savior. Amen.

fOr nexT TiMe

Read Isaiah 62:3-5. How are God’s people described?

READ: Have someone read the Closing Prayer or read the prayer in unison.

ASSIGN: Assign the reading and questions for the next session.

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By Carol Geisler. Images: Carlos E. Santa Maria/Shutterstock © 2015 by Creative Communications for the Parish, 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. 1-800-325-9414. www.creativecommunications.com. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. (Student Guide code: FMS) FML

This Bible study for any time of the year looks at parables about the kingdom of God and the different roles of God and God’s people presented in each. In the process, students learn lessons about the role of God in their lives today and the roles they have been given to carry out. Each session includes study questions, prayers and reflections. This large-format leader’s guide includes all the answers, helpful study notes and session directions.

FatherMaster BridegrooMKing

A Bible Study in 6 Sessions on the Kingdom Parables

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