Matthew 21 - Printer Friendly

What does Matthew 21 mean?

Chapter Commentary:

Jesus and the disciples have nearly completed their long journey from the region of Galilee in the north to Jerusalem. They have now travelled the last leg from Jericho to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, not far from Jerusalem's gates.

Before entering Jerusalem, though, Jesus directs two of His disciples to go into a village where they will find a donkey and its colt tied up. Jesus has arranged to ride the colt into Jerusalem to intentionally fulfill a prophecy about the Messiah. Zechariah predicted the King would come humbly and riding a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). The symbolism of this is easy to miss. Donkeys are common work animals and unsuited for battle. Victorious conquerors of that era would parade on horses, much as a modern general might ride into a city on the back of a tank. Riding a donkey, rather than a warhorse, is more like a modern person sitting in a pickup truck. In the future, Christ will come in power and judgment (Revelation 19:11–16). This time, His arrival is consistent with His role as a sacrificial Savior (Matthew 21:1–7).

As Jesus rides toward the gates, the large crowd following Him is joined by even more people coming out of Jerusalem, who have heard He is arriving. They put their outer garments and branches on the road in front of Him as symbols of submission and Jewish victory. They also shout out lines from Psalm 118 that are meant for the Messiah: "Hosanna to the Son of David!" and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" Jerusalem is stirred up. People who don't know ask who Jesus is. Some reply that He is a prophet from Nazareth of Galilee (Matthew 21:8–11).

Jesus later enters the massive temple in Jerusalem. He drives out those selling and buying animals. He overthrows the tables and benches of the moneychangers. This seems to be a second, separate incident from the one recorded in the gospel of John (John 2:13–22). Jesus' anger is not about business or money, itself, but the crass way in which these men are profiting from the spiritual needs of the people (Matthew 21:12–13).

While at the temple, Jesus heals some blind and lame people who come to Him for help. Some children see this and begin to repeat the praises of the crowds as Jesus rode into town. Jesus defends the children to some chief priests and scribes who question Him. He does this, once again, by citing Old Testament Scripture (Matthew 21:14–17).

Jesus leaves the city to stay in Bethany for the night and returns the next morning, hungry. He sees a fig tree with leaves but finds no fruit. Though there would be no reason to expect ripe figs, at that time, a productive tree would have edible buds. The fact that the tree has nothing means it won't produce fruit this year. Jesus curses the tree to never bear fruit again and it withers. The disciples ask Jesus how He has done this, and He tells them that all things are possible for them if they believe and do not doubt when they pray. With His other comments on prayer, this can be understood in the context of God's will and the way faithful believers pursue it (Matthew 21:18–22).

Returning to the temple, Jesus is challenged by chief priests and elders. They ask Him to justify his authority to do all these things. Using the typical debate style of the era, Jesus promises to answer if they will respond to His question. The implication of His question is whether John the Baptist was a true or false messenger. Jesus knows these men rejected John but are too cowardly to admit it in front of the people. They weakly reply that they do not know (Matthew 21:23–27).

Rather than leave the issue alone, Jesus presses it. He tells two parables, each about vineyards, to show how the Jewish religious leaders have failed. He first compares them to a son who says "yes" to his father, but then disobeys. The people despised and dismissed by their culture as sinners were the ones who repented at John's message; they will enter the kingdom of God before these hypocritical spiritual figureheads (Matthew 21:28–32).

The second parable pictures the Jewish leaders as tenants of a vineyard who refuse to give their agreed rent, in the form of harvested crops, to the owner's servants. Instead they mistreat and kill the servants and then the owner's son, as well. This connects to an Old Testament reference to Israel as a vineyard (Isaiah 5:1–7). Jesus applies this parable to Israel's history of persecuting messengers of God (Acts 7:52), as well as how the men attacking Him were opposed to God's message. The leaders recognize how the parable's landowner will react, but don't seem to fully grasp what that implies (Matthew 21:33–41).

Finally, Jesus applies Psalm 118:22–23 to Himself. He is the stone rejected by the builders that has become the cornerstone. The Greek phrase used here either means the strongest, most critical stone used in a building's foundation, or the top brick in an arch. Either way, it is the ultimate basis of that structure's integrity. The kingdom of God will be taken from the Israelite leaders and all who reject Jesus will be broken on or crushed by the cornerstone. In another display of political cowardice, these men who reject Jesus keep their silence out of fear of public opinion (Matthew 21:42–46).

Matthew 21:1–11 follows Jesus on His final, "triumphal" entry into Jerusalem. He rides on a donkey for the final mile or so to intentionally fulfill a prophecy from Zechariah about the king arriving in Jerusalem. The crowds praise Him as the Messiah, lining His path with branches and their cloaks. They shout out, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" and "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!" as seen in Psalm 118. The event we now call Palm Sunday stirs up Jerusalem with many people asking who Jesus is.

Matthew 21:12–17 describes Jesus' entrance into the massive Jewish temple in Jerusalem during what we now call Holy Week. He immediately drives a marketplace out of the temple and overturns the money-changers' tables. He also heals some blind and lame people and refuses to silence some children who are praising Him as the Son of David. He quotes part of a psalm to chief priests and scribes who find this inappropriate.

Matthew 21:18–22 describes a morning when Jesus, being hungry, discovers no figs on a leafy fig tree. He curses the tree never to bear fruit again, and the tree withers at once. The disciples notice the withered tree and ask Jesus how He did it. He tells them that if they have faith and do not doubt, they could do this, too. They could even tell a mountain to be thrown into the sea. In fact, anything they ask for in prayer they will receive if they have faith.

Matthew 21:23–27 finds Jesus in the temple as He is challenged by priests and elders. They want to know by what authority Jesus acts. He agrees to answer if they will answer Him: Was John the Baptist's baptism from heaven or from earth? The religious leaders know that if they say he was a prophet, Jesus will ask why they didn't believe and repent. If they say John was not a prophet, though, the people will be upset. They say they don't know. Jesus does not answer their question.

Matthew 21:28–32 continues Jesus' interaction with priests and elders in the temple, after He defuses a challenge. He delivers a parable about a man with two sons who tells them both to go work in a vineyard. The first says no, but then does it. The second says yes and then disobeys. Jesus, comparing the religious leaders to the second son, says that even the tax collectors and prostitutes who believed John the Baptist and repented will enter the kingdom of God before these important and powerful religious men.

Matthew 21:33–46 begins with another vineyard-related parable from Jesus. This one involves tenants who refused to pay the owner His agreed upon share of the crops. Instead, they mistreated and killed the servants he sent and then killed the owner's son. Jesus compares Israel's religious leaders to these tenants, saying the kingdom of God will be taken from them. Jesus identifies Himself in a psalm about a stone rejected by the builders but chosen by the Lord to be the cornerstone. All who reject Him will fall on the cornerstone or have it fall on and crush them.

Chapter Summary:

Jesus fulfills a prophecy from Zechariah about the coming of the king to Jerusalem by riding in on a donkey. The people celebrate and praise Him as the Messiah. Jesus drives the marketers and moneychangers out of the temple and heals some people. He curses a fig tree and tells the disciples nothing will be impossible for them with faith. Jesus forces cowardly and hypocritical religious leaders to back down with a question about John the Baptist. He then exposes their fraudulent spirituality with two parables about vineyards. Jesus applies to Himself a psalm about a rejected stone being made the cornerstone by the Lord.

Chapter Context:

Matthew 21 finds Jesus arriving near Jerusalem after leaving Jericho in the previous chapter. His triumphal entry is accomplished riding a donkey, and to raucous praise, fulfilling a prophecy about the Messiah. Jesus cleanses the marketplace from the temple, heals, and presents lessons about faith and Israel's failed leadership. This leads into further conversations which Matthew compiles from Jesus' interactions with the Pharisees.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.

Accessed 5/18/2024 10:35:45 PM