Matthew

Across the last few chapters we've seen Jesus on His way to Jerusalem; more specifically on His way to the cross.  He had given several warnings to His followers about what was about to happen.  It's as if they didn't hear it; or they heard it and didn't know what to do with that information.  But it changed nothing.  Jesus was always on the way to the cross.

¹⁷ And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear; ¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. ²⁰ He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you ²¹ who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.  (1 Peter 1:17-21)

While the feet of Jesus may not have always faced toward the cross, His heart was always headed that way.  Some saw Jesus as a great prophet; some as a priest or Rabbi who taught many wonderful things; and still others saw Him as the Messiah King.  While He was and still is, all these things, He came as a man to die as a man on a cross to be the propitiation for all of mankind (Romans 3:25).

Matthew 21:1-5

As Jerusalem prepared for Passover there was an influx of visitors.  Jews came far and wide to celebrate Passover.  The crowd likely exceeded two million visitors.  Read Exodus 12:1-6.

Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, ² "This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. ³ Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: 'On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. ⁴ And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man's need you shall make your count for the lamb. ⁵ Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ⁶ Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight^[1]

The blood of that lamb would then be used as protection from the death angel. 

So it was on the 10th of Nissan that the people chose their lamb.  There were normally a minimum of ten people per Passover lamb; so, there was somewhere around 200,000 lambs.  According to Barclay, Rome took a census of the Passover lambs some 30 years later and there were 250,000 lambs.  Year in and year out, this happened at Passover.  But this Passover would be different.  The Messiah, King and Prophet had come as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.

Jesus sent the disciples into Bethphage.  This is a city about a mile to the east, north east of Jerusalem.  They were to go into the village and get this donkey, a colt.  This may have been bought and paid for, set up by Jesus on a previous trip to Jerusalem, or it may have been a supernatual provision from God.

Jesus could have easily walked into Jerusalem, after all He walked everywhere.  No, this ride was necessary for its symbolism as well as its statement.  While it may not seem to us, riding in on a donkey was act of a King.  Jesus once kept quiet about who He was, telling others not to speak about Him.  Then He began speak of His death and work on the cross.  As it grew closer, He became more specific and more vocal.  This entry is the proclamation of the king arriving. 

There are minor differences in the accounts of the triumphal entry by the other gospel writers.  Some believe there were actually 3 different entries as Jesus entered as the prophet, king and priest.  I believe there was one entry with different accounts highlighting the different aspects of Jesus. 

Matthew 21:6-11

We can imagine the crowded streets when there were two million visitors.  Above all the other commotion of the crowd came another group of people welcoming this man with the welcome of a king, crying "Hosanna to the Son of David."  This was a declaration that Jesus was the Messiah, the king.  The people are crying out Psalm 118:25-26.  This is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it.  This is the day that Jesus presents Himself; not just as a king, a prophet and priest but as the Passover Lamb that will bring salvation.  People were choosing their Passover lamb.  Many chose Jesus.

While the Jews saw this and recognized the proclaiming of a King, the Romans must have been scoffing.  There was a multitude throwing their clothes on the road in front of Jesus to show their devotion and support; others waved palm branches which was a celebration of victory.  A trained Roman soldier sitting on a war horse with armor and sword would not have been the least bit intimidated or threatened by this.  Palm branches and a man on a donkey was no match for soldiers with swords.  All the while, in the background the Pharisees see this and are concerned.  John 12:19 says:

¹⁹ The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing. Look, the world has gone after Him!"^[2]

What some Jews saw as hope, the Romans saw as a weak and insignificant rebellion.  Others didn't know who this was but they were caught up in the celebration.  The implication was that they joined in with the other Jews crying Hosanna when they didn't even know who Jesus was.  The multitude introduced Jesus as a prophet from Nazareth. 

We can only imagine the courage this took for Jesus to come riding into town to His death.  He knew this was the beginning of end as the cross drew near.  There is the picture of a quiet confidence but also humility as Luke tells us Jesus wept over Jerusalem.  This was a day they should have been waiting for and anticipating.

Matthew 21:12-13

The Jews had to pay a half shekel temple tax around this time.  Having this great crowd in town was a great opportunity to get taxes paid.  The catch was that you could only pay your tax with certain currency.  So, there were vendors who made this service available to folks by offering a currency that would be accepted, essentially selling it at an exchange rate for other currency.  This became quite lucrative.  These money changers came to the temple to take advantage of those who came to worship and pay their tax. 

Other vendors sold doves.  A dove was a sacrificed offered in certain circumstances.   A dove offered for sacrifice had to be without blemish or flaw.  One could buy a dove anywhere but only certain doves were approved for sacrifice.  You essentially had to buy a dove that had the seal of approval on it.  We know that brand name products cost more; well these 'temple' brand doves were known to cost fifteen times the cost of a dove outside the temple. 

These vendors were in the outer court of the temple where gentiles could come to worship.  How would someone worship with the busyness and business of a marketplace around?  The atmosphere was wrong for a place of worship.  It had become a den of thieves.  Jesus quotes Isaiah 56:7, a passage speaking of salvation of the gentiles. 

This cleansing of the temple was somewhat symbolic.  While Jesus may have turned over their tables and drove them away; it was only temporary.  Among Jews, there was a belief that the messiah would cleanse the temple when He came.  So this is a fulfillment of that expectation even though they expected this to be more of a cleansing of Rome and the gentiles and false gods.  They saw it more of a purification. 

I think this is a fascinating thought when the bible tells us that our bodies are the temple.  When we are filled with the Holy Spirit there is a cleansing process in each of us.  While these men may have righted their tables and returned to their business in short order, it's our job to make sure the when the tables of vile business in our life are overturned in the sanctification process they remain overturned; out of business forever.

Matthew 21:14-17

The blind and the lame didn't come to Jesus on their own, someone brought them.  While the world would have seen them as having little or no value, someone thought enough of them to lead them to Jesus.  Today we are so timid about leading someone to Jesus.  We worry about what someone may think of us.  We feel inadequate.  We don't want to be pushy.  We don't want to ram our religion down someone's throat.  If Christians in this time and place were the only hope of the blind and the lame, I'm afraid they would remain blind and lame. 

Someone loved these folks and without shame brought them to Jesus and He healed them.  Read that again.  Pause for a minute; Selah.  Just like that Jesus healed them.  These folks who were blind could now see.  People who had never walked, could now dance in the temple court. 

While the money changes and 'Dove's R us' were picking up the stuff that didn't belong in the temple, Jesus was doing something that did belong there.  What a contrast this is!!  This is the business of the temple and of our God.  The priests and scribes saw this going on and heard the people calling Jesus by this messianic title.  They were angered by this.  This was offensive to them; they wondered how Jesus could let this go on.  Did He not hear what they were saying?  Isn't it fascinating that greed and theft and taking advantage of people didn't bother them a bit, but this bothered them. 

In response Jesus quotes Psalm 8.  Barclay explained it this way:

When we take this story just as it stands and listen again to the fresh, clear voices of the children shouting their praises, we are faced with one great fact. There are truths which only the simple in heart can see and which are hidden from the wise and the learned and the sophisticated. There are many times when heaven is nearer the child than it is to the cleverest among us.^[3]

These 'children' may not have been kids; they were more likely the 'children' of Israel.  They weren't the sophisticated and educated.  They weren't the rich and wealthy.  They were simple people and they were making this proclamation of truth.  And in reality, they didn't even understand the complete implication of what they were saying. 

The 'perfected praise' was a praise that was being prepared in advance for a particular purpose.  It would be like children learning the words to a song by singing it over and over and not really understanding what the song meant or why it was important until one day they stood in a place where the song was right and appropriate and perfect in every way.  The praise was perfected for that day........For this is the day the Lord has made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. 

Matthew 21:18-22

After this entry into Jerusalem, at the end of the day Jesus went out of the city to Bethany.  This little town was a mile to two east, near Bethphage on the Mount of Olives.  This was the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, as well as Simon the leper and others.  This might be viewed as Jesus' Judean home.  

The next day Jesus was on the way to the city.  He was hungry and saw a fig tree along the road.  The fact that the fig tree had leaves meant it should have also had fruit.  It offered hope of satisfying a hunger; the leaves drew the hungry traveler but had nothing to offer.  Spurgeon has an interesting comment regarding this verse.

"The first Adam came to the fig tree for leaves, but the Second Adam looks for figs." (Spurgeon)

Most bible scholars see this fig tree as a picture of Israel, yet most are very uncomfortable with it because of the idea of Jesus being destructive towards something.  There was an expectation of fruit from Israel.  They were God's people, he sent them the law and prophets and now The Messiah; and what had they done with it? 

This cursing of the fig tree can be likened to the passage in Luke 19:41-44.

⁴¹ Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, ⁴² saying, "If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. ⁴³ For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, ⁴⁴ and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation."

Jesus wept over the state of His people, over the state of Jerusalem that offered a facade of religion with the presence of the temple.  There was no fruit; no faith in the promises of God and longing for the Messiah.  Because they failed to recognize the day that was made for them; they day they were to rejoice in, they would experience judgment.  This judgment is similar to the withering of the fig tree.

The disciples were amazed at the withering of the fig tree.  This is somewhat surprising after all they had seen, but this was a different display of power.  It was a power used for judgment, a destructive power.  This may be more of what they marveled at.  Jesus used this disciple's question as a teaching moment regarding faith.  The message is that faith can wither fig trees and move mountains.  But this was not faith for a man to run around displaying his own power by his own faith.  This was a faith in the One true power; it is a faith in Jesus and His authority.  It is desires that are in line with the desires of God; as the desires of Jesus were in line with those of the Father.  To trust Jesus and be of the same mind as Jesus, anything is possible.  Walking with Jesus will result in God working out His will in your life; and it becomes a life without limits. 

The key to this life was prayer.  Prayer brings us into alignment with God's will to know what work He desires us to do.  Through prayer we are connected to the source of power.  Through prayer our desires are brought into submission and God's desires become ours.  It is then that we might speak to a mountain to be cast into the sea...... and it will be done.  We become this picture of a soldier approaching our commander, receiving our orders and given the power and authority to do so. 

These were important words for the disciples who were about to see Jesus arrested and crucified, but then also see Him resurrected.  The lives of the disciples would play out a truth.  There are only two sides; one of being forgiven and standing likeminded with the judge or standing against the judge and receiving judgment.  We know what happened to Judas as an example of one side, and we know some of the lives of the disciples.  These were men who lived for the Lord, not perfect, but forgiven and used by Him in great ways. 

Matthew 21:23

The chief priests and elders were the Sanhedrin, the ruling body among Jews.  They were the ones who sanctioned the preaching, they made the decisions on who taught and what they taught.  It was much like our own congress; a body made up of people with differing ideas.  They fought and chose sides and rarely agreed on anything, yet, they agreed that Jesus was out of bounds.  He was a threat to their authority and power.  They didn't deny that He had done many 'things' they just wanted to be the controlling authority over these things.  They might have gone as far as thinking, 'If you are indeed the messiah, that is fine, but you will have to recognize who is in charge around here.'  It might sound bizarre to read but that was in essence what they desired.

Matthew 21:24-27

Jesus wasn't ready to tell them by what authority; in reality no matter what he said they would have judged harshly.  This is Jesus exactly controlling the timing of His arrest and execution.  So, in response to their question, Jesus answered their question with a question of His own.  The question was a test of their ability to judge wisely.  If they had Judged wisely they would have discovered the answer to their own question.  But, with their judgment clouded by sin, they were unable to answer Jesus' question or see that Jesus was under the authority of the Father.  What we see is these men examining the options by what outcome each would bring.  The clear indication is that they weren't at all interested in truth for the sake of truth.  They were playing a religious game and manipulating resources for their own expediency.  I like the words of Barclay here:

The deliberately assumed ignorance of fear and the cowardly silence of expediency are shameful things. If we know the truth, we are under obligation to tell it, though the heavens should fall.^[4]

Ignoring the truth and playing dumb to control the outcome was shameful.  The truth should be proclaimed and let all the circumstances of life serve the truth.  We can never find our self bending truth to serve life.

These leaders had to assume ignorance in order to preserve their position.  In essence, they chose to appear ignorant than to admit the truth.  But this truth of John was one they should have known.  It was their job to examine what John was proclaiming and determine if it was from God.  It was their job to then examine Jesus; to examine the miracles and power and authority.  It was their responsibility to weigh what they saw and heard with the word of God, but they failed at it. 

Matthew 21:28-32

Jesus gives a parable to the Pharisees.  It was a picture of a father with two sons.  The father had the same expectation of the two sons and treated them the same, encouraging both to go to work in the vineyard.  The first one says he won't but relents and does it anything.  The second said he would go and work but never did.  The first son did the will of the Father and the Pharisees quickly agreed to such a simplistic parable.  But then Jesus applies it to their life contrasted to the tax collector and harlot.

Jesus likens John the Baptist coming to them with God's calling of the son to the work of the vineyeard.  They Pharisees said they were about the work of the Father but in reality they weren't.  Imagine the shock when Jesus revealed these first ones sons as tax collectors and harlots.  Jesus isn't making any friends here.  The tax collector was the lowest form of life in their eyes; traitors to Rome, greedy, self centered thiefs robbing their own people.  Women weren't very well respected at the time; a harlot even less so.  We can only imagine the shock these well educated, well respected, affluent religious men felt when it was suggested the scum of their society might inherit the kingdom before them. 

Matthew 21:33-45

Remember this temple setting would have been no quiest setting as it was near the Passover and thousands upon thousands crowded the city.  In the middle of this setting the Lamb of God spoke to the temple priest.  It is so amazing that these religious men could stand before Jesus and not recognize Him. All around them people were selecting their Passover lamb and right among them was the Lamb of God who takes away sin. 

It is clear in this parable that Israel is vineyard, God is the landowner and He put this vineyard in the care of others with the expectation of fruit.  The fruit was a normal and reasonable expectation.   But, when the landowner sent His servants to receive the fruit, the vinedressers beat, killed and stone the servants.  These servants represent the prophets through the ages and including John the Baptist.  Then the landowner sends his son.  The vinedressers come to the conclusion that if they kill the son they can have the inheritance; that they could rule the vineyard.  Again I think these men had to know of the power of Jesus.  Its as though they might have acknowledged Jesus as messiah as long as he bowed before their authority. 

Jesus asked these men what they anticipated the judgment of the landowner to be.  They had already been embarrassed by Jesus calling their judgment into question.  They shamed themselves with a nonanswer.  I think they saw this as an easy answer, easy judgment and gave their answer not yet understanding what the parable was really about.  They call the vinedressers wicked and understand the owner will give the vineyard to those who bring forth fruit.

Jesus asks them if they had never read this passage of scripture.  These were the men who were supposed to know it better than anyone.  They were accountable to God for it; they were in essence the vinedressers who were brining no fruit.  Jesus quotes 118:22-23.  He is the stone they had rejected and He was to become the chief cornerstone of the gentile church.  There was only two ways this could go for the Jewish leadership.  They would either fall on the stone and be broken; or they would have the stone fall on them and be ground to powder. 

The response is typical but still shocking.  Its as if they chose to show their blindness and pride.  It's as if they were claiming som authority and saying, "How dare you say such a thing!"  They finally understood that they were the wicked vinedressers.  They had called themselves wicked when they saw themselves as righteous  What they really wanted to do was get their hands on Jesus and make Him pay for this offense.  The seething anger is driving these men; it is building and building and will result in their leading the chant to "Crucify Him!"  Ah, but not yet, not now.  They were scared of the crowds.  The people looked at Jessu as a prophet.  It wouldn't do well to harm their prophet, at least not while they were watching.   

©2015 Doug Ford