Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Father, thank you for your mercy and grace. I am sorry that it cost so much to share it with me and that Jesus had to endure so much for me. Make me worthy of this great cost by the sanctifying power of your Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Then Jesus told the people this story: "A man planted a vineyard. The man leased the land to some farmers. Then he went away for a long time. Later, it was time for the grapes to be picked. So the man sent a servant to those farmers so that they would give him his share of the grapes. But the farmers beat the servant and sent him away with nothing. So the man sent another servant. The farmers beat this servant too. They showed no respect for him. The farmers sent the servant away with nothing. So the man sent a third servant to the farmers. The farmers hurt this servant badly and threw him out. The owner of the vineyard said, 'What will I do now? I will send my son. I love my son very much. Maybe the farmers will respect my son!' When the farmers saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the owner's son. This vineyard will be his. If we kill him, then it will be ours!' So the farmers threw the son out of the vineyard and killed him. "What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those farmers! Then he will lease the land to some other farmers." The people heard this story. They said, "No! This should never happen!" But Jesus looked into their eyes and said, "Then what does this verse mean: 'The stone that the builders did not want became the cornerstone '? Every person that falls on that stone will be broken. If that stone falls on you, it will crush you!" The teachers of the law and the leading priests heard this story that Jesus told. They knew this story was about them. So they wanted to arrest Jesus at that time. But they were afraid of what the people would do.

Related Scripture Readings

"My Jewish brothers, listen to these words: Jesus from Nazareth was a very special man. God clearly showed this to you. God proved this by the powerful and amazing things he did through Jesus. You all saw these things. So you know this is true. Jesus was given to you, and you killed him. With the help of bad men you nailed Jesus to a cross. But God knew all this would happen. This was God's plan. God made this plan long ago. Jesus suffered the pain of death, but God made him free. God raised Jesus from death. Death could not hold Jesus.

Where is the wise person? Where is the educated person? Where is the philosopher of this time? God has made the wisdom of the world foolish. This is what God with his wisdom wanted: The world did not know God through the world's own wisdom. So God used the message that sounds foolish to save the people that believe it. The Jews ask for miracles as proofs. The Greeks want wisdom. But this is the message we tell everyone: Christ was killed on a cross. This message is a big problem to the Jews. And the non-Jews think it is foolish. But Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God to those people that God has called (chosen)—Jews and Greeks (non-Jews). Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom. Even the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Christ had no sin. But God made him become sin. God did this for us, so that in Christ we could become right with God.