Matthew chapter 21

Jesus triumphantly arrives in Jerusalem. He clears the temple and curses a fig tree. His authority is challenged. So he tells parables.

 


 

JESUS TRIUMPHANTLY ARRIVES IN JERUSALEM

 

VERSE 1. When they came near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethsphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,

Bethsphage. Some translations say Bethphage.

 

VERSE 2. saying to them, “Go into the village that is opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them, and bring them to me.

a donkey tied, and a colt. Though all four Gospel accounts include this triumphal arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem, only Matthew mentions a donkey along with the colt.

 

VERSE 3. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

 

VERSE 4. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,

 

VERSE 5. “Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

Zechariah 9:9. Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King comes to you! He is righteous, and having salvation; lowly, and riding on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

 

VERSE 6. The disciples went, and did just as Jesus commanded them,

 

VERSE 7. and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their clothes on them; and he sat on them.

 

VERSE 8. A very great multitude spread their clothes on the road. Others cut branches from the trees, and spread them on the road.

 

VERSE 9. The multitudes who went in front of him, and those who followed, kept shouting, “Hosanna to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

Hosanna. This means “save us” or “help us, we pray.”

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! This phrase was from Old Testament days. But the Lord Jesus applied it to himself, when he triumphantly arrived in Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Read more »

 

VERSE 10. When he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?”

 

VERSE 11. The multitudes said, “This is the prophet, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

 

JESUS CLEARS THE TEMPLE

 

VERSE 12. Jesus entered into the temple of God, and drove out all of those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers’ tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.

 

VERSE 13. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers!”

My house shall be called a house of prayer. The temple existed for the worship of the LORD God. But the religious leaders turned it into a money-maker for themselves. This was an abuse of their authority. Read more »

 

VERSE 14. The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them.

 

VERSE 15. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children who were crying in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the son of David!” they were indignant,

 

VERSE 16. and said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Did you never read, ‘Out of the mouth of babes and nursing babies you have perfected praise?’ ”

Psalm 8:2. From the lips of babes and infants you have established strength, because of your adversaries, that you might silence the enemy and the avenger.

 

VERSE 17. He left them, and went out of the city to Bethany, and camped there.

 

JESUS CURSES A FIG TREE

 

VERSE 18. Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.

 

VERSE 19. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it, and found nothing on it but leaves. He said to it, “Let there be no fruit from you forever!” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

Let there be no fruit from you forever! This is remarkable. Why did Jesus say this?

 

VERSE 20. When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree immediately wither away?”

 

VERSE 21. Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, if you have faith, and don’t doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it would be done.

1 Maccabees 3:19. for victory in battle stands not in the multitude of an army; but strength is from heaven.

 

VERSE 22. All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

This verse is fantastic! Would you consider memorizing it? More great verses to memorize from the Gospel According to Matthew and from the entire Bible.

This verse seems like a command! Would you consider acting on it? More commands of Jesus Christ from the Gospel According to Matthew and from the entire Bible.

All things. Jesus says that whatever we ask for in prayer with faith, we will receive. We are meant to work miracles!

 

THE AUTHORITY OF JESUS IS CHALLENGED

 

VERSE 23. When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority do you do these things? Who gave you this authority?”

 

VERSE 24. Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.

I also will ask you one question. Jesus did not waste his time responding to every criticism, every challenge. Some of them he silenced with a clever retort such as this one.

As we share our faith with others, there will be people who will challenge us. We do not need to answer their every criticism.

 

VERSE 25. The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?” They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

 

VERSE 26. But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet.”

 

VERSE 27. They answered Jesus, and said, “We don’t know.” He also said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

 

THE PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS

 

VERSE 28. But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first, and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’

 

VERSE 29. He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind, and went.

 

VERSE 30. He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I’m going, sir,’ but he didn’t go.

 

VERSE 31. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Most certainly I tell you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering into God’s Kingdom before you.

tax collectors and the prostitutes. Doubtless the religious leaders were offended by this.

 

VERSE 32. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. When you saw it, you didn’t even repent afterward, that you might believe him.

 

THE PARABLE OF THE WICKED TENANTS

 

VERSE 33. “Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master of a household, who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers, and went into another country.

 

VERSE 34. When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit.

 

VERSE 35. The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.

 

VERSE 36. Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they treated them the same way.

 

VERSE 37. But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

 

VERSE 38. But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and seize his inheritance.’

 

VERSE 39. So they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

The Lord Jesus suffered outside of the gate. That is, it was necessary that he was crucified outside of Jerusalem. Read more »

 

VERSE 40. When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?”

 

VERSE 41. They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers, who will give him the fruit in its season.”

 

VERSE 42. Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner. This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes?’

We humans rejected the Lord Jesus Christ and crucified him. Yet he became the foundation of God’s great work on our behalf. Read more »

 

VERSE 43. “Therefore I tell you, God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you, and will be given to a nation producing its fruit.

God’s Kingdom will be taken away from you. This is one of the saddest verses. If only they had been willing to hear this and make things right.

 

VERSE 44. He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust.”

 

VERSE 45. When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke about them.

 

VERSE 46. When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes, because they considered him to be a prophet.

 


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