Therefore I tell you: the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will make it fruitful.
With these words Jesus pronounces a spiritual verdict, showing that the kingdom of God, which until then had been entrusted to the people of Israel, would now be given to a new people—the Church—which will bear fruit through faith and obedience. Here the matter is not a political nation, but a new community of believers, made up of all peoples who receive Christ. “Bearing fruit” symbolizes the righteousness and the witness of spiritual life that God expects from his people. This word shows that the kingdom of God never remains in hands that do not bear fruit; it is taken from those who abuse grace and is given to those who will serve in truth. This was both a judgment against Israel’s religious leaders and a prophecy, through a new people, about the birth of the new Church.