Matthew 21

Entry into Jerusalem

1 When they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus gave two disciples a task.

2 He said to them, " Go into the village over there. As soon as you enter, you will find a donkey tied up and a colt with it. Untie them and bring them to me.

3 If anybody says anything to you, say that the Lord needs it." He sent them off right away.

4 Now this happened to fulfill what the prophet said,

5 Say to Daughter Zion, "Look, your king is coming to you, humble and riding on a donkey, and on a colt the donkey's offspring."

6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had ordered them.

7 They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their clothes on them. Then he sat on them.

8 Now a large crowd spread their clothes on the road. Others cut palm branches off the trees and spread them on the road.

9 The crowds in front of him and behind him shouted, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!Hosanna in the highest!"

10 And when Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up. "Who is this?" they asked.

11 The crowds answered, "It's the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."

Cleansing the temple

12 Then Jesus went into the temple and threw out all those who were selling and buying there. He pushed over the tables used for currency exchange and the chairs of those who sold doves.

13 He said to them, " It's written, My house will be called a house of prayer. But you've made it a hideout for crooks."

14 People who were blind and lame came to Jesus in the temple, and he healed them.

15 But when the chief priests and legal experts saw the amazing things he was doing and the children shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were angry.

16 They said to Jesus, "Do you hear what these children are saying?" " Yes," he answered. " Haven't you ever read, From the mouths of babies and infants you've arranged praise for yourself?"

17 Then he left them and went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.

Cursing the fig tree

18 Early in the morning as Jesus was returning to the city, he was hungry.

19 He saw a fig tree along the road, but when he came to it, he found nothing except leaves. Then he said to it, " You'll never again bear fruit!" The fig tree dried up at once.

20 When the disciples saw it, they were amazed. "How did the fig tree dry up so fast?" they asked.

21 Jesus responded, " I assure you that if you have faith and don't doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree. You will even say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the lake.' And it will happen.

22 If you have faith, you will receive whatever you pray for."

Jesus’ authority questioned

23 When Jesus entered the temple, the chief priests and elders of the people came to him as he was teaching. They asked, "What kind of authority do you have for doing these things? Who gave you this authority?"

24 Jesus replied, " I have a question for you. If you tell me the answer, I'll tell you what kind of authority I have to do these things.

25 Where did John get his authority to baptize? Did he get it from heaven or from humans?" They argued among themselves, "If we say ‘from heaven,' he'll say to us, ‘Then why didn't you believe him?'

26 But we can't say ‘from humans' because we're afraid of the crowd, since everyone thinks John was a prophet."

27 Then they replied, "We don't know." Jesus also said to them, “Neither will I tell you what kind of authority I have to do these things.

Parable of two sons

28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. Now he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.'

29 “‘No, I don't want to,' he replied. But later he changed his mind and went.

30 “The father said the same thing to the other son, who replied, ‘Yes, sir.' But he didn't go.

31 " Which one of these two did his father's will?" They said, "The first one." Jesus said to them, “I assure you that tax collectors and prostitutes are entering God's kingdom ahead of you.

32 For John came to you on the righteous road, and you didn't believe him. But tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. Yet even after you saw this, you didn't change your hearts and lives and you didn't believe him.

Parable of the tenant farmers

33 “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it to tenant farmers and took a trip.

34 When it was time for harvest, he sent his servants to the tenant farmers to collect his fruit.

35 But the tenant farmers grabbed his servants. They beat some of them, and some of them they killed. Some of them they stoned to death.

36 “Again he sent other servants, more than the first group. They treated them in the same way.

37 Finally he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,' he said.

38 “But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come on, let's kill him and we'll have his inheritance.'

39 They grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

40 " When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenant farmers?"

41 They said, "He will totally destroy those wicked farmers and rent the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruit when it's ready."

42 Jesus said to them, " Haven't you ever read in the scriptures, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The Lord has done this, and it's amazing in our eyes?

43 Therefore, I tell you that God's kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a people who produce its fruit.

44 Whoever falls on this stone will be crushed. And the stone will crush the person it falls on."

45 Now when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard the parable, they knew Jesus was talking about them.

46 They were trying to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, who thought he was a prophet.

Matthew 21 Commentary

Chapter 21

Christ enters Jerusalem. (1-11) He drives out those who profaned the temple. (12-17) The barren fig-tree cursed. (18-22) Jesus' discourse in the temple. (23-27) The parable of the two sons. (28-32) The parable of the wicked husbandmen. (33-46)

Verses 1-11 This coming of Christ was described by the prophet Zechariah, ( Zechariah 9:9 ) . When Christ would appear in his glory, it is in his meekness, not in his majesty, in mercy to work salvation. As meekness and outward poverty were fully seen in Zion's King, and marked his triumphal entrance to Jerusalem, how wrong covetousness, ambition, and the pride of life must be in Zion's citizens! They brought the ass, but Jesus did not use it without the owner's consent. The trappings were such as came to hand. We must not think the clothes on our backs too dear to part with for the service of Christ. The chief priests and the elders afterwards joined with the multitude that abused him upon the cross; but none of them joined the multitude that did him honour. Those that take Christ for their King, must lay their all under his feet. Hosanna signifies, Save now, we beseech thee! Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord! But of how little value is the applause of the people! The changing multitude join the cry of the day, whether it be Hosanna, or Crucify him. Multitudes often seem to approve the gospel, but few become consistent disciples. When Jesus was come into Jerusalem all the city was moved; some perhaps were moved with joy, who waited for the Consolation of Israel; others, of the Pharisees, were moved with envy. So various are the motions in the minds of men upon the approach of Christ's kingdom.

Verses 12-17 Christ found some of the courts of the temple turned into a market for cattle and things used in the sacrifices, and partly occupied by the money-changers. Our Lord drove them from the place, as he had done at his entering upon his ministry, ( John 2:13-17 ) . His works testified of him more than the hosannas; and his healing in the temple was the fulfilling the promise, that the glory of the latter house should be greater than the glory of the former. If Christ came now into many parts of his visible church, how many secret evils he would discover and cleanse! And how many things daily practised under the cloak of religion, would he show to be more suitable to a den of thieves than to a house of prayer!

Verses 18-22 This cursing of the barren fig-tree represents the state of hypocrites in general, and so teaches us that Christ looks for the power of religion in those who profess it, and the savour of it from those that have the show of it. His just expectations from flourishing professors are often disappointed; he comes to many, seeking fruit, and finds leaves only. A false profession commonly withers in this world, and it is the effect of Christ's curse. The fig-tree that had no fruit, soon lost its leaves. This represents the state of the nation and people of the Jews in particular. Our Lord Jesus found among them nothing but leaves. And after they rejected Christ, blindness and hardness grew upon them, till they were undone, and their place and nation rooted up. The Lord was righteous in it. Let us greatly fear the doom denounced on the barren fig-tree.

Verses 23-27 As our Lord now openly appeared as the Messiah, the chief priests and scribes were much offended, especially because he exposed and removed the abuses they encouraged. Our Lord asked what they thought of John's ministry and baptism. Many are more afraid of the shame of lying than of the sin, and therefore scruple not to speak what they know to be false, as to their own thoughts, affections, and intentions, or their remembering and forgetting. Our Lord refused to answer their inquiry. It is best to shun needless disputes with wicked opposers.

Verses 28-32 Parables which give reproof, speak plainly to the offenders, and judge them out of their own mouths. The parable of the two sons sent to work in the vineyard, is to show that those who knew not John's baptism to be of God, were shamed by those who knew it, and owned it. The whole human race are like children whom the Lord has brought up, but they have rebelled against him, only some are more plausible in their disobedience than others. And it often happens, that the daring rebel is brought to repentance and becomes the Lord's servant, while the formalist grows hardened in pride and enmity.

Verses 33-46 This parable plainly sets forth the sin and ruin of the Jewish nation; and what is spoken to convict them, is spoken to caution all that enjoy the privileges of the outward church. As men treat God's people, they would treat Christ himself, if he were with them. How can we, if faithful to his cause, expect a favourable reception from a wicked world, or from ungodly professors of Christianity! And let us ask ourselves, whether we who have the vineyard and all its advantages, render fruits in due season, as a people, as a family, or as separate persons. Our Saviour, in his question, declares that the Lord of the vineyard will come, and when he comes he will surely destroy the wicked. The chief priests and the elders were the builders, and they would not admit his doctrine or laws; they threw him aside as a despised stone. But he who was rejected by the Jews, was embraced by the Gentiles. Christ knows who will bring forth gospel fruits in the use of gospel means. The unbelief of sinners will be their ruin. But God has many ways of restraining the remainders of wrath, as he has of making that which breaks out redound to his praise. May Christ become more and more precious to our souls, as the firm Foundation and Cornerstone of his church. May we be willing to follow him, though despised and hated for his sake.

Footnotes

• [a]. Isa 62:11; Zech 9:9
• [b]. Ps. 118:26
• [c]. Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11
• [d]. Ps 8:3 LXX
• [e]. Ps 118:22-23