Matthew 21:37-38
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The phrase "They will reverence my son" isn't a prediction of what the tenants will do, but what they ought to do. It expresses the father's reasonable expectation and the tenants' moral duty, highlighting their inevitable failure to meet it.
Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of Jesus' parable of the wicked tenants, where a landowner plants a vineyard and leases it to workers. After repeatedly sending servants to collect his share of the harvest and having them mistreated, the owner decides to send his beloved son, expecting the tenants to at least respect him. The parable continues with the tenants murdering the son, setting the stage for Jesus' confrontation with the religious leaders who understood the allegory was about them and their rejection of God's messengers and His Son.
God's patience is legendary, but how far does His love go to reach us?
In this parable, the landowner sends servant after servant, each time with a different approach, trying to get a response from the tenants. Finally, he sends his own son.
This escalating series of messengers mirrors God's persistent outreach to humanity. He sent prophets, who were messengers of His word, but they were often rejected or mistreated. Then, in a move of unparalleled love and sacrifice, He sent His Son.
This wasn't a desperate gamble; it was the ultimate expression of hope and love, demonstrating that God would employ every means, even the most precious, to win back His people. The sending of the Son represents the climax of God's redemptive plan.
What does it mean to 'reverence' someone, and why did the Father expect it for His Son?
The verse states the father said, 'They will reverence my son.' This word for 'reverence' carries a sense of respect, honor, and even shame for past disrespect. It implies a rightful recognition of the son's authority and position.
This wasn't just a polite hope; it was a reasonable expectation based on the son's identity as the heir. Just as earthly heirs are due respect, the Father rightfully expected His Son, who held His full authority and dignity, to be honored.
When we see the Son, we see the Father (John 14:9). To reverence the Son is to reverence the Father who sent Him. The Father’s expectation is a reflection of the Son’s divine glory and His crucial role in God’s plan.
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Understand the original words
huios · Greek Noun
The male offspring of a parent; in theological contexts, it frequently refers to the relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ, signifying divine sonship, identity, and shared authority.
entrepo · Greek Verb
To show due regard, honor, or reverential deference to someone in a position of authority. It involves acknowledging their status and acting in accordance with their rightful expectation.
klēronomos · Greek Noun
One who receives the property, title, or spiritual blessings belonging to another, typically following the death of the previous owner. In a biblical context, it often refers to believers as heirs of God's kingdom or Christ as the ultimate heir of all things.
klēronomia · Greek Noun
The property, possession, or spiritual blessing passed from one person to another. It signifies the rightful portion belonging to a person, especially in relation to God's covenant promises.
This parable wasn't just a story; it was a direct confrontation by Jesus with the religious elite of His day. He was showing them that their rejection of God's messengers throughout history was a pattern leading to their rejection of God's own Son, with devastating consequences.
c. 700-500 BC
Isaiah and Jeremiah Prophesy
The prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah ministered to Israel and Judah, calling them to faithfulness and bearing God's message, often facing rejection and hardship from religious leaders.
c. 586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Babylonian Exile
Jerusalem falls to the Babylonians, marking a severe judgment on Judah for its unfaithfulness and leading to a lengthy exile. This event underscored God's judgment on those who failed to produce fruit.
c. 30 BC - AD 30
Period of Roman Rule
Judea is under Roman occupation, with a Jewish high priesthood and Sanhedrin still holding religious and some political authority, but ultimately subject to Roman power.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Ministry and Teaching
Jesus begins his public ministry, teaching in parables and challenging the religious leaders of Israel. This period culminates in his journey to Jerusalem.
AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Confrontation in Jerusalem
Jesus enters Jerusalem, cleanses the temple, and teaches in its courts. He delivers the parable of the wicked tenants to the chief priests and elders, directly confronting their authority and actions.
c. AD 33
Crucifixion of Jesus
The religious leaders, fulfilling the parable's prophecy, conspire and succeed in having Jesus, the beloved Son, arrested, condemned, and crucified outside the city.
c. AD 62-70
Destruction of Jerusalem
The Roman-Jewish War culminates in the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD 70, a dramatic fulfillment of God's judgment against those who rejected Him and His Son.
This passage describes God planting a vineyard and expecting good fruit, paralleling the parable's setup and highlighting the disappointment when good fruit is not produced.
Psalm 118:22-23Jesus quotes this psalm in the context of the parable, showing that the rejection of His Son, though unexpected by humans, was foretold in Scripture as God's plan.
Hebrews 1:1-2This passage explicitly contrasts God's speaking through prophets with His speaking through His Son, emphasizing the unique and ultimate nature of Jesus's arrival.
John 3:16-17This verse directly echoes the sentiment of God sending His beloved Son, highlighting the immense love and purpose behind the Father's ultimate act of sending Jesus.
Matthew 21:42-43Immediately following this verse, Jesus explains the implications of the parable, revealing that the rejection of His Son leads to the kingdom being taken from those who mistreated Him.
henryMatthew 21:33-46: "Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:"
21:33-46 This parable plainly sets forth the sin and ruin of the Jewish nation; and what is spoken to convict them, is spoken to caution all that enjoy the privileges of the outward church. As men treat God's people, they would treat Christ himself, if he were wi…
barnesMatthew 21:37: "But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son."
Last of all ... - Mark adds that this was an only son, greatly beloved. This beautifully and most tenderly exhibits the love of God in sending his only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to die for people. Long had he sent the prophets, and they had been persecuted and slain. There was no use in sending any more prophets to the people. They had done all that they could do. God had one only-begotten an…
The phrase "They will reverence my son" isn't a prediction of what the tenants will do, but what they ought to do. It expresses the father's reasonable expectation and the tenants' moral duty, highlighting their inevitable failure to meet it.
This verse is part of Jesus' parable of the wicked tenants, where a landowner plants a vineyard and leases it to workers. After repeatedly sending servants to collect his share of the harvest and having them mistreated, the owner decides to send his beloved son, expecting the tenants to at least respect him. The parable continues with the tenants murdering the son, setting the stage for Jesus' confrontation with the religious leaders who understood the allegory was about them and their rejection of God's messengers and His Son.
This verse is part of Jesus' parable of the wicked tenants, where a landowner plants a vineyard and leases it to workers. After repeatedly sending servants to collect his share of the harvest and having them mistreated, the owner decides to send his beloved son, expecting the tenants to at least respect him. The parable continues with the tenants murdering the son, setting the stage for Jesus' confrontation with the religious leaders who understood the allegory was about them and their rejection of God's messengers and His Son.
"Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’" — The phrase "They will reverence my son" isn't a prediction of what the tenants will do, but what they ought to do. It expresses the father's reasonable expectation and the tenants' moral duty, hi…
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Last reviewed October 2026
