COMPARISONS

MATTHEW 21 THE LAST WEEK THE KING ENTERS JERUSALEM, v.1-11 (The King rejects Israel) 1.7 Preparation for the entrance

• He acted deliberately with as specific purpose
• He acted on His own initiative to create enthusiasm
• He acted with knowledge: Matthew’s account focuses on the prophecy of Zech. 9:9; He sent disciples for the animals; He knew the frame of mind of the people; He knew their expectations
• He acted with authority: He used the words, “the Lord” as His right to take the animals. He who made the prophecy and arranges all things, now fulfills the prophecy

8-11 Actual entry into the city: two things were the point of this entry into Jerusalem

• The official entry of the King: He had entered quietly before and had spoken kingly words and acted in kingly power. This time the Lord displays His kingship. He also displays His meekness as the prophecy said He would. He came in mercy, not judgment.
• The actual entry of the King: kings never rode on beasts of burden, so a mob of common people showing signs of loyalty and rejoicing didn’t disturb the Roman government. There was no army threatening; only happy people singing about a King. Rome was unconcerned. Yet, of all parades in the Roman Empire, this is the one known and recorded by common people everywhere. This entry stirred the city. The word “stirred” comes from the one from which we get “seismic.” His coming stirred the city like an earthquake.

THE KING CLEANSES THE TEMPLE, v.12-17

• He cleansed the temple when He began His ministry. At this time the King came deliberately to get the nation’s attention again as their King.
• As One who is meek, He passed by poverty, needed social reform and every other problem to get to the root problem. “Judgment must begin at the house of God.” When the temple (spiritual things) is wrong, everything is wrong.
• He didn’t just casually and slowly deal with the problem, He “cast out” and “overthrew” the money changers tables and the sellers of animals.
• The verses He quotes are Isa.56:7, the prophet of vision and hope; and Jer.7:11, the prophet of vision and tears. The house of prayer had become a den of thieves. He is saying that for Jerusalem to be right, the temple must be right. For a short time the temple was restored. By the time the temple was back to business as usual and its shameful state of business, the veil was rent in two from top to bottom.
• In the middle of all that goes on now, we still believe in a King who can and will overthrow evil and cast it all out.
• The priests heard the children singing and were angry at child-voices praising God. The children were proclaiming and praising the King, their Messiah.
• An uproar in Jerusalem; Galileans shouting; money-changers cast out and children singing – all this was by the deliberate counsel and foreknowledge of God.

THE KING AND PRAYING IN FAITH, v.18-22

• Unbelievers say even today, this was an act of injustice.”
• Christ was acting in a way not consistent to His character
• Christ did not come to execute judgment but to show mercy
• The fig tree: the usual time of figs is June; this happened in April. There was a “first ripe fig before summer” [Isa.28]; the close link between Isaiah’s prophecy and this miracle is obvious. “First fruit” comes before the foliage. Leaves on the tree indicate there should have been fruit. There was no injustice in this act as the tree was not fulfilling its function.
• The effect on the disciples wasn’t that it happened but how fast it happened. They agreed with what happened. There was no personal vindictiveness.

• The serious charge some make that this action was not in harmony with the methods and message of Jesus needs to be addressed. At the beginning of His ministry the Lord read from Isa.61:1 but never read the last part of the text. “The day of vengeance.” Now He is coming to Jerusalem to finish the verse. The nation did not respond to His appeal and intercession as the Proprietor of the vineyard. Now as King, He comes to pronounce judgment.
• He was coming back into Jerusalem hungry after a night in Bethany perhaps on the Mt. of Olives or in Gethsemane considering and praying about the coming cross- work as the One “despised and rejected of men.” This is Isa.28 being fulfilled. If men won’t listen to a patient presentation of grace “line upon line, precept upon precept” – then God is compelled to act in judgment. The fig tree dies as the nation dies. He expresses spiritual hunger by His physical hunger.
• Lack of faith: the nation was founded on the faith of Abraham. Now they had lost their faith. He is bringing His disciples who are going to bring God’s will to the world, back to the fundamental principles of faith.
• We learn: because Christ is truly God, mercy turns to judgment when men refuse it. Men are responsible for what they do with Jesus. Christ came to deal with sin; not just to pity men who sin. To refuse God’s mercy and grace is to fall under God’s judgment. The other side also is true: when we walk by faith, obstacles are removed. Men and women of faith, by the power of God are able to fulfill what God intends of us as workers together with Him. If we fail in what God calls us to do in His ministry, He will deal with us in judgment.

LEADERS CHALLENGE JESUS’ AUTHORITY, v.23-27 The forces against Him were unbelief, worldliness, rationalism and intellectual dishonesty.

• The challenge of unbelief: what authority did He have and who gave Him that authority. He had cleansed the temple and now was teaching in the temple. This was an official group whose authority had probably not been questioned. The Lord did not question their authority. His presence and teaching in the temple were without their sanction. He had not asked their permission and they were seeking a way to arrest Him and end His mission.
• His answer to them: His question took them back to the last revelation from God the nation had received through John the Baptist. Readiness to receive a new revelation depends on the attitude toward the previous one. If John was from heaven, they had their answer because John was His herald. John discontinued his ministry when Jesus’ began. What did you do with the last light you received?
• The implication: from heaven – they ought to obey Him; from men – the multitude would no longer obey them. He ignored their answer of blindness and dishonesty. They had seen the revival going on around them – publicans and harlots changed. If they were blind to evidence of John’s ministry, they would be blind to evidences of His ministry.

THE PARABLE OF THE TWO SONS, v.28-32

• 1st son: “I will not,” he said but repented. This is the genuine repentance of sorrow as one realizes his mistake. He went to work in the vineyard as his father desired.
• 2nd son: “I sir,” indicating “you can count on me” in contrast to the 1st son, and chooses not to go.
• He used this parable to compare the rulers and repentant sinners. They both heard and react – and a verdict had been passed. The Lord on the temple being challenged, takes the place of the throne of judgment; welcoming repentant sinners and casting out those who were disobedient to God’s command.

THE PARABLE OF THE WICKED TENANTS, v.33-46

• Every provision was made by the landowner (God) to produce fruit from His vineyard (Israel). He gave tenants (Jewish leaders) all they needed for the work before them. He was looking for justice and righteousness and they failed. The failure of the vineyard was charged to them.
• Christ was compassionate toward the multitudes who should have been cared for by leaders who were responsible for them.
• Standing before Him (God) and the whole multitude (Israel) were the tenants (shepherds) who should have been working to bring forth fruit. Instead they beat, bruised and cast out the servants (prophets and faithful priests) because they were working the vineyard for themselves. Then came the son (Jesus) and they killed Him because they wanted what belonged to God. He will give the vineyard to others (Gentiles).
• The Lord Jesus made them state the verdict and pass the sentence on themselves. They had to sentence their own sin. They knew He was speaking about them. They knew He knew they had come to arrest Him. They knew He knew they came to challenge His authority and He made them say they were wretched sinners. They made their own confession of claiming they were in charge

of Israel, not God.

• False authority always cares for itself and enslaves people to their rule, not righteousness, truth and just judgment.
• He is the Stone the experts rejected: ideally people will build on it; many will trip on it and others will have it fall on them and there is not healing then. His is the voice of eternity and the stupidity of the experts condemned them.