Matthew Chapter Twenty-One
The Triumphal Entry
[Text parallels Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:29-44 and John 12:12-19]
21:1 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’ ”
As they were approaching Jerusalem they came to the village of Bethphage, which is believed to have been near the city of Bethany in the foothills of the Mount of Olives (or on the Mount of Olives itself), the exact location is unknown. Jesus sends two of His disciples to go into Bethphage to bring back a donkey for Him. He tells them that they will see immediately a donkey tied up alongside her colt. They were to untie them and bring them to Him. He further instructs them that if anyone asks about what they are doing, to say, “The Lord needs them.”
Matthew records that this took place to fulfill Zechariah’s prophecy, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)
21:6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”
The disciples did as Jesus asked and brought the donkey and colt to Him. They put their cloaks (Greek ‘himatia’,[1] can refer to any garment) on the animals and Jesus sat on the colt.[2]
Even though riding on a donkey would not be considered a royal chariot, the crowd responded by offering Him a dignitary’s welcome, fit for a king. Many in the crowd removed their garments and cut branches off trees to lay on the road before Jesus as He approached Jerusalem (in John’s account he adds the detail that these branches were from palm trees, see John 12:13). There appears to have been two crowds, one crowd in front of Jesus (Greek ‘proagontes’,[3] translated here as “went before,” can also mean “to bring out”) which undoubtedly came out of Jerusalem to meet Jesus. The second crowd had been following Jesus and apparently getting larger. Both crowds began to shout, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” By the time this fervent (and without a doubt, very loud) crowd entered the city of Jerusalem, the whole city was being stirred up (Greek ‘eseisthē’,[4] to agitate, tremble with fear) and many asked, “Who is this?” The crowd responded by saying that it was Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.
Considerations
Prophetic Text Overview No. 14
Matthew calls attention to how this event fulfills the prophecy recorded in Zechariah 9:9. He also records that the disciples brought both the donkey and her colt to Jesus, the other three gospel accounts only mention the colt. Both Mark and Luke state that the colt had never been sat on before (see Mark 11:2; Luke 19:30). While it is not clear in Matthew’s account which animal Jesus sat on, it is very clear in the other gospel accounts and the prophecy of Zechariah, that Jesus did sit on the colt.
The prophecy in Zechariah points to Jesus as being their king, one that is righteous and able to provide salvation (Hebrew ‘yāša’,[5] to save, deliverance). Undoubtedly a few in the crowd would have been aware of this prophecy. However, without a doubt, the Jewish leadership would have recognized the sign, sadly they were convinced Jesus was not the Messiah. Even though partially quoted in the Talmud twice, it appears that this prophecy was either not fully understood or not considered a literal event by the Jewish scholars. Much of the confusion comes from identifying the Messiah as being lowly and humble. The prophecies of the Old Testament regarding the Messiah seemingly offer a contradiction as to the nature of the Messiah. Some prophecies refer to a “warrior king,” while others refer to what might be described as a “suffering servant.” This issue has been a source of debate for centuries. Some rabbis have even considered the possibility of there being two Messiahs and gave them the names, “Ben David,” (Son of David) as the “warrior king,” and “Ben Joseph,” (Son of Joseph, referring to the son of Jacob) as the “suffering servant.” The truth is that there is only one Messiah, Jesus, and He had to first conquer sin and death as the suffering servant, but He will come back as the Warrior King, in yet-to-be fulfilled prophecy in the future. Christians know this as the first and second coming of Jesus.
The Hour Has Come
As previously discussed,[6] Jesus had encouraged people that He had healed, helped, and counseled, not to tell anyone about Him, often saying, “My hour is not yet come!” That all changed at this event, it was time for a ‘formal’ announcement that the Messiah had arrived! Here the crowd loudly proclaimed Jesus as being the “Son of David,” a Messianic title,[7] something that the Pharisees would have considered as blasphemy (see Luke 19:39-40).
Note that this is a significant event as it is referenced in all four gospels. It was also a pivotal moment in prophecy. In Daniel 9:24-27, the prophet outlines a period of seventy weeks.[8] However, the Hebrew definition is very different than the English definition. The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘weeks’ is ‘šā·ḇǔ·`ǐm’,[9] which refers to a group of sevens. While it it can be a week of seven days (see Leviticus 12:5; Deuteronomy 16:9); it can also be a week of weeks (seven weeks of days or 49 days, such as celebrated in the Feast of Weeks, see Exodus 34:22; Deuteronomy 16:10); or a week of years (seven years, such as the seventy weeks in Daniel 9:24-27). Since in English the word implies a period of seven days, care has to be taken to understand the context of the verse before determining the period of time. The prophecy in Daniel identifies the end of the 69th week with “the coming of an anointed one, a prince” (see verse 25) and the “anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing” (see verse 26, the Hebrew word ‘yik·kā·rēṯ’,[10] can also mean to destroy or kill, such as being crucified).
From the beginning of His public ministry in December, A.D. 26, Jesus offered Himself to the Jews as their King and then on Palm Sunday, April, A.D. 30, He offered Himself to them officially, formally, and finally. This day was the day of the so-called “triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem,” Matt. 21:1–11; Mk. 11:1–10; Lu. 19:28–44; Jn. 12:12–19.
Matt. 21:4, 5 tells us that the events of this day fulfilled Zech. 9:9, which prophesied the lowly presentation of Christ to the Jews as their King. Luke 19:37–44 clearly indicates that this first Palm Sunday was the day that Christ officially offered Himself to the Jews as their King and so was the day that closed the sixty-ninth week of Daniel’s prophecy.[11]
Were there scholars, sages, or any wise people that understood Daniel’s prophecy and were expecting the Messiah on that day? Perhaps, but probably only a few, if any. Much of God’s presentation of prophecy, in both the Old and New Testaments, was not written necessarily to predict an event, but mostly to see God’s precision in order to recognize that the event occurred just as He said it would, to be recognized after it happened. Many of the same people praising Jesus will turn their backs on Him, mainly because they didn’t see in Him the Savior they were looking for (see below).
The Greek word ‘hōsanna’,[12] is a transliteration of two Hebrew words ‘hô·šîª’,[13] (or ‘yāša’) meaning to save or to defend, and ‘nā’,[14] meaning now please! (See Psalm 118:25) The people in the crowds were indeed looking for the Messiah, namely someone who would save them from the oppression of the Romans. They were looking for the “warrior king,” and just as the cry of ‘Hosanna’ infers, they wanted their salvation from the Roman government NOW! While the word Hosanna implies a recognition that the person has authority or power to provide salvation, it is not necessarily a praise-worthy word, as it demands action quickly. Much like demands made during protest marches. Undoubtedly many of the same people, who were hoping for freedom from the Romans and later seeing that Jesus was arrested and clearly not the “warrior king” they were looking for, were the same people that later loudly participated in calling for His crucifixion. The word has since become part of a liturgical formula for praise.
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
[Text parallels Mark 11:15-18 and Luke 19:45-48]
21:12 And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”
Jesus entered the Temple and saw once again that the merchants and money-changers were taking advantage of the Jewish patrons. The apostle John recorded a similar incident that had occurred at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry (see John 2:13-17). Through the years a few scholars have attempted to rearrange the text and timing in John’s account in order to support the idea that there was only the single event, as recorded here in Matthew’s, Mark’s and Luke’s accounts. Often suggesting that John’s account was modified due to a copyist error. However, the context is clear, Jesus did indeed, on two occasions, clear out the money-changers and other corrupt merchants from the Temple, this was His second display of “righteous anger,” here on the Temple grounds.
His actions, were not in response to having “commerce in the Temple,” as many churches teach. The merchants and money-changers were there for legitimate and required reasons. The task of finding or raising unblemished animals for sacrifices would not have been easy. Plus, it would have been difficult for those that had to travel long distances for their pilgrimage to Jerusalem to transport and care for the animals while en route. So it was an acceptable practice for merchants to offer sacrificial animals to purchase at the Temple. Typically a variety of sizes would be available for sale, ranging from small birds to large bulls, depending on the type of sacrifice desired (see the first seven chapters of Leviticus). In addition, many arriving to Jerusalem would not have the proper “two-drachma tax,” for the annual Temple tax,[15] so money-changers were on location to exchange any “foreign currency” for the acceptable Temple coinage. The Temple would have been regularly visited by Jews throughout the year, but during any of the three mandatory-to-attend festivals, the attendance was significantly higher. Since this event took place during the week of Passover, the number of visitors seeking sacrificial animals and money exchanges was likely the highest attendance of the year.
Jesus was not angry because these merchants and money-changers were there in the Temple, He was angry that they were taking advantage of the people and were charging outrageous prices and high exchange rates.
Jesus then quotes the last half of Isaiah 56:7, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” The Temple was a place for all people, not just Jews, to seek God and through the priests enjoy fellowship with Him. But the priests and Jewish leadership turned this God-ordained procedure into a highly-profitable business.
According to levitical law, any animal approved by the priests could be offered in the Temple. But the chief priests made certain that animals not bought in one of their franchises would be judged unacceptable, giving their concessionaires the de facto right to provide all the animals. According to the Jewish-Christian historian Alfred Edersheim, a person would often have to pay as much as ten times what an animal normally cost. As if that extortion were not enough, those who needed to have foreign currency exchanged or who had to have their money converted into the exact amount for an offering were charged a twenty-five percent fee. Jesus was therefore speaking quite literally when He called the Temple marketplace “a robbers’ den” (v. 13).[16]
21:14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “ ‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise’?” 17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.
While at the Temple, Jesus healed the blind and lame, which encouraged another outbreak of spontaneous praise. This time by children, perhaps remembering what was shouted during Jesus’ entry into the city. They were proclaiming, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” A statement that made both the chief priests and scribes upset, as they were identifying Jesus as the Messiah, something they thought for sure that Jesus would not have wanted to be called, but since they still did not understand the truth, they were once again wrong. Jesus asked them if they read Psalm 8:2 and quotes from the Septuagint, “Out of mouths of infants and nurslings you furnished praise for yourself.” (Psalm 8:3a, NETS)[17] Jesus then left the city and went to the nearby city of Bethany and stayed there that night.
Considerations
In the Old Testament God ordained seven annual festivals (also known as feasts) through Moses. Three of the seven, the Feast of Unleavened Bread (in the spring), the Feast of Harvest (the second harvest also known as the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, occurs late spring to early summer) and the Feast of Ingathering (also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths, in the fall) are considered mandatory by all male Jews that are able to travel to Jerusalem to attend the ceremonies. These festivals are also known as the pilgrimage festivals (see Exodus 23:14-17; 34:23; Deuteronomy 16:16). All pilgrimages stopped after the destruction of the Temple (70 A.D.)
Since the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the day following Passover, it is often used as a metonym[18] to refer to all three spring festivals and vice versa. In the Bible the word ‘Passover’ is often stated but in context also includes the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of First Fruits. For example, Luke wrote, “Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew near, which is called the Passover.” (Luke 22:1)
Many believe that anger is a sin, it is not. That doesn’t mean that all actions taken while being angry may not be considered sinning. Jesus saw what the Jewish leadership was doing. Not only were they oppressing many faithful followers, they were guilty of misleading and improperly representing God. They took a requirement of God’s and corrupted it to make a lot of money for themselves. They were taking advantage of the people and their positions of authority. So, yes, Jesus was indeed angry, something that is often referred to as “righteous anger.” Being angry for legitimate and righteous reasons is not a sin (however not for personal gain, pride, to satisfy any lust or similar desires, etc.) He did not “lose His temper,” He needed to get their attention, so He turned over tables and made it clear that what they were doing was wrong.
The original Temple was built by Solomon, which was destroyed by the Babylonians (in 586 B.C.) and later rebuilt on the same location (called the Temple mount) by Zerubbabel (approximately 516 B.C.) Many years later, in order to solicit approval from the Jews, Herod ‘enhanced’ and rebuilt portions of the Temple and the grounds around it significantly (the resulting facility is often referred to as Herod’s Temple). While the Temple and grounds were significant in size, the actual Temple portion (which included the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place), was only a small portion of the total facility (which remained in service since it was built by Zerubbabel). This was the Temple that Jesus visited, later destroyed in 70 A.D. and was never rebuilt. There were many features including a number of courtyards, walls, and gates. The merchants and money-changers would have been likely located in the Court of Gentiles, a place were Gentiles were allowed.
Even though the chief priests and scribes witnessed a number of “wonderful things.” (Greek ‘thaumasia’,[19] things that provoke admiration and astonishment, see verse 15), it was clear they did not recognize Jesus as being the Messiah, nor as someone sent from God. Many believe that between Jesus being publicly identified as the Messiah, along with hearing the people’s pleas for salvation, combined with Him publicly condemning and stopping their lucrative revenue stream through this scheme of high exchange rates and over-priced animals, the timetable for Jesus’ death by the Jewish leadership was undoubtedly made a priority.[20]
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree
[Text parallels Mark 11:19-25]
21:18 In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he became hungry. 19 And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.
On His way to Jerusalem from Bethany the following day, Jesus became hungry. He noticed a fig tree on the side of the road and walked up to get some figs to eat, but finds it barren, having no fruit, just leaves. He then said, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” and the tree instantly withered.
21:20 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither at once?” 21 And Jesus answered them, “Truly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”
Seeing a fig tree wither instantly must have been a dramatic scene to watch, as the disciples were astonished, leaving them all wondering how that was even possible. This was not an arbitrary lashing out in anger, as Jesus would have known the tree was barren. This was another object lesson for the disciples, when asking God for something, they needed to have faith that God could indeed provide. Jesus once again states that whatever is asked for in prayer, will be received, but only if the person asking has faith that God will respond (see also Matthew 7:7-11). The power of God is available to all Christians. If one doubts if a prayer can or will get answered, it is unlikely that it will occur. It is true that God will decide whether or not He will grant a request, but if the Christian has any doubt whether it is possible, the prayer will be ineffective. Jesus uses an example that is significantly beyond human ability to perform as an example. He said that even a mountain can be moved and thrown in the sea. Something totally absurd and thought impossible by man, is completely possible by God. Jesus is saying we need to think and pray knowing God and His perspective.
It is interesting to note the nature of this event. Here Jesus caused the tree to wither, then He says, “You will not only do what has been done to the fig tree.” One might ask, when would a believer wish for a fig tree to die? That probably is the wrong question, we need to realize, as Christians in a Spiritual battle,[21] there may be the need to call God to destroy something or a barrier demolished.
Considerations
There are some who believe that when a prayer remains unanswered that they do not have enough faith to believe God will answer their request. As Christians, we need to remember that God’s answer can be ‘no’. But we also need to realize that God often grants miracles to prove His existence and love to unbelievers, such as healing a disease like cancer, as their salvation is the priority, not the disease. So, we need to understand that when prayers of healing for a believer go unanswered, they already know Jesus and will spend eternity with Him free of disease. But at the same time never forget that He is sovereign and may answer those prayers, so keep on praying! He hears you!
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
[Text parallels Mark 11:27-33 and Luke 20:1-8]
21:23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
Jesus entered the Temple and while He was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people (Greek ‘presbyteroi’,[22] refers to an older person, here in context is referring to dignitaries or revered wise men in leadership roles, long part of Jewish heritage, see Genesis 50:7; Exodus 18:12; 19:7; 21:4; Numbers 11:16), approached Jesus to question His authority (beginning with what He prophesied earlier, see Matthew 16:21). They essentially ask Jesus for His teaching credentials. Since He was now teaching in what they thought was their ‘territory’, they wanted to know who taught Him, which teacher (rabbi) did He study under, etc. The question had two parts, “By what authority,” (Greek ‘exousian’,[23] permission, the power to do something) and, “Who gave you this authority.” Since they had heard the answer to that question several times during Jesus’ ministry (see John 5:18; 10:22-39), the two-part question was undoubtedly designed to once again reveal that He was under the direct authority of God, something they would have deemed blasphemous. Giving them what they needed to have Him arrested.
Jesus then tells them that He will answer their question only if they answer one of His questions first. Jesus was not trying to evade their question, there was no need to, as this question had been answered many times in the past. Staying on the theme of authority, Jesus asks regarding the baptism that John the Baptist had been offering, “From where did it come? From heaven or from man?” Jesus was asking if John’s authority to baptize was from God or from man. Apparently a sizable crowd was observing, as the chief priests and elders were concerned with how the crowd would respond to their answer. If they replied, “From man,” as they believed, they feared the crowd would get angry and potentially create an insurrection, since many believed John was a prophet of God. If they answered, “From heaven,” they surmised that Jesus would ask them why did they not believe Him? Since neither answer was without conflict, they responded, “We do not know.” Due to their unwillingness to answer, Jesus said He likewise would not answer, telling them where His authority comes from (although they had already heard).
The Parable of the Two Sons
21:28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
While on the subject of authority, Jesus uses three parables to expose how the chief priests and the Jewish leadership had lost their Spiritual authority and have gone in a direction away from God. Immediately after being questioned, Jesus introduces the first parable with a question, “What do you think?” He then tells the story about a man who had two sons. In the story the man asked the first son to go and work in the vineyard but the son refuses, saying he won’t go, but later changes his mind and went to the vineyard to work. The man went to another son and asked him to work in the vineyard, the son said he would go, but did not go. Jesus asked, which one did the will of his father? The people around Him (including the chief priests, elders, and Pharisees, see verse 45) responded, “The first.” They could see that the first son did do the will of the father and the second son did not. Even though the religious leaders answered correctly, they did not perceive themselves being represented by the second son, the one who said that they will do the will of the Father, but refused. Its not until Jesus explains that, “The tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you,” noting how these sinners, who would have been shut out of social circles and any participation in Jewish celebrations or services, at first said no to God but later as a result of John the Baptist’s preaching, turned to God and repented, that they started to see Jesus was talking about them. Jesus further points out that even after the Jewish leadership saw the true repentance and subsequent transformation of those people, they still would not believe that John was sent by God. They were the ones that said they would do the will of God, but did not. The story was about them. Before allowing any discussion, Jesus proceeds to the second out of three parables, aimed at indicting the religious leadership.
The Parable of the Tenants
[Text parallels Mark 12:1-12 and Luke 20:9-19]
21:33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
Jesus asks them to listen to another parable. In this second parable Jesus describes a person being the master of a house who planted a vineyard, built a fence around the vineyard, dug a winepress, and built a tower for the vineyard. The master then leased the vineyard to some tenants and left the area and went into another country. When it was time to be paid (with the fruit grown), he sent three servants to those tenants to collect his portion. Instead of giving what was owed, the tenants beat one servant, stoned another (Greek ‘elithobolēsan’,[24] to pelt with stones or to be stoned to death), and killed the third servant. In response, the master sent more servants, and those were equally treated and harmed (see also Mark 12:5). The master then decided to send his own son believing he would be respected, but the tenants ended up throwing the son out of the vineyard and killed him too, thinking they would receive his inheritance. Jesus then asks, “When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” The religious leaders, now throughly disgusted with the tenants and having compassion for the master, respond to Jesus’ question, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.” (verse 41, NLT)
Jesus asks them if they had ever read in the Scriptures, “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?” (quoted from Psalm 118:22) Even though all Jews would have known this Psalm, being part of the regularly recited “Hallel Psalms,” His reply may have confused some of them, as they may not have connected Jesus as being the cornerstone,[25] nor understood that they were the ones that would reject the Messiah, as they firmly believed Jesus was not the Messiah.
A cornerstone (sometimes called the “foundation stone” or “setting stone”) is typically the first stone placed when building a masonry structure. All other stones will be set in relation to this stone, ideally it should be perfectly squared and flat and must be precisely placed (the term was later used to refer to a ‘ceremonial stone’ that identifies and often dates the building). Jesus is the Cornerstone for every Christian, providing not only a firm foundation and source of their salvation, but also true alignment for guidance throughout their life.
The apostle Peter later wrote how the stone the builders rejected not only became the cornerstone for humanity’s salvation, he noted that He also became a “stumbling stone” for many. Which was true for most of the Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, and elders, causing them, the religious leadership of that time, to reject Jesus as the Messiah, exactly as prophesied by the Psalmist. Peter further explains that the reason they stumbled was that they disobeyed the Word of God (see 1 Peter 2:4-8), which illustrates the premise of these parables. To avoid disobedience, every Christian should be actively involved in regular Bible study. Peter also made it clear that, “We have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:19-21)
21:43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
Jesus removed any doubt regarding His teaching when He told them directly in plain language that the kingdom of God would no longer be attainable for them. The phrase “will be taken away,” is translated from the Greek word ‘arthēsetai’ (root ‘airō’)[26] referring to something being taken up to move (or removed), in context, to be deprived of the kingdom of God. Since they chose not to accept Jesus as the Messiah, regardless of their title, role, or intention (thinking they were representing God), they would not be saved. “Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.” (verse 44, NLT) If anyone has difficulty in accepting Jesus as their Savior, regardless of the barrier that is preventing belief (intellectual or spiritual), the end result would be disastrous and eternal. The lesson is two-fold for readers today, first, there is no substitute for the Bible (in other words, don’t blindly follow religion, read the Bible and know Jesus for yourself), and secondly, since the consequences for unbelief are eternal, if you haven’t committed yourself to Jesus Christ yet, do so soon!
21:45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet.
Matthew now notes that the Pharisees were part of the religious leadership group that was listening to Jesus. The group began to realize that He was talking about them, however, they still did not recognize their error in not accepting the truth about Jesus. These parables undoubtedly only caused them to be more infuriated with Him, as they wanted to arrest Him at that time, but were too afraid that the crowd would get out of control that would then get the attention of the Romans.
Considerations
The Nation of Israel as God’s Vineyard
While the ‘players’ of this parable are straightforward: the master is God, the master’s servants being the prophets, the son being Jesus, and the tenants representing the religious leadership at that time, there is one ‘player’ that is often overlooked, the vineyard itself. Even though the parable could be understood interpreting the vineyard in a generic sense, seeing that the term would have been a well-known metaphor for the nation of Israel helps readers to recognize how these religious leaders may have missed the truth about Jesus.
The word ‘vineyard’ in both the Hebrew and Greek are often used as metaphors for the nation of Israel in the Bible. For example, the prophet Isaiah wrote, “The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel and the men of Judah are His pleasant planting” (Isaiah 5:7a, see also Psalm 80:8-11; Isaiah 3:14; 5:1-30). Note in Isaiah chapter five, that the prophet precisely outlines God’s judgment against Israel.
Isaiah compared God’s tender dealings with Israel as a vinekeeper caring for a vineyard. But Israel did not produce true fruit, and the result will be that she will be made a wasteland and judgment will fall on those who increase their wealth and don’t serve God (v. 8). Isaiah predicted that her mansions will be left vacant and her vineyards will be fruitless (vv. 9–10). Israel’s sins were described in verses 11–23. Their time of judgment will come, however. Isaiah predicted graphically the coming invasion of those who would carry off Judah into Captivity (vv. 26–30). This was fulfilled in the Babylonian Captivity (2 Chron. 36:15–21).[27]
Later the prophet Jeremiah recorded that due to Israel misrepresenting and lying about God, their vineyards would be destroyed. “Go up through her vine rows and destroy, but make not a full end; strip away her branches, for they are not the LORD’s. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have been utterly treacherous to me, declares the LORD. They have spoken falsely of the LORD and have said, ‘He will do nothing; no disaster will come upon us, nor shall we see sword or famine. The prophets will become wind; the word is not in them. Thus shall it be done to them!’” (Jeremiah 5:10-13) In the wake of that destruction, now under foreign rule, the religious leaders during Jesus’ time on earth became so corrupt that they completely missed their own Messiah. How can a person who believes they represent God get to that level of corruption? Through the gradual erosion of the truth while being replaced by human understanding and rationalization, resulting in one embracing a complete fabrication (a lie). Then when faced with the truth, it is completely rejected. Sadly, many still today embrace human interpretation instead of reading and knowing God’s Word.
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[1] Strong’s Greek 2440.
[2] See Considerations below regarding which animal Jesus sat on.
[3] Strong’s Greek 4254.
[4] Strong’s Greek 4579.
[5] Strong’s Hebrew 3467.
[6] See Considerations under Matthew 9:27-31 titled “Tell No One,” see also commentary under Matthew 24:15 and Appendix 2 - Daniel's Seventy Weeks.
[7] See commentary under Matthew 1:1.
[8] See Appendix 2 - Daniel’s Seventy Weeks.
[9] Strong’s Hebrew 7620.
[10] Strong’s Hebrew 3772.
[11] Gingrich, R. E. (1996). The Seventy Weeks of Daniel (p. 13). Memphis, TN: Riverside Printing.
[12] Strong’s Greek 5614.
[13] Strong’s Hebrew 3467.
[14] Strong’s Hebrew 4994.
[15] See commentary under Matthew 17:24-27 regarding the Temple tax.
[16] MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1985). Matthew (Vol. 3, p. 268). Chicago: Moody Press.
[17] Note: different numbering and the text reads different than Hebrew version. See “Old Testament Quotes and Citations” in the Introduction.
[18] A metonym is a literary device where one item is used to signify another that is closely related to it.
[19] Strong’s Greek 2297.
[20] See commentary under Matthew 12:14-21.
[21] See Considerations under Matthew 4:11 regarding “Introducing Satan.”
[22] Strong’s Greek 4245.
[23] Strong’s Greek 1849.
[24] Strong’s Greek 3036.
[25] See Considerations under Matthew 7:24-27 regarding “Jesus is the Rock.”
[26] Strong’s Greek 142.
[27] Walvoord, J. F. (1990). The prophecy knowledge handbook (p. 93). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.