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The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
Matthew 21:25-26
Remembering how John had repeated the prophecies concerning the Messiah, remembering the scene at the baptism of Jesus, the priests and rulers dared not say that John’s baptism was from heaven. If they acknowledged John to be a prophet, as they believed him to be, how could they deny his testimony that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God? And they could not say that John’s baptism was of men, because of the people, who believed John to be a prophet. So they said, ‘We can not tell.’
Then Christ gave the parable of the father and the two sons. When the father went to the first son, saying, ‘Go work today in my vineyard,’ the son promptly answered, ‘I will not.’ He refused to obey, and gave himself up to wicked ways and associations. But afterward he repented, and obeyed the call. The father went to the second son with the same command, ‘Go work today in my vineyard.’ This son made reply, ‘I go, sir,’ but he went not.
In this parable the father represents God, the vineyard the church. By the two sons are represented two classes of people. The son who refused to obey the command, saying, ‘I will not,’ represented those who were living in open transgression, who made no profession of piety, who openly refused to come under the yoke of restraint and obedience which the law of God imposes. But many of these afterward repented and obeyed the call of God. When the gospel came to them in the message of John the Baptist, ‘Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,’ they repented, and confessed their sins. (Matt. 3:2.)
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