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MATTHEW 21
Survey of the chapter
We come now to the climax of the ministry of the Lord Jesus as He formally presents Himself to the nation at its King. He does this by entering Jerusalem in accordance with the prophecy of Zechariah.
He then purges the temple, and curses a fig tree, a figure of the nation. His authority for doing so is questioned by the chief priests and elders of the people. It is much too late in His ministry to give further proof of His authority, but He does speak two parables that make the position clear.
Structure of the chapter
| (a) | Verses 1-11 | The coming of the King |
| (b) | Verses 12-16 | The cleansing of the temple |
| (c) | Verses 17-22 | The cursing of the fig tree |
| (d) | Verses 23-27 | The confrontation with the priests |
| (e) | Verses 28-32 | The conduct of two sons |
| (f) | Verses 33-46 | The condemnation of the rulers |
(a) Verses 1-11
The coming of the King
21:1
And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives- John makes it clear in 12:12 that the entry into Jerusalem was the day after Mary anointed Him in the house of Simon the Pharisee. She appreciated that He was “Messiah the Prince”, as the angel Gabriel called Him, Daniel 9:25. He rode into Jerusalem as the anointed King, but sadly it was not the leaders of the nation who honoured Him. We read of David that “all the elders of Israel came to the king in Hebron…and they anointed David king over Israel”, 2 Samuel 5:3. Alas, great David’s greater Son was not recognized in this way, except by the minority.
The reference to two days in Matthew 26:1-13 and Mark 14:1-9 is to the consultation by the authorities. Matthew and Mark both place the account of Mary’s action out of chronological order so as to highlight the contrast between what she did and what the authorities planned to do. In between were several days of teaching in the temple.
In a day to come the Lord shall descend to the mount of Olives from heaven, but here He ascends the mount, probably after staying in Bethany overnight, and reaches the hamlet of Bethphage, which, like Bethany, was on the eastern slopes of the mount of Olives.
Then sent Jesus two disciples- John simply says, “when he had found a young ass”, so what these two disciples do is what the Lord is said to do Himself. This gives great dignity to service for the Lord, and cautions us to only engage in that which He would do in any circumstance. This means we must learn what His mind is as we read the scriptures.
21:2
Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me.
Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her- what the two disciples did was what the Lord did through them. He knew what village to send them to, where in the village the animals would be, (straitway after entering into the village); that there would be a mother and her colt, (that is, a mother ass and her young male colt); that the colt would have never carried a person before, Mark 11:2, (although the meaning of the word in the Old Testament indicates he had just been trained to carry a burden. He had been kept in reserve so that the first burden he carried was the King).
Loose them, and bring them unto me- the two disciples might have wondered about taking the colt without asking, but their fears are allayed by the next statement.
21:3
And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them.
And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them- the fact that the disciples are to refer to Him as the Lord showed that the owners were believers, or at least sympathetic to Him, or else they would have used the name Jesus when telling them the colt was needed.
And straightway he will send them- as it happened, it was the owners themselves, who were standing nearby, Mark 11:5, who asked why the disciples were loosing the colt, Luke 19:33. They offered no objection to the use of their animal. It is good if the believer’s possessions are at the disposal of the Lord, to use as He thinks fit.
21:4
All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,
All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying- Zechariah is quoted several times in the gospel records, but he is never mentioned by name. This will be helpful to notice when we come to chapter 27:9.
Where the Greek word “ina” is used, as it is here, in connection with the fulfilment of prophecy, then it is “in order that it might be fulfilled”, and the prophecy has been finally fulfilled. When the Lord comes again, it will be on a white horse, Revelation 19:11.
21:5
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.
Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek- Matthew does not record any of the multitude hailing Christ as King, but he does a better thing, and notices God’s word to the nation through the prophet announcing that this is indeed who He is.
Jeremiah used the expression “daughter of Zion”, (meaning the inhabitants of Jerusalem as a whole), seven times in his lamentation over the city of Jerusalem, destroyed as it was by the Babylonians. It was Jerusalem and Judea that were foremost in rejecting Him, but here he is presented to the nation. When the Lord was walking out to His crucifixion, the daughters of Jerusalem lamented His sorrow. His response was, “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children”, Luke 23:28.
When He reaches the brow of the mount of Olives, the King will lament over the same city, but this time because of what will happen to it in the future, both in AD 70 and in the Tribulation Period, Luke 19:41-44. And all this because they knew not the time of their visitation.
This King is meek, meaning He accepts fully whatever the will of God is for Him. He knows full well that this involves the cross, as well as the throne.
And sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass- only Matthew tells us there were two animals, the colt and its mother. Infidels wickedly suggest that Matthew misunderstood the prophecy of Zechariah that is being fulfilled on this occasion, and thought there were two animals involved, so he invented one to make the story fit the prophecy! Zechariah had written, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon the colt the foal of an ass”, Zechariah 9:9. But even an infidel cannot ride on two animals at once. The fact is that “colt the foal of an ass” is a description of the ass, so Zechariah spoke only of one animal.
But the Lord has authority to expand the prophecy, and so instructs the disciples to bring the mother animal as well. Both were needed, but He only sat on the colt, the young male animal. The animal’s mother was needed, for the ass is known for its docility and patience, (this is suggested by the Hebrew word for “ass”), and she will serve to calm her young colt as he walks through the crowds as they shout and wave their palm branches. But even though it had its mother with him, this would not be enough to steady him when, for the first time, a person rides him. But it is the Lord who is doing this, and He can calm the animal far better than its mother. He is the Last Adam, and has control over the beasts of the field, Psalm 8:7. He can calm a demoniac, a great fever, a storm, and even this colt, and its mother as well, even though He is not riding on her.
21:6
And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them- it was only a simple task, but they obeyed completely. Who knows what bigger work was given to them to do later on?
21:7
And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
And brought the ass, and the colt- they did not ride them, but led them to the Lord for His use. He does not come marching, as if He comes to battle, but shows His control by riding an untamed colt. An ancient Mari document from the Seventeenth Century BC says “it is improper for royalty to ride a horse rather than an ass. Royal persons rode on asses on peaceful occasions, whilst horses are associated with war”.
Long before, Jacob had prophesied about Judah that “the sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and His ass’s colt unto the choice vine”, Genesis 49:10,11. So Jacob mentioned two animals also. Perhaps the vine is the nation of Israel as a whole, and by riding into Jerusalem accompanied by the ass the Lord, the true son of Judah, was associating Himself to a degree with the nation. But He did not ride that animal, for He knew the nation would reject Him. He did, however, ride on the colt, and thereby associated Himself with the choice vine, the faithful remnant of Israel who believed that His was the sceptre of rule.
And put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon- they do what they can to make His entry as royal as possible. He does not need a saddle to enable Him to control the animal.
Note that they put clothes on the mother animal too. Is this a sign that when Christ comes again the “daughter of Zion” shall ride with Him?
21:8
And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way- Jerusalem was filled with pilgrims at passover time, and they line the way as their Messiah prepares to enter His capital city. No wonder the authorities would soon say, “the world is gone after him”, for Jews from all parts of the dispersion were in Jerusalem.
They willingly give up their cloaks in order to decorate the path of the King. Again we have the example of those who are prepared to give up legitimate personal things in order to further the cause of Christ.
Others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way- John is the only one to tell us that the trees were palm trees, and Luke does not mention the branches at all. The palm tree is the symbol of victory, for it triumphs over the harsh and arid desert conditions in which it grows, sends a root deep down below the surface, and flourishes despite all opposition. How like Christ this is, for having grown up in Nazareth as a tender plant and a root out of the dry ground, He continued to flourish during His public ministry, for He could say with the psalmist, “all my springs are in Thee”, Psalm 87:7. Despite the opposition of religious men He triumphed, for God had said of Him as His servant, that He would “send forth judgment unto victory”, Matthew 12:20.
No doubt in its fulness this looks on to a Millenial day, when all error shall have been dealt with, and truth shall triumph, but it was true of Him personally, that truth always triumphed in His words and ways. Those who waved palm branches, however, may have been more interested in political triumph over the Romans. As the two on the road to Emmaus said, “we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel”, Luke 24:21; by “redeemed” they meant delivered from the Roman overlords.
21:9
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David- in normal circumstances the colt would be intimidated by the garments strewed in its path, the waving of the palm branches and the roar of the crowd, but its Creator is in control.
Hosanna means “Save, we pray Thee”. It is a Hebrew word, and this is perhaps why Luke, writing in the first instance to a Gentile, does not mention it. It is a similar thought to that of the psalmist when he wrote, “Save now, I beseech Thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord”, Psalm 118:25,26.
Mark writes they said, “Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest”, Mark 11:9,10. In Luke it is, “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest”, Luke 19:38.
This all took place at the descent of the mount of Olives, as the city of the great King came into view. These are all the expressions of those who are expecting the setting up of the Messianic kingdom in the near future.
They said these things, Luke says, “as they began to praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen”, verse 37. So they see in the mighty works the evidence that He is able to overcome all obstacles, and therefore is able to crush the Romans, even though none of His miracles had been ones of judgment, except on the fig tree, and that has not happened at this point.
Notice the different titles the gospel writers mention. Matthew allows Zechariah to call Him “thy King”. Then the crowd call Him “son of David”, as Matthew had shown he was by His genealogy. Mark tells us some in the crowd said, “Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord”. It is characteristic of Mark to emphasise the work to be done, so he writes of the kingdom, not the king, for there is work to be done in ruling. Luke simply calls Him the King, emphasizing His personal right to the title. John, however, quotes some in the crowd as they recognise Him as King of Israel, and this fits in with John’s theme, for King of Israel is a Divine title.
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest- Hosanna means “Save, we pray Thee”. The people are quoting now from the psalmist when he wrote, “Save now, I beseech Thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord”, Psalm 118:25,26. That psalm is the last of the group known as the Great Hallel, and was not only sung when the passover lambs were slaughtered in the temple, but also on passover night at the end of the supper. So when, just before leaving the upper room, they sang a hymn, or psalm, these words would have been on the lips of the Lord Jesus. But He did not go out to occupy a throne, but a cross, for the psalm went on to say, “bind the sacrifice with cords, even with cords to the horns of the altar”, verse 27. Because this would be the case, He will soon say, as He leaves the temple buildings, “Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord”, Matthew 23:39. The word hosanna has a double meaning. First of all the appeal to God to “Save now”, and then the praise for salvation granted. The people are confident that Jesus of Nazareth will realise their hopes.
Luke records them saying, “Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest”. They seem to combine the idea of the King coming, as Zechariah prophesied, with the words of Psalm 118:26.
Whether they realised the implications of this is another matter, for the King did not simply come as an agent, but as God manifest in flesh, who could claim the Divine title of King of Israel. At His birth the angels said, “Peace on earth”, for His incarnation held out the promise of the fulfilment of God’s intention to rid the world of all that was at war with Him. It was also the time of goodwill towards men, for God sent not His Son into the world to condemn, but to save.
Here the people speak of peace in heaven, as if they believed heaven was looking on calmly and serenely on the situation. They exclaim “glory in the highest!” calling on the angels to glorify God for what was happening. These are the words of people who are confident that the event they are witnessing is of God.
21:10
And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? After Herod had learned that He had been born, we read, “he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him”, Matthew 2:3. As a result, he sought His life. History is repeating itself, and the Jerusalem authorities are concerned. How sad that in the intervening years, especially the years of Christ’s ministry, (during which He visited Jerusalem many times), they still have not learned His true character and intent.
21:11
And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee- Luke tells us that there were some Pharisees in the crowd who called upon Him to rebuke His disciples for what they were saying. So there were hostile elements present, which perhaps explains the restrained description the people give of the King. He is Jesus, the lowly man, an acknowledged prophet, and, morover, He comes from Galilee, dismissed by Jerusalem as unsophisticated and uneducated.
(b) Verses 12-16
The cleansing of the temple
21:12
And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
And Jesus went into the temple of God- we know from Mark’s account that the casting out of the moneychangers happened the next day, Mark 11:11,15. The Lord did indeed go into the temple of God immediately after His arrival in the city, but only to look around at the conditions. He would not be hasty in His judgment. In fact, He gave the stallholders time to move out overnight, given that they knew what He had done three years before. The fact that they did not do so showed their contempt for Him, and their obsession with profit.
It is only Matthew who calls it the temple of God here, for he is establishing a link between the situation then and the Old Testament. Having been hailed as Son of David, Christ goes into the temple that replaced the one built by David’s original son, Solomon. But it is not so much the temple of His forefather Solomon, but of His Father in heaven. Needless to say “the temple” means the temple courts, not the inner sanctuary.
And cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves- note the emphasis on the money-making that went on in the temple courts. “Sold…bought…moneychangers…sold”. When He purged the temple at the beginning of His ministry, the emphasis was on the expulsion of the animals and birds that were being sold there, as well as the moneychangers, John 2:14-16. This was as if He was introducing Himself as the true sacrifice.
Here, though, it was as if they had rejected His word, “make not my Father’s house a house of merchandise”, and compounded their sin by making it, not just a place for buying and selling, but a place more fittingly called a den of thieves. This action may have been the final excuse the chief priests were looking for to arrest Him, for they could argue that He was disrupting the service of God.
21:13
And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves- instead of a centre for the calling down of blessing upon men, they had made it into a money-making enterprise. Much harm has been done to the Christian profession over the centuries by those who have sought to make money out of the gospel. The apostle Paul could say that he had coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel, Acts 20:33. His own hands had ministered to his necessities, and of those that accompanied him, verse 34. Far from seeking support for himself, he sought to labour to support the weak, those who were genuinely dependent on others for help, verse 35.
21:14
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them- as we have noticed several times throughout Matthew’s gospel, the blind and the lame felt free to come to Him for help, even though He was the Son of David, who hated the blind and the lame. Far from rejecting them as those not fit for the army of the King, Christ saw in these men potential spiritual warriors.
21:15
And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased,
And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did- this is not the word “wonder” as in “miracles and wonders and signs”, but expresses a sense of amazement. They were amazed at His boldness in purging the temple, and at His attitude to the blind and the lame. These latter would be by necessity poor, and held little attraction for the greedy moneychangers and stall-holders.
And the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the son of David- this is another feature of Christ, that the children were happy in His presence, and felt no fear. No doubt many of the crowd that had lined the road as He entered the city had followed Him into the temple, and then had come again the next day. They had not forgotten what was said by the multitudes, and they feel free to repeat it now.
They were sore displeased- should not these men have been delighted that the rising generation were happy to be in the temple courts, and praise God for sending the Messiah? Sadly, this was far from their attitude, for they see in Christ a threat to their position.
21:16
And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea- the Lord had not ignored the children and their praise, as if He did not approve. In fact He saw in their song perfect praise. Christian children may be encouraged by this, and take their place amongst those who sing His praise in His presence.
Have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? The expression “have ye never read”, or similar, is found five times in Matthew’s gospel. The Lord is not suggesting that they had never read the Old Testament. What He is asserting is that they had missed its meaning, which He will go on to point out.
It was a saying amongst the Jewish teachers that “babes and sucklings shall give strength to the Messiah”, and that was clearly based upon the words quoted here. The writer to the Hebrews clearly sees Psalm 8 as a Messianic psalm, for he relates to Christ what was originally said about Adam, see Hebrews 2:5-9.
Let us notice what the commentary of the writer to the Hebrews is about Psalm 8:
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Hebrews 2:5 The world to come whereof we speak- the habitable earth in its future condition is what the writer speaks of in 1:5-2:4. There are three major words used in the New Testament for “world”. There is the word cosmos, which, ideally, is the world of order, beauty and harmony as it came from God, (used in Hebrews 9:1); the opposite of cosmos being chaos. Sadly, that world has been spoiled, and hence it is now the world, not of harmony, but of hostility. Another word for world is “aionas”; which has to do with the passing of time, and so is the world of history. The third word is “oikoumene”, the habitable earth, the world of humanity. So the writer is here referring to the future state of the earth as it will be when man’s day has come to an end, and his rule over the earth is cancelled. This is the earth as the writer has spoken of it in chapter 1:5-14. The question is, if that world is not to be subject to angels, then to whom is it to be subject? And if the answer is man, then the question is, which man? Who is competent enough to manage the earth for God? For the answer to this question the writer turns to David’s words in Psalm 8. Perhaps he penned the psalm after a night out on the hillside looking after the sheep near Bethlehem, his home town. Just as centuries later shepherds would be guarding their flock on those same hillsides, when the birth of Christ was announced to them. As David looked above, he saw the moon and stars; as he looked around, he thought of men; as he looked back he thought of Adam; as he looked down, he saw his hometown, Bethlehem; as he looked forward he thought of Christ. Hebrews 2:6 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? The word used for man in Psalm 8:4 is “enosh”, frail, mortal, man. Seemingly so fragile, and subject to death, how can God’s purpose be centred there? He seems almost beneath being noticed by God. Or the son of man, that thou visitest him? Not only does God notice him, but He also visits him, to make known His ways. From this we learn that God has great interest in man. He not only is mindful of man, but moves towards him. He not only has interest, but intervenes. We should not think of this expression “son of man” as being a reference to Christ, for that is not how the psalmist uses it; he is simply describing men as sons of Adam, through their fathers, in a long line which stretches back to Adam. Implied in this is the fact that a sinful nature is passed on from father to son. Hebrews 2:7 Man is lower than angels because: Angels are greater in power and might than men, 2 Peter 2:11. Angels do not die, being pure spirit. Angels are fitted to live in heaven. Angels can move from heaven to earth. Angels are not limited by an earthly body. Angels rest not day and night, worshipping God, Revelation 4:8. So angels are higher because of their power, permanence, privilege and praise of God. But man is said to be only a little lower, so despite the foregoing, there are things which compensate, for man was made in the image and likeness of God, and the Son of God passed angels by, and became man. God’s intention to make man is expressed in a unique way- “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness”, Genesis 1:26. That this applies to the male and the female is clear from verse 27. As far as relationship with God is concerned, there is no bias with God towards the male or the female, all are equal in His sight, and both were created in God’s image and after His likeness. The Lord Jesus in Matthew 22:15-22 referred to the head of Caesar on a coin as the image of Caesar. In other words, the image represented Caesar and His authority, and those who used the coin were recognising this. Part of God’s plan in making man, then, was that He might have someone to represent Him to the rest of the creation. One of the reasons why murder should be penalised by capital punishment is that man is made in the image of God, see Genesis 9:5,6. Man is also said to be made after God’s likeness. It was not necessarily true that Caesar’s image on the coin was a very good likeness, but God made sure that man had the capacity to represent Him well, by giving him certain characteristics which He Himself possesses. Special note on the making of man Man was made in the likeness of God in a three-fold way: God has personality, and each of the persons of the Godhead has his own particular distinctive features, by which He displays Himself. So man was given personality, to display God through it. God has spirituality, which not only means that He is a Spirit, see John 4:24, but also means He can appreciate His own glories. Man was made so that he might appreciate those glories too, and worship God in his spirit. God has rationality, which means that He reasons, plans, purposes, and decides. Man has these abilities too; not, of course, in the sense that He could advise God, see 1 Corinthians 2:16, but so that he could order his life in relation to God’s purpose in an intelligent way. Sadly, as the subsequent chapters show in Genesis, this perfect state of things did not last long, for man sinned, and Adam “begat a son in his own likeness, after his image”, Genesis 5:3. The original purpose for which man was created was now only partially realised, and his abilities were now diverted for his own ends. The remedy for this situation is found in the Lord Jesus, who became man that He might be the head of a new order of things. He displayed to perfection those things that God looked for in man. As such He is the perfect example to those who believe. As Ephesians 4:21 says, “the truth is in Jesus”, which means that if we would see a life lived that is true to God’s will, then we may see it in the earthly life of the Lord Jesus. Only those who are in Christ, and as such are a new creation, are able to represent God adequately. Thou crownedst him with glory and honour- glory is official, honour is moral, and these two perhaps correspond to man made in the image of God, (official position), and after His likeness, (moral character). So although lower than angels in the ranks of creation, yet man has a potential beyond all the angelic hosts. The word used for crown here is “stephanos”, a wreath or circlet that was merited, (in contrast to the diadem that was inherited). This is the crown of the one who won the race as an athlete; who won respect as a citizen; who won a battle as a soldier; who won a bride as a suitor. And didst set him over the works of thy hands- man was a steward, responsible for the safe keeping of the property of another, even God. Hebrews 2:8 For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him- this shows that there is nothing put under angels, and also that the “all” is not qualified, as if it was only all of a certain range of things, for there is nothing else to be under him. We must understand this in connection with Adam before we advance to the idea, under the guidance of the writer, that these things can only be fulfilled in Christ. Summarising, we may think of what the psalmist says as follows: What is man, that thou art mindful of him? The mystery. Thou madest him a little lower than the angels The minority. Thou crownedst him with glory and honour The majesty. Thou didst set him over the works of thine hands The ministry. Thou hast put all things under his feet The mastery. But now we see not yet all things put under him- a change has come in, showing that the potential of Psalm 8 has not been realised in Adam, and this situation continues, hence the word “now”. There is also the word “yet”, telling us that there is something in prospect. The “now” refers to conditions under Adam, the “yet” to conditions under Christ. The emphasis in this chapter is on the manhood of Christ, as in chapter one it was on His Deity, and the remainder of the chapter sets out seven things that Jesus has been able to do by coming into manhood:
Hebrews 2:9 Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death- here we see why the writer quoted from Psalm 8, for the full potential of that psalm is not reached in Adam, but in Jesus, who is the second man, and the Last Adam, 1 Corinthians 15:45-47. By coming into manhood, He, the creator of angels, has become lower than they are, for “made a little lower than the angels” has now become in the writer’s mind the equivalent of saying “became a man”. Adam was made a little lower than the angels for the enjoyment of life, but sadly, he fell, and this brought in suffering and death. Only Jesus could remedy this, and He did it by enduring the suffering connected with death. “For” means “with a view to”, so He became man expressly to die. Angels do not die, and Adam’s death had no merit; only Christ’s death can deal with the situation brought in by the fall. Crowned with glory and honour- not only must He correspond to Adam by being made lower than angels, but He must correspond also in being crowned with glory and honour before His great work is done at the Cross, just as Adam by contrast was crowned before his great sin in disobeying God. So there was seen in Christ the perfect representation and likeness of God that glory and honour involve, and it takes four gospel records to set just a glimpse of it forth. We see this in the brief insight Luke gives to us of the boyhood of the Lord Jesus. He is taken by Joseph and Mary to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover. Instead of returning with them He remained behind. When they at last found Him He was in the Temple “sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers”, Luke 2:46,47. See how this corresponds with what we have said about the image and likeness of God given to man at the beginning: His personality. “Wist ye not that I must be about My Father’s business?”. He is aware of His distinct mission from the Father, even though He had not yet been anointed for public ministry. His spirituality. He is with the doctors or teachers in the temple as they discuss the Law. His rationality. Hearing and answering questions in a manner which impressed the learned doctors, but without asserting Himself as superior to them, for He ever “made Himself of no reputation”. That he by the grace of God should taste death for every man- this phrase refers to the whole of the previous part of the verse. Note the punctuation, with commas between phrases until the word honour, which is followed by a semi-colon. This would suggest that “crowned with glory and honour” refers to Him during His life, for the first two statements, “made a little lower”, and, “crowned with glory and honour”, become true in order that He might taste death for every man. He showed Himself fit to die by His life before God and men. Adam was made in the image of God, to represent God to creation. This was a glory indeed. He was also made after the likeness of God, involving, as we have seen, personality, spirituality and rationality. These are honourable things, and they were expressed by Adam as far as man is able to manifest them. Adam fell, however, and lost the dominion which his crown entitled him to. There is another, however, in whom these features were seen to perfection, and with the eye of faith we discern in Christ when He was here those qualities and characteristics which make a man glorious and honourable. The words “every man” could be translated “every thing”, and assure us of the far-reaching effects of the work of Christ, which has guaranteed the deliverance of a groaning creation, Romans 8:20,21; Colossians 1:20. He gave insights into this deliverance when He was here the first time, as He defeated death, disease, demon-possession, danger and distress, as Matthew 8 details. No wonder the writer speaks of the Hebrews tasting the powers of the age to come, 6:5. Adam tasted of the forbidden tree, and forfeited his rights over the earth, but Christ has tasted death, (on a tree, Acts 5:30), and purchased for Himself the right to have all creation subject to Himself. As the creator of all things, He is supreme over them, but since He has become man He must prove his claim. |
Going back to Matthew 21:16, and the children singing in the temple, we notice they were repeating the cry of the multitude the day before, who shouted “Hosanna to the son of David”. As we have seen, Hosanna means, in the first instance, “Save now”, and they are saying that the one who comes to Jerusalem comes to save, and they are appealing to Him to do so. What they mean by salvation is the same as John the Baptist’s father meant when he said, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people. And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David…that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us”, Luke 1:68.69.71.
But Hebrews 2, and other passages that make use of Psalm 8, such as 1 Corinthians 15:25-28 and Ephesians 1:22, give a far wider scope to the psalm, including indeed the reign of Christ over the earth, but extending even to the defeat of death itself. This would explain why the psalmist speaks of the stilling of the enemy and the avenger. Interestingly the word for “still” means “to cause to keep sabbath”, and the kingdom age is a sabbath, God’s rest, according to Hebrews 3:4-9. During that period Satan, the enemy, and the Antichrist, the avenger, will be consigned to the bottomless pit, Revelation 19:20: 20:1,2. They will be forced to cease from their evil work.
But how shall we explain the psalmist’s words, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger”? Is there a clue in the words of the psalm title, “To the chief musician upon Gittith”? Some would suggest that a gittith is a musical instrument from Gath, a Philistine town, from where Goliath came. Does David specify this instrument because it reminds him of his victory over Goliath, the enemy of Israel? And is David using poetic exaggeration when he speaks of babes and sucklings? Goliath had treated him with contempt, for we read “he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance”, 1 Samuel 17:42. But from this “babe” came the following words, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands”, verses 45-47.
And by these words the Lord ordained strength, for not only did David “still the enemy and the avenger”, but he fortified the armies of Israel to fight. Before, they had run away from Goliath, but when they saw he was dead they fought valiantly and defeated their foes.
More than this, when David accompanied Saul the king on his travels through the kingdom, everywhere the women came out of the cities and sang “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands”. So not only has the “babe” ordained or prepared strength in the men of war, but has perfected praise in the womenfolk. And this is how the Lord quoted the words of Psalm 8 in our passage, in response to the hosannas of the children in the temple. As a result of the women ascribing greater achievements to David than Saul in their songs, he was “very wroth, and the saying displeased him”, just as the chief priests and scribes were “sore displeased” in Matthew 21:15.
There was another king who was wroth; his name was Herod, angry because the wise men had not returned to him, Matthew 2:16. He slew the innocent babes in his anger, but the one he was seeking had escaped. For forty years men had sought to assassinate Herod, but he had survived. But within six months of his slaughter of the innocents he was dead. He had sought the child born in Bethlehem of David’s line, and found that the babe and the suckling was his downfall.
(c) Verses 17-22
The cursing of the fig tree
21:17
And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there.
And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there- it is a sad commentary on the state of the nation that their King has to find lodgings outside of His capital city. But the company there in Bethany was congenial, as the company in the city would not have been. He had come to His own capital city, but His own people received Him not.
21:18
Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered.
Now in the morning as he returned into the city- we have here the start of the events of the day after His entry into Jerusalem. The expression used here, “the morning” means very early, at the very break of day.
He hungered- we may wonder why this is, if He had lodged with Mary, Martha and Lazarus at Bethany. However, Mark tells us of an occasion when, “in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed”, Mark 1:35. This may very well have been the case here, and He had returned to Bethany so the disciples could accompany Him, and they made their way together towards Jerusalem.
21:19
And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.
And when he saw a fig tree in the way- Mark tells us He saw the tree afar off, for it must have been an early variety of fig, and had put forth its leaves before the others in the vicinity, making it stand out It is one of the features of a fig tree that it produces its fruits and leaves at about the same time. Most trees produce their leaves well before the time of the fruit, but the fig is different. This being the case, it was reasonable to expect that if there was a show of leaves, there would be some fruit.
Note that the fig tree is in the way, so the Lord is not raiding someone else’s fig plantation. Trees that overhang the public path are public property.
He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only- that is, He came to it along the road, having seen it from a distance. He did not leave the road and wander into private property.
Leaves are an important part of a tree, and there can be no fruit without them, but a tree that only produces leaves and not fruit is not fulfilling its function.
Mark seems to suggest that the reason He found no fruit was because the time of fruit “was not yet”, or had not arrived. This makes the expectation of Christ to find fruit because there were leaves an unreasonable one. (There might have been a situation where the last year’s figs were still left on the tree, but that was not the case here, since the Lord came to the tree because there were leaves, suggesting there was the new seasons’s fruit on the tree). The point about “the time of figs was not yet” is, that the time for harvesting figs had not arrived, and so it was to be expected that there was unharvested fruit on the tree.
Sadly, despite its show of promise, this tree has not fulfilled the purpose for which it was growing. No doubt the tree is a figure for the nation of Israel. However, whereas the olive tree and the vine both represent Israel in a good light, the fig tree does not. The first mention of the fig tree is in the record of man’s fall, when to cover their nakedness Adam and his wife made themselves fig-leaf aprons. So here, the fig-leaves only serve to cover up the barrenness of this tree. Its Creator came to it, and it was found wanting. So Christ came to the nation and found much show and ceremony, but they were producing nothing for God.
And said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever- this is the only miracle of destruction performed by the Lord. How significant that it was not judgment of a person, but a thing. But the “thing” did represent the nation, Israel after the flesh, and it hears its doom.
There is a great and glorious future ahead for the nation of Israel, but not Israel after the flesh. As the Lord Jesus said to Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, “Ye must be born again”, with the “ye” being plural, meaning all of you in the nation. And this will happen, for God will sprinkle clean water upon them, and bring them into the good of the sacrifice of their Messiah at Calvary, and the Spirit of God shall blow upon the dead bones of Israel, and they shall receive new life, Ezekiel 36:25-28 and 37:1-14. In other words they shall be born of water and of the Spirit, John 3:5.
So Israel after the flesh, Israel consisting merely of people descended from Abraham, has no future. But a nation of converted Jews, changed by the sight of their Messiah coming from heaven to set up His kingdom, has a glorious future under His benign rule.
And presently the fig tree withered away- the Lord had begun His miracle-ministry by turning water into wine, because the wine at the wedding had failed. He thus showed Himself as Creator, for the one who made the trees on the third day of creation week, is now showing that He can produce the fruit of the trees without the tree. Here the situation is the reverse, for the tree is present, but it has not produced the fruit of the tree, and is therefore worthless. There is no period of probation granted to this tree, for the nation is about to crucify their Messiah.
We know that this cursing of the fig tree of Israel is not temporary, for later the disciples will notice that the tree is dried up from the roots, with no hope of recovery. They must become part of the vine and the olive tree if they are to be anything for God.
21:20
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away!
And when the disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How soon is the fig tree withered away! When He turned water into wine, the Lord showed that He could change the rain into wine, thus hastening the process that normally takes months, or even years if wine is allowed to mature. Here the judgment is swift, for the nation has showed itself to be beyond repair.
21:21
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.
Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree- the lesson for the disciples has not to do with prophecy, but faith. The reason why the nation of Israel had produced no fruit for God was their lack of real faith. Since their remark was about the withered fig tree, the Lord takes the opportunity to show them why it was withered so soon. It was because there was no real life in the tree in the first place. Christ’s curse simply served to expose this. Those who have real faith will be able to discern where there is genuine faith and where there is mere religion, and they will expose it in their preaching and in their living, and thus “curse the fig tree” again.
They must not themselves lack faith, (shown by doubting), or else their ability to discern mere profession will be impaired.
But also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done- it is one thing to point out a situation as it is, it is quite another to so act in faith that something dramatic happens. A mountain in scripture is the symbol of a mountain, and the sea is a figure of the Gentiles. As the Acts of the Apostles progresses, we see that God is turning more and more from the nation of Israel because it crucified His Son. In the synagogue in Antioch in Pisidia, Paul preached on the theme of salvation in Christ. At the end of his address he warned the Jews, using words spoken before by Habakkuk, “Behold ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you”, Habakkuk 1:5. The original word of the prophet was about the Chaldean invasion, when Israel would be overrun and taken into captivity. He expects they will not believe him when he tells them about this work of Divine judgment.
The situation in Paul’s day was the same, but this time the work of judgment was God allowing the Romans to destroy their capital city, (the mountain), and disperse them amongst the nations, (the sea of the Gentiles). The Jews rejected his warning, so he says to them, “lo, we turn to the Gentiles”, Acts 13:46.
It took great faith for Paul to say these things, for his heart’s desire for Israel was they should be saved; but faithfulness to God’s purpose demands that he speak the words. In so doing he moved a mountain, the nation of Israel, and cast it into the sea, the dispersion of the nation amongst the Gentiles in AD 70.
21:22
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive- the foregoing had supposed that the apostles would be scattered abroad as they preached to the Jew first. In view of this they would have needs to be met, for the Jews would be reluctant to support them. So it is that the promise is given to them that they have only to ask in believing prayer, and they will receive the necessary things they need.
(d) Verses 23-27
The confrontation with the priests.
21:23
And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching- both Mark and Luke tell us the scribes were present too, so this is a full-scale delegation, showing how serious they think the situation to be. They are seeking reasons to overthrow Him.
And said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? The first question asks what sort of authority the Lord has for doing “these things”, meaning purging the temple and teaching. Is it his own authority, the authority granted by popular consent, or the authority of the rabbis? And who is the source of that authority, especially since He had not gone through the schools of the rabbis to be taught. Is it of man, of God, or even of Satan? They had already accused Him of casting out demons by Satan’s power, Matthew 12:24.
21:24
And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things- so the exchange is to be perfectly fair; but notice who is setting the terms. This is emphasised in Mark’s account, where the Lord insists they answer Him. This in itself indicates that the Lord claims higher authority than the priests and rabbis, for He is in control.
The response to the question He poses will show why the fig tree of the nation is cursed and the mountain of the government of the nation is to be removed.
21:25
The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him?
The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? Inasmuch as we read “John came baptising”, John’s preaching ministry and his baptisms are linked together. They have asked for Christ’s authority, but what of John’s? That will decide the matter, for John only ministered so that Christ could be introduced to the nation, so their thoughts about him will give their thoughts about Christ.
And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? They claim to be in touch with God as priests and rulers in Israel, yet they did not respond to John’s preaching, nor submit in repentance to his baptism. If they admit John was sent of God, it will indicate they are not sent of God, for they did not recognise him.
21:26
But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet.
But if we shall say, Of men; we fear the people- those who have authority from God will not fear the people; they will make a stand for God whether it is the popular thing to do or not.
For all hold John as a prophet- the people could see clearly that John and the authorities were at variance. Having been baptised with the baptism of repentance, the people had believed John, not the rabbis. If John was a prophet, then he would have insight into what and who was of God, and since John had hailed Christ as the Messiah, the priests and elders were acting contrary to God.
21:27
And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell- in verse 24, the two occurrences of “tell” are simply the word for speak or say. Here it is a different word, and means to see or understand. They claim to not be able to make up their minds.
And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things- now the word “tell” means “to set forth in systematic discourse”. This is a judgment upon them, for there had been ample time for them to come to a decision about Him. He had discoursed in the temple on many occasions, and we have His discourse on the theme of His Deity, in John 5. If the Son of God does not have authority from God, then who can have? We could almost see in this statement a further cursing of the fig tree. The necessary moisture is being withheld from it, and it will soon wither.
(e) Verses 28-32
The conduct of two sons
21:28
But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard.
But what think ye? There follows four parables in which the Lord answers the question they had asked Him, but in parable form, which itself is a criticism of their former unbelief. These parables take the form of three and one, with the last one being an extension of the third parable. These four parables are followed by four questions, 22:15-46, and again these take the form of three and one. The three are questions from various groups of Jews, whereas the fourth is a question the Lord asked them at the end, and with which they left Him.
A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard- the “certain man” is a metaphor for God; the two sons are the extremes of character of the society in Israel; the call to the sons is through John the Baptist. The vineyard is Israel looked at as a means of bringing praise to God.
The word from the father takes the form of a command, so the sons are being tested as to whether they will bow to his authority. This, of course, is very relevant to the previous discussion about the authority of John the Baptist and Christ. They had been sent by the owner of the vineyard, even the God of Israel, and they willingly submitted to His authority.
21:29
He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went.
He answered and said, I will not- we know from the explanation in verse 31 that the first son represents people like the publicans and harlots. The publicans, by their occupation of collecting taxes from the occupying Roman forces, said “I will not” to God in civic matters, preferring to help the Roman overlords rather than Israel.
The harlots, on the other hand, said “I will not” to God in moral matters, and resisted the will of God as to behaviour and relationships.
But afterward he repented, and went- having heard the call of God to repent, the publicans and harlots changed their attitude, and submitted to the authority of the God of Israel, henceforth furthering the interests of the kingdom of God by “working in the vineyard”.
The repentance of the parable was simply a change of mind on a natural level as to whether or not to do work in a vineyard, but the repentance in response to the preaching of John the Baptist was on a deeper level, involving the renouncing of sin, and the life-style that goes with it.
21:30
And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not.
And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir- so the same command comes to both sons. The second son seems to submit to the authority of his father, for he calls him “Sir”, and declares he is willing to do as commanded. From the explanation we know that this son represents the chief priests and elders of the people, who appeared to be very respectful of God, and by their religion were saying that they were willing to do His will.
And went not- their actions did not match their profession, for they rejected the will of their father.
21:31
Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first- this was not a difficult question to answer. The difficulty lay in the hearts of those who were answering.
Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you- it is interesting to notice that Matthew, the former publican, begins his record of the King with His genealogy, but goes out of his way to mention four women about whom there is some scandal morally. This indicates early on in the gospel who it is that will become citizens of Christ’s kingdom.
21:32
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.
For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not- John asked the people to join him on the righteous pathway along which the Messiah would soon come. But to be on that way they had to repent, believing that what John said about their sinfulness was true. This the scribes and Pharisees were not willing to do, being self-righteous.
But the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him- not only did rank sinners repent and believe, but when the Pharisees saw this, they did not follow, but refused to “work in the vineyard”.
(f) Verses 33-46
The condemnation of the rulers
21:33
Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
Hear another parable- when this parable has been spoken, the chief priests and Pharisees will realise “that he spake of them”, verse 45. This is another parable of the same sort, but whereas before it was a question of going to work in the vineyard, in this parable the workers are already installed, and their reaction to the son of the vineyard owner is discovered.
There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country- we cannot help noticing the similarity with the word of Isaiah 5 about God’s vineyard. He wrote this, “Now will I sing to my wellbeloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My wellbeloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill: And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry”, Isaiah 5:1-7.
The very fruitful hill is the holy kingdom of Israel, a kingdom of priests, as described by God in Exodus 19:6. The fence is the law of Moses as it protected the nation from the lawlessness in the nations all around. The stones were the seven nations occupying the land before Israel arrived, and which God drove out. The choicest vine was the people of Israel, and in particular the tribe of Judah, the royal tribe. The tower was the line of prophets that God gave them to watch over them and warn them of danger. The winepress was the temple, which should have been the place where the worship of God was conducted. Sadly, all these provisions were of no avail because the vine itself did not yield proper grapes, and its very purpose of existing was not realised.
There are two differences between Isaiah 5 and Matthew 21. In the latter there is no mention of stones being removed, and the emphasis is on the husbandmen, not the vine itself, as in Isaiah. The husbandmen are those responsible for seeing that the vine flourishes, and so represent the rulers in Israel.
21:34
And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it- the husbandmen were to pay the rent by giving the owner some of the fruits of the vineyard, presumably in the form of wine. In the interpretation, this is the well-known tithing system set up by God. The servants could well be the prophets, sent by God to ensure that the people gave God His due.
21:35
And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another- as Stephen said in his final address to the nation, “Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One, of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers”, Acts 7:52.
21:36
Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise- later on the Lord will say to the scribes and Pharisees, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, if we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers”, Matthew 23:29-32.
21:37
But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son- Mark adds that he was his well beloved son, which reminds us of Isaiah’s words, “now will I sing to my well beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard”. The reference to the well beloved Son, together with the mention of John the Baptist just before, would bring back to their memories the word from heaven at Christ’s baptism, “This is my beloved Son”. They cannot mistake the connection. Nor can they mistake the contrast between what God said of Jesus of Nazareth, and what they say.
The man in the parable has the reasonable expectation that the husbandmen will give the son his due; but the husbandmen are not governed either by reason or courtesy.
21:38
ut when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves- instead of gathering around the son in welcome, they huddled together to plot against him. They had no intention of handing over the fruits of the vineyard. They saw the personal visit of the son as an opportunity.
How like the history of Joseph this is, for when Joseph was sent by his father to see how his brothers were faring, we read, “And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him”, Genesis 37:18. In the event, Joseph was rescued from death by his brother Reuben. But the son of this parable is actually killed.
This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance- Mark tells us that this son was the only son, as well as being beloved of his father, Mark 12:6. So the father has no other son to pass the vineyard on to if this one is killed. The husbandmen know this, and take advantage of the fact.
That they will have to seize the inheritance indicates they realise their tactic will not be legal. Perhaps they plan to take advantage of the confusion that would be brought about by the death of the son. It is true that the disciples were in disarray when Christ was crucified, but the sight of Him in resurrection soon rallied them.
21:39
And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him- this is what they would do to God’s Son. After having plotted against Him and determined to kill Him, they will arrest Him, reject His claim to be the Messiah, (cast Him out of the vineyard), and slay Him. It is true that Israel had lost the right to execute anyone, (except those who went past the middle wall of the temple, see Acts 21:28-31), but they handed Christ over to the Romans to do the killing for them.
21:40
When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? It seems that the rulers have not realised yet that the parable is about them, so they condemn themselves with their answer to this question.
21:41
They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men- they have a theoretical sense of justice, but did not display it in relation to the son, whose only “crime” was to be the son. So it was with Christ, for they crucified Him for claiming to be Son of God. To miserably destroy is to destroy in an evil way as befits the character of the ones being punished. “Miserably” and “wicked” are related words.
And will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons- the chief priests and their allies have just condemned themselves, just as David did when Nathan the prophet told him a parable about the unjust treatment of a poor man. David decreed what punishment he should receive, but then Nathan responded with “Thou art the man!” 2 Samuel 12:1-10.
The fact that the vineyard is let out by the owner to others shows that the plan to seize the inheritance did not succeed.
21:42
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner- the Lord does not wish to highlight the cruelty and wickedness of the husbandmen, so He passes on from the parable to quote from a psalm. The Hebrew word for son and stone are the same, which explains why the Lord passes smoothly from a parable about a son, to a prophecy about a stone.
Interestingly, the verses He quotes are almost immediately followed by the words, “Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord”, Psalm 118:25,26. It is said that these words were chanted while the passover lambs were sacrificed in the temple. These are also the very words on which the praise of the crowd were based as they hailed Him as He rode into Jerusalem. This will surely not be lost on the experts in the Old Testament to whom the Lord is speaking. The crowd was right, for He is the one who shall fulfil the prophecies and bring salvation to the nation. But what if the rulers of that nation reject Him?
The site of Calvary is disputed, but one theory is that it was outside the walls of Jerusalem in a quarry. It is said that there is a plaque at this place pointing out that the stones that litter the spot are the rejects from when Herod was rebuilding the temple. How appropriate it would be if Christ was “rejected” at the very spot where the rejected stones are found.
But the very “stone” which the crowd said by their chanting was the chief cornerstone of the nation, yet was rejected by the builders of the nation, the chief priests and scribes whose teaching and example should have edified and strengthened the nation, that very same stone has been honoured by God. He is the head of the corner, which is not at the top of the building, but is the vital cornerstone that is in the first layer of stones, and which gives alignment to the whole building. What a mistake to reject the stone that could prove to be indispensable to the stability of the whole building.
This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? That it was a great mistake to reject Him is seen in that it is the Lord, the God of Israel, who has elevated Him. The builders are in direct opposition to the God of Israel.
The honouring of Jesus of Nazareth will indeed be marvellous in the eyes of the nation in a future day when they repent of their national sin of elevating Him on a cross, and realise that God has elevated Him to a throne.
21:43
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you- not only did the Lord not explain the parable, but He went straight to the consequence of rejecting the stone. The chief priests could not argue against this, because they had already said what should happen to the husbandmen, even that the vineyard should be taken from them and given to others, verse 41.
And given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof- that He is basing the consequence of rejecting Him on the parable is seen by the use of the word “fruits”, which did not occur in the reference to the rejected stone.
21:44
And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken- the stone will have two effects on those who reject it. Since it will be the chief cornerstone, it would be easy to knock into it when turning the corner. The apostle Peter quotes two statements together in his first epistle. Having quoted Psalm 118 about the rejected stone, he quotes from Isaiah 8:14, where we read of the Messiah as “a stone of stumbling, and rock of offence”. Those who fall over in unbelief as they come into confrontation with the stone will surely be broken in the sense of crushed together, for there is no possibility of repair for those who continue in their rejection of Christ. Those who reject the cornerstone will themselves be rejected.
But on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder- the nation will be taken away from the current rulers as far as God’s reckoning is concerned, but they will continue in their unbelief. So it is that in the Tribulation Period, the majority of the nation will accept the Antichrist as their messiah. They will work out in awful practice their words to Pilate, “We have no king but Caesar”. As such, they will become part of the world-government that will be destroyed when Christ comes. Daniel saw the government of the earth in terms of a great image, but he saw a stone come from heaven to destroy that image, and then that stone filled the whole earth, for it represented Christ’s coming kingdom on earth. See Daniel chapter two as a whole, and especially verses 34,35,44,45. That which is ground to powder has no hope of being reconstituted, and built into the nation under the Messiah. So the unbelieving nation of Israel when it sides with Antichrist will have reached the point of no return.
21:45
And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.
And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them- the truth had reached their hearts and consciences, and they saw themselves as sons who refused to work in the vineyard, (their response to John the Baptist), and husbandmen who planned to kill the owner’s son, (their response to Christ).
21:46
But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.
But when they sought to lay hands on him- instead of repenting they were confirmed in their hatred. They had said what they thought should happen to the husbandmen in the parable, even “miserably destroy those wicked men”, verse 41, but they failed to apply the lesson to themselves. Instead of them being destroyed, they sought to destroy Him, Matthew 12:14.
They feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet- they feared the people because they thought of John as a prophet, verse 26, and they feel the same here. This was why they did not want to arrest Him on a feast day, when thousands of pilgrims would throng the temple, Matthew 26:4,5. Those coming from distant parts would be curious as to why Jesus of Nazareth, “the King of the Jews”, had been crucified.