Matthew 21

1-11 The time was coming nigh for Jesus and He was making his way to Jerusalem. It was on a Sunday that Jesus did the His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. But as He was approaching and came to the Mount of Olives, He told two of his disciples to go to a village and get a donkey. The donkey has never had a man sat on (Mark 11:2) and Jesus ask them to loose it and bring it to Him. If anyone ask, Jesus said to tell them that the Lord needs it and it will be fine. The King riding on a colt was foretold in the old testament. This was prophesied in the book of Zechariah 9:9. Jesus always traveled by foot, but had to be fulfilled. The disciples brought the donkey and place a garment on it and Jesus sat on it and a great multitude was praising God and giving out great hosanna’s. 

 

Just before He did this, two men were asking that their eyes be opened and they followed Jesus. Jesus had constantly showed or demonstrated God’s love to the fallen race. His words of encouragement, His teachings of truth, His ministry of healing, and His sympathy for the heart broken were all tokens of love and truth to the world.  Jesus had several times avoided the people trying to make Him King. But it was time for all eyes to be fixed on Jesus because of the sacrifice that He came to do for the sins of the world. In many minds of the people, they were looking for a prosperous reign on David’s throne as a independent nation again and the yoke removed from the Romans. But this was not Jesus’ purpose. This scene has a deep significance. The multitudes are people that Jesus healed (4:23-24;14:35-36;15:30). 

 

The blind men that Jesus gave sight to were leading the way because they can see. The dumb whose tongue Jesus loosened gave the loudest hosannas. Those who couldn’t walk were active in breaking the palm branches and waving them before Jesus. Lepers who were cleansed spread their garments in His path. Those who Jesus brought back to life were in the crowd. Lazarus who also was resurrected rejoicing was the one leading the beast that Jesus was riding on. (DA572.2)

 

Jesus wanted all these people to know that He still has to pay for those sins. Every eye open, every dumb that spake, every captive delivered from Satan, every crippled that walk, every leper cleansed and every life given again, Jesus had to pay for by giving His life (TMK 48)

 

As Jesus approaches Jerusalem and they were people traveling and coming for the Passover, the city was moved and asking "Who is this?" and the people said it is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. Multitudes were saying "Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. Even the children were saying the same thing and the Pharisees was trying to quiet the people but Jesus told them if they should be quiet the stones will cry out and quotes from Psalm 8:2. The chief priest and scribes said among themselves "the world is gone after him" John 12:19.

 

Jesus says something very significant in Matthew 23:39 "Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." The priest and Pharisees did not give Jesus praise at the triumphal entry, they tried to stop it. The triumphal entry was a very dim foreshadowing of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The Pharisees, priest and scribes will be raised at the end of the millennium and then confess those words in Matt 23:39 (GC 662.2) this will be the time at Jesus’ third coming. It’s either we say it now or later, but it will be too late if we do it later. 

 

12-17 Jesus comes into the temple at the beginning of his ministry (John 2:13-16) and drove the buyers and sellers out and now at the closing of his ministry He does the same thing. It was worst than before and Jesus cast out all of them that sold and bought in the temple. The passover was approaching and Jesus, who is the true passover notices how hardened the priest and rulers had become because they tried to silence the praise of the people. Once again the children are praising Jesus and giving "Hosanna" which means —oh save, all those that need healing came into the temple and Jesus healed them. The Pharisees, chief priests, and scribe saw the wonderful things Jesus was doing and allow jealous and hatred rise in their hearts. Jesus even told them that children have perfected praise. There was a point that Jesus wept over Jerusalem (Luke 19:40-41) but He left and went out to Bethany and stayed the night there. These are signs of when He began and when He will soon end. 

 

Another observation is that Jesus cast out all that sold and bought in the temple. People who were bent on greed and gain and trying to make money and cheat others. After the traffickers left, they were replaced by those who were blind, sick, and lame and Jesus healed them. We see those who don’t see their need left and replace by those who do see their need came in. Here we see a shaking taking place and those that were thieves in heart were shaken out. I pray we are not depending on buying and selling, but depending on Jesus who can fulfill all our needs.

 

18-22 the next day Jesus returned to the city and He was hunger. On the way their was a fig tree and with a bunch of leaves on it, but it had no fruit. Jesus cursed the fig tree which is very much unlike Him. The fig tree started to wither away. When a tree has leaves it shows it has fruit, but this fig tree has no fruit which indicates it is serving self. Looks good in the inside but bears no fruit to the glory of God. Luke13:6-9 gives an illustration of the fig tree and trying to save it. Jesus said if you have faith, you can also do the same thing to this fig tree and move a whole mountain and cast it to the sea. So, when you pray believe and you will receive it. No matter what the obstacle, if we pray we can move it and cast it out of the way. Just as Jesus spake and the fig tree withered, we can pray and the mountain will go away. I pray this for the radio stations and all the different ministries doing the same thing. We met with some of them yesterday 4-27, at the South Bay SDA church. We all want to bare fruit and not be cursed as the fig tree. I pray that whatever mountain that is in the way that it be removed and shall be done and received. 

 

23-32 As Jesus was teaching the chief priest and the elders came to Jesus and ask Him questions regarding His authority. The rulers were expecting Jesus to say "My authority is from God" so that they can challenge and deny the authority in front of the people. Jesus did not at once answer the question. He first purpose to ask them a question and base on their answer, then He will answer the questions they asked. He asked them a question about John the Baptist, specifically the baptism of John, which is the baptism of repentance (3:5-8, 11; Acts 19:4), was it from heaven or men? John the baptist prepared the way for people to receive Jesus. He pointed people to Jesus by saying "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world" John 1:29. 

 

 The chief priest and rulers started to reason with one another and realize they couldn’t say it was from heaven or from men, so they said we can’t tell. They pretty much lied because they don’t want to believe. Jesus answered and said, neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things. The priest and rulers were baffled and silenced. They had an opportunity to believe and confess Jesus’ Messiahship but they denied Him. They have no further questions. Jesus never intends to embarrass or shame people, but wants everyone to be saved. The evidence of who He is was clearly seen in the temple, but the chief priest and rulers were bent on getting rid of Jesus and not repented at all. 

 

Jesus then shares a parable of two sons who he asked to go work in my vineyard. This parable teaches the importance of obeying God. The first son said I will not go, but afterward he repented and went (publicans and harlots). These people live in open sin and transgression. The second son was also asked to work in the vineyard and he said, I will go and didn’t go (chief priest, scribes, and rulers). These profess to be Christians, but inwardly they lack obedience.  Jesus asked, which one did the will of his father? the people said the first. Then Jesus says that the publicans and harlots shall go into the kingdom of God before you. John came and you believed him not. The publicans and the harlots came and believed on him and they repented, but you (the chief priest and rulers) seen their repentance and you repented not Luke 7:29-30. John came in the way of righteousness.

 

33-46 Another parable Jesus shares about the householder. This parable teaches how blessed we are to have the truth and the three angels messages. Which should not only invites us to obey God, but to obey with love and fulfill the purpose of God. The book of Isaiah also addresses the vineyard in chapter 5. This householder planted a vineyard and setup it up nicely and let a farmer take care of it and the householder went into a far country. A husbandman is a farmer or land worker, a agriculturist.  

 

The representations of who is what in this parable

Householder - God Isaiah 5:1; Genesis 2:8, 15 God planted the first garden.

Servants - prophets and messengers Jeremiah 25:4-5; 35:15; Zechariah 1:6; 7:9-13; 2 Kings 17:13; 2 Chronicles 36:15-16; Nehemiah 9:29-30

Vineyard - Jerusalem; House of Israel Isaiah 5:7

The Fence (hedged it round about) - Divine protection  Job 1:10; Isaiah 2:15; 5:2, 5

Winepress - the ceremonial law and sacrificial rites Matthew 26:27-29: Revelation 14:20

The tower - Temple Micah 4:8

Husbandman - the priest and doctors of the law. Matthew 21:40-41, 45; 23:31, 34-37 Jeremiah 2:8;  Malachi 2:7-9; Jeremiah 12:10 COL 292.1 Jesus also says in John 15:1 it is the Father and the Jewish did not represent Him, so Jesus did and gave us an example. 

Fruit - Matthew 13:8, 23; Romans 6:22; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 5:9; souls to be won into God’s kingdom John 15:5, 8

 

The time came for fruit (souls) and the householder (God) sent servants (prophets) to the husbandman (rulers) to receive the fruit (souls). The rulers beat and killed the prophets and even stoned one. God sent more messengers and prophets and they also did likewise as the first. But then God sent his Son, but when they saw Jesus, they took Him and killed Him outside of the vineyard.

 

Jesus said, when the lord (householder) shall come, what will he do to those husbandman? This question was for the Pharisees, scribes, rulers, and priest and they answered, He will miserably destroy those wicked men and will give his vineyard to other husbandman which will give him the fruits in their season. They just pronounced a death sentenced upon themselves.

 

It was the privilege of the Jewish nation to represent the character of God as it had been revealed to Moses. In answer to the prayer of Moses, "Show me Thy glory," the Lord promised, "I will make all My goodness pass before thee." Exodus 33:18, 19. "And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin." Exodus 34:6, 7. This was the fruit that God desired from His people. In the purity of their characters, in the holiness of their lives, in their mercy and loving-kindness and compassion, they were to show that "the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul." Psalm 19:7. COL 285.3

 

Jerusalem was set to be destroyed and it was fulfilled in 70 A.D. by the Romans. Millions perished and sold. Jesus points them to the scriptures in Psalm 118:22-23, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. The stone which is Christ, the builders (those who know the truth) rejected this stone (Christ) and now this stone is become the head. The blessings and privileges were taken from the Jews and given to others. Whoever believes in Christ shall be broken and those who don’t the stone will grind them to powder. If a pot hits a stone it will break and Christ will put the pieces back together better than before, but as one lies beneath a stone is crushed, so those who reject Christ are doomed. An example of this is found in Daniel 2:34-35, 44

 

This parable also applies to us today. We as Seventh-Day Adventist are blessed with the three angel’s messages and God is asking us to deliver this truth to the world. We must move forward and conquer new territory. COL 296.2

 

The Pharisees perceived that Jesus was speaking of them and they wanted to lay hands on him, but they feared the multitude because the people believed He was a prophet  21:11. There is this fear among the people (John 7:13; 12:42; 19:38) and fear among the Jewish leaders (Matthew 21:46). Even Pilate had a fear of John the Baptist (Matthew 14:4, 5). The rulers were putting people out of the synagogue if anyone confess Christ (John 9:22). They wouldn’t dare do that to Christ. He had cleanse the temple twice and the first time the rulers ask for a sign and there were plenty of signs and second time they ask by what authority are you doing these things and who gave you this authority? Jesus asked them a question and then He said He will tell them, but they couldn’t answer the question and even lied about it because it would have them confess that Christ is the Messiah. So Jesus didn’t answer their question about His authority.