Mark 12 begins with Jesus speaking to a crowd that included his disciples, church elders, and high priests. He begins by telling a parable about vineyard owner who rented out his vineyard to tenants. . The parable begins, “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country” (Mark 12:1). Immediately is important to note how Jesus begins the parable. A modern day reader would most likely continue on reading past the first line without a second thought of the origin of the story. However, the high priests, the crowd in the temple, and the original readers of Mark would immediately realize that Jesus is referencing the book of Isaiah. Isaiah 5 begins in almost the exact same manner that Mark 12 does. Isaiah 5 reads, “Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it” (Isaiah 5:1-2). When looking at these texts side by side, it becomes obvious that Jesus is referencing the song in Isaiah 5. Both stories begin with a vineyard owner. Jesus’ use of the phrases “watch tower” and “wine press” are almost direct quotes from Isaiah. This is important because it shows how Jesus is referencing Isiah but that he is a Messiah who will