So what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, kill the tenants, and give the vineyard into the hands of others.
Christ, by a question, compels the listeners to recognize the justice of the judgment. The owner of the vineyard was patient for a long time, but that patience did not mean that sin would remain without judgment. The phrase “He will kill the tenants” shows the judgment that was to come upon the unbelieving leaders and the people who followed them, especially through the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple (Matthew 24:1–2). Giving the vineyard to others points to those who bear fruit for the kingdom of God—the believers, among whom were both those converted from the Jews and the Gentiles. This does not mean that God was unjust toward Israel, but it shows that privilege without faith does not save. God entrusts His grace to those who receive the Son and bear the fruit of repentance.