A Whole New World
In the Parable of the Tenants, Jesus tells a story of a landowner who plants a vineyard, rents it to some farmers, and when the owner sends his servants to collect the fruit, the farmers strike them down.
When the owner sends his own son to collect, they even kill him, too.
And it leaves the owner with just one option: it’s time to pass along the land to some other farmers.
This parable reflects the rejection Jesus faced. The Son of God had come to a world meant to bear fruit for the kingdom, but instead, He found it barren. By week’s end, the Son Himself would be struck down.
Jesus’ words here are both a challenge and a comfort.
The challenge? Fruitfulness matters. God’s kingdom isn’t about titles, traditions, or appearances—it’s about producing the fruit of faith, justice, and love. If we’re not bearing fruit, we’re missing the point.
The comfort? Those who feel excluded or unworthy are invited to take part in the kingdom. Those who seem “last” are welcomed as “first.”
Holy Week reminds us that in Jesus, everything changes. The kingdom is for those willing to receive it and bear its fruit. That’s both a sobering call and a hopeful promise.
Truth Changes Everything
Think about the best news you've ever received in your life. Maybe it was a doctor walking into a waiting room and saying, "The surgery went perfectly." Maybe it was a phone call that said, "You got the job." Maybe it was two lines on a pregnancy test you'd been praying for.
Good news changes everything.
But none of those moments, as incredible as they are, even come close to the truth delivered on the first Easter morning:
"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay."
Matthew 28:6 (NIV)
Jesus had been crucified publicly, brutally, and officially. He was wrapped, sealed in a tomb. There was no question. Jesus was dead. It was true.
But when His followers Mary and Mary Magdalene arrived to grieve? The stone was rolled away. The tomb was empty. And an angel met them with the most stunning announcement in human history.
But the angel doesn’t just tell the women the truth. He invites them to look for themselves. To step inside. To experience the...