Matthew 21-22
What I Noticed Today (Matthew 21-22)
Matthew 21
In verses 1-5, Jesus and the disciples are on their way to Jerusalem. When they reach the town of Bethphage on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives, Jesus sends two of the disciples into the town to find a donkey and a colt. This took place to fulfill the prophecies of Zechariah 9:9 and Isaiah 62:11.
Note: It was the time of the Passover, so many people were traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate.
In verses 6-8, the disciples got the donkey and the colt as directed and put their cloaks over the animals to form a saddle. As Jesus rode, some people laid the cloaks on the road while others placed palm branches on the road. They were singing Psalm 118:26 and Psalm 118:25.
Note: Covering the road with robes and branches was typical for how kings entered the city (2 Kings 9:13).
In verses 10-11, as Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem, crowds of people asked who he was. The crowd with Jesus answered this is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee.
Note: The crowd referred to Jesus not as “a” prophet but “the” prophet promised by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15). Jesus was arriving in Jerusalem just as Daniel had predicted some 500 years before (Daniel 9:25-26).
In verses 12-13, Jesus entered the temple and drove out the money-changers and those who sold animals, accusing them of making the house of the Lord a den of robbers rather than a place of prayer.
Note: The money-changers insisted people exchange their money for temple money for a fee and then use the temple money to purchase animals for sacrifice at highly inflated prices.
In verses 14-17, The blind and lame gathered around Jesus, and He healed them. The chief priests and scribes saw this and heard the children crying out, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” and they were mad.
Note: Hosanna (Hoshana) in Hebrew means “I beg you to save” or “Please deliver us.”
Jesus answered them, quoting Psalm 8:2: “out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies, you have prepared praise.”
With that, Jesus left them and journeyed to Bethany and stayed there.
In verses 18-22, Jesus was returning to Jerusalem when He saw a fruit tree that was not bearing fruit, so he cursed it, and it withered immediately. Jesus explained to his disciples that if they have faith, they can do such things and more if they ask God in prayer and have faith.
In verses 23-27, when Jesus entered the temple courts, the chief priests and elders challenged Jesus asking by what authority he did these things. Jesus promised to answer their question if they answered his, did the authority for John’s baptism come from heaven or man. The chief priests and elders realized that if they said from heaven, you would ask why you didn’t believe him. If they answered from man, the people would be upset because they regarded John as a great prophet. Ultimately, the chief priests and elders said they didn’t know, so Jesus refused to answer their question.
In verses 28-32, Jesus taught the parable of the two sons. The father told one son to go work in the vineyard. He said he would not but later changed his mind and did. The other son said he would go but did not. Jesus asked which son had done the will of the father. Jesus explained the parable relating it to the chief priests and elders, saying they had promised to do the will of God and had heard the message of John the Baptist but rejected him. Yet tax collectors and prostitutes had not made the promise, but when they heard the message, they believed and repented.
In verses 33-41, Jesus taught the parable of the vineyard owner and the tenants. First, the vineyard owner sends his servants to collect the rent from the tenants at harvest time. The tenants beat one of the servants, killed one, and stoned another. Next, the owner sent more servants, and the tenants did the same to the next servants. Finally, the vineyard owner sent his own son, but the tenants killed the son, thinking they would then inherit the vineyard.
In verses 42-46, Jesus quoting Psalm 118:22-23, explained the land would be taken away from these tenants and given to tenants who would produce fruit.
Note: There are several interpretations of this parable. The most likely is that because the nation of Israel had rejected Jesus, the message would be given to Gentiles, who would believe, and there will come a time when the nation of Israel will accept the message of Jesus.
When the chief priests and Pharisees heard these parables, they knew Jesus was talking about them, and they wanted to arrest him, but they didn’t because they were afraid of the reaction of the crowds.
Matthew 22
In verses 1-14, Jesus taught the parable of the king and the wedding feast directed at the religious leaders. The king sent his servants out to invite people to the wedding feast, but they rejected the invitation to go about their business. Others killed the king’s servants. The king sent his soldiers to destroy those who had killed his servants. Then the king sent his servants to invite others to the feast. The king saw one man who had entered the feast but was not wearing a wedding garment, so the king had him bound and cast out.
Note: Both bad and good are included in the expanded invitation. The guests are the disciples, followers of Jesus. The guests who did not wear the wedding garment provided by the king are false disciples. These false disciples appeared to be followers but were not. Many are invited, few are chosen, but an individual response is essential.
In verses 15-22, the Pharisees plotted to trap Jesus, asking him whether it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not.
Note: If Jesus answered it is legal to pay taxes to Rome, he would be siding with Romans against the Jews and would be a traitor to his people. If, however, he said it was not legal to pay taxes to Rome, he would be guilty of opposing Rome and incur the wrath of the Herodians (Herodians were of the family of Herod who supported Roman rule).
Jesus asked whose picture is on the coin. Since Caesar’s picture was on the coin, it belonged to Caesar. Therefore, said Jesus, give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and give to God things that are God’s.
In verses 23-33, the Sadducees posed a question to Jesus about the resurrection. If a man was married, but the wife died, and he remarried, and this happened several times, they wondered who would be his wife in the resurrection. Jesus responded in the resurrection; there will be no need for marriage (the purpose of marriage was procreation).
Note: The Sadducees believed only in the Pentateuch (first five books of Moses), so they rejected the idea of resurrection and eternal life. Jesus challenged their knowledge of scripture quoting Exodus 3:6. God said, “I am the God of…” (Present tense), implying He still is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If there were no eternal life, God would have said: “I was the God of” (past tense).
In verses 34-40, when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had answered the Sadducees, they sent a lawyer with a question, which is the greatest commandment. Jesus summarized all the law and the teachings of the prophets, saying the greatest commandment is to love God (Deuteronomy 6:5), and the second commandment is to love your neighbor (Leviticus 19:18).
In verses 41-46, Jesus turned the tables on the Pharisees and asked them a question; what do you think about Christ? Whose son is he? They answered that Christ was the son of David. Why then, Jesus asked, did David refer to him as Lord quoting Psalm 110:1.
Note: The word David used for the Lord was “Adonay,” a word only used for God.
If David called him Lord, how is he his son? None of the Pharisees could answer Jesus, so they stopped asking him questions.
Note: To this point, Jesus had silenced all his critics: the chief priests and elders (Matthew 21:23-27), the Pharisees and Herodians (Matthew 22:15-22), the Sadducees (Matthew 22:23-33), and the Pharisees (Matthew 22:34-36).
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.