Matthew 21
-This triumphal entry event fulfills the prophecy of the
Messiah in Zechariah 9:9 made around 500 years before this occurrence. The
donkey colt was a beast of burden and illustrated the burden the Lord would
bear to bring us back into reconciliation with Him. Ironically, this particular
type of donkey has the shape of a cross on its neck in a different hair color
that reminds us to this day of this event and its significance. Jesus came
humbly into the world as a baby and went to His destination in Jerusalem and to
the cross in the same way as the donkey; although, there were those who
recognized Him and praised Him as the King that He really was. This is a
magnificent moment that preceded the week of Passover in which Christ would
suffer and die for the sins of the world. He accepted the crowd’s exultation
and joy as a coronation of the coming Kingdom and all that it would entail.
This further infuriated the Pharisees that commented that the world had gone
after this Christ (John 12:19). Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem as He
approached because the Lord’s visitation was not recognized for peace and
troubling times were coming because of this (at the hands of the Romans, 70 AD,
Luke 19:41). *Application*
Recognition is an important concept to consider here as we read and meditate on
this account of the King’s coming into His city at this particular time. Do we,
in our lives, realize what is going on with what the Lord is up to in us? Are
we soooo preoccupied with doing things our way that we miss the blessing that
is right before us? Don’t make Jesus weep over you and your situation because
you didn’t recognize His visitation in your own life. He will come and go if
you don’t pay attention. He will never force His way in, but subtly intervenes
giving you a chance to respond positively. Don’t miss your opportunity!
-Jesus is fed up with the abuse of the House of God. The
money changers were profiting from the exchange rate and had impure hearts
towards the worship of the Living God. Jesus sets the record straight by
declaring His House as a House of Prayer for all the nations and that they had
made it a den of robbers (Isaiah 56:7, Jeremiah 7:11). He overturned their
tables in righteous indignation creating a powerful scene of the Lord’s fury
over this matter. This drew the irritation of the religious leaders and they
sought to destroy Him, but the people were hanging on every word that proceeded
from His mouth and were astonished. His time was near, but it had not fully
come and the chief priests and scribes were unable to find anything that they
might do (Luke 19:48). Jesus was passing the test of perfection. *Application* This incident should be a
warning to us in how we approach coming into the house of God at church. God’s
house is to be a place where we gather in reverence and fear of His majesty
with awe struck wonder and appreciation. It is a holy place of communication
with Him on the vertical level and communication with other believers and
guests on the horizontal level. It truly should be a place of prayer for all
the nations to come and experience the glory and the power of the Almighty.
Don’t minimize the importance of proper heart attitude every time you approach
the house of God. Careless worship, as we see here, infuriates our Lord for
good reason.
-The fig tree, which is cursed, represents the unbelieving
Israel that rejected her King. Even though they had an appearance of life and
the potential to bear fruit, they had not produced the faith that was required
to grow the Kingdom of God. Therefore, they would dry up and become
unproductive in the economy of God during this time period by Jesus’ prophetic
act. Mark’s gospel gives us a clearer picture of the time line of the cursing
compared to the drying up of the fig tree. The act occurs, then Jesus goes into
Jerusalem and drives out those who were buying and selling in the Temple
overturning tables of the money changers (Mark 11:15). The “and at once the fig
tree withered” that Matthew gives us in the text is relative (Matthew 21:19b).
It was considered immediate because it was full of life in the time of Jesus’
hunger as they journeyed towards Jerusalem, but by the next morning, it was
dried up (Mark 11:20).
-The disciples, led by the voice of Peter, were amazed at
the miracle of the dried fig tree, and Jesus took the opportunity to once again
teach them about faith and its power. His conclusion is that “all things for
which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be
granted you (Mark 11:24, Matthew 21:22).” *Application*
What Jesus is talking about here is mountain moving faith that gets the
response of Heaven. Notice that there is absolutely no room for doubting here.
The man who doubts is like a ship tossed on the ocean and is double minded and
unstable in all his ways (James 1:5-8). The lack of faith cost the children of
Israel their righteous King for the time being. Don’t let unbelief rob you of
all that God in store for you. You will bear much fruit if you abide in Him,
which only comes through trusting Him (John 15:1-8, especially verse 7).
-As a part of the inspection process of the Lamb of God, the
chief priests, scribes, and the elders confronted Jesus with questions about
what authority He had to do the things He was doing (teaching, preaching the
gospel, miracles, etc.) and who gave Him this authority. Jesus knew the
intentions of their hearts and responded with a question of His own that
revealed their hearts and at the same time actually answered their questions.
He referenced the baptism of John as to whether it was from man or Heaven. They
could not answer this because of their unbelief on one hand and their fear of
the crowd, who regarded him as a real prophet, on the other. So they were
stymied and could not answer, which gave Christ the right not to explicitly
answer their questions as well. Jesus’ response did however reveal their
unbelief towards the things of God and demonstrated His authority over the
schemes of man (1 Corinthians 1:19-2:5). *Application*
God is wiser than anything we can conceive in our finite minds. Don’t ever find
yourself questioning God or His authority in your life. He has complete control
and wisdom to handle any of your life situations. Never fear He is always near
and will be your source of strength and wisdom in this world (Matthew 28:20).
-Jesus paints a realistic picture of how people react to the
message of the Kingdom of God and His righteousness using the illustration of
the two sons. One began with a defiant attitude and said he would not go to
work in his father’s vineyard, but he later regretted his rebellion and went
and obeyed his father’s request. The other son said all the right things in the
beginning with a “yes sir,” but he did not ever actually go and do the work in
the vineyard. He lied and did not follow through on his promise before his
father to pursue his will. Jesus summed it all up by saying that the tax
collectors (this has significance to the writer Matthew here since he had been
a tax collector himself) and prostitutes would enter the Kingdom of God before
the chief priests and elders of the people (the supposed wise and spiritual
leaders of the culture). He then denounced their unwillingness to believe
John’s message or even feel any remorse about their plight even when they could
plainly hear and see the call, whereas the tax collectors and prostitutes did
and received forgiveness because of their repentance and faith (Matthew 21:32).
*Application* It’s not how you
start, but how you finish in the Kingdom of God. No matter what you may have
done, God gives us all a chance to confess and return to Him in repentance and
faith. No one is too far gone! Check out: (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzHgEhF4Qac)
-Jesus now lays it all on the line in a parable that
revealed the anti-Christ spirit of the religious leaders, which even went back
to the prophets who revealed the Word of God in ages past. He compares them to
rented laborers in a vineyard who were supposed to keep the garden upright and
productive. The owner went on a long journey (this depicts the distance between
God holiness in Heaven and the activities on this sinful earth) and in time of
harvest sent his slaves (doulos,
servants, those under His command, i.e. the prophets of God) to receive his
produce. They were treated harshly by rejection, beatings, stonings, and
killings again and again. Afterward, he reasoned that he would send his beloved
son who would surely be received, respected, and honored as an heir to the
family. However, the wicked husbandmen conspired against him in an effort to
seize the inheritance (a false, selfish, and wordly kingdom of this earth in
Israel by the religious establishment). They took the son and threw him out of
the vineyard and killed him (Matthew 21:39). The question is then asked by
Jesus, what will the owner of the vineyard do when he comes to these hired
vine-growers? The reply was that these wretched men will come to a wretched end
and be cast out for others who are more worthy and will honor the owner. The
scribes, chief priests, and Pharisees understood that Jesus was speaking of
them and exclaimed, “May it never be (Luke 20:16)!” But Jesus cited Psalm
118:22-23 prophetically and added that he who falls (from pipto which also means: collapse, become invalid, be destroyed) on
this stone (the chief corner stone) will be broken to pieces, and on whomever
it falls (the Jewish people who trust in their leaders), it will scatter them
like dust (the Jewish diaspora which happened shortly after Christ’s era
basically continued until 1948 when Israel became a nation again, and the
coming Kingdom of God, Daniel 2:34-35, 44-45). When the religious leaders
ascertained that He was speaking of them, they sought to seize Jesus, but they
feared the people because of Jesus’ popularity and their belief that He was a
prophet. *Application* This
remarkable parable should warn us to pay attention to the visitations of the
LORD and not rely on religious leaders who have their own agendas and worldly
purposes. How easy it is to be deceived and this is why Jesus’ parable is in
the Scriptures in Matthew’s Spirit filled biography. He wants us to be centered
on Him as the Chief Corner Stone and Heir to eternal life as God’s One and Only
Son. Don’t be scattered like dust yourself in this age of false teaching (2
Timothy 3:1-17; 4:3-4).
Verse to Memorize:
Matthew 21:32, 42
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