MATTHEW CHAPTER 21

MATTHEW CHAPTER 21

SCRIPTURE:

Today I will summarize   Matthew chapter 21 where Jesus travelled to Jerusalem on the journey that is commonly called the triumphal entry and where Jesus told the religious leaders two parables.  When Jesus was travelling with his disciples they came to a small Bethpage at the Mount of Olives.  Jesus sent two of his disciples and said go into the other village there you will find a donkey and a colt tied there.  Bring them both to me.  If anyone questions you about this tell them I need them.  The man you speak to will let you take both of them.  This will fulfil the prophecy saying daughter of Zion your King is coming to you on a donkey and a colt. He is humble and he rides a donkey.   

The disciples did what they were instructed to do.  The disciples laid their cloaks on both animals and Jesus rode on them.  Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road and cut down palm branches to put them on the ground too.  The crowds were shouting Hosanna to the son of David.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the lord Hosanna in the highest.   Jesus entered the temple and went in.  When he saw the money changers buying and selling in the temple, he became annoyed.  He overturned the table of the money changers and the salesman and yelled it is written my house shall be called a house of prayer but you are making it a hideout for thieves.  After the money changers left grumbling many blind men and crippled came to him in the temple and healed them all. 

The chief priest came up to Jesus and said do you not hear what they are saying?  They are praising you and worshipping you like God himself.  Jesus said I do hear them have you not read in the scripture? “You have trained children and babies to offer perfect praise.  Jesus left them and went out of the city of Bethany, on his way back to the city early the next morning Jesus was hungry.  He saw a fig tree and went up to it.  He found no fruits on it except leaves.  So, he said to the tree “You will never again bear fruit!” The fig tree finally dried up. 

The disciples saw this and they were astonished.  They said they had never witnessed anything like this before.  How did you make the fig tree wither in front of our eyes? Jesus told them if they have faith and do not doubt, they would be able to do what Jesus had done to this fig tree.  He said they could even tell a mountain to remove itself and be thrown into the sea and it will happen.  If you believe all things you ask for in prayer will be done for you.  Jesus went back into the temple.  This time the chief priests and the elders of the people were waiting for him. 

They asked Jesus who gave you the authority to come here and throw out the money changers.  By what authority are you doing all these things?  Jesus replied I will ask you one question and if you can answer me then I will tell you what right I have to do these things. Where did John’s right to baptize come from: was it from God or man? The religious leaders talked about this among themselves and said if we say it was from God Jesus will ask us why we did not believe John the Baptist.  If we say it was from men or that he made it up on his own the people will riot and they will rebel and hurt us because they think John was a prophet.  They were stuck in their conspiracy.  So, they told Jesus we don’t know.  Then Jesus replied I also refuse to tell you where I get the authority from.  Jesus continued talking to the leaders I will tell you two parables.  A man had two sons.  The man asked the first son to go and work in the vineyard today.  The son replied that he would go but he did not go. 

The man asked his other son to go and work in his vineyard.  But the second son refused but afterwards changed his mind and went.  Which of the two boys obeyed the will of the father? The Pharisees replied the second one did the will of the father.  Jesus said you are correct prostitutes and sinners will get into heaven before you do.  You say you will do the will of the father but you do not do it.  People who know they are sinners say they will not do the will of the father but afterwards, they repent and ultimately do his will.  Jesus continued here’s another parable for you.  There was a landowner who planted a vineyard put a fence around it, dug a hole for the winepress and built a watch tower and rented it out to tenants and went on a journey.  When the harvest time approached the landowner sent slaves to get the grapes from the harvest. 

The tenants seized his slaves smite some of the slaves and killed others.  Again, he sent a group of slaves and the same things were repeated. Then the landowner sent his son.  He thought they would surely respect my son.  But the tenants saw the son and said let’s kill him and take his inheritance.  They killed the landowner’s son.  What do you think the landowner would do?  The religious leaders said the landowner will gather a massive army and will go to war.  He will slaughter the tenants and will rent the land out to others. Jesus said you are indeed correct. Have you ever read the scriptures stating the stone that the builders rejected became the chief cornerstone? 

This came about from the lord and it’s marvelous in our eyes.  Listen to me the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to people who will produce fruit.  Whoever falls on the cornerstone will be broken into pieces.  If the cornerstone falls on anyone it will pulverize that man to dust.  Then they all heard Jesus speak these words they understood that he was speaking directly to them and about them.  They began to get angry and tried to seize Jesus but they were too afraid of the crowd protecting him.

Observation:

The thing I think the Lord wants us to understand after reading this chapter is that Jesus accepted the praise of children and his followers and when the religious leaders objected Jesus pointed them to the Old Testament prophecies.  God wants us to see that Jesus had a zeal for the temple and violently overturned the money lenders’ table when he saw them desecrating the temple by buying and selling inside of it.  God wants us to see that it is not enough to say that we want to do his will.  We must do it. We can repent and begin to do the things he wants us to do and God wants us to see that Jesus is the cornerstone stone of God’s kingdom.  Many people will trip over Jesus and will ultimately and eternally be broken and crushed because they rejected him.  Will you be one of the people who reject Jesus Christ and trip over the idea that he is the only way to heaven?  Remember until your breadth your last breath there is time and opportunity to repent and change your mind. 

Prayer:

Heavenly and Almighty God, I come before you humbled and sorrowful, aware of my sins, and ready to repent.  Lord forgive me for I have sinned against you.  Wash away my sin, purify and help me to turn from these sins.  Lead me to walk in your way instead, leaving my old life behind and starting a new life in you.  Lord you who are loving and just show compassion upon me, shower me with your mercy.  All this I pray through your son Jesus Christ who came to save us from our sin.  Amen