|
|
|
 A Free Online Commentary of the Bible. Matthew 1 2 34 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 To view commentary for each chapter, click desired chapter number. Chapter 21 Entry to Jerusalem Mat 21:1 Now when they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethpage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,
Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem for the last time, drawing near the city he arrived at a village called Bethpage on the slopes of the Mount of Olives.
Mat 21:2 Telling them, "Go to the village ahead of you. Right away you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.
He sent two of his disciples, we are not told which two, into the village to obtain transport. God had been foreordained that the Christ should enter Jerusalem sitting on a donkey and her colt. No one else was party to the arrangements. The colt and donkey were in their appointed place. The disciples, under the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ, were to untie them and bring them to Jesus.
Mat 21:3 If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, 'The Lord needs them,' and he will send them at once."
No one could actually resist this authority of the Lord, but if any one challenged the disciples, they were to reply with the words Jesus had given them. If the Creator chose to commandeer his creation for his own purposes who was to stop him? Later, at his arrest, his enemies would find that even they were in his hands (John 18:6), but here at Bethpage; we see Christ in his absolute sovereignty, yet gentle and humble.
Mat 21:4-5 This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet: Tell the people of Zion, 'Look, your king is coming to you, unassuming and seated on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "
This event had all been predicted by the prophet Zechariah, that the Christ would show both his authority and yet his gentleness and humility as he rode into Zion (Jerusalem) on a donkey’s foal. Warriors road into battle on mighty horses, but thank God that our King is King of peace, not king of war.
Mat 21:6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.
Obedience to Jesus Christ always requires faith, the disciples carried out their instructions without doubting.
Mat 21:7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.
As a mark of respect for Christ, the disciples first put their own outer coats on the donkey before Christ rode on it, acting as both a cushion and saddle.
Mat 21:8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
The same respect due to a king was shown by the great crowd of followers who had accompanied Christ from Galilee and the surrounding area. They lay their cloaks on the road, or if they had no cloaks they strewed the road with palm branches to make a carpet for the king to ride on. In modern terms we would say they “rolled out the red carpet” for the king.
Mat 21:9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those following kept shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"
Inspired by the Spirit of God, the disciples began shouting their praises to the Lord as he entered Jerusalem. They recognised him as Christ, the King, the Son of David. They knew him to be the One sent by God, who would bring God’s salvation (hosanna means, Lord save us, or salvation). They knew him to be king of the highest glory.
Mat 21:10-11 As he entered Jerusalem the whole city was thrown into an uproar, saying, "Who is this?" And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee."
These verses shed light on the age old problem concerning this passage. Many preachers have said that the same crowds who shouted hosanna on Palm Sunday shouted Crucify him less than a week later. Noting could be further from the truth. The crowds which accompanied him from Galilee shouted Hosanna as he entered Jerusalem. The crowds already in Jerusalem met him with hostility “Who is this?” was their discourteous question. It was this Jerusalem crowd that later shouted for his blood early one morning, as the followers from Galilee were mostly camped without the city. Cleansing the Temple
Mat 21:12 Then Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts, and turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.
The New Testament records that Jesus had visited the temple several times before this (e.g. Luke 2:41-42) It is likely that in accordance with the law, he had visited it every year since he came of age. It was not that the buying and selling had only just started that year. This was no sudden act of anger or passion. Christ had long planned this show of authority. The time had come. He had come to rid false religion from the land and bring in the true. Disrespect for God is hateful to Christ in every age and generation. Some modern churches ought to remember this.
Mat 21:13 And he said to them, "It is written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are turning it into a den of robbers!"
Contrary to what some commentators have implied, Christ was not angry that the poor were being cheated. Note his words, as they disclose the reason for his anger. The holy place where God was to be worshipped, the house of God and the house of prayer, was being treated with irreverence. The matter of cheating the people (den of robbers) was a serious one, but entirely secondary to the honour and glory of his father.
What is your attitude when you come to the house of God for worship? DO you come to meet with God in worship? Do you treat his presence with the awe it deserves? OR do you treat being in God’s presence in God’s house as no different to being in your sitting room chatting to your friends?
Mat 21:14 The blind and lame came to him in the temple courts, and he healed them.
It is always the will of God that men and women should find healing in his house and in his presence. No special occasion was needed, just the presence of Jesus. In our churches, he is present, for “where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20).
Mat 21:15 But when the chief priests and the experts in the law saw the wonderful things he did and heard the children crying out in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant
The indignance of the chief priests came from their unbelief. Had they known and accepted who Christ was, they would not have been put out by his healing ministry or by the fact that he received praise as God in God’s temple. For a man to be angry with God reveals the true nature of their hearts, that they are enemies of God through wicked works (REF).
Mat 21:16 and said to him, "Do you hear what they are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes. Have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of children and nursing infants you have prepared praise for yourself'?"
The Pharisees were so opposed to Christ that they begrudged him the praises of the children. Unbelief results in envy and jealousy. Yet Christ saw their praised the fulfilment of scripture. The witness of the children was the greatest of the day, for who had taught them to say such things> Not their parents. It was unplanned, but spontaneous by divine inspiration. It is as if Jesus tells the Pharisees, “listen to the children, for they will tell you the truth about me.”
Mat 21:17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.
It is significant that although Christ had ridden triumphantly into the city that day, he was so unwelcome there that he was given no place to stay. He resorted to a little house almost two miles away where he was welcome, quite probably the home of Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Even Christ found the home of love to be the preferred place of lodging, rather than the places of the mighty (Prov. 15:17). The Fig Tree
Mat 21:18 Now early in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.
Early next morning, Jesus returned on foot to the city of Jerusalem. We have no reason to doubt that he had not been offered breakfast by his hosts at Bethany, but nevertheless he was hungry.
Mat 21:19 After noticing a fig tree by the road he went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, "Never again will there be fruit from you!" And the fig tree withered at once.
God had provided fruit trees for mankind’s food (Gen. 2:9) We are not sure whether ,before mankind fell into sin, the trees bear fruit every month, as they do (typically) in heaven. Yet the fig tree was not in season, and was not fulfilling the purpose God had for it. The Creator himself was unable to find food on it. By inference, the people of Jerusalem were not fulfilling God’s will either, and whereas the master should have found the fruit of love and obedience, he found the bitterness of rejection. What happened to the fig tree would be a picture of what would happen to Jerusalem as a result of their rejection.
Mat 21:20 When the disciples saw it they were amazed, saying, "How did the fig tree wither so quickly?"
The withering of the fig tree was noticed immediately, and its complete death was referred to by Peter later that day. They had seen Christ heal immediately, perhaps their amazement stemmed from the fact that they had never seen Christ’s word acting in judgment before.
Mat 21:21 Jesus answered them, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' it will happen.
Here, Jesus uses the withering fig tree as an object lesson of faith for his disciples. What he has done, they will do, if they have faith in God. Indeed, by faith in God nothing is impossible. God does not wish us to tell mountains to fall into the sea, but should he call upon us to do so, we can.
Mat 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive."
When we pray, we must bear in mind the mighty power of God, and believe that we will receive, else what is the point of prayer? If we believe that God hears and has answered us, we shall receive from Him the answer.
By Whose Authority 23 - 27.
21.23. Now after Jesus entered the temple courts, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”
Jesus returns to Jerusalem after staying the night in Bethany and again enters the Temple and begins teaching the people about the Kingdom of God. The chief priests and scribes who are joined by the elders, these would be the heads of the tribes and clans of the Jewish nation confront Him. They what to know by whose authority He had the previous day driven out the buyers and sellers from the Temple. But more than this they questioned His authority to teach the people about the things of God. After all He was not a qualified man He did not have letters after His name! Who had given Him this authority? In asking this they were in fact acknowledging that He spoke as one having authority (Luke 4:36, Matthew 28: 18).
21.24. Jesus answered them, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.
Jesus replied that if they would give Him an answer to a question He has for them then He would tell them by whose authority He was doing these things.
21.25. Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?” They discussed this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’
Did John’s authority to baptise come from heaven or did it come from men? They put their heads together and discussed this question amongst themselves. They knew that if they said that John’s authority was from heaven then Jesus would ask them why they did not repent and believe his teaching.
21.26. But if we say, ‘From people,’ we fear the crowd, for they all consider John to be a prophet.”
They were to afraid of what the people would do to them if they said that John’s authority was of men because the people believed John to be a prophet.
21.27. So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
So they played safe and answered Jesus that they did not know from whom John had received his authority. They did not meet the condition of the Lord’s question to them so He did not tell them who had given Him His authority.
Surrendering to Divine Authority 28 - 32.
21.28. “What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’
Jesus did not leave it there but went on to tell them a parable about a man who had two sons. He went to the elder son and asked him to go and work in the vineyard today.
21.29. The boy answered, ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart and went.
Without hesitation this son said that he would not go but later on repented and went.
21.30. The father went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go.
They father not put off by his elder son refusal went and asked his younger son who politely said that he would go but he did not.
21.31. Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God!
Jesus asked these people which of the two sons did the will of their father. That was an easy question it was obviously the elder son. The parable was given to bring home to these religious leaders that they were like the second son who said he would go and work in the vineyard but did not. They were making a pretence of serving God but were not surrendering to His Divine will but doing their own thing. Jesus told them that the dregs of society will enter the kingdom of heaven before they did.
21.32. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him.
John the Baptist came preaching repentance and the right way to live but they would not believe him. It was the people who they considered in their self-righteousness were sinners that gladly heard and believe. Although they seen the response from these “sinners” and the change in their lives they still did not believe John’s message.
Rejecting the Son Jesus Christ 33 - 46.21.33. “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey.
The first parable was to show the religious leaders of Israel their rejection of John the Baptist preaching. This second one will show them their rejection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. A man who owned land planted a vineyard and enclosed it with a fence. Then he dug a pit to put its winepress in and built a watchtower to guard it. He rented his vineyard out to tenant farmers and went away.
21.34. When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop.
When the time came to harvest the grapes he sent his servants to the tenants to collect a portion of the crop.
21.35. But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
However the tenants took hold of his servants beat one and killed another and stoned another one.
21.36. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way.
He was not put off by the brutal treatment of the his servants so he sent another lot greater in number than the first but they did the same to these.
21.37. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
Eventually he sent his own only son believing that they would show respect for him.
21.38. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’
But when the tenants saw the son they said among themselves this is the heir if we kill him then the inheritance will be ours.
21.39. So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
So they laid hands upon him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
21.40. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
Jesus asked the religious leaders what would the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he came back.
21.41. They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.”
They rightly answered that he would completely destroy these evil men and will rent out his vineyard to other tenants who would give him the portion of the harvest that he asked for.
21.42. Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures: The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
To bring out the truth of the parable Jesus asks them if they knew the scriptures and quotes to them from Psalm 118: 22 (see also Isaiah 8:14,28:16). The people of Israel were God’s chosen people, his vineyard, (Isaiah 5:7) to whom he entrusted His Word and appointed their religious leaders to take care of His people and teach them His Word. They had failed in their duty. God had sent many prophets to speak to them and call them to repentance but they had brutally treated and killed them. Finally God sent His only begotten Son to them, the Lord Jesus Christ, the cornerstone, and they rejected Him.
21.43. For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
It is because of the rejection of Jesus Christ, their Messiah, that the kingdom of God will be taken from them and given to the peoples of the world who will believe and many will be saved.
21.44. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.”
The stone is the Lord Jesus Christ whoever hears the gospel message of salvation through Him and will not except it will suffer severe consequences. Those on whom judgment will fall will perish.
21.45. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.
The chief priests and Pharisees knew that Jesus was speaking about them ibn these parables.
21.46. They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds regarded him as a prophet.
Because of this they wanted to kill him but were afraid of the people because they thought Jesus was a prophet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
