Matthew 21

 

Jesus’s Triumphal Entrance into Jerusalem

Verses 1-11

In these verses, we read about our Lord’s triumphal entrance into Jerusalem. These verses describe our Lord’s very public entry into Jerusalem for the last time before His death on the cross for the sins of all men. The Holy Scriptures speak of this great event as like a king returning from battle, as he was well received in the city. However, He was entering as the humble King of peace. Traditionally, entering a city on a donkey symbolises arriving in peace, rather than as a war-waging king on a horse. All the city was moved by this event.

As they drew near Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage which is located near Bethany on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives is east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Our Lord knew that His time to suffer death was soon approaching. He knew that the final act of His public ministry was at hand. It was not fitting that the Lamb of God should be slain privately.

We read in these verses that Our Lord has perfect knowledge. He sent two disciples to a village to find a donkey. Jesus was to arrive at Jerusalem on a donkey. We are told that the words of Zechariah 9:9 were fulfilled, over five hundred and fifty years after the words were recorded. Here are the words of the Prophet Zechariah, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: Behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; Lowly, and riding upon an ass, And upon a colt the foal of an ass.” The reference to the “daughter of Zion” refers to Jerusalem and its inhabitants.

Jesus told his disciples what to say if anyone was to say anything to them, “The Lord hath need of them.” In verse 9 we read, “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.”

Many who welcomed him with cries of “Hosanna” also cried, “Crucify him” four days later. Hosanna is a Hebrew expression meaning, “help” or “save us”. The crowd understood that Our Lord was declaring himself as the Messiah.

The Cleansing of the Temple

Verses 12-22

The first event in this passage that our attention is drawn to is the condition of the Jewish people. We find in these verses that the temple was being desecrated by worldliness and misused. The temple of prayer was being used for buying and selling. This provoked the Lord to holy wrath. He cast out all of them that selling and buying in the temple. There was no one that resisted him, for they knew that what they were doing was wrong. The words of Isaiah must have been ringing in their ears, “It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Isaiah 56:7), also see Jeremiah 7:11.

Here we see a picture of our Lord’s second coming. He will come in righteousness to judge the world. He will come to judge the living and the dead. He will come to judge between the righteous and the wicked. He will come to purify and cleanse the earth.

The second event in this passage that our attention is drawn to is the curse that Christ pronounced on the fig tree. We learn that our Lord came to a fig tree and found nothing but leaves; the tree was without fruit. Jesus said. “Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever.” The fig tree is a common Old Testament metaphor for national Israel. The fruitless fig tree represented judgment. There is a lesson to be learned here. Let us be people that bears much fruit for our Lord. The fruitless fig tree was a picture of the faithlessness during our Lord’s time. They had everything to make an outward show. They had the temple, the priesthood, animal sacrifice, and the Old Testament Scriptures. Perhaps, Jesus is teaching us that God judges those who give an outward appearance of fruitfulness, but in fact inwardly not fruitful; just like the Pharisees.

We find every assembly is in danger of becoming a fruitless branch. As long as we are without true faith, repentance, and holiness we are in grave danger. We must not neglect the care and nourishment of our souls. We find in the Western world a lack of true Bible-based religion. The British Church has been guilty of compromise and worldliness for far too long. The Church of England has adopted a secular attitude in recent years. The Methodist Church has also accepted the way of the world and so have many other denominations. Some are worse than others, while there is no perfect church on earth some are now completely apostate and not fit to call themselves a Christian Church. Beware of denomination affiliation and pride in which branch you belong to. Many people love their denomination more than they love the truth of God. Let us not be satisfied with the weakness of lukewarm religion. Let us be on fire for the holiness of living. Bearing fruit is the key to true religion.

Questions about Christ’s authority

Verses 23-32

In the passage, we read about the conversation between Christ, the chief priests, and the elders of the people. They came to our Lord to find an accusation against Him. Just look at how fast the enemies of Christ questioned Him about His words and deeds. They asked Him, who gave Him the authority to do what He was doing.

This accusation is one often made against many of God’s people. The enemies of the Reformers and other evangelical ministers often attacked them on matters of authority. The enemies of street preachers often demand to see a license or permit from the civil authority, to preach Christ in the public square.

There is no evasion in our Lord’s answer. He knew that they would not deny that John the Baptist was sent from God. John declared Jesus to be the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. His enemies must acknowledge that our Lord is indeed sent by God and is Christ.

We must be ready to give an answer to our enemies. Christ was under no obligation to answer their questions, yet He gave them something to think about. His divine mission was clear for all to see. Our Lord raised the question of his accusers competence to judge the issues they had against him. It is best on some occasions to avoid disputes with wicked opposers, but in doing so always leave them with something to think about regarding the Gospel and their eternal state.

Judgment of God and Israel

Verses 33-46

In the closing section of Matthew 21, we read this parable of Christ with specific reference to the Jews. Our Lord alluded to Isaiah 5:1-7 and Psalm 80:8-16 where Israel is the vineyard and God is the landowner. It is clear that the Jews are the husbandmen being described. Their sins are set before us as an example.

We see the peculiar blessing and honour God has bestowed on the nation of Israel. It is clear in the Old Testament that God blessed the nation of Israel above and beyond any other nation. They had blessings and privileges that other nations did not. God set them apart for special gifts and honours. He gave Israel revelation of Himself when other nations and people groups were in spiritual darkness. He gave them the law and the prophets.

Other nations have been greatly blessed by God down the years. Let us not forget the great work of the Lord that took place in England during the seventeenth century in the translation of the Authorised Version of the Holy Scriptures. Let us not forget the great work that took place in Wales at the start of the twentieth century, where great revivals broke out in the north. Let us not forget the great work of God in Scotland with the reformation and that noble and great gift of God, John Knox. Yes, God has blessed other nations, but none so more than Israel. Christianity can clearly be traced back to Israel and has Jewish roots.

In the text, we also see what Israel did with their privileges. They rejected their Messiah and lost the many blessings. They hardened their hearts towards the Lord God, turned to idols, and wallowed in unbelief. Their wickedness and blindness was so great that they desired to put the Son of God to death, by handing Him over to be nailed to a cross as one unworthy to dwell among them.

As a nation, we have done similar in our rejection of Christ and His Gospel. Secularism and idolatry are the national religion of this earthy kingdom in which I currently reside in today. Britain has a great wealth of Christian history and our former glory was due to our faithfulness as a nation to the Word of God. But now this nation like many others around the world rejects God in the most zealous way possible. Those who believe in the Bible are viewed as immoral for doing so. Britain and many other nations are provoking God to wrath, just as the Jews did in the text before us.

We also see in the text the result of this rejection which ought to be a warning to us all. A time will come when the long-suffering and blessings of God will come to an end and judgment will come forth. Judgment on the Jews and Jerusalem came forty years after the crucifixion of Christ when the city was destroyed by the Roman army led by the future emperor Titus. It may have taken forty years, but God will execute His righteous judgment. We read in verse 43, “the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.” This nation Christ speaks of is a spiritual nation. He is talking about the New Testament Church (1 Peter 2:9). We learn in the Book of Acts that salvation spread from the Jews to the Gentiles, the Jews rejected and the Gentiles accepted (Acts 13:46; 28:28). In this dispensation Israel has been set aside and the focus is on the church. However, God has not finished with Israel He will return to Israel at the later date. 

Here we see the responsibility for preparing souls for the kingdom transferred to the church. Other Scriptures that support this are Acts 13:46 and Romans 10:19. The judgment of God came on the Jews for their rejection. Nothing offends God so much as an abandonment of his blessings. The wickedness of man can be used by God as a judgment of a people, but this is not always the case. God may allow wickedness, but He is certainly not the author of wickedness. Sometimes wicked rulers are wicked because of their love for sin.

Let us take heed of the warnings in this passage. Let us never take the blessings of God for granted. Let us honour God and be found faithful and good witnesses to the nation. May the church be one that Christ is pleased to call His holy and precious bride. May we never commit spiritual adultery by following idols and vain desires to please the world?