What is the meaning of Luke 20:15?

So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

• The vineyard pictures Israel, a familiar image rooted in Isaiah 5:1-7.

• The tenants represent the nation’s leaders who were entrusted with God’s people (Matthew 21:33-36).

• “Threw him out” anticipates Jesus being led outside Jerusalem for crucifixion (John 19:17; Hebrews 13:12).

• “Killed him” foretells His literal death, the climactic rejection of the Father’s beloved Son (Acts 2:23; 1 Peter 2:24).

• The action is deliberate, showing hard-hearted rebellion after multiple prophetic warnings (2 Chronicles 36:15-16).

• It exposes the depth of mankind’s sin and the cost of our redemption, accomplished through the very death the leaders intended as defeat (Romans 5:8).

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What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

• The owner is God, the rightful Lord of Israel and of all creation (Deuteronomy 32:6).

• The question signals inevitable judgment: God will remove the corrupt stewards and destroy their authority (Luke 20:16; Matthew 21:41).

• Historically this points to the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, a tangible fulfillment of divine justice (Luke 19:41-44).

• Spiritually it warns that persistent rejection of the Son brings eternal separation, while acceptance of Him secures life (John 3:36).

• The vineyard is then given to others—first the faithful remnant, then the Gentiles—forming one people of God through faith in Christ (Acts 13:46-48; Romans 11:17-22; 1 Peter 2:9-10).

• The owner’s response affirms both His holiness and His steadfast purpose: He will not allow His plan of salvation to fail (Isaiah 46:10-11).

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summary

Luke 20:15 shows the climactic sin of Israel’s leaders—casting out and killing God’s Son—and unveils the certainty of God’s judgment on those who reject Him. Yet even in judgment the Lord advances His redemptive plan, transferring the blessings of His “vineyard” to all who believe. The verse calls every listener to honor the Son, trust His atoning death, and serve faithfully under the true Owner who will bring perfect justice and everlasting grace.