Matthew 21:43 “Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”
What are the fruits here referring to? If we read the full passage beginning in Matthew 21:33 and compare verse 33 with Isaiah 5:2 we find that Jesus has drawn this parable from Isaiah 5. In Isaiah 5:7 it says that the vineyard is the nation of Israel. The vine dressers in Jesus parable is then the Israelite leaders responsible for developing the thinking in the nation.
They will be judged, according to Jesus and the kingdom of Israel given to the people who bring forth fruits. This fruits is referred to in Isaiah 5:7 as justice and righteousness. Hence the fruits here refers to the life of the leaders and not ‘the fruits of evangelism’ per se. This brings us back to what Jesus says “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men”. Following Jesus brings about the nature of Christ and the fruits of the Spirit as given in Galatians 5:22. Then Jesus gives us the vineyard of ministry and we become fishers of men.
The parable in Matthew is essentially against the Jewish leadership, but is also a prophecy o the destruction of the Jewish nation and its leadership and the establishing of the church. But only those who bear the fruits of the Spirit are members of this church, the rest being tares.
